Diary

September 12, 2009
Last night Copenhagen witnessed quite a spectacle as 22 poker players were hoisted 50 metres in the air by a crane at City Hall Square for Poker in the Sky. This event was literally elevated above everything that you’ve seen before on the Danish poker scene. Floating high above the town hall, surrounded by Copenhagen and the spires of the city, the poker players, including two local celebrities in the form of a Danish Survivor winner and radio presenter, hit the felt with town hall doves as the nearest spectators. The winner was journalist Johannes Jorgensen, who secured a package for the PartyPoker.com World Open V by conquering the tables and the heights.

Johannes said, “The fact that the game was high up in the sky certainly added a different element to my game. I’m not at all scared of being up high and am a fan of bungee jumping so I targeted players who I thought were keen to get down as quick as possible with aggressive play as well as also those who I deduced had less experience. I think there were better players than me on the platform but I kept out of their way as much as possible. The strategy worked.”

Johannes has one problem now though ­— he needs a new strategy as he’s got Tom “Durrrr” Dwan in his heat in the World Open.

I had quite a fun week with Poker in the Sky after hearing that World Series of Poker Europe bracelet winner Theo Jorgensen had pulled out due to a fear of heights. I thought it was right to make this no show public. Theo is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet on the poker circuit but we were disappointed that he decided he was up for fights and not heights. Theo famously beat Gus Hansen in a much hyped boxing match and earned a reputation as a hardman. Maybe Gus should challenge him to a boxing match 50 metres up next time around? Gus would win that as he would have a no show on his hands. In Italy they call a poker “fish” a chicken but I’d never dare call Theo one of those.

Such merry teasing didn’t make Theo change his mind though. Dammit. The final word goes to winner Johannes, however, who when asked what it felt like to be a Jorgensen who conquered heights, answered, “maybe Theo is getting a bit old”. Ouch!

I saw that reported Las Vegas poker high roller and Cirque de Soleil founder Guy Laliberte has become the first clown to go to space. Now if he played heads-up with a Russian cosmonaut that would take poker in the sky to a different level. As Tony G might say, “Here comes the ace from space ­— I will send you back to Russia in a capsule if you play K-J like that again.”

Fancy that poker in the sky Theo?