Following Manchester’s success, Dave Ulliott, Paul Jackson and Alex Rousso head to the next stop on the poker lecture series
Birmingham’s Broadway Casino is next in line to host the Bluff Europe Poker Academy, Saturday (9 May), as Europe’s biggest poker magazine continues to offer you the chance to “learn from the pros”. After a successful stop in Manchester last Sunday, the Academy continues its nationwide tour to Birmingham, with further stops in Dublin and London over the coming month.
Located at Birmingham’s entertainment hub Broadway Plaza, just minutes from the city centre, Broadway Casino offers one of the country’s finest card rooms, hosting regular tournaments and cash games. The casino also boasts sumptuous interiors and a fantastic gaming area. Preparing for the Birmingham stage of the Academy are poker pros Paul ‘Actionjack’ Jackson and Dave ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott who will be looking to pass on knowledge and wisdom to attendees.
The day comprises of three hours of interactive lectures followed by four hours of tournament play with direct supervision from a pro. The first lecture series will cover some of the most crucial concepts in professional poker, such as the fundamental ‘Theory of Poker’, luck and variance, dealing with defeat and bankroll management.
Master of Ceremonies Alex Rousso believes “this is a great opportunity for intermediate players to come along and improve their game by learning from some of the best players in the country and hopefully have a lot of fun at the same time.”
Academy attendees can also take in a £25 NLH tournament following the lectures. Players will be divided into teams with Ulliott, Jackson and Rousso acting as captains and offering personal advise to the players on their team. Lucky final tablists will ten pit their skills against Ulliott and Jackson at the final table.
Report from Manchester
A merry contingent of poker enthusiasts took on the role of students last Sunday as the Manchester 235 club played host to a band of top poker professionals, including Ian ‘Rasier’ Frasier and Paul ‘Actionjack’ Jackson. Many were delighted with the assemblage of such a star-studded cast, to whom they were able to discuss all things poker, receive personal feedback on their play and generally just stare in awe of these god-like figures.
Head tutor Alex Rousso was especially impressed by the contribution of the pros. “Ian and Paul were consummate professionals,” he said, “their advice was spot on and they were always on hand to help out – both during the seminar exercises and the tournament.”
The feedback from the delegates was equally sparkling. The lectures were “clear and concise, well delivered and well structured”, the pros were “very approachable and friendly” and the venue was “superb”.
Highlights for the delegates included the WSOP hand analyses, as well as the opportunity to bust both pros when they made short-stack guest appearances on the final table of the tournament.
About the Poker Academy Team
Alex Rousso has a PhD in evolutionary psychology and has taught university undergraduates. He ran the family pickle importing business until he started making more money per hour playing poker. He now writes a column for Bluff Europe (as "Pickleman") and can be found most days online at the PLO cash tables.
Paul “Action” Jackson is a revered UK tournament player from the Midlands. Although he has enjoyed much success in the UK circuit, he is perhaps best known worldwide for his second place finish at the Monte Carlo Millions in 2005. His heads up battle against Phil Ivey, with its bluffing and re-bluffing, has become a YouTube classic.
Dave ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott is one of the UK’s most recognisable and formidable characters in poker. Along with his trademark sunglasses and personalised gold knuckle dusters, Devilfish has become a major celebrity with his own online card room. He also has collected over $4,000,000 in career winnings.
There are still places available on all three stops left of the tour but not for long so interested parties should hurry if they want to secure a place. Tickets cost £125 + £25, which includes tournament buy-in. For more information or to sign-up, visit www.bluffeurope.com/pokeracademy.
