While the online names in the title could easily be organized to create a fantastic punch-line, what has been making headlines of late are the online heaters several players out of Canada have been on; Daniel “KidPoker” Negreanu, Kevin “ImaLuckSac” MacPhee, “Big_Nemo and Dylan “ImaLucSac” Linde are all headed to the top of several leader boards.
Currently and proving to be one the most consistent players out there, “Big_Nemo has tied Spain’s “2FLY2TILT” for the top spot on the 2011 World Championship of Online Poker Series Points Leader Board. The two players have been neck in neck since the onset of the 62 event series, but this is the first time that Vancouver’s “Big_Nemo” has actually challenged and been in contention for the 1st place spot. With only a five events remaining, the battle is close enough that it just may have to be decided by who ever does the best (and cashes) in the $5,200 No Limit Hold’em Main Event on Sunday.
Both “Luc(k)Sacs are also in the top 5, with EPT winner MacPhee siting in 3rd and Linde tied for 5th. Negreanu has now moved into the top 10, occupying 9th and gaining ground quickly with each passing event.
While obviously a certain amount of bragging rights are attached the leader board, the top 3 at the end of the series will also collect “Player of The Series” packages well worth playing for; 1st consists of a European Poker Tour Season 8 Grand Final Package, a 2012 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Package, A 2012 SCOOP Main Event Seat and a special edition chip set. 2nd place will be awarded the Spring Championship of Online Poker Main Event seat, chip set and PCA package, while third gets a little lighter at just a SCOOP Main Event seat and chip set.
Aside from the leader board, both “Big_Nemo and Daniel “KidPoker” Negreanu are leading the “Most Cashes by a Player” statistics, with Kevin “ImaLuckSac” MacPhee just behind them. While “Big_Nemo” has cashed an impressive 16 times already, the most of any player after completion of 57 events and roughly 108,000 entries, Negreanu isn’t far behind with 13 of his own. Daniel has always been well known as one of the most winnin gest players on the live world circuit, but his online success rate has standardly been accepted as far. It appears Negreanu is looking to shed that image here and prove one and for all he can mix it up with the best of them on any felt. As a “face” of the site and PokerStars Team Canada Pro, more fans and colleagues will surely be happy with WCOOP results this year and with a few more deep finishes, he just might find himself free-rolling into the Live events that he is famous for.
Mathematically, only a total of 7 players can tie “Big_Nemo” now and only 5 could overtake him, provided he fails to cash in any of the 5 events, which, going on his ITM rate so far, doesn’t look very likely. “ImaLuckSack” is one, sitting with 12 cashes of his own. The other “ImaLucSac”, Linde, is currently tied in 2nd for “Final Tables by a Player”, sitting at three.
Canada has also started to really separate from the pack in “Cashes by Country”, holding down first by nearly 100 in the money finishes and also finally taking over the top spot for “Money Won By a Country”. Only 1 final table separates us and Russia for a first place tie with Russia for “Final Table by Country” as well. We have however slipped to 3 bracelets behind Russia for events “Won By Country”, though Canada now has 6 to their 9.
Steve “HR_Dub” Williams collected the latest bracelet credited to Canada, taking down WCOOP Event #55, a $530 No Limit Hold’em with 1 re-buy and 1 add-on.
First place was worth $172,634 which appears to be his largest online poker cash to date. According to PocketFives.com, Williams has over $2,186,000 in career online winnings and plays out of Vancouver.
Searches of the popular live tournament databases did not return any Canadian players matching Steve Williams, leaving us to assume he either strictly a winning online player or yet another newly transplanted one to the Vancouver area.
On a bit of a side note, if you thought the BCPC fields were tough last year, the way the news of winning players keeps rolling out of the west may just see the game just that more challenging for 2011…
