A Canadian investment
banker who stumbled into a high-stakes Texas Holdem
poker game on the Internet plays in the final of the
British-sponsored event on Friday for a top prize of
$300,000 US.
Nicholas Barbu, 47, of Waterloo, Ont., isn't a novice at
high-stakes poker, but he didn't know a tournament he
entered on the web could lead to the final of Ladbrokes
Poker Million 2004.
The
contest started out with about 300 online players, but
it wasn't until later when just 30 players were left
that he realized what was riding on the game.
"As
time went on, I started inquiring what it was all about
between hands and what have you, and then I thought, I'd
better start taking this a little more serious," he said
in an interview.
Barbu started out with about a $200 Cdn stake in the
online game. So far, he has won $25,000 US - equivalent
to about $33,000 Cdn - in two rounds of qualifying to
get to the final.
The
winner of Friday's game wins $300,000 US, but nobody
walks away empty-handed. Even the last-place finisher at
the six-man event is guaranteed prize money of $10,000
US.
The
money isn't what's driving Barbu, however.
"I
play a lot of high-stakes cash games, so it wasn't for
the money," he said. "I think the most exciting thing is
the challenge of playing . . . with some of the
well-known poker players in the world."
Barbu plays
Texas
Holdem
games in
Las Vegas where the minimum stake is $1,000 US and plays
online against the best players available.
He
is one of three Internet qualifiers who have made it to
the final, which includes two professional players, Dave
Ulliott of England and Donnacha O'Dea of Ireland.
Barbu, who is married with two children, began playing
poker in the early 1980s and since then has become a
student of the game, playing in his spare time.
"It's like a lot of people in life, whether they are
playing golf or some kind of a hobby, they want to try
and perfect it and that's what I've tried to do, in
terms of learn a lot about the game, the theory of the
game," he said.
Although it might appear to be an expensive hobby, Barbu
figures over the years he has won more than he has lost.
"I
think I'm a winning player, absolutely," he added.
The
Poker Million is a live event on Sky Sports in Britain,
and later this year a Canadian television network is
scheduled to broadcast Barbu's matches, including the
final.
Jesse May, a television commentator on
Texas
Holdem
poker,
said patience has been Barbu's strength in getting to
the final.
"Barbu
stayed out of trouble while keeping his head above
water. He let the others bash heads and then moved in
for the kill and feasted on the remains," he said in a
news release promoting the final.
Television poker has gained popularity in recent years
and has begun attracting A-list celebrities to the game.
Actor Ben Affleck recently won $356,400 US at a
Texas
Holdem
tournament, overcoming a field of 90 players to capture
the Commerce Casino's California State Poker
Championship.
The
Poker Million is one of a number of made-for-TV events
that are sponsored by bookmakers like Ladbrokes and
casinos.
Also
in Friday's game is Zac Goldsmith, editor of the
Ecologist magazine who is the son of British billionaire
Sir James Goldsmith, and the two other Internet
qualifiers, a professional gambler from England and a
student from Sweden.
But
no matter what the outcome, Barbu said the idea of
playing poker for a living isn't something he would
contemplate.
"It's always going to be a hobby," he said. "I've got a
pretty good career." |
