News Archives

23rd January 2007 - Getting Close Now

Charity Poker Tournament 2006:
The Tombstone Memorial Tournament

4th March - Press Coverage

The Leighton Buzzard Observer, on Tuesday the 21st of February 2006, featured the following article on Page 9. Pictured in the article are the stunningly gorgeous Emma "Rio Kate" O'Connell (left) and the stunningly moustached Marshall Malk "Wyatt" Williams (right). Click on the image to see a larger version.

Article from Leighton Buzzard Observer

The words of the article were largely based on a press release we had sent to the paper - though to Sue's chagrin, they edited out the word "frockage". Any mistakes in the article were probably Malk's (I'm told that Laura does not in fact come from Leighton, but as I don't actually know where she does hail from, I can live with it)! The photo was taken by the Observer's photographer, Louise O'Callaghan.

11th February - SUCCESS!!!

On Saturday the 11th of February 2006, the first Tombstone Memorial Charity Poker Tournament went ahead, and was as successful as we could have hoped. Thirty-Five players (fourteen of whom claimed not to have played the game before), sat down at five tables, and played until only three were left, including one of the fourteen who had been a Poker Virgin at the start of the evening!

Meanwhile, many of the players who had been knocked out early, took out their wallets and bought into a second game, the Last Chance Saloon game, raising even more money for charity, and keeping the gaming going until we had to call time.

On the night, the Charity Pot in the Big Game came to a grand total of £354. The Last Chance Saloon Game raised a further £80, and Sue & Jane's Frockage Emporium raised (and I quote) “35 odd quid for Ethiopia Aid”. Altogether, that makes more or less £470, which will be matched by Abbey, making £940, which together with Gift Aid, comes to a grand total of over £1000!. We will publish the exact details here, along with any messages from the charities that receive them, once all the donations have been completed.

And the Winners Were...

The Big Game

Alison Rider-Hill, aka Jessica Drummond
Alison “Jessica
Drummond

Rider-Hill

First Place: Alison “Jessica Drummond” Rider-Hill

Nominated Charity: Oxfam

Amount Won: £177 (plus £177 from Abbey, and 28% Gift Aid).

Alison learnt to play poker only last summer, and has been playing sporadically since then. Her playing style has been described variously by her friends as relentless, conservative, and occasionally smug. Fellow competitor D “Judge Roy Bean” T said of her that she was “not an inspired gambler” and “too honest”. The all-conquering Ms Drummond responded “Well Judge, ah may be an honest gambler, but ah'm a successful honest gambler!”   A close friend and tournament marshall was delighted, saying “Oh God! She's going to be insufferable now!” As well as the money she won for Oxfam, Alison also took home a case of poker chips, on the very sensible grounds that they will last a lot longer than a bottle of Champagne!

Lucky Laura
Lucky” Laura Carter

Second Place: “Lucky” Laura Carter

Nominated Charity: Willen Hospice

Amount Won: £118 (plus £118 from Abbey, and 28% Gift Aid).

Alleged novice Laura spent most of the evening honing her skills on the Poker Virgin Tables, before landing on the Top Table with a clatter of chips. To the surprise of many, and to the frustration of her vanquished opponents, she held onto most of her chip mountain against the more experienced players, and cruised home in second place, and with a bottle of gin to help her to celebrate. Laura was one of several people playing for the local charity Willen Hospice, who are rumoured to be planning a Charity Poker Tournament of their own in the Autumn.

Emma O'Connell, aka Rio Kate
Emma “Rio Kate
O'Connell

Third Place: Emma “Rio Kate” O'Connell

Nominated Charity: Sutton Mencap

Amount Won: £59 (plus £59 from Abbey, and 28% Gift Aid).

Seated at the top table, against the (supposedly) strongest opposition from the very beginning, Emma was the most experienced of the three Big Game winners, freely sharing her opinions on the merits of different poker styles and pointing out to the Marshalls when they weren't doing it right. She also found time to join one of the Marshalls for a press photo-shoot in the middle of the match, and add some much needed elegance, glamour and sophistication to what would otherwise have just been Marshall Malk looking like a cross between a walrus and a chipmunk. Emma chose a bottle of champagne for her prize, and then, in an act of outrageous generosity, promptly gave it away to fellow competitors “Straight” Kate Taylor and Chris “Pocket Rocket” Miles, to help them celebrate their One Month Anniversary! She works for Sutton Mencap, and opted to donate her winnings to her employers

The Last Chance Saloon Game

Ryan Myint, aka Deputy Tom Destry Jr
Ryan“Deputy Tom
Destry Jr
” Myint

First Place: Ryan “Deputy Tom Destry Jr” Myint

Nominated Charity: The National Asthma Campaign

Amount Won: £50 (plus £50 from Abbey, and 28% Gift Aid).

One of the first people to declare a definite interest in the tournament, and to choose a charity, Ryan did not manage to get as far as the Top Table in the Big Game, but made up for it when he entered the Last Chance Saloon. He was perhaps fortunate to be sitting at the same table as Morgan “Mad Dog” McGhee, who was going through chips so fast that one of the dealers actually took pity on him and bought a stack for him! Nevertheless, by the end of the night, Ryan was sat behind a fortified pile of chips that had more than a passing resemblance to the Great Wall of China! As well as his donation to the National Asthma Campaign, Ryan walked away with a case of fine wine, and an extremely cheesy grin.

Dixon Jones, aka Brett Maverick
Dixon “Maverick
Jones

Second Place: Dixon “Maverick” Jones

Nominated Charity: Oxfam

Amount Won: £30 (plus £30 from Abbey, and 28% Gift Aid).

Playing the part of Wild West Poker Legend Brett Maverick, it would have been a shame if Dixon had gone home empty-handed. After struggling at a tough table in the early stages of the evening, and without the resources of Mad Dog McGhee on his side in the Last Chance Saloon, Maverick still managed a late comeback, and landed the final charity prize of the night, which he donated to Oxfam, adding it to Alison's donation, and taking Oxfam's takings from the tournament to over £400 all told. True to form, Maverick scorned the two bottles of Champagne on the prize table, and went straight for the boxed set of playing cards!

Gary O'Connell, aka Doc Holliday
Gary“Doc
Holliday
” O'Connell

Third Place: Gary “Doc Holliday” O'Connell

Nominated Charity: The Alzheimers Society

Having been out of luck for much of the early evening, Gary came back well in the Last Chance Saloon game. Although he never quite managed to make a dent in the vast megalith of chips that Deputy Destry had built, he was placed second ahead of Dixon "Maverick" Jones, until the very last hand, at which he was pipped at the post by a big win from the man with the everlasting cigar. Although the Alzheimers Society unfortunately did not benefit from Doc Holliday's renowned skill at the card table, Gary did get to take a bottle of Champagne home with him, which given that his wife had given her bottle away, worked out nicely!



All pictures on this page were taken by fellow contestant Andreas "Ozzy" Beck, and are used with his kind permission. Check out his own website as well as his whole Poker Tournament Collection!

6th February - Less Than a Week to Go...

Well, Ladies and Gents, time is ticking away, and the tournament is on Saturday. If anyone is still wavering, or has friends who have not yet made up their minds, please confirm numbers with us as soon as you can, to make sure that we have the right amount of food and drink! (Preferably send money as well, but definite numbers would be almost as welcome)! If you can drop us a line to let us know your chosen charity and Poker Name before the big day, that would also be extremely helpful!

6th February - Queen of Hearts Returned Unharmed!

Unfortunately, the good lady who requested the name the Queen of Hearts will no longer be able to join us on Saturday, on the plus side, this means that if anyone else fancies being the Queen of Hearts for the evening, they can do so!

1st February - More Money for More Charities!

Only ten days to go now, money is steadily coming in, and new entrants are still signing up. We have an entire posse of folk who will be playing for Willen Hospice (which has now overtaken the British Heart Foundation as our most represented charity), as well as individual philanthropists who will be holding, folding and cashing in their chips on behalf of the National Asthma Campaign

and (wait for it...) the The Taoist Tai Chi Society of Great Britain!

Good luck to all contenders, and keep those subscriptions coming in! And if anyone out there is interested but still hasn't declared their hand (as it were), let us know! There is still plenty of room, but we do need an idea of numbers, if chaos is to be avoided!

To check whether you are officially signed up, paid up with your correct charity and poker name, mosey along to the Who's In? page.

22nd January - The Sign-ups have started!

OK, the ball is now officially rolling, as the first people have booked and paid up! These esteemed worthies have duly been moved to the top of the Who's In? List (just below the dealers) to show how much we appreciate their generosity and good taste!

21st January - First Charity Nominated!

At last, we are happy to announce that the first charity to be championed has been declared, and that it is the British Heart Foundation. We look forward to adding more good causes to the list as they come in. If you are having trouble deciding on a charity to support, check out the Guidestar UK site mentioned on our Links page.

21st January - Queen of Hearts Taken!

Poker names are being allocated on request, on a first-come-first-served basis, and we have to report that the name "the Queen of Hearts" - which was bound to be a popular one - has gone!
At time of going to press, "the Queen of Puddings" and "the Bognor Regis Kid" are still available, but it's only a matter of time!