The Kings Cup, Cash Game Challenge & Franke’s Flip Flops
The Festival Series dedicates itself to being a little bit different. There are many varied elements, both on and off-the-table that define its uniqueness, such as the Cash Game Challenge and Franke’s Flip Flops. This time new activities were added, as a Games Zone was constructed within the Poker Arena for players to enjoy darts, table football, air hockey and foot darts. It doubled as a VIP lounge, but at The Festival all players are considered to be VIPs, so it was open to all.
Kings Cup Winners
The Games Zone was the location where the Kings Cup took place. This was a series of competitions in Darts, Air Hockey and Table Football (also known as fussball) with free seats into the €250 PokerListings event for the winners of each discipline. It was free to enter and lots of people came and had a go, with the best performing players advancing to the next day of competition. By Friday they had been whittled down to the last two in each game.
Darts was won by ‘Artur,’ Air Hockey by ‘Vambola’ while the Table Football was taken down by Scott ‘PokerBrahs’ Kenyon in an exciting final against ’Sven’ from Netherlands. It was a tense and exciting final, which had 18 goals and two controversial moments, which were expertly refereed by Kings Cup Tournament Director Andreas ‘Wiseguy’ Hoglund.
The first of these happened before a single twist of the sticks had been made, after Wiseguy drop stated the first ball of the game and it bounced unassisted into Sven’s goal without even touching the turf. This was immediately ruled out and the game was restarted. At the mid point of the match, the most usual of situations occurred after Kenyon scored a thumper and was busy racking his score up, only to see the ball end up in his own goal. It had passed the goal line but bounced out of the back of net. The game was stopped as video footage was consulted and it was soon confirmed to be a goal in the first ever (probably)use of VAR in a Table Football match.
Cash Game Challenge
The cash game challenge is a regular part of The Festival’s eclectic mix of game formats and doffs its cap to the origins of The Festival Series as a pure cash game tour. Several sessions were played throughout the week, some No Limit Texas Hold’em, some Pot Limit Omaha, with three being live streamed. The action was thick and fast as players aimed to accumulate the most profit in a single session, based on big blinds.
It was won by Dávid Pá, who recorded a 433 big blind profit during the 5-5 NLH session. He wins a €1,600 package for The Festival in Malta, which takes place 8-15th September at Portomaso Casino in St Julian’s.
Rolf Arne Bechstroem Takes Down His Second Pair of Franke’s Flip Flops
Franke’s Flip Flops is another legendary side event at The Festival Series. Most evenings throughout the week, players gathered at tables near the Poker Arena cash desk to play one-hand €25 single table flips. Not only were these flips rake free, but the winner of the most flips throughout the week would secure a €1,600 package, also for the next Festival Series event in Malta.
There were only ever two players in the running, as Oliver Kubalek took an early lead, with Rolf Arne Bechstroem chasing. By the penultimate day of the competition Rolf, who won the same event in Malta last year, had moved in front, leading by 13 wins to Kubalek’s 10. On the final day both players occupied the flips table for the entire session, in which Rolf won a further seven flips to end with 20 wins, versus 16 for Kubalek.
Rolf becomes the first double winner of Franke’s Flip Flops and was presented with his ‘trophy’ by Franke during an interview with Andreas ‘Wiseguy’ Hoglund. When asked how happy his wife would be that he’s bringing home another biohazard of a trophy, Rolf admitted he nearly got kicked out of home after returning with the last pair of Franke's Flip Flops, so he may not be risking it this time.
