Brit Lee Atherton has won the Poker 6 tournament at the Grosvenor Casino in Bolton with a prize of over $20,000. Prizes should also go to the tournament’s organisers, Blue Square, for its innovative two-stream system: a single table shoot-out on day one saw only the winning player from each table qualify for the next level. Everyone knocked out at that stage was given free entry to a second stream tournament with a prize pool of £21,500. The winner, Paul King, won £8000.
On day two the Poker 6 played as a classic short-handed multi-table tournament. Further consolation was offered to everyone from Lee Atherton’s initial table as his win earned them all £2000.
Lee beat delighted internet qualifier Mark Emery into second place and a £12,560 prize. Emery certainly earned it: the heads-up battle lasted for nearly three hours as the chip tide turned again and again. In the final hand, Emery’s A – 5 straight was taken down by Atherton’s full house of aces over fives.
Danielle Allen came third, having held a chip lead for much of the day. Her £11 Blue Square online qualifier paid back nearly £10,000. Fourth and fifth were Ramazalini Abbassi with £7,760 and Carol Cotterill with £6,800.
Well known players included Dave Smith, Mikey Wernick, Lucy Rokach, Liam Flood and Kevin O’Connel as well as last year’s winner, Steve Read.
