CAPE TOWN PLAYER WINS SOUTH AFRICAN OPEN

15 February 2008

Kramer proves he's the king...


Local player Darren "kingkramer" Kramer is the new South African Open poker champion after a busy weekend at the MonteCasino in Johannesburg in which he survived and entry field of 175 players that included veterans like Raymond Rahme and TonyG.

The 24-year-old Cape Town player took the $140 575 lion's share of a $500 000 prize-pool after coming from the middle of the final table pack to a tense heads up in which opponent Chris Convery initially enjoyed a 2 to 1 chip advantage.

The low ranked Kramer has previously achieved a 13th finish in last year's Sun City Million Dollar King of Poker and a 20th placing in Event 1 of the 2007 Aussie Millions. He started playing poker in late 2004, with his strong game NL Texas Hold'em.

Kramer (488 000) and his eventual heads up rival Chris Convery (555 000) were middle-of-the-field on chipstacks when the final table for the South African Open started - well behind chip leader Anton Bertilsson who at 960 000 held a significant advantage.

Bertilsson's lead was shortlived through capricious luck leading to some early losses, and he was the first to be bundled out of the final after an exchange with Convery left him headed for the rail and an eighth placing cheque for $16 573. Lengenfelder, who had started the game as low man on the chip stack list was soon to follow him , a seventh place victim of Grant Nelson. His take-home was a little better at $20 440.

Nelson's jubilation didn't last long as he went out in sixth position for $24 257, falling to Michael Holm. Danny K was next to go, taken out by Convery in fifth place with a payout of $28 074. Convery stormed on to take the next departing player down, too. He dismissed Melanie Banfield in fourth position for $38 331, and the heads up was decided when Kramer sent Holm to the rail with a third finisher prize of $63 845.

Kramer faced a significant chip difference as he and Convery went into heads up play with the latter holding a 2:1 chip lead. It didn't appear tp faze him, however and he played enterprising and skilled poker to reverse the situation and take the chip lead. The heads up was an exciting affair as both men struggled to gain the upper hand, but in the end Kramerpicked up a straight that decided the affair and gave him the title and the $140 575 main prize. Convery earned respect for a well fought contest and a second place cheque for $95 826.

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