A Punk and an Online Wiz Who Has Won a Chunk

When you talk about the differences between online poker and the brick and mortar card rooms, they are summed up perfectly when you look at Kyle Weir and Jonathon Kalmar.

Kalmar, or as he is known to his mates Kalie the Skalie, is a rough and tumble Northerner from England in the U.K. He is one of those guys you just don't fancy getting into a bar room brawl with. He strides around the Rio in his Doc Martens boots and punk rocker t-shirts reminiscent of the UK in the 1970s. Kalmar is your classic live poker grinder who has earned close to $2 million since 2004. His most impressive performance to date came when he finished 5th for $1,255,069 in the 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event.

At the other end of the poker scale you have Kyle Weir. Weir looks young enough to be Kalmar's kid. He is sat at his table, head covered by a beenie hat, rocking to some music. He doesn't look old enough to have his own paper round and yet you know he is at home in his surroundings. Weir is one of the young guns. The Internet generation forced out into the card rooms by their own government. What Weir and Kallie the Skalie do have in common is $1,000,000 scores. Kalmar took his down in the 2007 Main Event and Weir did likewise when he won the $10 Million anniversary Sunday Million on PokerStars.

Here are a couple of hands for the contrasting pair.

Jon Kalmar raised to 125 in early position and there were two callers before the small blind made it 425 to play. It was only Kalmar that made the call and the pair headed to the flop. The dealer laid the {K-Spades} {10-Hearts} {2-Hearts} on the felt and the big blind came out betting for 425; Kalmar made the call. It was the {3-Hearts} on fourth street and the big blind checked to Kalmar and he bet 900. Back to the big blind and he check-raised all-in and a gutted looking Kalmar mucked his hand.

Jon Kalmar ~ 2,125.

There was a raise to 175, in the cutoff, Kyle Weir called on the button as did the big blind. The flop was {J-Diamonds} {8-Spades} {5-Spades} and the initial raiser bet 350 when checked too. Action on Weir and he raised to 850, the big blind folded and the initial raiser flicked in the call. The turn card was the {K-Diamonds} and the initial raiser tapped the felt. A confident looking Weir bet 1,025, the initial raiser moved all-in for 2,225 and Weir bit his hand off.

Weir
Opponent

So Weir's opponent had hit his king on the turn but Weir had flopped a set. The {7-Diamonds} river confirmed the inevitable and Weir just looked at us and said, "great start."