In a series of interviews with each finalist, APAT Media Director Richard Prew caught up with Charlie Sanderson for his views on the event to date, and his thoughts on the London final table.What is your poker background? What is your previous experience with
APAT? I have played a regular home game for many years. Have had a certain amount of live success and have been to the WSOP through Ladbrokes twice. I have read about APAT in magazines, but this is the first tournament of yours I have played.
Tell us your greatest poker successes to date? I survived day 1 of the WSOP in 2005 and cashed in a $1000 buy-in event. I came second in a £500 Gutshot tournament.
(see
http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=46535)
How did the Online section go? What were the key hands and situations that
led you to get to the final six? Well flopping quad sixes in the fourth hand vs AA to double up got me off to a flyer! With blinds at 50/100 I raised to 700 with AA and got 2 callers. Flop is AT6 with 2 spades.I check raise all-in and they both call - one has TT the other a spade flush draw. No spade comes and I am up to 39,000 chips.
However when the blinds are 100/200 I call a raise to 600 with A3c. Flop is A63. There are several raises and I call Ben Walton"s all-in of 20k. I am not surprised when he shows AK. He hits a 6 on the river to counterfeit my 3. Serves me right and I have only 12k left.
I hover around there - take out a couple of short stacks Ak vs AQ and 99 vs 88.
I am quite an aggressive player and am prepared to take some risks. I got lucky a couple of times but to be honest towards the end I did not do much.
The defining hand was probably when the blinds were 1500/3000. I raised to 9k from mid position with JQ. The BB calls. Flop is 98c4. We both check. Turn is
. I bet 12k into a 20k pot trying to represent the A. He calls. The river is a T and when he goes all-in I insta-call with my lucky straight - he had 43c. Now I have 110k. I just kept out of trouble after that.
4 Were you ever seriously at risk of going out during the Online stage? I had AQ vs QQ against my nemesis Ben Walton but I got a lucky ace on the river to double up from 17k when blinds were 400/800.Then when blinds were 500/1000 I doubled up from 27k with AT vs 99 - Ben Walton again!
How many of your fellow finalists did you encounter during the Online
section? I did not notice to be honest - my main battle was with Ben Walton.
What are your thoughts about the Live section? I am looking forward to seeing the revamped Vic. I came second in a tournament there about 6 months ago while it was still being refurbished.
What do you think of the OnLive concept and the tournament structure? I think it is a great concept. I like the fact you know exactly what you have to do in terms of chip stack i.e get to around 200k to be in with a real shout.
Also the big starting stack is a good idea.
What would it mean to you to triumph and win that WSOP seat? It would be my third run at the world series - which would be great. I went to Vegas last summer and was very disappointed not to get in via a satellite. I would be delighted to represent APAT. I would like to win a proper tournament outright - I have got close a couple of times.
Looking at the chip count, there is all to play for. Will you go with a strategy in mind? If so, what is it?(feel free to spread disinformation!) I am not afraid to gamble it up if the opportunity presents itself...depends on the blinds.
