Chef Becomes Millionaire Online Poker Champ
Published: Friday, September 30, 2005 Online-Casinos.com
BRIT CHEF BECOMES MILLIONAIRE ONLINE POKER CHAMP
Paradise Poker's first Million Dollar online poker tournament
Blackpool, UK chef Lee Biddulph had good reason to feel pleased with himself this week. After battling 3,900 opponents online, the 28 year old walked away with $1 million dollars, the winner of Paradise Poker’s first Million Dollar Free online poker tournament.
Paradise poker claims this is the world’s largest online poker tournament prize ever, and it was absolutely free to participate.
The final table, which was played out in a mystery tropical location, was made up of nine amateurs, eight from the U.S. who beat out almost four thousand players at Paradise Poker.
In the end, it came down to a showdown between Biddulph and Mike Darweesh, a software engineer who processes images from Mars, and lives in Tempe, Arizona.
After seven hours of play at the final table, Biddulph revealed the tension. “Even my teeth are shaking,” he said as he played the final hand.
On the second to last hand minutes before, both players checked right through to the river, facing a board with four diamonds. Darweesh led with a bet of $200,000. Biddulph thought for a moment before reraising it up to $600,000. Darweesh called, and flipped over a 9 of diamonds. Biddulph turned over the 10 of diamonds and took the pot with a higher flush.
Darweesh rose to his feet as the final hand caused an eruption from the previously silent crowd. Both players were all in before the flop, and as they revealed their hole cards the crowd saw that Darweesh had queen/nine and Biddulph had the dominant ace/ten. The first card from the deck was an ace, which sent the crowd into a further frenzy. The remaining cards on the flop were a 6 and 3. The turn card produced an 8 – sending Biddulph into shock and sending tears streaming down his girlfriend Debbie’s face. The river showed another 6, and it was over.
“Paradise Poker is a great experience at the best of times, but throw $1 million in to the pot and make it a freeroll for amateurs and you discover a whole new crowd able to challenge the best of the pros”, said Bruce Stubbs, marketing director, ParadisePoker.com. “Lee played brilliantly, he started the final table with less chips -- $1.58 million to Mike’s $2.72 million and came out a winner.
“In the end – the $1 Million Freeroll Tournament has been a historic event, lots of fun and ample opportunity for online poker players who want to try out their skills with the best of amateurs. Our second $1 Million Freeroll Tournament is already in progress,” Stubbs added.
The finalists received an all expenses paid weekend to a five star resort in Costa Rica for themselves and a guest, as well as receiving $10,000 just for making it to the final table.
