Casinorip.com British Open

Report by Michael Crane . . . and some pictures from Peter Chan.

It was a good weekend, bright and sunny and quite pleasant outside . . . and I saw none of it, being cooped up indoors for two days so that over seventy players could compete for the Casinorip.com British Open. But, I didn't mind. I had my Assistant, Deena and wife, Sharen to help me out and keep me happy and the weekend just flew by. The only 'problem' I had to face was the fact that the carrier responsible for delivering the Casinorip posters didn't! They remained in Coventry even though a second parcel was delivered to the hotel. Gilberto Nieto, the Affiliate Manager of GameAccount Global Ltd, Casinorip's representative was very angry that they failed to turn up but could do nothing about it. I did my best with a tee-shirt, but it wasn't the same.

The Trophies
The Entrants	The Crew

Main (77)
Uldis Lapikens and I have often said of Jon Barnes that he's the strongest player at Biba tournaments never to have won one. Well, we can't say that any longer now that he is the new, British Open Champion! In an almost, one-sided, final against Gaz Owen it was clear from the start that Jon was the better player. Jon is heard on the video telling Gaz at the end of the match that he'd been playing for 25 years - and it showed. Gaz commented that I only allowed him a 5 minute break between matches, but this was not so, I gave him 15, and it was more like 20 when they sat down to play. However, having watched Jon playing no break would have been long enough to break through his good rolling and top quality moving.

Jon (black) took an early lead after Gaz lost a gammon on a 2-cube.

Black 0  White 0

Black cubes

It is a clear take, but a borderline double according to Snowie. However, Jon does seem to cube sooner rather than later and this worked in his favour. Later, in this position:

White rolls 44

Gaz dances with 44 and Jon rolls 54 and clears his 6-point. Gaz doesn't get a shot and even a double-six a few rolls later fails to save the gammon. Gaz wins a point in the next game when he ships across a 2-cube in this position:

Black 4 White 0

White cubes

Jon drops and Snowie agrees, Double, pass. But, on the next cube, Jon once again falls foul of Snowie's advice of No double, take!

Black 4 White 1
Black cubes

Again, a clear take, but the cube is an error. Jon would do better to hold back for another roll. He rolls the 62: 13/7 3/1 and Gaz replies with 32 and misses the blot. Jon gets his checker safe next roll and then soon after Gaz rolls 55 and the race is on. Jon has an open 4-point and it is this that prompts Gaz into the re-cube to 4, which Jon correctly, passes.

In the next game Jon cubes too early again:

Black 4 White 3
Black cubes

The cube is an error and Gaz takes. There's still a lot of play in this game and it progressed to this position:

Black on roll

Gaz is in trouble and in big danger of losing a gammon. He does actually get a hit but it's not good enough and Jon bears off to win the gammon and four more points. In the 5th game Jon actually gives a correct cube! And Gaz takes and makes a huge blunder:

Black 8 White 3
Black cubes

Jon was perhaps hoping to take a point here, but the video shows that although Jon thought about the cube before shipping it across, Gaz took it immediately with little or no consideration for the possible gammon chances (approx 20%). Gaz manages to save the gammon and Jon moves the score to 10-3, Crawford.

The Crawford sees Jon trapped behind a 6-prime, and Gaz with two back checkers on Jon's 1-point. It was here that Jon makes a massive blunder:

Black to play 65

Jon moves a provocative 13/7 13/8! Snowie doesn't like it @ -0.235. Gaz misses the blot rolling 31: 24/21 24/23; and Jon's reply is a stunning 43: 8/4* 7/4. Although Gaz soon anchors on the black 2-point, he has to break his holding prime and Jon not only escapes but in doing so picks up a third white checker. Not long later 66 and then 22 bring the game to this position:

White on roll

From here Gaz doesn't get a shot and eventually resigns the match. Both players played well, Jon @ World-class and Gaz @ Expert. Congratulations to Jon on becoming the 18th British Open Champion, and hard luck to Gaz, it being his misfortune to meet a very, on-form Jon Barnes.

Main: Gaz and Jon

Consolation (74)
Paul Barwick is very crafty. He's a quiet, unassuming player who has crept to the top of the Grand Prix Championship without anyone really noticing! He gained enough points to do so by beating Kevin Stebbing (from the prog-side) in the Final.

Consolation: Paul and Kevin	Last Chance: Tom and Richard

Last Chance (64)
Richard Biddle and I always joke about his uncanny ability to get right up the money-next-round stage and then lose! He does it time and time again. But, he's now had the last laugh as he finally lost his cherry after beating John Wright in the semi-final, and then Tom Duggan in the final. In fact, I have even less to laugh at now since in the Team(12) Richard and George Miltiadou knocked me out in the semi-final. Richard then went on to beat George and won his second event of the weekend.

R.I.P. (32) You can't keep a good champion down. The final of this 3-pointer saw two-times British Open winner, Rachel Rhodes pitted against last year's Open winner, Ann Pocknell. It was Rachel who emerged victorious to take home the 'least important' trophy to side between her two 'more important' ones.
	R.I.P.: Rachel and Ann

Poker (34)
Chris Evans came out tops in the poker and he relegated current Grand Prix leader, Myke Wignall into 2nd. Rosey Bensley and Alison Lee took 3rd and 4th and Neil Young 5th. Regulars, Tony Fawcett and Paul Gilbertson only managed 9th and 12th respectively, not even making the last-eight table. In the GP Poker Championship Myke Wignall keeps his 1st place position with a very healthy 107 points, a lead of 29 points over nearest rival, Paul Gilbertson. Thanks to his win this weekend, Chris Evans enters in 3rd place and we lose John Hedge and Vicki Pemberton and gain Rosey Bensley. Tony Fawcett is hanging back for bets!

Jackpot (8)
Nicky Check and John Wright decided to split the final between them and they were declared Joint 1st.

Friday 500 (33)
So far this year no one has won it twice. This time is was Gerry Enslin's turn after he beat Jeff Barber in the final. As a consequence of this Marcus Wrinch remains in 1st place and has a 10 point lead over nearest rivals, Jeff Barber, Andy Darby and Mike Ireland, all of whom share 2nd place with 34 points. With a maximum of 20 points for winning, Marcus can be caught and/or overtaken by any of the above, plus Richard Biddle if Marcus gains the minimum 4 points next time out.

Finally
It was a great tournament and we had players from some very exotic places: Japan, Italy, Eire, Scotland, Germany, Birmingham! It was good to see so many turn out and I thank them all for doing so. Also, thanks to Casinorip for the excellent trophies. Made of glass they were a tad fragile and survived the entire weekend until one player couldn't resist picking one up . . . and dropping it. He chipped it, but it was OK because I gave that one to him when he won one :-)

The Japanese: Ken, Michy and Taka

And very finally, big thanks to Deena and Tony Fawcett for their help, Deena with the backgammon and the poker, and Tony for the poker. Without these two my job would be that much harder - and longer.