2007 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE)
Event 2 - £5,000 Pot Limit Omaha
Day: 1
"Are you winning, Humberto?" I ask.
"I'm doing okay, around 15,000, he replies. (Apologies, I don't know how to write a Costa Rican accent.)
"When are we going to see the shark?"
"Aaaaaaah, he only comes out for the camera. He's a TV star."
Looks like we're going to have to wait till the final table, folks, before witnessing the arrival of Mr Sharky, now equipped with a beaming red light protruding from his mouth.
A familiar face on the UK circuit, Simon has finalled in multiple local events, including a runner up spot in the Broadway Festival of Poker earlier in the year.
One of this country's more unpredictable players, The Bubble, as he is often known, scooped most of his chips off table neighbour Johan Storakers, his flopped two pair with A-2-3-4 ("I thought it was Hi-Lo," he pleaded jokingly) on an 2-3-6 board surviving Storaker's Pocket Queens with a flush draw.
For those that don't know, Nikolaus Jelicka is a rising young star from Austria. I met Nikolaus in the Concord Casino in Vienna over a year ago, and back then he confessed to being a high stakes online player... even though he was still in his teens.
Now ambushing the live circuit, Jedlicka has already shown his prowess in the cardrooms, finalling at the recent Barcelona EPT for a tasty six-figure payday.
The sports updates will now be left to a minimum, let the poker commence.
Daniel Negreanu is up here drinking a beer and cracking jokes with everyone. The HORSE event is on a break so he is giving Jen Harman a pep talk.
With the board reading , the chips flew in with Antonius holding to Henrik's .
A made little difference giving the former model the double up he was after.
"What was your dangler?" wondered Lloyd.
De Wolfe didn't respond as he stacked up his chips.