London’s Les Ambassadeurs Casino was the host this week of one of the most gruelling poker games ever committed to film – the non-stop 48 hour high stakes cash session known as The Big Game. Homegrown favourites like Neil Channing, Roland de Wolfe, Luke Schwartz and Andrew Feldman took on a wide selection of very well-known trans-Atlantic competitors, like Phil Laak, David ‘Viffer’ Peat, Isaac Haxton, Justin Bonomo and Jennifer Tilly. Wild cards were thrown into the deck in the form of several satellite and freeroll entrants, who quickly found that £5,000 was a short stack indeed on a table where players occasionally found themselves with 1000 big blinds. Meanwhile a stream of pros and high-stakes regulars waited patiently on the list for their turn at the felt and on camera – some for over a day as the stamina of the original lineup was put to the test.
Although many may have come with the inkling to stay and play continuously for two days straight, only one actually managed it, and he was also the biggest winner in the game. David ‘Viffer’ Peat will be instantly recognised by High Stakes Poker viewers (and he’s come across Laak in that context too) and from the very first hand he stepped on the gas and ran the tank dry to the final card dealt. His continual activity and fearless style soon left the ever-changing lineup with a big headache, and despite suffering some hefty setbacks he came out nearly £150,000 ahead.
The initial sit-down favoured by the players was either £10k or £20k (the latter being the max, the blinds starting at £25/£50 but soon escalating with the inevitable straddles), and it was quickly apparent that no dust was going to gather on those chips. The first to take a big lead was Jennifer Tilly, who was unfazed by Viffer’s constant pressure and finished her nine-hour session with £33,000 more than she sat down with. She topped the leaderboard of winners for most of the time the game ran, joined by formidable female opponent Laurence Grondin whose £20k profit announced her arrival to players to whom she was a worryingly unknown quantity.
There was a twist in the tail for everyone who wanted to keep their seat for long, however. In a reality-TV style endeavour to mix it up, every few hours all the players in the Big Game had to vote on which of them to send to the rail, winner or loser, and welcome a new face. Recent arrivals were immune from eviction, as was the most aggressive player in the preceding session. This meant that Viffer was never in danger of losing his permanent place, but it did mean that a succession of people found themselves in the eye-watering position of coming to the table, losing chunks of money, and then getting voted off it again. This was especially harsh for the reluctant leavers, like Dusty ‘Leatherass’ Schmidt, and later (briefly) Neil Channing and Isaac Haxton. Tony G proved himself the master of the tactical vote, but also mixed up his (comparatively) brief time on the table with flair and a permanent massage.
Schmidt’s voted exit from the game came as a blessing in disguise, perhaps, for commentator Jesse May, who found a hitherto-untested but very capable co-commentator who proved his own stamina with over a day straight talking over the action with him. Popping in and out for a shot at the mic (and a fascinating real-time view of the table’s hole cards and action) were also Justin Bonomo, Andrew Feldman, and Irish Open winner James Mitchell. While no one came close to the profit shown by Viffer, Phil Laak made a good showing (and some rather unorthodox plays which had the table in knots at times) with around £25k, and Bodo Sbrzesny, Ellis Reuben, Paul Zimbler, Tilly and Grondin all leaving ahead. The whole dramatic session will be shown over sixteen 45 minute episodes, and with bluffs, outdraws and the Seven-Deuce game wreaking havoc on the table all the way through, it should be a thrilling ride.
