| Douglas Henshall takes part in the Omar Sharif One to One PKR poker and backgammon tournament. - May 10th 2009 PKR.com hosted a celebrity packed event on Sunday May 10th at London’s trendy Sketch restaurant as fundraisers took part in the Omar Sharif One to One PKR poker and backgammon tournament. This annual event proved a huge success, raising a massive £100,000 for children supported by the charity. The tournament was won by Beverley Pace, wife of comedian Norman Pace, runner up was ex-actor and professional poker player Michael Greco in with Dexter Fletcher of Hotel Babylon and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels fame in third position. Additional celebrities who took part included Radio One DJ Colin Murray, Primeval star Douglas Henshall, actress and writer Emma Kennedy, Patrick Baladi from No Heroics and Mistresses, Coronation Street’s Charlie Condou, and comedians Hardeep Singh Kohli, Norman Pace and Richard Herring. Members of the newly formed Team PKR Pro were also at the tables. Tickets cost participants £365 each, which included the champagne reception plus a buy-in into either the PKR.com sponsored poker tournament or the ninth annual Omar Sharif Backgammon Tournament. This entry fee was equivalent to sponsoring a child for one year at £1 per day. The money raised from this tournament will enable the One to One Children’s Fund to provide support and care to thousands children and their families who have been affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa. One to One Projects also focus on projects in Israel amongst Druse, Bedouin, Christian, Muslim and Jewish children in a bid to contribute to the peace efforts. Report by actress and writer Emma Kennedy: Sunday May 10th 2009 I played poker last night in a charity poker tournament. Richard Keith was there with his Hitler's moustache (I kept leaning into people and whispering "There's a reason he's got that. He's not mental" as I experienced something akin to wanting to be overly protective of him. It's VERY disconcerting to see him across a room with a Hitler's moustache. Having said that, his hair is quite long at the moment which rather softens the moustache blow so he doesn't look evil. He just looks as if he's in need of a psychiatric intervention. But he is NOT mental. OK everyone? NOT mental. (Well he is but let's gloss over that) The night did not go well for me. My pocket pairs were hopeless, I was weak on the Big Blind and unable to call raises to me, and of the four hands I was able to play (FOUR), I was outdrawn on one _ we both had top pair but he (Dougie Henshall) had a better kicker, then With AJ I was beaten by A5 who hit 2 pair on the river with his 5 and the worst one - I had top pair after the flop with A7 pocket pair, Charlie Condou had gone all in. I ummed and ahhed as to whether to call. The flop was A25. Had he hit the straight? He was the big blind and had made no raise so it was possible that he had 34. It was more likely that he had A with a low to medium kicker. Like me. So it was a gut shot. I called him. He had a pocket pair of 4s. I was ahead. And then a 3 came on the river and he hit his straight. GUtted. And then, on the only decent pocket pair I had all night (pair Kings)no - one called my raise so in effect I won nothing but the blinds. Rubbish. It just wasn't my night. And because it was for charity I made two re-buys (in normal circumstances I'd have walked away - you know when the Poker Gods have abandoned you)because the money was going to a good cause so at least I can comfort myself with that AND I won a signed Take That DVD in the raffle. Eh? EH? Who says I'm not a winner? I really enjoyed the night though, it was good to see my poker chums Dexter Fletcher, Michael Greco and Norman Pace there. We were all crying with laughter about the time we found ourselves in a broom cupboard on our hands and knees counting out £10 notes from a suitcase filled with £20,000. Yes. You read correctly. It was simultaneously REALLY grubby and slightly sexy. Ahh poker. How I love thee. Emma Kennedy.net/blog |
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