Intertops Players Reflect on Poker EM 2017

Derek Nakafuji from Los Angeles managed to take down one of the Poker EM Velden packages online at Intertops. He could bring a friend, which was included in the package on Intertops. When two friends, Gary and Paul, said they wanted to make it an extended European vacation -- including Velden, Munich, Paris, Lille and Vienna -- Derek brought both of them along. Derek played the Poker EM Main Event and unfortunately was knocked out late on day 2, but it seems the three friends made the most of their Velden visit!



Hjalmar Lethin talks about the satisfaction of yet another sucessful live event with online qualifiers from Intertops. Hjalmar talks about what the players were up to outside the poker room, the greatness of Velden and of course Casino Velden with their great staff lead by poker managers Gerald Golker, Dieter Printschler and Niklas Sattler. He also talks about the things to come for online qualifiers in the future including available packages for St Maarten with sub satellites starting already on August 2.

Simon Boss Wins Poker EM European Poker Championship

Simon Boss from Switzerland really loves the Poker EM in Velden. Two years ago he managed to win the main event and this year he became the first player to ever win this event for the second time. Simon is a successful entrepreneur in his home country with a company with 120 employees and he has poker as his favourite hobby. The win, which was made possible thanks to Simon’s ‘Velden Final Table Shirt’, was worth €142,000. Simon talks some about the decisive hands of the tournament, the online poker ban in Switzerland, his plans in poker for the coming months and that he will for sure come back next year to Velden to defend his title.

Friends Take Each Other to Tournaments

Péter Gál is a big fan of Velden -- this year was the first year that he won his way to the European Poker Championship in an online poker tournament, but it wasn't the first time he's played the Poker EM European Poker Championship. Last year his friend Daniel won a satellite tournament at Intertops Poker that awarded an all expense paid trip to the Austrian spa/casino resort.  Since Intertops qualifiers can always bring a friend to the live events, Péter tagged along.

Last year Daniel won an online satellite tournament at Intertops for the Punta Cana Poker Classic and they went to the Caribbean together. To even things out, Péter thought it was time to level the score and managed to win a satellite to Velden this year.

Peter talks to Rikard about being an online pro for nine years, his education, and his plan to win another satellite on Intertops and bring his friend Daniel to St Maarten in November.

Intertops Player Looks Back on Poker EM 2017

This was Sven Lucha's second European Poker Championship in Velden Austria. Although he didn't finish in the money, he enjoyed the tournament and his week at the posh spa resort and will, no doubt, be back again next year!

Turbo bubble play in Velden with Intertops qualifier Sven Lucha:

 

Wrap-up interview:

European Poker Championship, Day 3

Final day in Velden:


Day 3 in Velden - shuffle up

 

Bubble play in Velden

Chipcounts leading up to day 3 of Poker EM Velden. 

Some players prefer to remain anonymous, hence only their first names or nicknames. 37 players through to day 3, 27 will get a minimum of €6,500 and the first prize is €142,000.

Ben 1.081.000
Killian Löffler 811.000
Said Nadjem 542.000 
Steffen Sontheimer 521.000
Der Papa 500.500
Rinat Bogdanov 488.000
PiuPiuPiu 472.000
Stefan Huber 460.000
Jaroslaw Sikora 457.000
Daniel Studer 426.000
Tibor Benkoe 417.000
C. Stallinger 382.000
Simon Boss 342.000
Steve O’Dwyer 335.000
Wilfried Härig 324.000
Bruno Stefanelli 319.000
Ondrej Pulec 276.000
Jan Petzholdt 270.000
Matthias Habernig 256.000
Benoinat 245.000
Markus 240.000
Joe 216.000
Mario Pichler 211.000
Josip Simunic 205.000
Dominik Nitsche 201.000
Michael Engel 181.000
Manig Loeser 175.000
Daniel Vogel 166.000
Atsharia 157.000
A. Rettenbacher 154.000
C. Milbradt 145.000
Istvan Törö 145.000
Angelo Falletta 144.000
T. Taubenschuss 123.000
Onkel Otto 120.000
Gustavo 108.000
Robby Westrom 94.000

Source: Pokerfirma.com

Live Streams thru the Day from the $700K European Poker Championship in Austria

Here's a live stream posted this morning as Day 2 began at the European Poker Championship in Velden.



11 pm Day 2, 46 players remain in the game.

Unfortunately we lost all remaining Intertops players today. Sven went out about 9 pm, then Csaba Molnar lost with 88 against AK and AK and finally Péter Gál went out around 20 places before the money and was thereby the best qualifier from Intertops.

Remaining are big names Steve O’Dwyer, Dominik Nitsche, Steffen Sontheimer and last year’s winner Matthias Habernig.

Day 1 at the European Poker Championship: Chilling with Online Champion Sven Lucha

Four online satellite tournament champions from Intertops Poker and Juicy Stakes Poker -- Sven Lucha, Joakim Lidberg, Peter Gal and Derek Nakafuji -- are in Velden, Austria this week for the €700,000 European Poker Championship Main Event.

In our first video report from the posh casino resort, Rikard Ekberg catches up with Sven to talk about his strategy for Day 1 of the 4 day, tournament.




“It’s a four day event.  You can’t win it today,” said cool-headed Lucha who’s in Velden for his second European Poker Championship.  “So on the first day just relax, stay cool, try to get some chips out of your good hands.”

Rikard will be back with highlights of the the Main Event Day 1 and interviews with Sven and the other Intertops Poker and Juicy Stakes Poker players throughout the event.

Online Satellite Winners en Route to Austria for €700,000 European Poker Championship -- Video Reports Start July 27

Online satellite tournament winners from our sponsors, Intertops Poker and Juicy Stakes Poker, are on their way to Austria next week where they’ll compete in the prestigious Main Event of the European Poker Championship in Velden. Video reports from the tournament, featuring interviews with the players, will be online beginning July 27th.

They each won a $4000 prize package that includes €2700 buy-in to the EPC main event (July 27th to 30th), accommodation at a premium hotel close to the casino and cash for travel expenses.

This year the EPC Velden prize pool is estimated to be over €700,000 (over $770,000). Players from all over Europe (especially Germany and Italy) will play tournaments and cash games on more than 40 tables at the exclusive lakeside resort.

Sven, one of the online poker champions on the Intertops team, is a German tennis coach.  He plays mostly online but has played a few live tournaments -- smaller tourneys, not big buy-ins. This is his second European Poker Championship and he looks forward to returning to the Austrian spa resort for another poker holiday.“Last year there were a lot of good players and a big prize pool. ” he said. “Like last year, I’ll make this a vacation, go swimming, go out a little bit, then play the tournament. The casino is very beautiful – and there are a lot of cash games to play as well!”

Derek, a professional poker player from Los Angeles, California, also won an online satellite tournament at Intertops Poker and will be joining Sven in Austria.

He recalled the online tournament where he won his trip: “When I doubled through the chip leader, I started to realize that I might just win the tournament. At that point I had a decent stack to play with so I knew I had a good shot to take it down.”

“My strategy for online tournaments is to stay cool in early stages, try to find good spots to make chips with the best hand,” he added. “In later stages I get more and more aggressive. The best is winning the pots without showdown, especially in the late stage.”

New Mobile Poker!

Our sponsors, Intertops Poker and Juicy Stakes Poker, have just launched a cool new mobile poker platform.  It's faster and easier to navigate -- and you'll love the new eight-handed tables!  Designed for small screens on smartphones and tablets, the new mobile poker rooms have simple tap-and-swipe controls -- all the same incredible features that have made the poker rooms so popular online – but optimized for on-the-go poker play

No app is required – just log on through the browser on your Apple or Android smartphone or tablet.  The new real money mobile poker room has .

“I like the eight-handed tables a lot” said Tim O’Keefe, a poker pro sponsored by Intertops. "It's only a slight change of pace, but it speeds up the action nicely. More action and more hands per hour equals more fun!”

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“I'm sure there are plenty of other players out there like me that find themselves getting a little bored sitting at a live poker table for hours on end, only seeing a fraction of the hands per hour they’re used to when playing online,” he added. “This Instant play mobile solution is a great way for me to help ward off the boredom and increase my hourly rate! I just get my tablet out and open an online tourney or cash game while playing live -- problem solved!”

“I have a couple of free poker apps on my phone but none where I can play for real money,” said another player.  “There’s always lots of action in the Intertops and Juicy Stakes poker rooms – it’s great to be able to play any time, anywhere.”

Both Intertops Poker and Juicy Stakes welcome players from anywhere in the world. Known for hosting online satellite tournaments sending winners to exotic locations for big money tournaments, they’re currently hosting daily online satellites for the European Poker Championships. The winner of the next Final on June 11th will receive a $4500 prize package and play in the €2,700 ($3,000) buy-in Main Event in Austria next month.

German Tennis Coach Wins His Way to Austria

An online poker player known as "AleGaston" won a recent EPC Velden Online Satellite Tournament series at Intertops Poker.  The tennis coach from  Altötting, Germany will play in the €700,000 European Poker Championship in Velden, Austria this summer.

He said he mostly plays online but has played a few live tournaments -- smaller tourneys, not big buy-ins. So with its €700,000 prize pool and €2700 buy-in, EPC Velden will be a big event for him!

The German poker player recalled the moment at the Final Table when victory was in sight.

“When I doubled through the chip leader, I started to realize that I might just win the tournament.  At that point I had a decent stack to play with so I knew I had a good shot to take it down.”

“My strategy for online tournaments is to stay cool in early stages, try to find good spots to make Chips with the best Hand. In later stages I get more and more aggressive. The best is winning the pots without showdown, especially in the late stage.”

Another series of EPC online satellites concluded May 14th. We'll be announcing the winner of that event shortly.

Players Look Back at European Poker Championship 2016

A group of online poker players that won satellite tournaments at Intertops Poker and Juicy Stakes Poker got a once-in-a-lifetime chance to play in a massive European poker tournament last summer.

Tim O’Keefe from Texas, USA finished in the money, 22nd for a €6,490 pay day. Here he talks about free schnitzel and other Austrianisms he enjoyed in Velden as well as the first of two key hands in the tournament.



Juicy Stakes online qualifier Mark Dufner recalls two key hands in the tournament.

Seefeld Winter Poker Championship: Great Location, Awesome Poker Action

Another great trip with Intertops has come and gone! The Winter Poker Open in Seefeld Austria!! It’s a small ski village that’s filled with spectacular sites, all the winter activities you can think of and plenty of poker action!  Great locations, great fun and poker action is what Intertops is all about and this was no exception! This trip had it all!  Amazing views, wild aggressive players, TheTrooper97 ski crashes and, of course, schnitzel! It was yet another experience of lifetime!

An 18 hour trip from Ft Worth to London to Dusseldorf to Salzburg then drive 21/2 hours to Seefeld! Its a test to even experienced travelers, but well worth the journey once you see those snow capped mountains. I can’t believe I got to travel back to where it all began! When I was here year last, I was beyond thrilled to experience what I thought was a one in a lifetime trip! I never expected that I would be able to return, never mind have it be my third time to Austria now! Beyond fortunate! For the people who haven’t been following from the beginning of this journey, I won a satellite on Intertops to play in this tourney last year! After quitting my job in November of 2015 to take a shot at playing professionally, I managed to win an event on the site that started this whole amazing adventure. Flying overseas for the first time, meeting the Intertops crew, playing my first $2k+ tourney, and eating A LOT of schnitzel! Here’s the start of it all if you want to catch up to speed! Last year is also when I met fellow satty winner and Intertops player Chris Perkins. He and I were amazed and overwhelmed by the whole experience. We didn’t do as well as we had hoped in the tourney, but it was hard to be upset for too long in such a great place.

One of the reasons we didn’t do as well as we wanted last year (Living the Dream at CAPT Seefeld 2016) was due to the surprisingly aggressive play of the Europeans players! I mean, I had never seen so much 4 betting EVER! lol It was a little bit confusing to us because this was also one of the best structures we had ever played, with 50k starting stacks and 1 hour levels! I had thought it would be an easy waiting game for good hands and good spots, I mean 50k starting, c’mon there’s so much play there! WRONG! lol What we didn’t take account for was the fact that these players are used to this structure and know how to take advantage of all the players with my same strategy. So many players pour on the aggression, knowing they can keep hammering tighter players and force folds. It’s a good plan, until you realize many of these guys also have that same idea AND play against each other fairly often. It makes for a crazy dynamic that I still have yet to see anywhere else! 

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The closet thing might have been some of the WSOP Vegas events, but still not quite as aggressive. It proves to be a difficult adjustment to make and requires another level to your poker game! So this year, armed with that knowledge and more experience of playing against such aggro players, I was prepared to have some revenge. lol Unfortunately though, the European players had other ideas!! It was a tough table draw again for me this year, but at least I had position on the most aggressive players! Still even with the 3 most aggro players on my right, I was often hand-cuffed by the 3 and 4 betting before I even got to act! It was an interesting dynamic as I had a few calling stations on my left. I had thought I would be able to take advantage of them but that backfired as well, because strangely enough, every time I put in a raise or re-raise to combat the aggros on my right, the donkeys on my left would cold call!? lol Ever have one of those tourneys were you feel like everyone’s out to get you!? Well this for sure felt like one of those for me!  I lost almost 15k in the first 30 minutes of the tournament! I had AA, KK x 2, AKo and AJo all lose on the river. With the majority of the chips going in the hand where I had KK for the second time in 20 minutes and had to fold the river to an all in shove after the 3rd flush card hit!  It was brutal, as obliviously had that sick run of starting hands all had gone in my favor, I would have enough chips to coast to bagging up for day 2. Not only that but given how early it was, a good chance to bag up a significant stack for a real shot at going deep on day 2.

It wasn’t in the cards for me again this year at Seefeld and history repeated itself when I played all of day one, just to bust out on the VERY LAST hand of the night!! Watching my KQs lose to AQ suited on a queen high flop! BOoooo! Oh well, what can you do right? I will put up some hand histories in the next post and maybe we can figure it out together! And of course winning would have been nice, but poker is always just PART of these trips with Intertops! There are worst places to bust tourneys for sure! Being out of the event meant I was able to head up to the top of the mountains the next day and enjoy everything else Seefeld had to offer!  Not to mention we still had a day back in Salzburg waiting for us! Seeing Salzburg again is always a treat. The history of Old Salzburg is so impressive. Seeing a castle at the top of a small mountain from literally right outside your hotel window is pretty bad-ass. Not something you see everyday huh? lol The birth place of Mozart and apparently Red Bull lol, you see those two things everywhere you go. Along with buildings built right into(or from?) the mountain, with dates on them showing just how old they are, it’s like stepping back in time. The oldest one I remember seeing was a church with the date 1409 on it?! How cool is that?! Being surrounded by all that really is quite the site to see and a pretty great way to put things in perspective(especially after busting a poker tourney lol)

There’s plenty more to write about from this one, between hand histories, views from the top, weird Euro poker chips and TheTrooper97s brutal ski crash! So I’ll get to another blog to fill you all in, Don’t forget to watch us on Twitch for give-aways and upcoming promotions from Intertops. Maybe you can win yourself a seat and come along for the next adventure!

Til next time

Run Good

Tim

2Fit2Fold Blog

“This post was shared on the Alec Torelli’s Best of Poker Series“.

Online Players off to Europe for Winter Poker Championship in Seefeld, Austria this Week

Our friend Tim O'Keefe is on his way back to Austria this week for the Winter Poker Championship in Seefeld. Tim was with us when we were there last February and he'll be posting pics vids and stories here on Living the Dream blog again later this week.

Tim and Douglas Klein -- a recent online satellite tournament winner -- will be in Seefeld for the Main Event. Vegas vlogger TheTrooper79 will be with them.

On his 2Fit2Fold blog this weekend, Tim talked about how he's been "fine tuning" for this week's big event, re-living hands he's played at WSOPc events in LA and Choctaw over the last few weeks.

"Hopefully I can learn from these tough lessons, redeem myself from last year's performance and take it to those uber aggressive Europeans!" he said from his home in Texas before setting off for Europe.

The Winter Poker Championship (formerly CAPT Seefeld) Main Event takes place at Casinos Austria, Seefeld February 24th to 26th.

 

Six-handed Poker Tournaments

$200 GTD, $550 GTD or $1200 GTD

Get more info or register to play at:

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New GTD Tournaments at US-Friendly Juicy Stakes Poker

For American poker players, Juicy Stakes (on the Horizon Poker Network) has got to be one of the best online poker rooms. They've just added several new tournaments to their weekly poker tournament schedule, and they’re also giving players 50% extra on their deposits until February 22nd (bonus code: ITSLOVE).

A new $1500 GTD tournament has been added to the schedule every weeknight as the sun goes down, and new Sunday evening tournaments guarantee a total of $1950.

The Sundowner $1500 GTD
Held every Monday to Saturday evening at 7:15 pm EST, this new tournament has a starting stack of 3K with re-entry available during the late registration period and 10 minute blinds. Tickets are $50 (plus $5 buy-in fee). Details: https://www.juicystakes.eu/promotions/the-sundowner-1500-gtd

The Sunday Six Max
A six handed tournament series will be held every Sunday at 3:30 pm EST. The series guarantees a total of $1950 --  three guarantees, three buy-in levels and a sweet tournament structure.  Details: https://www.juicystakes.eu/promotions/93-the-sunday-six-max

Sunday Six Max $200 GTD (R&A)
Every Sunday, 3:30 pm EST
$1 buy-in + fee
2,500 starting stack,10,000 add-on stack
Late registration closes after 400/800 blind level
Add-on starts after 600/1200 blind level

Sunday Six Max $550 GTD (R&A) 
Every Sunday, 4:30 pm EST
$5 buy-in + fee, $5/10 re-buy/add –on
2,500 starting stack, 10,000 add-on stack
Late registration closes after 400/800 blind level
Add-on starts after 600/1200 blind level

Sunday Six Max $1200 GTD (R&A)
Every Sunday, 5:30 pm EST
$10 buy-in + fee, $10/20 re-buy/.add-on
2,500 starting stack, 10,000 add-on stack
Late registration closes after 400/800 blind level
Add-on starts after 600/1200 blind level

Register for these new tournaments by clicking on the Tournaments tab in the online poker room.

LA Financial Analyst is On His Way to Austria

Intertops Poker is sending another online satellite winner to a big poker tournament in Europe next month!

Douglas Klein, a Financial Analyst from LA, won an online satellite tournament last weekend where he was awarded a $4000 prize package to travel to Austria and compete in the prestigious Winter Poker Championship (formerly CAPT Seefeld). Douglas is a regular in his local casinos but this will be his first overseas tournament.

The Winter Poker Championship takes place at Casinos Austria, Seefeld February 24th to 26th.

Video: Online Satellite Tournament Player Wins Trip to Austria

Intertops Poker and Juicy Stakes Poker currently hosting satellites for TKPT St Maarten.

Tim O’Keefe, who won his way to the Austrian ski resort the same way last year, will be with Douglas. Since meeting Tim in Seefeld last winter we've also followed him to St Maarten where he'd won his way to the TKPT Caribbean tournament.

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Six-handed Poker Tournaments

$200 GTD, $550 GTD or $1200 GTD

Get more info or register to play at:

Intertops Poker or Juicy Stakes Poker

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Sunday’s Final, the last tournament in a three tier tournament series, was a nail-biter for Klein.

“With three players remaining, I flopped a set of 9s against AA and won a huge pot,” recalled the champion.  “I had the chip lead going into heads up so I felt like I would win.  I lost one big pot but then crippled my opponent shortly after.  I ended up by putting my opponent all-in with 88.  He had A7.  That was it.  The most exciting moment I've had playing poker – and now I’m going to Europe!”

Klein won a $4,000 prize package that includes €2160 buy-in to the Winter Poker Championship Main Event (February 24th to 26th), premium accommodation in the Tyrolean ski resort, and travel expenses. The online satellite tournaments were co-hosted by Intertops Poker and Juicy Stakes Poker.

The winner has a strategy for winning online tournaments that certainly worked for him this time.

“I try to play pretty tight for the first few levels while maintaining at least an average stack,” he explained.  “As the blinds increase, I play more aggressively, opening with a wider range and bluffing more.  In the middle levels, I feel like you have to take chances to get chips. If I have 15-20 BB and it’s close to the final table, I lower the amount of my opening raises and play aggressively in position.  This strategy seems to work well.  I have a decent win rate.”

“I’ve never played in an event as big as the Winter Poker Championship in Seefeld,” he said.  “The biggest tournament I ever played in was a $500 buy-in with about 100 players.  I finished on the bubble.  Aside from that, I've played in several small tournaments in Las Vegas, Palm Springs and Commerce Casino in Los Angeles.”

Douglas will have his wife with him for moral support, and O’Keefe will be there to help him get the lay of the land.

“My first time over there I couldn’t believe how differently they play in Europe!” said O’Keefe.  “Maybe all that schnitzel makes them so aggressive? I don’t know, but I’m more ready for them this year, that’s for sure!”

We've Been to Tropical Islands 3 Times but Just Once to an Austrian Ski Resort!

Over the last year or so we've been to the Caribbean 3 times with online satellite winners. Tropical islands are great -- but one of our best trips was to poker tournament at a ski resort in Austria last winter! Seefeld is where we first got to know Tim O'Keefe and Chris Perkins. Daniel Montagnolli, who we'd met in St Maarten, lives in nearby Innsbruck and was with us again too.

This video episode was shot in the car as we drove through the mountains on the way back to Salzburg.



Larry aka TheGamblogger

 

Six-handed Poker Tournaments

$200 GTD, $550 GTD or $1200 GTD

Get more info or register to play at:

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My First is Still a Favorite

Since starting this blog I've been to four major poker tournaments and produced 20 or so videos featuring players that have won their way to poker tournaments in exotic locations by winning online satellite tournaments.

This episode from my first Living the Dream video series and is still one of my personal favorites:



It was fun travelling to the Caribbean Poker Tour with Daniel Montagnolli, Derek Scallon, Neil Slade, Steven Loney & Phil Cardella.

Until our next poker adventure...

Larry

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Six-handed Poker Tournaments

$200 GTD, $550 GTD or $1200 GTD

Get more info or register to play at:

Intertops Poker or Juicy Stakes Poker