Had this many Twitch streamers ever been in the same place at the same time?

I’ll even take it one further. Had this many Twitch streamers ever all been awake at 11am before?

Doubtful. It can only mean one thing, then.

Today was the £40 FU Flip at Lex Live 2.

Here’s how it works.

Players start with 5,000 in chips, and blinds at 100/100, with 20-minute levels. At the beginning of each level, all players at the table must put three big blinds into the middle, and a hand is then dealt out with cards-up. Whoever wins the hand scoops the pot.

As you can imagine, those flips become pretty expensive and rather valuable as the tournament progresses.

Having fun in the £40 FU Flip with my new card protector on courtesy of @Wellsie_ 😍 #lexlive pic.twitter.com/9nIJR4MBbE

— Flix (@xflixx) October 3, 2019

LEX LIVE 2: FULL SCHEDULE  |  ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW  |  GUIDE TO LONDON  |  ALL COVERAGE

‘DAMMO_23’ INTERVIEW  |  WELCOME PARTY PHOTO GALLERY  |  POKER IN THE EARS PODCAST |  HIGH ROLLERS IN TOWN  |  LEX LIVE ADVENTURE  |  MEET THE QUALIFIERS

As we strolled through the tables (after we busted, of course), it was a who’s who, like a Twitch poker waxwork museum come to life.

Nicholas “OP-Poker Nick” Walsh was sat right next to Tom “pleb_method” Hayward.

Hayward (left) and Walsh

Mason “pyefacepoker” Pye was also in the mix, alongside Fintan “easywithaces” Hand, Felix “xflixx” Schneiders, and Georgina “GJReggie” James.

Mason “pyefacepoker” Pye

Just take a look through the many faces of Arlie Shaban as he wins a flip:

Shaban flipping well

Out of all of them, though, it was your boy, Benjamin “Spraggy” Spragg, who went deepest.

Spraggy reached the final table, where he was joined by Twitch community members Sanne “Antim00n” Bombeek (who yesterday featured on the Poker in the Ears podcast) and Lex’s YouTube editor and long-time sub, Dwight ‘Extempore’ van der Wal.

Flipping heck, Spraggy

But there was another Spraggy at the final table too.

Spraggy’s brother, Dan Spragg, not only reached the finale, he got down to three-handed and was felted by his own sibling. Dan shoved into Spraggy with the Q♥J♥, only to be snap-called by pocket kings, which held up.

Dan Spragg: sibling rivalry

A big rail gathered to watch what was surely the peak of Spraggy’s career to date, and he didn’t disappoint.

On a Q♥2♥K♥ flop, Spraggy checked and Michael Perks led for 12,000. Spraggy raised it to 27,000, only for Perks to jam. Spraggy snap-called with 10♥6♥ for a flopped flush, while Perks had outs with his Q♠J♥.

You know the rest. The turn and river bricked, and Spraggy — Benjamin Spragg, that is — took it down.

“This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me in poker,” Spraggy admitted after his win. “In fact, this is the best thing that’s happened to me in years, honestly.”

Spraggy wins. Lex hates to see it.

As everyone will no doubt be looking forward to the next Lex Live, and particularly the next FU Flip tournament, we wondered: is there a secret to winning them? Spraggy kept it simple and remained humble.

“Win flips. It’s all in the flips. Although having said that, I didn’t win that many. I just won all the other pots by playing near-perfect poker.”

Prior to this event, Spraggy admits that the poker hadn’t been going so well for him here at Lex Live 2. However, he’s still a huge fan of the festival.

“It’s been amazing. You can’t not have a good time here. I could lose here every single day and still be over the moon.”

Finally, we wondered where he plans to keep his shiny new trophy.

“I haven’t decided yet. It might go behind the stream, or I might make a dedicated secondary cam–a Lex Live trophy cam.”

Lex joins in for the infamous Spraggy squat

LEX LIVE 2: FU FLIP
Buy-in: £40
Entries: 49
Prize pool: £1,666
Places paid: 6
Date: 02/10/2019

1. Benjamin “Spraggy” Spragg – £601
2. Michael Perks – £370
3. Daniel Spragg – £240
4. Dwight Van Der Wal – £195
5. Sanne “Antim00n” Bombeek – £145
6. Nigel Berg – £115

All in all, it was a wonderfully weird way to start a Thursday morning.

Why can’t we have Lex Live every week?

(front row) Lex and Spraggy, (back row) Michael Parks (centre)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LEX LIVE 2 COVERAGE

After this morning’s community trip to the cinema–courtesy of Lex Veldhuis, who booked an entire theatre for a private screening of Joker–it got us thinking about movie poster taglines. 

If today’s Streamer Showdown needed one, it might read a little something like this:

Six finalists. One Platinum Pass. Winner takes all.

The Lex Live 2 crew go to the movies

It tells you everything you need to know, without giving away the plot.

Here’s a bit of background though.

A few weeks ago we held a Streamer Showdown live on Twitch, in which PokerStars Ambassadors Lex Veldhuis, Fintan Hand, Benjamin Spragg, Felix Schneiders, Nick Walsh, and Arlie Shaban played an online Sit&Go. Viewers at home had to bet on who they thought would win, and if their guy came out on top, they would win entry into a freeroll.

When Spraggy won it, everyone who bet on him then duked it out to win one of six trips to London for Lex Live 2, where they will now be playing for a Platinum Pass.

That brings you up to speed.

LEX LIVE 2: FULL SCHEDULE  |  ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW  |  GUIDE TO LONDON  |  ALL COVERAGE

SPRAGGY WINS THE FU FLIP  |  ‘DAMMO_23’ INTERVIEW  |  WELCOME PARTY PHOTO GALLERY  |  POKER IN THE EARS PODCAST |  HIGH ROLLERS IN TOWN  |  LEX LIVE ADVENTURE  |  MEET THE QUALIFIERS

So, what’s going to happen today?

Our six finalists are here at Aspers Casino to play a six-man Sit&Go, and from 2pm BST you’ll be able to tune in live and find out which one of them will win a Platinum Pass to the PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC) 2020, worth roughly $30,000.

They are:

Patrick Winterbottom (UK)
Asif Warris (UK)
Veselin Marinov (Belgium)
Nico Schönfelder (Germany)
Geoffrey Babington (UK)
Robert Bencsik (Germany)

When the Streamer Showdown is over and the Platinum Pass has been awarded, we’ll then be streaming some community Sit&Gos, so stay tuned for those.

WATCH THE STREAMER SHOWDOWN HERE (FROM 2PM BST)

Simon Gilles is a 31-year-old marketing manager in a supermarket, from Hennef, Germany. A keen micro-stakes poker player, he won a Platinum Pass to the PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC) by playing the Mega Path promotion. His total investment was 50 StarsCoins and he now has a package, worth around $30,000, to the event in Barcelona next August. PokerStars Blog caught up with him:

You had a dream-come-true moment when you won a Platinum Pass by playing the Mega Path on PokerStars. How did that happen?

I had exactly zero euro in my PokerStars account, but I was bored and looked to see what I could play with my StarsCoins. I invested 50 coins for a Spin & Go ticket, won the the $2 Mega Path Sit & Go ticket and qualified for the $50 Step 3 tournament. One week later I played it as a side event to my regular tournaments. After I got through that tournament as well, I then actually started to focus on it. Then I thought about playing the Platinum Pass tournament [Step 4: $1,000 buy-in] right away, and when I saw that only 19 players were registered, I thought that was worth a shot. So I jumped in and luckily it worked.

How long have you played poker and what ambitions do you have?

I started in 2007 with Sit & Gos for non-cash prizes. After that we organised a regular home game with friends and even built our own poker table, below. Then in 2009 I started playing online. But it’s only been this year that I’ve played more seriously.

Simon Gilles and his friends built their own poker table

I have been listening to Felix Schneiders’ podcast for quite some time now, and I’ve paid more attention to my bankroll management ever since. I only play tournaments that fit my bankroll. I think about theory more now and realise that my game has improved significantly in recent months. I still try to grind through the micro stakes and qualify via satellites again and again for mid-stakes tournaments.

What other cashes have you had?

I’ve actually had some good cashes this year. The most recent big cash was in the $11 Mini Monday 6-max in August, when I won $480. But it’s a tough grind on the micro stakes. Last weekend I played around 40 tournaments on Saturday and Sunday and won $22. That’s not what you are looking for, but in the end it’s a success.

Sounds like the Platinum Pass win came at the right time. It should give you a big boost in motivation to continue to improve.

For sure. My best friend Robin also plays poker and he immediately said, “We have to prepare you, buy books and try to play more live events. Maybe sometimes with a slightly higher buy-in to just get that feeling.”

I have learned a lot of poker content over the past weeks and now I feel like this time has completely changed my game. I know, so to speak now, that I didn’t know much before because the game is so complex.

If I imagine sitting at the same table during the PSPC with Patrik Antonius, Dominik Nitsche or other sick players, you have the feeling they can look directly into your head. I want to be prepared for that.

Take away the fact that you’ll be playing for millions of euros. What else are you looking forward to at the PSPC?

I am especially looking forward to meeting all the well-known players. Between 2012 and 2014, I was really intense about poker and watched everything. I believe there is no poker show from before 2014 that I have not seen. I watched the legendary High Stakes Poker episodes many times. That’s why it will be very exciting for me to meet these stars in Barcelona. I feel like I know these players already, although of course it is not the case.

You already said that your best friend was super excited when you told him about the Platinum Pass. How did everyone else react?

The reaction was totally positive. Robin even went to Namur last week to play the Road to PSPC Main Event and plays all promos on PokerStars to try and win a Platinum Pass. It would we crazy if he gets one. But also my other friends said immediately, “We believe in you. You’ll win some money.” They now want to buy some of my action. In total six want to come along to Barcelona. The dream is, of course, that they gonna rail me at the final table and everybody end up with a piece of my profit. That’s the full dream, but ultimately we would be super happy with a min-cash.

It’s the tournament series for action minded players who don’t want to wait until the final table to make some money.

The Bounty Builder Series is back this month. There’s $25 million guaranteed, a Halloween theme, and multiple ways for you to win.

They’ll be 180 events on the schedule. They’re designed to suit every bankroll and are all slightly different. But they share one thing in common – everyone has a bounty on their head.

It all starts on Sunday 13 October, so you have about a week to prepare.

SEE THE FULL SCHEDULE

Here’s what’s in store…

12 Bounty Builder tournaments every day for two weeks

The two-week schedule starts Sunday 13 October. It runs all the way through to the Main Event on Sunday 27 October.

That’s the biggest event of the series. It has a $530 buy-in and $2 million guaranteed.

They’ll be 12 tournaments every day, starting at 10 ET (3PM UK). The last event starts at 17:30 ET (00:30 AM UK).

And if you’re thinking about sleep, or early starts the next day, there are 47 Turbo events (including four hyper-turbos). You can play those and still get your beauty sleep.

Underling all of that is the Bounty format.

Here’s a recap on how it works…

How Bounty Builder events work

Bounty Builder stars Sunday 13 October with $25m Gtd across 180 tournaments

If you’ve played Knock-Out events before you’ll be familiar with the format. In short: you win cash every time you knock out another player.

But there’s a catch.

You win only part of that player’s bounty. A portion (usually 50%) is added to your own bounty. So, you gradually become an even bigger target.

The dollar sign on your head gets bigger and bigger.

But even if they do finally get you, busting players means profit. Even if you don’t get close to the money.

And there are even more ways to win during the series…

It’s not about titles (well, not all about titles)

We’re also running some additional contests, with prize money to be won…

• Halloween KO leaderboard with $5,000 to be won
• Trick or treat tournaments every Wednesday and Friday
• Win Bounty Builder tickets in special Midnight Challenges

Halloween Leader Boards

We’ll be keeping track of all the Knock Outs on our leaderboard.

We’ll be awarding prize money to the top five most ruthless players. But other top scorers will win tickets into three special $10K Halloween freerolls on 31 October.

But it’s a tough job to win it.

Last year Bananero17 earned top spot with 392 KOs.

To score that highly you should be prepared to eliminate anyone. Including your grandmother.

But there are other prizes to win even if you don’t happen to be one of the hyper-aggressive types with a heap of busted opponents at your feet.

For instance:

Score 100+ KO’s = Earn entry in to all three $10K Halloween KO Freerolls

Score 25-99 KO’s = Earn entry to $10K Halloween KO Freerolls #1 and #2

Score 10-24 KO’s = Earn entry to $10K Halloween KO Freeroll #1

All three freerolls take place on Halloween, 31 October.

Trick or Treat tournaments

We’ll be dropping tickets into select tournaments on “Trick or Treat” Wednesday and Fridays.

Ticket values will range from small ($1.10/$5.50), which count as the “Tricks”, all the way to higher value tickets (worth $22), which are the “Treats”.

Midnight Challenges

You’ll find these after the last Bounty Builder tournament of the day.

If you’re lying awake by then wondering what to do with yourself, these challenges will give you a way to fix that.

Knock out FIVE players in a 24/18 Players Super-KO SNG (with a buy-in of $5 or higher), and you’ll get an entry to an All-In Shootout that awards $2K in tickets to the Bounty Builder Series.

Plenty to play for starting Sunday 13 October

You can check out the Bounty Builder Series homepage for more details. That’s where you’ll find…

• The full tournament schedule with buy-ins, guarantees, and more
• How qualify to play Bounty Builder Series events for a fraction of the buy-in
• Details of special Halloween offers
• More on that KO leaderboard and the $5,000 in prizes
• How to take advantage of all the promotions taking place during the series
• All the terms and conditions you could ever hope to read

Full Bounty Builder Series schedule

Lex Live isn’t your typical poker festival. There’s poker to be played, sure, but it’s what happens away from the felt which really matters to this community.

Take last night, for example.

Lex Veldhuis and PokerStars hired The Bat and Ball in Westfield Stratford City, directly opposite the Aspers Casino, and invited everyone from Lex Live 2 to get together, hang out, drink, play ping pong, eat, drink, shoot some pool, drink, battle at beer pong, and drink.

And did we mention the open bar?

Fancy a shot?

Everyone was there, from PokerStars Ambassadors to Twitch viewers, casino staff and even, *ahem*, certain members of the poker media.

Chris Moneymaker teamed up with ‘DAMMO_23′ for ping pong, while Nick Walsh and ‘Antim00n‘ took on challengers at beer pong.

‘DAMMO_23’ and Chris Moneymaker

Nick Walsh with ‘Antim00n’

LEX LIVE 2: FULL SCHEDULE  |  ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW  |  GUIDE TO LONDON  |  ALL COVERAGE

STREAMER SHOWDOWN  |  SPRAGGY WINS THE FU FLIP  |  ‘DAMMO_23’ INTERVIEW  |  WELCOME PARTY PHOTO GALLERY  |  POKER IN THE EARS PODCAST |  HIGH ROLLERS IN TOWN  |  LEX LIVE ADVENTURE  |  MEET THE QUALIFIERS

When it was Fintan Hand’s turn on the ping pong tables, he got the band back together, teaming up with winner of the FU Flip, Spraggy.

The old team, back together

There will have been some sore heads this morning. That’s a given.

But it was worth it.

If you’re thinking of coming to the next Lex Live stop, we urge you to make the trip. If you still need convincing, we’ll let ‘DAMMO_23’ have the last word.

“Seriously. If anyone is on the fence about Lex Live in the future, just do it. It’s the greatest.”

PHOTO GALLERY

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LEX LIVE 2 COVERAGE

An excerpt from Alexander Fitzgerald’s Exploitative Play in Live Poker in which the poker pro sets aside “GTO” play to show players how best to profit from others’ mistakes.

Over more than a decade as a pro, Alexander Fitzgerald has collected more than $3.5 million in tournament earnings around the world both online and live, final tabling EPTs, multiple WCOOPs and FTOPs events, along with practically every regular tournament online.

Subtitled “How to Manipulate Your Opponents Into Making Mistakes,” Exploitative Play in Live Poker concentrates on teaching players how to take advantage of opponents’ missteps and as a result consistently force them outside of their comfort zone.

The following excerpt, “Value Betting Turns,” appears in the chapter “Getting Value.” Here Fitzgerald explains why players too often shy away from betting a second time for value when in position on the turn. Read it carefully, then see below how you can win a free copy of Fitzgerald’s book.

Value Betting Turns

Let’s take a simple situation. You’ll be on the button again. Let’s say you have 100 big blinds. It’s folded to you. It’s a slightly larger tournament, and everyone is on their best behavior so far. You raise on the button to 3x. The big blind calls. You have J-9s. The board comes Q♦9♦2♥. He checks to you. You continuation-bet, because while you should be checking some percentage of the time, your opponent is not a computer who plays optimally. His name’s Bobby and he really likes the show Staten Island Hustle. He calls you. The turn is the 2♣. He checks. What do you do?

When I see someone check here, it makes blood shoot out my nose. I always ask,

“Why don’t you bet here? He’s not a superstar. He’s just calling you with all his diamond draws and J-10 combinations. Not to mention 10-9s, 9-8s, 9-7s, maybe even 9-6s. He could also possibly call again one more time with 8-8 and 7-7. Why did you check?”

“Well, if he check-raised me I was going to vomit.”

This is the biggest BS response that’s possible in poker circles. If a guy check-raises you there, is second pair ever good? Generally, no. What you’re really telling me is, “I have second pair and I feel entitled to turn it over at the end and see if it’s good, and damn it, it should be good. Because I’m special.”

Sometimes, you’re going to get bluffed in No Limit Hold’em. It happens. Kobe Bryant didn’t sink all of his shots either. But generally, people do not check-raise enough here to make you consider calling. When I tracked live and online hands the numbers came out to around 5-7%. That’s generally sets that slowplayed, because that’s about the percentage of the time you have those hands. To bluff here, your opponent would have to be check/calling the flop with 7-7 and then turning it into a bluff on the turn. When was the last time you did that from the big blind? Exactly. No one does this enough. It’s a high stakes play that rarely makes its way into the general poker population.

So, just bet and take your money. Your guy will call or fold 95% of the time, which also allows you to have another benefit. If he calls you on that turn, he is going to check to you on the river 99% of the time. That’s not a typo or hyperbole. When I tracked hands, I literally found it to be 99% of the time. When people do lead out, it’s almost always a draw that they hit. Once in a blue moon you catch a guy bluffing there, but it’s very rare. I found one guy who led second pair for value. One. He is also one of the best players I have ever seen play, so I don’t think that move is normal in the general population. If they just call you or fold to you 95% of the time, then they check to you on the river 99% of the time, then you have effectively “bought the showdown”.

If you would like to just check now you can do so. If the card is favorable to you, then you can bet. All the control is in your hands. The other reason I hate checking on the turn is because… people love calling, because it’s a freeroll to greatness. They don’t like bluffing, because it’s a freeroll to look stupid. Pot controlling used to be a dynamite move. People would take random shots constantly. You would just check and collect the chips. Those players are gone now. The pot control is a relic of a bygone era. You want money? You make them pay to turn over their mediocre hands. They still haven’t figured out how to fold yet.

Want a chance to win a free copy of Fitzgerald’s book? It’s easy.

First, find the answer to the following question in the excerpt: When Alex Fitzgerald tracked hands played live and online, in what percentage of those hands did players check-raise the turn?

Got the answer? Good. Now tweet your answer to @DBPoker1 by Friday, October 11. There will be a random drawing among the correct responses, with the winner getting a free copy of Exploitative Play in Live Poker.

Exploitative Play in Live Poker is available in paperback, as an e-book, and as an audio book at D&B Poker.

D&B Publishing (using the imprint D&B Poker) was created by Dan Addelman and Byron Jacobs 15 years ago. Since then it has become one of the leading publishers of poker books with titles by Phil Hellmuth, Jonathan Little, Mike Sexton, Chris Moorman, Dr. Patricia Cardner, Lance Bradley, Martin Harris and more, all of which are available at D&B Poker.

Here’s a quick catch up from the week on PokerStarsBlog… 

• Lex Live 2 underway in London
• Simon Gilles: From 50 StarsCoins to a Platinum Pass
• Attention U.K. poker players: PSPC Satellites running this weekend!
• EPT Open Sochi begins
• Book excerpt: Alexander Fitzgerald’s “Exploitative Play In Live Poker”

LEX LIVE 2 UNDERWAY IN LONDON

Our own Jack Stanton is on the scene at the Hippodrome Casino in London this week to capture the madness that is Lex Live 2.

Lex Live 2 is in full swing

Between the poker tournaments, the social events, and people traveling from all over the world to join up with the rest of Lex’s Twitch community, there are lots of stories to catch up on.

Patrick Winterbottom wins Streamer Showdown for Platinum Pass to PSPC
Spraggy wins FU Flip, his brother takes 3rd
Community bonding over booze and beer pong
First-time traveller ‘DAMMO_23’ on why he flew 23 hours from Adelaide to London
Poker in the Ears podcast pits Stapes vs Veldhuis super fan
Welcome Party photo gallery

FROM 50 STARSCOINS TO A PLATINUM PASS

Simon Gilles: From home-made poker tables to the PSPC

Here’s one you need to read to believe.

“I had exactly zero euro in my PokerStars account, but I was bored and looked to see what I could play with my StarsCoins,” said Simon Gilles.

The 31-year-old supermarket marketing manager from Germany, a dedicated micro-stakes player since 2007, decided to exchange his coins for a $2 Mega Path Sit & Go ticket. What happened next is the stuff poker dreams are made of.

Robin Scherr has the full story.

U.K. PLAYERS: GET YOURSELF A PLATINUM PASS!

A Platinum Pass awaits you…

There’s no hotter commodity in poker right now than a Platinum Pass. So it’s good news that there are two new ways for U.K. players to book passage to Barcelona next summer.

Satellites to Chris Moneymaker’s Road to PSPC events in the UK are now running online. Feeders to the main satellite start at £1.10, while the main satellite itself is £11. Once you have your ticket, you can choose which stop you want to play — London Hippodrome from October 24 to 27, Aspers Casino Newcastle from October 28 to November 3, or Aspers Casino London + Milton Keynes from November 4 to 10.

Here are look at the satellites running this weekend:

There’s also the Platinum Pass Experience UK, an online promotion that allows you to play for a Platinum Pass in a live setting. For only £5.50 you can play one of eight online tournaments. The winner of each will play it out for a Platinum Pass on the 11th November at Aspers Casino.

This weekend’s Platinum Pass Experience UK satellites run at 20:05 BST on October 5 and October 6.

EPT OPEN SOCHI BEGINS

It’s EPT Open time once again in Sochi

The European Poker Tour (EPT) is back in action for the second time this season. This time it’s taking over Sochi Casino in Russia for the EPT Open Sochi. The EPT Open debuted here last year, providing the top-shelf live poker experience of the European Poker Tour standards while allowing wider accessibility through reduced tournament buy-ins.

The highlight of this year’s schedule is the Moneymaker Road to PSPC event. With a buy-in of RUB 10,500 (just under €150), the tournament runs October 11-13, and the eventual champion will claim the Pass in addition to the first-place prize. Valued at more than €26,000, the Platinum Pass includes a €22,500 entry fee as well as hotel accommodation, transport, and various expenses.

Check out the full EPT Open Sochi schedule here.

BOOK EXCERPT FROM ALEXANDER FITZGERALD

Win a copy of Alexander Fitzgerald’s “Exploitative Play in Live Poker”

Over more than a decade as a pro, Alexander Fitzgerald has collected more than $3.5 million in tournament earnings around the world both online and live, final tabling EPTs, multiple WCOOPs and FTOPs events, along with practically every regular tournament online.

Subtitled “How to Manipulate Your Opponents Into Making Mistakes,” Exploitative Play in Live Poker concentrates on teaching players how to take advantage of opponents’ missteps and as a result consistently force them outside of their comfort zone.

Check out an excerpt here — and don’t forget to enter the contest to win a free copy of the book.

Opening a PokerStars account is easy. Click here to get an account in minutes.

“It all feels slightly surreal,” Patrick Winterbottom tells PokerStars Blog, after a whirlwind couple of minutes consisting of photoshoots and non-stop handshakes. “Nothing like this has ever happened to me before.”

That sentiment isn’t surprising. It’s certainly not every day that you play a live-streamed, winner-takes-all Sit & Go with €26,466 up top and win. But that’s exactly what Winterbottom did here at Lex Live 2 in London.

He was in town for the Streamer Showdown finale, which saw six online qualifiers battle it out on the live felt for a shot at a Platinum Pass to the PokerStars Players Championship 2020, taking place next August.

“Had I not won this, I was fully intending to keep going after a Platinum Pass this year. I guess I don’t have to now,” Winterbottom says with a smile.

WINNER TAKES ALL

Winterbottom is a maths teacher from Maidenhead in Berkshire, who has been playing poker recreationally for some 20 years. A couple of weeks ago he bet on Ben “Spraggy” Spragg to defeat his fellow PokerStars Ambassadors in the Streamer Showdown and that turned out to be a good decision. Spraggy obliged (the man just keeps on winning) and with that, Winterbottom secured his seat in an online freeroll which would award six trips to London.

“The bizarre thing is, I’d forgotten about it,” Winterbottom admits. “I sat down one Saturday afternoon, loaded up PokerStars, and saw the tournament was already running and had been for 25 minutes, but every single player at my table was sitting out. Nobody was there. So basically within ten minutes I was able to steal all their blinds and have a nice stack. I was so lucky that, like me, everyone else had forgotten to play it, otherwise I wouldn’t be here today.”

He’d go on to finish in the top six, alongside Asif Warris (UK), Veselin Marinov (Belgium), Nico Schönfelder (Germany), Geoffrey Babington (UK), and Robert Bencsik (Germany). That gave him a couple of weeks to prepare before heading to London today.

“I hadn’t had the chance to play live since I qualified for the Streamer Showdown, but I have played a few six-max Sit & Gos online, just to get into the swing of things,” Winterbottom tells us. “I also got some coaching from Gareth James a while ago, and he set up a little one-table tournament with friends over the weekend which we played, and he gave me some amazing feedback. I’m really grateful to him for that. I think it really helped me. Today I found myself bluffing in spots I never would have bluffed before, based on his advice.”

Winterbottom in action

There was one particular hand in which Winterbottom felt the crunch of a winner-takes-all format. “I opened pocket sixes on the button and the small blind shoved,” he says. “He shoved so quickly that I didn’t put him on an overpair, I felt he just had two high cards. At that point, one player already had 300,000 and I thought, this is winner takes all, I have to gamble. So I called, and the sixes held.”

It wasn’t all smooth-sailing though. Winterbottom was one card away from victory, then this happened:

“Overall I thought I played well. I picked my spots. I did some things I’d never done before. It all worked pretty well.”

LEX LIVE 2: FULL SCHEDULE  |  ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW  |  GUIDE TO LONDON  |  ALL COVERAGE

BEER PONG EVENING  |  STREAMER SHOWDOWN  |  SPRAGGY WINS THE FU FLIP  |  ‘DAMMO_23’ INTERVIEW  |  WELCOME PARTY PHOTO GALLERY  |  POKER IN THE EARS PODCAST |  HIGH ROLLERS IN TOWN  |  LEX LIVE ADVENTURE  |  MEET THE QUALIFIERS

PREPARING FOR THE PSPC

Although his teaching career doesn’t allow him as much time to play poker as he’d like (“I can’t actually remember the last time I played a live tournament, to be honest”), Winterbottom still follows the game, and is a big fan of James Hartigan and Joe Stapleton. In fact, he was even a superfan on the Poker in the Ears podcast just three weeks ago.

He plans on playing a whole lot more now that he’s going to be battling against the game’s heavyweights in the €22,500 buy-in PSPC.

Lex Veldhuis

“I’ve obviously never played a tournament with that sort of buy-in, so I need to spend the next nine months studying, getting more coaching, and getting out and playing some more live tournaments so I can practice,” he says. “I need to take stock of how I’m going to prepare in the best way possible.”

Winterbottom has already received some good feedback on his game though, from none other than the man behind this entire festival.

“I’ll definitely watch the stream back and listen to the commentary,” he tells us. “Lex Veldhuis told me he thought I was playing really well when he was doing commentary, so that’s a really nice thing to hear from someone as good as him. I think I can learn a lot from them analysing my play.”

One person who Winterbottom is certain wasn’t watching is his wife, who he’ll be bringing with him for support to Barcelona next year. “I’ve sent her a Whatsapp telling her I won, but she hasn’t seen it yet. She’s probably off doing something,” he laughs. “I’ll invite her down to celebrate though.”

We’re sure she’ll welcome the news of a free holiday to Barcelona, a city Winterbottom hasn’t visited before. Not that he plans of sight-seeing.

“Hopefully, I won’t get to see much of the city as I’ll be busy playing poker.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LEX LIVE 2 COVERAGE

Play-by-plays, features and results from the huge meeting in London arranged by Twitch streaming extraordinaire Lex Veldhuis.

Live today: Saturday, October 5

£230 Main Event Day 2
Entries: 889 | Prize pool: £177,800
Registration is finally closed after eight opening flights and 178 players now go looking for a seat at the final table.
PLAY BY PLAY | CHIP COUNTS

Also playing:

6pm: £100 Super Saturday Side

Live updates from Poker News

Latest features:

Patrick Winterbottom wins Streamer Showdown and Platinum Pass
A teacher from Maidenhead, UK, is heading to Barcelona with a Platinum Pass thanks to Spraggy and the Streamer Showdown. Read his story.

Community bonding over booze and beer pong
Nothing brings people together like beer pong. And beer. There was quite the get together on Thursday night in east London.

Previous feature coverage:
Spraggy wins FU Flip
From Adelaide to London for Lex Live
What you missed at the welcome party
Poker In The Ears Live Podcast from Lex Live
A very special scavenger hunt
Meet the online qualifiers
The High Rollers are in the building
Guide to London
Need to Know: Lex Live 2

Steve Zander won his Platinum Pass in a Mystery Chests promotion almost immediately after the announcement was made that the PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC) was returning to Barcelona in August 2020. He has pass No. 6, the first one after the initial five went to the winners in the Chase Your Dream event. Zander is 36 and originally from Baden-Wurttemberg in Germany, but he has lived for 10 years in Aguilas, Spain, where he works as a gardener and housekeeper for other expats in the area. We spoke to him about his life and the all important Platinum Pass:

Tell us your story. How come you live in Spain?

When I was 18 my parents moved to Spain, but I was still doing an apprenticeship as an industrial mechanic and at that age you prefer to hang out with your buddies every day. So I didn’t move at that point. But I was always there on vacation, and when everyone went their own way in their early 20s, my wife and I decided in 2009 to emigrate too. These days, I earn my money by taking care of the properties and houses of other foreigners, especially from Germany, who only spend the summer here.

Steve Zander, at home in Spain

Let’s talk about poker. How long have you played?

When we left Germany, my wife got a job here in an Italian pizzeria. Her boss played poker regularly with his friends and asked me if I wanted to join them. We did not know that many people at the time and since I’d already played a bit of poker during the Moneymaker boom, I joined the game. Then the bug somehow caught me and I got more interested in the game. At first, of course, I always lost, but then I found PokerStrategy [an online training site] and over the years I moved up online from $2 no limit games to $50 NL.

That means you play mainly cash games at PokerStars.es. What is the play like on the Spanish platform?

I’m definitely a cash game player and I have more than a million hands saved in my poker software. I’m not really able to say whether the level is lower or higher than in other PokerStars regions because I was not a good player when I used to play on them before. But you can definitely play the cash games profitably.

You got your Platinum Pass from a Stars Rewards Mystery Chest, almost immediately after the PSPC announcement in Barcelona. How did that happen?

Yes, the funny thing was, I watched the EPT Barcelona stream the night before and saw the announcement live. Then the next day the challenge to “Win a Hand with A-5” [the hand Ramon Collilas won the PSPC 2019] began. I won a hand, opened the first chest half an hour later and won the Platinum Pass straight away.

Did you realise you had won immediately?

Not at all. I was on the grind, opened the box kind of casually, and when the Platinum Pass was displayed, I thought it was a ticket to a satellite and clicked the chest away. The ad was not spectacular at all, just a ticket, like you’d get for a Sit & Go. But then I thought “What was that?”, looked into my online tickets and there was actually a Platinum Pass. At first I still did not believe it, called my wife and said “That can’t be true.“ I really did not believe it until I got the confirmation email from PokerStars half an hour later.

And how did your family and friends react? Are there a few poker players?

No, unfortunately not. My parents an my friends have no clue about poker and couldn’t even understand what I am talking about. My wife asks me from time to time after a session, if we are rich now. But that’s it. The only one who knew exactly what kind of chance this is was my poker coach. We’ve been working together this year.

And what happens now? How do you prepare for the big event? You just mentioned a poker coach.

Yes, we just talked on the phone for a couple minutes and he immediately said “This is the tournament of your life, we have to go together to Barcelona.“ He was really happy for me. The next coaching session is in the next few days we’ll talk about how to proceed now. You maybe even know him, his name is Marc Gork [former EPT Dortmund final table player].

How did this partnership come about?

In 2018 we were in Malta with some other poker players and streamers to play a live tournament series. We went out for a beer and there I met Marc for the first time. I told him that I am a lone wolf in poker, and right now at a point where I feel I can’t get any further alone. He then told me that he also gives poker coaching and we’ve been working together since then.

He is probably a good choice for tournament poker as well. As a cash game player are you playing tournaments regularly at all?

Yes, from time to time. I’ve won a micro tournament before and I play tournaments on Sundays as a change from cash games. I also like to play some smaller live tournaments with €30 or €50 buy-in at the casino, which is less than an hour from my home. But my biggest live tournament was the €500 buy-in in Malta.

Are there any other plans for preparation, besides the coaching with Marc?

Not really. But I have been in the GRND-Community of Felix Schneiders for a long time. He used to be a cash game player before he switched to MTTs. And if he organises another coaching weekend with the Platinum Pass winners in Cologne, as he did last time, then I would fly to Germany and participate.

It hasn’t all been fun and games here at Lex Live 2. All week Lex Veldhuis’ Twitch community has been working hard, completing tasks and collecting stamps on their Lex Live Adventure cards.

Tasks included taking a photo with the Lex cardboard cutout, playing at least one community Sit & Go, completing daily Discord tasks (including bugging Chris Moneymaker and performing Lex’s famous donation run), and telling Twitch Moderator Croaks “F** Croaks” to his face.

The prize of the Lex Live Adventure remained a secret. Until now.

Today is the culmination of all that sweat and tears.

The winner of the Lex Live Adventure will receive a Platinum Pass to the PokerStars Players Championship 2020, worth $30,000.

But how will we pick our winner?

Well, this morning all members of the community who had completed the card gathered in the Aspers Casino tournament area for a special announcement.

But first, Lex gave a shout out to the amazing staff here at Aspers Casino, and to PokerStars’ own Melanie Moser, for their efforts in making Lex Live 2 the success it has been.

Lex then proceeded to tell the crowd they’d each be competing in a flip, the winners of which will go through to play a live-streamed Sit & Go on Lex’s Twitch channel.

TUNE IN TO THE SIT & GO FROM 1PM BST

Chaos ensued. But eventually, we found our six finalists:

Bart “rizn00” Verboven
Chris “ChrisM” Martin
Tom “Predator410” Parsons
Adrian “Croaks” Altgelt
Gardar “Vitne” Svavarsson
Sanne “Antim00n” Bombeek

Yep, somehow “Croaks” himself has even made it through. “Croaks is in God Mode right now!” yelled Arlie Shaban from the rail, referring to Croaks’ recent deep run in the WCOOP Main Event.

“Croaks” in action

LEX LIVE 2: FULL SCHEDULE  |  ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW  |  GUIDE TO LONDON  |  ALL COVERAGE

PLATINUM PASS WINNER PATRICK WINTERBOTTOM  |  BEER PONG EVENING  |  STREAMER SHOWDOWN  |  SPRAGGY WINS THE FU FLIP  |  ‘DAMMO_23’ INTERVIEW  |  WELCOME PARTY PHOTO GALLERY  |  POKER IN THE EARS PODCAST |  HIGH ROLLERS IN TOWN  |  LEX LIVE ADVENTURE  |  MEET THE QUALIFIERS

Here’s how the Sit & Go will work.

Blinds will go up every orbit, and after 15 minutes, there will be an all-in flip.

It’s going to be crazy.

Make sure you tune in to find out which member of the community will be heading to Barcelona next year with a shot at winning millions.

You won’t want to miss it.

HEAD TO LEX’S TWITCH CHANNEL NOW

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LEX LIVE 2 COVERAGE

Incredible stories keep emerging from Lex Live 2 in London, and today we’ve created one more.

The Lex Live Adventure was a scavenger hunt in which members of Lex Veldhuis’ Twitch community each received a card. On each card were a bunch of tasks that needed to be completed (and the card then stamped) before 10:30am this morning.

One of the 24 who completed his card was Northern Ireland’s Tom Parsons. But you might know the 21-year-old better by his Twitch name, “Predator410”.

“We all thought the prize would be a t-shirt or something,” Parsons tells PokerStars Blog, referring to the fact that the prize had been kept a secret.

“So when Lex told us the prize was a Platinum Pass, I just started shaking.”

Yep. The winner would receive a Platinum Pass to the PokerStars Players Championship 2020.

“My favourite task was probably the one where we had to take a photo of ourselves with the Lex cardboard cutout,” Parsons tells us. “I took a selfie of me kissing Lex, and then people on Twitter like Fintan Hand were like, ‘Mate, I can’t believe you’ve done this’.”

Lots of love for #lexlive pic.twitter.com/11KJqfY7ws

— Tom Parsons (@TomParsons410) September 30, 2019

Parsons then won a single-hand flip out to book himself a seat the six-handed Lex Live Adventure finale. With so much on the line and a winner-take-all format, the super-hyper-turbo Sit & Go was remarkably relaxed. The thing is, after 15 minutes, there was going to be an all-in flip, so having chips was key.

Parsons knew this, and when he picked up queen-jack offsuit, he decided to go for it. “I knew it was an above-average hand, and that if I picked up chips prior to the flip, I could still survive even if I didn’t win,” he tells us.

The queen-jack doubled up through ace-eight suited, just in the time for the flip. You can check that out below:

Parsons emotions were clear for all to see as the news he’d be heading to Barcelona for the PSPC 2020 sunk in. Lex arrived on stage to present his Platinum Pass, and the two embraced, knowing they’d be setting off on this journey together from here on out.

“This has just been the most ridiculous day of my life,” he says. “100 percent. I haven’t eaten all day, and I’m not even hungry anymore. How could I feel anything else but complete euphoria right now?”

A STREAMER WITH A DREAM

Under the name “Predator410”, Parsons is actually a Twitch streamer himself.

“I was on Twitch one day in January 2018 watching game streams, and I saw a channel which had an EPT broadcast on. I played a few freerolls and thought poker was really fun,” he says. “I wasn’t playing much though, just watching Fintan and Spraggy’s duel streams, and then I heard about Lex and started watching him and became a part of his community.”

Then—as fate would have it—an opportunity arose for a journey which, bizarrely, has been completed here at Lex Live 2.

“Around the time I discovered poker was when they announced the first PSPC to the Bahamas. I thought: ‘Hmmm, maybe I do want to play more poker’, and then two weeks later they announced Jason Somerville’s Run It Up Next Top Streamer competition, which had a Platinum Pass for the winner. I really wanted to win one.

“I figured if I’m going to start playing poker, I might as well stream alongside it, and people can watch me learn both.”

Parsons playing at Lex Live 2

Parsons finished in the top ten, narrowly missing out on the Platinum Pass. It was worth it though, as it meant he met his now good friends and fellow streamers, Georgina “GJReggie” James and Mason “PyeFacePoker” Pye, both of whom are now PokerStars streamers.

Mason “PyeFacePoker” Pye

“From day one we were always in each other’s streams,” Parsons tells us. “We’d have like three viewers each, and it was each other. Now they’re both signed with PokerStars. Amazing.”

Back home in Northern Ireland, Parsons is an International Politics student and doesn’t get a chance to play live poker. Playing on PokerStars became his passion, and he’s had some success despite only playing for a year.

“I play the micro stakes, and I started a bankroll challenge with $50. Now there’s usually more money in my PokerStars account then there is in my actual bank account. I’m paying rent, working, studying, so all the money just disappears. Streaming has actually been a nice boost to my income. When subs come in, that can sometimes pay my rent for a month.”

That, and poker winnings, of course.

“I satellited into the $109 SCOOP Main Event for $2 and cashed for $1.7K, but then I went on a horrendous downswing. That’s why all my friends were just shouting “Run like Pred!” on the rail. It became our little joke. If you were playing and running bad, you were “running like Pred”. But now I’ve won this Platinum Pass, that might have to stop!”

Parsons even has a MicroMillions title under his belt, won in a game he’d barely played before.

“Right in the middle of that downswing, I hopped in the $3.30 Fusion Poker event during MicroMillions. I’d watched OP-Poker James play it, and ran hot the whole tournament. I don’t think I lost a hand. I ended up winning it for around $800. The money didn’t matter though, it was more about the prestige.”

Time for a new accolade, @pokerstars Micro Millions champion. And just in time for Lex Live 2, love to see it. https://t.co/0S2EvYLBbv

— Tom Parsons (@TomParsons410) July 22, 2019

Now Parsons can’t wait to get back online and fire up a stream. With a Platinum Pass in hand, he’s sure to attract some new viewers.

“I really enjoy streaming, and I’ve had an amazing first year. The bankroll keeps going up–I’ve never busted my bankroll–and I’ve made so many friends through the poker community. To have this Platinum Pass now, it’s a dream.”

LEX LIVE 2: FULL SCHEDULE  |  ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW  |  GUIDE TO LONDON  |  ALL COVERAGE

PLATINUM PASS WINNER PATRICK WINTERBOTTOM  |  BEER PONG EVENING  |  STREAMER SHOWDOWN  |  SPRAGGY WINS THE FU FLIP  |  ‘DAMMO_23’ INTERVIEW  |  WELCOME PARTY PHOTO GALLERY  |  POKER IN THE EARS PODCAST |  HIGH ROLLERS IN TOWN  |  LEX LIVE ADVENTURE  |  MEET THE QUALIFIERS

WHY YOU SHOULD COME TO LEX LIVE

Parsons is clearly a very popular fellow here at Lex Live 2, but you get the feeling that had any other player won the Pass, he’d be just as supportive to them as they have been to him.

“I couldn’t imagine a better event to win a Platinum Pass at,” he tells us. “I had actually planned to go try and win a Pass at the Moneymaker Tour stop in Dublin, but it looks like I don’t need to worry about that now. I probably will go and play it though, just for the experience.”

You will definitely see me at LL3. Favourite memory? That's a hard one! Probably seeing @TomParsons410 win the platinum pass! He deserves it so much!!!

— Sanne Bombeek (@Sb_Antim00n) October 5, 2019

“I have minimal live poker experience, but I have a huge network of people around me who can help me improve my game. When I first started playing poker “RichyRob” was one of the first people to really help me out. Then PokerStars Ambassador OP-Poker Nick put me in my first ever live tournament. He sent me a message on a Friday, told me he was going to Dublin on Saturday, and he said: “If you can get here, you’re playing”. So he really helped me out.”

Nick “OP-Poker Nick” Walsh

There’s one player in particular that Parsons would like to thank though, and that’s PokerStars Ambassador and streamer extraordinaire, Fintan Hand.

Fintan “easywithaces” Hand

“He helps me every day,” Parsons says. “Whenever I’m playing I’ll send him hands, and he gets straight back to me, even if he’s on stream. I’m always asking him what I can do for him because he’s always doing so much for me.”

Lex Live and Twitch poker have created one of the friendliest and most supportive communities we’ve seen. We wondered what Parsons would say to anyone out there who is thinking of coming to the next Lex Live stop.

“You have to come to Lex Live,” he says. “Everyone you meet will say hello. Everyone wears name tags so you know who they are. It’s just been the most amazing community experience. The opportunities for people here have been so good. If you don’t play much live poker, come and play. Nobody is trying too hard, everyone’s drinking at the table and having a good chat. Everyone is having so much fun. You simply have to come to the next one.”

After a brief stint in the commentary booth with Lex (“I just started crying again!” Parsons admits), our latest Platinum Pass winner took a moment outside to call his parents and let them know the good news.

“I rang my dad because he likes me playing poker. My mum, on the other hand, hates it. She really does not like me playing. But I just spoke with her and told her I’d won €26,000 Euros and a trip to Barcelona. She was like, “whoa! No way!”

Who knows? Maybe we’ll even see Mr and Mrs Parsons at the Lex Live 3.

One thing we know for sure, though: you’ll see Tom “Predator410” Parsons at the PSPC 2020.

A life-changing day for Tom Parsons

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LEX LIVE 2 COVERAGE

Ready to sign up for PokerStars? Click here to get an account.

If you’ve been reading along with our Lex Live 2 coverage, there’s one sentiment you’ve likely figured out: this thing is a whole lot of fun.

PokerStars streamer Georgina “GJReggie” James certainly agrees. We sat down for a quick chat on the festival’s penultimate day to see what the experience has been like for her, and her plans for the coming months.

PokerStars Blog: Hi GJReggie, how has Lex Live 2 been for you so far?

Georgina “GJReggie” James: It’s the first time I’ve met most of the other PokerStars Ambassadors, and then obviously loads of the community members too. It has been so much fun. I’ve been here for the whole time, immersing myself in the entire experience. It has been the best time. Just crazy, absolutely insane!

“GJReggie” with the PokerStars crew

I took a pic with @GJReggie yesterday and forgot to post it (I blame the beers) 😅 #lexlive2 pic.twitter.com/uxCgpIwB4p

— Eva Reberc (@EVAisOP) September 28, 2019

What’s it been like dabbling on the live felt?

I’ve played more poker than I’ve ever played before, and I got the chance to do some commentary which was really fun. It’s been an amazing experience. Props to Lex for organising such an amazing event!

LEX LIVE 2: FULL SCHEDULE  |  ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW  |  GUIDE TO LONDON  |  ALL COVERAGE

TOM “PREDATOR410” PARSONS WINS PLATINUM PASS  |  PLATINUM PASS WINNER PATRICK WINTERBOTTOM  |  BEER PONG EVENING  |  STREAMER SHOWDOWN  |  SPRAGGY WINS THE FU FLIP  |  ‘DAMMO_23’ INTERVIEW  |  WELCOME PARTY PHOTO GALLERY  |  POKER IN THE EARS PODCAST |  HIGH ROLLERS IN TOWN  |  LEX LIVE ADVENTURE  |  MEET THE QUALIFIERS

Are you looking forward to getting back on stream, now that you can put a face to many of the names on Twitch?

I think it’s going to be really cool. I’ve met a lot of people from Lex’s community, and have inadvertently gained a lot of new followers. I’m still a relatively small streamer, so even here not a lot of people knew me. But now that I’ve spent so much time with people, it’s going to make the community closer and more tight-knit. We’ll have to see how it goes, but I think it’s going to be great. I can’t wait to attend the next Lex Live.

Tom Parsons won his Platinum Pass earlier today

Having just seen your friend Tom “Predator410” Parsons win a Platinum Pass, do you think you’ll be going after a one yourself?

Yeah, it’s so sick that he won! I’ve wanted to play a bit more live poker general. It’s not something I do very often, even though there is a really good casino is Cardiff where I live. I’m going to try and organise a monthly meet-up, I think. Then I’m thinking of coming to the Moneymaker Tour stop in London for a shot at a Platinum Pass!

RunLikePred
Congrats on the pass! Will definately be on the rail for this one. https://t.co/yisB59lbj8

— GJReggie (@GJReggie) October 5, 2019

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LEX LIVE 2 COVERAGE

Ready to sign up for PokerStars? Click here to get an account.

It’s a testament of how much fun Lex Live is that many PokerStars employees chose to fly over from the Isle of Man for a vacation at Aspers Casino, London.

Brandon Nguyen isn’t one of them.

Oh, he works for PokerStars on the Isle of Man alright. But as our Twitch and Ambassadors Assistant, he’s been here slogging away all week, helping everything run smooth, liaising with the vast amount of streamers who are here, and even co-organising the Lex Live Adventure (with Robin Reckmann) which yesterday saw Tom “Predator410” Parsons book himself a Platinum Pass to the PokerStars Players Championship 2020.

But when you work hard, you can (occasionally) play hard. That’s exactly what Nguyen managed to do last night when he took down the Lex Live 2 £100 Saturday Super Side for £3,505 and a shiny trophy.

We caught up with Nguyen at Aspers this morning, where he’s so tired he can barely keep his eyes open. Bless ‘im.

PokerStars Blog: Congratulations Brandon. You told us right at the start of Lex Live 2 that you really wanted to win a trophy. Now you have one. Is it as cool as you’d hoped?

Brandon Nguyen: Cheers! And 100%. Anybody who knows me knows that I am incredibly competitive and just want to win, whether that be a poker tournament or beer pong or even Mario Kart.

I know you busted early and fired a second bullet. How did the tournament go for you overall? 

Yeah, I got super unlucky in the Main Event [Nguyen busted in 59th for £569] and wasn’t sure whether to enter the Super Side tournament or not. I busted my first bullet early but had a really fun table with Henri “Buehlero” Buehler. I re-entered with 40 seconds left of late registration! The second entry was much smoother thankfully, I got lucky in a couple of important flips and also had hands hold when it mattered.

Brandon Nguyen

LEX LIVE 2: FULL SCHEDULE  |  ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW  |  GUIDE TO LONDON  |  ALL COVERAGE

INTERVIEW WITH “GJREGGIE”  |  TOM “PREDATOR410” PARSONS WINS PLATINUM PASS  |  PLATINUM PASS WINNER PATRICK WINTERBOTTOM  |  BEER PONG EVENING  |  STREAMER SHOWDOWN  |  SPRAGGY WINS THE FU FLIP  |  ‘DAMMO_23’ INTERVIEW  |  WELCOME PARTY PHOTO GALLERY  |  POKER IN THE EARS PODCAST |  HIGH ROLLERS IN TOWN  |  LEX LIVE ADVENTURE  |  MEET THE QUALIFIERS

I heard there was also an ‘Isle of Man Last Longer’. Did you take that down too, and if so, is that money even sweeter than the winner’s prize because it came from your colleagues?

I wish I did! I didn’t realise I could re-enter it, sadly. But yes, it would have been much much sweeter than a trophy. I probably would have asked Scott Goodall to sign his £20 note and I wouldn’t ever spend it. [Goodall finished 9th for £345].

You and Robin were the brains behind the Lex Live Adventure. How do you think the whole thing went?

I think it went great. The community was really engaged and we had a good number of participants who completed the challenge without even knowing what the prize was. The flip-out for the Sit & Go seats was fun and exciting and everybody was genuinely happy for each other which was nice to see. You can really tell that everybody in the community is there for each other and the moment that Tom won the Platinum Pass was really touching. You can see how much it meant to him and everybody else knew it too.

What have been some of your Lex Live 2 highlights?

I have a few:

• The community Sit & Gos have to be up there in the highlights. They’re so much fun and you can see and (definitely) hear the joy from all the participants.

• Alongside that, the beer pong night was amazing! I went four for four in my first game with “DAMMO_23” as a partner, and it was all skill obviously.

• Tom winning the Platinum Pass

• Spending time with all the ambassadors together and watching them interact and socialise with their community face to face.

Finally, is there anyone you want to give a shout-out to?

I agreed with one of our regional ambassadors, Steve “Estyf” Enriquez, that I’d dedicate a trophy to him if I won one, so here it is. ¡Vamos! Also a quick shout-out to the boys back home Josh, Ben, Pete, Sam & Ryan!

I’d also like to give a big shout out to Sophie Kniveton.

All about that trophy

LEX LIVE 2 £100 SATURDAY SUPER SIDE
Buy-in: £100
Entries: 144
Date: October 5, 2019

1. Brandon Nguyen – £3,505
2. Callum Cotter – £2,500
3. Wai Kee Lung – £1,575
4. Rikard Johansen – £1,165
5. Trang Le Minh – £875
6. Hasan Gul – £700
7. Christopher Williamson – £580
8. Jacob Tunehag – £465
9. Scott Goodall – £345

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LEX LIVE 2 COVERAGE

Ready to sign up for PokerStars? Click here to get an account.

Earlier this week, PokerStars Ambassador and Twitch streamer James “OP-Poker James” Mackenzie took down the PokerStars Virtual Realty Poker Tour (VRPT) Ultra High roller–a 25 million chip buy-in VR event with a 200 million chip guarantee.

He’s now one of the only three VRPT bracelet winners in the world, virtual or otherwise.

And he did it right here at Lex Live 2 in London, surrounded by the Twitch community and the hustle and bustle of the Aspers Casino.

We had a sit down with Mackenzie on the final day of the festival to talk about his experience and the “unlimited potential” of PokerStars VR.

Want to learn more about the VRPT? Click here.

PokerStars Blog: Hey James, congratulations on becoming one of the first three VRPT bracelet winners. What was it like playing VR live at Lex Live?

James “OP-Poker James” Mackenzie: Thanks! The guys who were playing in the VR tournament were really happy I was playing, not because I’m a PokerStars Ambassador, but because the ambiance from the Aspers Casino was being broadcast through my microphone. They told me it felt like they were actually playing in a casino, which they really liked, so maybe that’s a feature PokerStars VR should adopt.

Are you now going to try and be the Phil Hellmuth of the VRPT?

I have to now, I’m a bracelet hunter for sure. I have a goal now, and for the VRPT I hope I can get more bracelets than anyone else. I’m going to play everything.

At OP-Poker, you guys are known for tackling the new poker formats. How big do you think PokerStars VR could get?

I think VR has near unlimited potential at the moment. I have we’re a long way off being able to play for real money, but there are so many things which you might not expect that you see in VR. The way someone handles their chips can give you information, like in live poker. If they’re looking after their chips, they’re usually more conservative. If they’re splashing about, throwing objects everywhere, you’re far more likely to be up against someone who is really aggressive.

OP-Poker: Nick (far left), James (second right) and Eva (far right) at Lex Live 2 welcome party

LEX LIVE 2: FULL SCHEDULE  |  ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW  |  GUIDE TO LONDON  |  ALL COVERAGE

BRANDON NGUYEN WINS SUPER SIDE  | INTERVIEW WITH “GJREGGIE”  |  TOM “PREDATOR410” PARSONS WINS PLATINUM PASS  |  PLATINUM PASS WINNER PATRICK WINTERBOTTOM  |  BEER PONG EVENING  |  STREAMER SHOWDOWN  |  SPRAGGY WINS THE FU FLIP  |  ‘DAMMO_23’ INTERVIEW  |  WELCOME PARTY PHOTO GALLERY  |  POKER IN THE EARS PODCAST |  HIGH ROLLERS IN TOWN  |  LEX LIVE ADVENTURE  |  MEET THE QUALIFIERS

What would you suggest to someone who wants to start playing PokerStars VR, but doesn’t know what equipment they need?

If you’re really new to VR, the Oculus Quest has just come out. It’s a standalone thing which costs around £500, I would highly recommend getting that. If you want to upgrade to the really expensive stuff, the graphics are going to be absolutely amazing. But I’d suggest if you’re new to it, the Oculus Quest is great. It’s like an Xbox, a similar price, and you have loads of games including PokerStars VR.

How has Lex Live 2 been for you overall?

At the first Lex Live we were getting to know Lex’s community. But this time, because we’re in the UK,  we’ve been able to have members of our community come, and Spraggy’s, and Fintan’s, who we didn’t have in Namur. Lex Live 2 definitely feels like it has gone from being Lex’s community to an overall PokerStars Ambassador community.

Even if you’re not sponsored, it felt like if you are on Twitch, you had to be here. It’s great. You’ve seen them on stream, then you see them here, and it’s like we all know each other as we’re always chatting.

Mackenzie can’t wait to get back on Twitch

What’s next for you? Are you looking forward to getting back on Twitch?

After WCOOP, I felt I needed a break. Lex Live 2 was the break, and now I’m raring to go. I’m ready to put some decent streaming hours in, particular in 6+. I played the 6+ event here and it was awesome.

Tom “Predator410” Parsons won his Platinum Pass yesterday. He told us he won his MicroMillions title in a Fusion Poker tournament and only knew the game from watching you play it on stream. That must be pretty cool, right?

I’m really proud of Pred. I wouldn’t be surprised if one day he’s a sponsored streamer too. He’s always streaming, he’s part of everyone’s community, he looks out for people. He’ll do hand history reviews at the micros with people who are new to poker, and I think at some point someone will snap him up. Now I’m going to try and get a piece of him in the PSPC 2020!

Finally, PokerStars is looking for the first-ever PokerStars VR Ambassador. Who do you think would make a great ambassador?

The VR scene has a lot more female players than live poker and online poker, so I would really suggest a female player to go for it. We definitely want more women in poker.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LEX LIVE 2 COVERAGE

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Ten days of laughing, drinking, hanging out, hangovers, beer pong, movies, football, Twitch talk, selfies, saying “F**k Croaks”, Platinum Passes, virtual reality, and of course, poker.

It could only be Lex Live 2, but alas, it all comes to an end tonight.

Here at PokerStars Blog, we’ve been to countless poker events around the world. None we’ve been to have quite the same atmosphere that Lex Live does though, and so we urge anyone thinking of coming to one in the future to do just that.

You won’t regret it.

While the £230 Main Event is still playing down to a winner, we caught up with the man of the moment and this festival’s namesake, PokerStars Ambassador Lex Veldhuis, to discuss how he thinks everything went, what his highlights have been, and his plans for the future.

Enjoy.

PokerStars Blog: Hey Lex. It really has been an amazing event. When you get back home, what do you think you’ll miss the most?

Lex Veldhuis: I think the weirdest thing is going to be walking into a room and not seeing a bunch of people sitting there who you can just pull up a chair next to and talk to, hang out, do fun things, talk about poker.

It’s really hard because not a lot of people in my life back home watch Twitch a lot, so if I want to discuss something which “Dr. Disrespect” did last night, I can say that here and half the people will know what I’m talking about. I’ll definitely miss that aspect; a lot of like-minded people sitting around, drinking beers.

What are some of your highlights from Lex Live 2?

People come to this event because they’re interested in poker and Twitch, but if you then provide community events that are different from that, all of a sudden people get to showcase different skills as well. I mean, some of those guys the other night were amazing at table tennis, they destroyed me. It was a competitive environment, which poker players really like, but it was still super relaxed.

Hiring out the movie theatre was really special to me because it was actually the realisation of a childhood dream of mine: to be with a lot of friends in a movie theatre and watch one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It was really great. Maybe next time we won’t watch one of the most psychologically dark movies with a hangover after beer pong at 10AM though.

The Lex Live 2 crew go to the movies

Any low moments?

Spraggy winning that trophy is the worst thing that’s ever happened to me. People don’t yet understand, but they will very soon. He’s going to abuse that thing. He’s going to shove it down everyone’s throat every chance he gets. If he wants to salt his steak on Instagram, he’s going to somehow use the trophy to do it. He’s always going to call himself a champion, and it’s going to be the most annoying thing ever for me. This is going to haunt me for years.

Spraggy wins. Lex hates to see it.

Were there any main differences between this Lex Live and the first one which you’re proud of?

One of the coolest things was that was we had Platinum Passes to give away this time. Being able to reward people for who they are in the community was awesome. There was no media drive, no social media anything. It was very pure. The people here are what makes poker on Twitch interesting and special, and what makes this event happen.

The community has been working hard all week on completing their Lex Live Adventure cards. What was it like for you, giving a Platinum Pass to the winner?

These guys were doing tasks that nobody wants to do. Like taking a photo with Spraggy, for example. Nobody wants that!

But they proved how supportive our community is. Chris Martin was the first person out of the Lex Live Adventure Sit & Go, but he was one of the first people to congratulate Tom Parsons when he won the Platinum Pass. Everyone who made it to that final got a standing ovation. You barely see that anywhere. People bubbling a chance at a Platinum Pass were still so excited for the other people who made it.

How can you possibly make this event bigger and better in the future?

It’s now our responsibility moving forward to make sure these cool experiences happen again. I want to avoid doing the same things over and over. Last time we had a pub quiz, and in the build-up to Lex Live 2, people were telling me they were studying for the next one. But guess what? There was no pub quiz this year. We’ve got to be creative. People shine in different areas. Everyone here has interesting skills and different interests.

Tom Parsons with Lex after his Platinum Pass win

Do you feel you have a personal stake in Tom Parsons‘ journey towards the PSPC, seeing as he won his Platinum Pass here at Lex Live 2?

I’m very invested in it. When I was looking at all of the guys on the Lex Live Adventure final table, Tom was probably the person I’ve spoken the least with so far as he’s only been playing poker and watching Twitch for around a year. I got to speak with him at this event though, and he’s just a super nice guy. His reaction to winning was incredible, he was so blown away to have everyone cheering for him.

He joined me in the commentary booth 20 minutes after and reliving that moment with him kind of bonds us together in his journey. I saw the emotions that went into it. I’ll be cheering for him the whole way.

Lex Veldhuis

What do your friends and family back home make of all this?

People around me back home always just knew that I was a professional poker player. I’ve been doing it for 15 years. After all that time, it kind of lost its novelty to them, y’know? They knew everything about it, they’ve asked me all the questions, they would ask me how it’s going, but after that, there wasn’t much to say.

But now that my family and friends can read Lex Live stuff on PokerStars Blog and see the photos and what the stream means to everyone, it has added a much deeper level. I always send them links to the PokerStars Blog and they’ve been loving it. It brings them closer to it and they get more involved. It’s nice for me too, because they understand it better.

There were so many streamers here, each with their own communities. Could you have envisioned this when you came up with the idea of Lex Live?

I think it’s turning into a Twitch poker convention, honestly. That’s been my ambition for it all along. I’ve always told other streamers: feel free to do stuff. Feel free to bring people here. Feel free to have your community show up and chisel out a spot for yourself in all of this. It was cool to see “GJReggie“, “PyeFacePoker” and the “OP-Poker” guys had their crews here.

Everyone from Twitch meets here, regardless of which community they’re originally from. Even the London locals have been hopping in community Sit & Gos, and stuff like that will help Twitch poker grow. It feels very wholesome.

Are you looking forward to getting back on stream?

Getting back to my stream after this will be really nice. I just know people better now. People who were previously quiet in the channel might start talking more now because they’ve been talking with everyone all week. They’ll feel even more a part of it.

I can’t wait to stream again. I have a long streaming schedule ahead for the winter with only one trip abroad planned (I’m going to the UFC with Spraggy, Fintan and qualifiers). But other than that I’m just going to be grinding and streaming.

Lex Live 2 at Aspers Casino

Has London as a host city lived up to your expectations?

Everyone has loved being in London. It has been so easy for people to get here, a friend of mine from Copenhagen got here for €15, for example. When we were in French-speaking Belgium, we felt more like visitors because we couldn’t really interact with the locals. Here though, everyone has been chatting, railing, screaming. I don’t want to give that up.

Aspers Casino has been absolutely fantastic. John Scanlon, the poker room manager, has been up for anything. If I have an idea, he comes up with an even crazier version of it. So that’s been great.

It’s probably too early to say, but have you had any thoughts on Lex Live 3 yet?

Where and when is also going to specific because there will always be things I’d like to change or have added. It’s too early to set anything in stone, but we’ve been so happy with the way things have gone here.

The one thing I can confirm — one hundred thousand percent — is that there will be a Lex Live 3.

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