Underwater Poker By Interpoker
Published: Friday, December 02, 2005 Online-Casinos.com
UNDERWATER POKER
Taking the poker craze to new depths
It's unlikely that the poker venue selected by Interpoker for its Extreme
Poker championship game this week will catch on in a big way, but it certainly
served to publicise the top poker room's offerings.
The game took place 30 feet under the warm waters of the Caribbean and took
almost three months to put together. In the unusual competition, Juha Helppi
took the winning honours.
Despite a good-natured feud between top players Juha Helppi, Kenna James and
Phil Laak, mutual respect prevailed as the contestants left the water. “Although
I went out with one of the worst beats in the history of undersea poker, I congratulate
Juha on becoming the first Extreme Poker champ,” said Phil Laak. “I
honestly thought that when his mask filled with water that I could take advantage
of his broken concentration, but in the end he drew great hole cards and bet
very wisely, and I give him credit for that.”
“Juha is one of the best poker players the Caribbean Sea has ever seen.
Even though it hurts to lose in a historic tournament such as this, I’m
glad Juha was able to claim the bracelet and become the first InterPoker Extreme
Poker champ,” said Kenna James.
Also feeling the sting of elimination (possibly from jellyfish) was Louise H.,
who despite the loss was thrilled to take part in the first underwater poker
tournament. “It seems like just yesterday I was at home in Denmark, and
then all of a sudden I find myself at the ocean floor playing poker against
Phil Laak and Kenna James,” said Louise. “It was a very fun, and very
surreal, experience that I will never forget.”
Juha Helppi was awarded the Caribbean Poker Classic Extreme Poker Bracelet,
which is made from authentic Caribbean seashells and beads. “Without a
doubt, this was one of the most challenging tournaments in which I have ever
competed,” said Helppi. “Not only are Phil and Kenna two of the best
poker players I have ever faced, I also had to overcome obstacles such as water
leaking into my mask and staying away from the stingray. I feel like I truly
earned this victory.”
For the event the poker table was submerged using weighted anchors attached
to the table’s underside and traditional chips and waterproof cards were
used during play. CryptoLogic VP of Poker Software Development Andy Goetsch
acted as tournament director and dealer, and all players spent the entire morning
training for the event, courtesy of the diving experts at Kenneth’s Dive
Center at St. Kitts.
The underwater poker tournament marks the first of many Extreme Poker events,
aimed to test the limits of even the most seasoned tournament players, and will
be held in exotic locations such as mountaintops, desert plains and arctic wastelands.
InterPoker.com is currently accepting suggestions from players and supporters
for where and when the next Extreme Poker event should be held. Players can
send their submission to Ryan Hartley at ryan@interpoker.com.
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