Daniel Negreanu looking cheerful(credit:
larrykang)
Phil Ivey and Peter Eastgate have been selected to represent North America and Europe respectively at the inaugural WSOP Europe Caesars Cup on September 25th. In what fans hope will be a titanic, Ryder Cup like battle, eight players from each time will square up in a series of Heads Up and Doubles matches, in the London venue.
The ‘team poker’ concept is still very much in its infancy, with the PartyPoker Nations Cup the only similar tournament of note. Captain of the American squad is Team PokerStars pro Daniel Negreanu, who opted for Phil Ivey in his first pick. Despite achieving almost legendary status in the game with his exuberant personality and excellent reads, Negreanu’s form has been heavily scrutinised of late. Just yesterday in his online blog he documented his ‘awful’ play as he exited from the WSOP Main Event – calling an all in with 33 on a 10-10-7 board. This follows a dismal season on High Stakes Poker, which saw the Canadian lose several buy-ins. In stark contrast, Ivey’s form has been godlike, capturing two bracelets and three further cashes at this year’s WSOP.
To increase suspense, the remaining six picks will be announced over the following weeks. European captain is Scandinavian young sensation Annette Obrestad, who triumphed at the WSOPE Main Event when she was just 18, two years ago. For promotional purposes, she will have to select one other Betfair pro to join the European squad. Her first pick is WSOP 2008 Main Event Champion Peter Eastgate, who has impressed since his $9 million triumph.
ESPN will cover the tournament, which kicks off prior to the £10,350 Main Event. Whether other top-bracket pros such as Gus Hansen, Patrik Antonius and Tom Dwan will be participating remains to be seen.