| James Akenhead | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | 'Moka', 'Sickdog', 'Reader' |
| Residence | London, England |
| Born | 6 June 1983 (age 37) London, England |
| World Series of Poker | |
| Bracelet(s) | None |
| Final table(s) | 2 |
| Money finish(es) | 6 |
| Highest ITM Main Event finish | 9th, 2009 |
| European Poker Tour | |
| Title(s) | None |
| Final table(s) | None |
| Money finish(es) | 1 |
| Information accurate as of 7 June 2010. | |
James Akenhead (born 6 June 1983 in London, England) is a professional English poker player, sponsored by Genting Poker.[1] and part of the London-based poker group The Hitsquad. He is best known for being a member of the November Nine in 2009.
World Series of Poker[edit]
At the 2008 World Series of Poker, he finished runner-up to Grant Hinkle in Event #2, a $1,500 No Limit Texas hold 'em tournament. He lost the heads-up battle when he managed to provoke Hinkle to put all his chips in with 10 4, an underdog to his AK, only to see the flop come 10 10 4. The fourth 10 on the turn sealed the victory for Hinkle and Akenhead settled for second place and a $520,000 payday.[2]
Akenhead was the only British player to reach the November Nine final table at the 2009 World Series of Poker. He started the final table with the least amount of chips and was knocked out in ninth place by Kevin Schaffel. Akenhead won $1,263,602 for his performance.[3]
In the same year, Akenhead was one of two November Nine members to reach the final table of the World Series of Poker Europe main event, the £10,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em championship, the other member being Antoine Saout. Akenhead was eliminated in ninth place, earning him £66,533 ($109,687).[4]
Other Poker Accomplishments[edit]
James Akenhead After a brief stint as a train driver from 18 to 21, the Londoner found poker and quickly became hooked on it. He came up in the game in the online world, but it was his successes on the live tournament circuit that made him one of the more recognisable players to emerge from the UK. James Akenhead: The UK hero on why he left poker and what he’s doing in 2014 13 Jan 2014 Dave WoodsPlayer Interviews, Poker Players, Slider In 2009 James Akenheadwas on top of the world. The south Londoner made the November Nine alongside Phil Iveyand Darvin Moon in one of the most memorable WSOP Main Event finales in recent history. James Akenhead poker player profile. Get latest information, winnings and gallery. James Akenhead poker results, stats, photos, videos, news, magazine columns, blogs, Twitter, and more. The poker player James Akenhead was first discovered by HighstakesDB on the high stakes tables of Full Tilt Poker on. Since then, a total of 6041 poker hands have been tracked with James Akenhead.
Akenhead is a regular on the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour and finished fourth in the 888.com U.K. Open in 2008 after winning two preliminary heats.[5]
In December 2009, Akenhead won the Poker Million 8 tournament, winning $500,000 in the process.[6]
James Akenhead Poker
On 22 January 2012, Akenhead playing under the screen-name Asprin1 won the Pokerstars Sunday Million for $213,750.00. The tournament began with a field of 7,125 entries.[7]
References[edit]
- ^'James Akenhead – Genting Pro'. Genting Poker. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
- ^'James Akenhead: Best of British'. Bluff Europe Magazine. 2 July 2009. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
- ^Las Vegas Sun: Final table set for World Series of Poker
- ^'James Akenhead: Hendon Mob Poker Database'. Hendon Mob. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
- ^'James Akenhead - Poker Player Profile'. Pokernewsdaily. 20 July 2009. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
- ^Matthew Pitt (7 December 2009). 'James Akenhead wins Poker Million'. Betfair Blog. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
- ^McAdam, Rebecca (23 January 2012). 'James Akenhead Wins Poker's Sunday Million'. CardPlayer.com. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
James Akenhead is one of the most easily recognizable poker players in the UK, but it was not always this way. His amazing poker successes have come mainly in the last two years, but he is one of the most successful poker players during that time. James was a train driver and semi-professional pool player in the UK and discovered cards in the evening when playing Pool with friends after work.
After showing a bit of talent at the game he entered a tournament in Newcastle where he came third winning just over $40,000. With that bankroll boost he boarded a plane and headed to Las Vegas for the 2008 World Series of Poker.* Entering the second event of the series which had a $1,500 buy-in he played his way to face Grant Hinkle heads up for the bracelet. Fate would intervene and he finished runner-up earning $520,000.
The 2009 World Series of Poker* main event was to be life changing for James. He went on a great run all the way to the final table and secured a place among the November nine which included Phil Ivey. During the intervening months between play, James managed to make the final table of the WSOPE main event and qualified for the final table of the Poker Million. He would finish 9th in both WSOP* main events, earning a combined total of around $1.5 million.
James Akenhead Poker Game
The final of the Poker Million in 2009 was shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and James beat players like Taylor Caby, Dag Martin Mikkelsen and Luke Schwartz to the title where he defeated Juha Helppi heads-up. It was his first major win and the relief in his interview immediately after winning was obvious. He won $500,000 for the win. It capped an amazing run for the British poker expert who, it seems, has the world at his feet going into 2010 and beyond.
* The World Series of Poker and WSOP are trademarks of Harrah's License Company, LLC ('Harrah's'). Harrah's does not sponsor or endorse, and is not associated or affiliated with Titan Poker or its products, services, promotions or tournaments.