Intertops Poker is sending another online satellite winner to a big poker tournament in Europe next month! Douglas Klein, a Financial Analyst from LA, won an online satellite tournament last weekend where he was awarded a $4000 prize package to travel to Austria and compete in the prestigious Winter Poker Championship (formerly CAPT Seefeld). Douglas is a regular in his local casinos but this will be his first overseas tournament.
The Winter Poker Championship takes place at Casinos Austria, Seefeld February 24th to 26th.
Tim O’Keefe, who won his way to the Austrian ski resort the same way last year, will be with Douglas. Since his Seefeld experience last winter, Tim has been sponsored by Intertops and has competed in tournaments in St Maarten and Aruba with the Intertops Poker team.
Sunday’s Final, the last tournament in a three tier tournament series, was a nail-biter for Klein.
“With three players remaining, I flopped a set of 9s against AA and won a huge pot,” recalled the champion. “I had the chip lead going into heads up so I felt like I would win. I lost one big pot but then crippled my opponent shortly after. I ended up by putting my opponent all-in with 88. He had A7. That was it. The most exciting moment I’ve had playing poker – and now I’m going to Europe!”
The online satellite winner won a $4,000 prize package that includes €2160 buy-in to the Winter Poker Championship Main Event (February 24th to 26th), premium accommodation in the Tyrolean ski resort, and travel expenses. The online satellite tournaments were co-hosted by Intertops Poker and Juicy Stakes Poker.
Video: Online Satellite Tournament Player Wins Trip to Austria
The winner has a strategy for winning online tournaments that certainly worked for him this time.
“I try to play pretty tight for the first few levels while maintaining at least an average stack,” he explained. “As the blinds increase, I play more aggressively, opening with a wider range and bluffing more. In the middle levels, I feel like you have to take chances to get chips. If I have 15-20 BB and it’s close to the final table, I lower the amount of my opening raises and play aggressively in position. This strategy seems to work well. I have a decent win rate.”
“I’ve never played in an event as big as the Winter Poker Championship in Seefeld,” he said. “The biggest tournament I ever played in was a $500 buy-in with about 100 players. I finished on the bubble. Aside from that, I’ve played in several small tournaments in Las Vegas, Palm Springs and Commerce Casino in Los Angeles.”
Douglas will have his wife with him for moral support, and O’Keefe will be there to help him get the lay of the land.
“My first time over there I couldn’t believe how differently they play in Europe!” said O’Keefe. “Maybe all that schnitzel makes them so aggressive? I don’t know, but I’m more ready for them this year, that’s for sure!”
Douglas is Intertops’ latest satellite tournament winner travelling to a big live tournament — but not the last! A new online satellite tournament series that will send the winner to the $75K TKPT Caribbean tournament in St Maarten begins next week.
