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Alex
Pagulayan is two rounds from winning $500,000 (P28.2
million) after he made it through the semifinals of a
poker tournament on a cable-television station in the
United Kingdom, it was learned Wednesday.
Pagulayan
won his qualifying Table of Six to make it through the
first round of the Pacificpoker.com European Open, the
continent’s richest televised Texas Holdem poker
tournament. Pagulayan, one of the world’s best billiards
players, took his place in the first-round proper after
cleaning out Barry Hearn, president of major sponsor
Matchroom Sport, and four professional poker players.
All had paid the $10,000 entry fee which Alex won.
The
semifinals are set on November 5.
The
Toronto-based Filipino will be on another Table of Six,
with the top two advancing to the final stages. His
minimum payout now is $10,000 (P563,400). If he gets
through the finals, Pagulayan will receive a minimum of
$30,000 (P1.7 million).
“Because
of his unorthodox playing style and personality, the
television people and the sponsors absolutely love Alex
and it would not be understating it to say that he has
made a significant impact,” said Luke Riches of
Matchroom Sport.
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