Here at Chilipoker, we like to be close from our players. This is why I got in touch with “x4v1ar”  to get his impressions when he qualified for the Chilipoker Deepstack Open Costa Brava, a couple of weeks ago.

x4v1ar: Hi, im a 29 years old guy, I live in Warsaw/Poland,and I work full-time as an IT Engineer. My hobbies are obviously poker but also formula1, motorcycles & cars, snowboard, films, music (many kinds). I’ve starded playing poker 2 years ago and now playing online cash games  6max NLHE on a regular basis

I’m a cash game player, mostly shorthanded 6max NLHE games. My limits are from $2/$4 to $5/$10. Most of the time (like 95%) I play online.

I’ve heard about the DeepStack Open from my poker buddies from Poland, and it will be my first DSO event.

I heard that many of my buddies will be playing this DSO event and I’ve never been to Costa Brava before, so I decided to give it a chance. The tournament structure and the place looks very promising. I qualified through the weekly satelite €40+€4 R/A

Well I’ve never been the chipleader but rather had an average stack all the way.There was a couple of lucky situations I guess, coinflips that I won, etc. At the end I had a streak of good hands and that was crucial – thanks  to this I was able to win the package. In poker you always need a bit o luck

The whole series is so great because of the structure and destinations. I love Chilipoker’s idea about organizing such live tournament series. Places are great, after Costa Brava (it will be my first visit there) I’m planing also to visit Marrakesh, Malta, Paris, Vienna. Great cities, a lots of  places to discover!

Well it would be nice to end up in the money, but its poker. Nice deep structure and long blind levels helps better players so its less luck-dependent, but sill its poker so u never know I’m not gonna prepare in any special way, tournaments are not my primary game, so I’ts gonna be more like fun to me.

DSO look like a great live series, I hope that Chili will continue this year over year! Great idea and good job, guys! I also  want to wish all the best and luck at the tables to all my friends playing DSO @ Costa Brava!

Well thank you “x4v1ar”, and we wish you and your mates the best of luck for this event, starting on Thursday.

If you want news from “x4v1ar” or any of your friends during the DSO Costa Brava, follow the live updates on the blog and make sure you interact with our staff!!

Later today in France is taking place the Team Poker Cup, organized by the Cercle Gaillon.

This competition will happen between poker rooms and poker communities, each represented by 3 members, composed both by pros and amateurs.

As one of the rooms authorized by the authorities in France, Chilipoker will take part into this competition, represented by two professional players, and one amateur.

The Chilipoker Team for the Team Poker Cup

LIZ LIEU : sponsored by Chilipoker, she will be a serious asset in this competition. Liz arrived today in Paris and is ready to fight (with cards and chips only!) !

LIONEL ROZENBERG : Lionel is also a professional player. With less performances than Liz, he will nevertheless be one to fear at the tables.

XAVIER NIEL : is job is not poker, but he is somehow linked to Chilipoker. Head of ILIAD (associate of Chilipoker.fr), he will proudly defend his colors!

20 teams in total will fight over the tables in Paris, and we will keep you posted on how those guys are doing !

List of the teams here.

As you may know if you are following us on  Twitter, our Poker Diva took part in one of the biggest tournaments in California : the World Poker Tour Los Angeles Poker Classic. Living  in L.A. a lot of the time, she was very motivated before going to the Commerce Casino, the biggest Card Room in the world.

WPT LAPC Day 1

After playing the first few levels along with 610 other players and with the aggressive touch that she masters, Liz Lieu managed to build a decent stack going from 30,000 chips to 43,000 after 4 levels. The structure is pretty slow here and allows you to play your A-game, without risking the whole tournament if you get unlucky with a bad river. The rest of the day went smoothly and she ended up with pretty much the same stack.

Day 2 : Pocket Rockets Disaster

Starting day 2 with the average stack, the journey could start and anything could happen. This is the beauty of tournament poker. Especially when after 2 hands, you take a sneak peak at your cards, and you discover a monster such as pocket kings, with all the money going in the middle against Ah Qs . With a Ks directly on the flop just to stop sweating for a second, she finally ended up with a full house and a stack twice the size of the average.

Playing a little tighter, with a solid aggressive game, getting a few pots now and then, she reached level 6 with 89,000 chips for an average of 43,000, and still 450 players left.

But the variance is such, than even when you hold THE monster, the bullets, pocket aces, you can be subject to a few surprises.

It all went on a flop 9s 2c 9h with an opponent holding a rather uncommon hand to defend : 9c 6c . a 3 and then a 8 didnt help, and Liz was now down to 51,000. Enough to take her to day 3, but not in the best shape

Day 3 : for better or for worse

As usual, our champion was looking perfect when she arrived at the Commerce. Ready to push her chips in the middle, for better or for worse. She had to double up to survive in this jungle.

Not being able to find a spot, she was down to 31,000 chips when she shoved with Kc Qs . She got called by Allen Cunningham who had just arrived at the table, holding pocket jacks. One coin flip away from fresh air, she gathered all her positive thoughts and imagined really hard a King or a Queen showing on the board. No help from the dealer. She left 150 players in the poker room, still a few spots away from the money (65 paid).

We won’t know what could have happened if she had not lost that huge pot with Aces the day bedore, but that’s what tournament poker is like. About playing your A-game, and about putting all your money in the middle when you think you are the favorite.

Very good game to her, and we will be here again next time when she takes part in yet, another major international event.

NB : while writing those lines, we are down at 18 players. Among them, Allen Cunningham, making good use of  Liz Lieu’s last chips, carlos Mortensen, or Kathy Liebert, confirming her 1st place in the All Time Women money list.

Follow Liz Lieu on twitter : click below