From pool to poker champ
WOULD you believe that World Pool champion Alex Pagulayan is also a mean poker player?
Pagulayan will play in London today in the semifinals of a televised poker tournament among sports celebrities, with the 26-year-old Filipino-Canadian gunning for the $500,000 (roughly P28 million) first prize.
Representing billiards, Pagulayan won his qualifying table of six celebrities to make it through the first round of the "European Open," Europe's richest televised poker tournament promoted by Matchroom Sport on Challenge TV, a major cable station in the United Kingdom. The other celebrities included snooker champion Steve Davis, a top darts player and TV personalities.
Pagulayan then won the first round proper on another table of six, which included four top professional poker players and Matchroom Sport president Barry Hearn, who earlier paid Pagulayan's entry fee of $10,000. Alex won again and reached the semifinals. His payout now is $10,000 and if he gets to the top two, it will be $30,000 with a good chance at the $500,000 top prize. Hearn, who is in his mid-50s, entered Pagulayan in the poker tournament during a break in Pagulayan's billiards campaign in Europe.
"Alex has won the hearts of British TV poker fans," said Hearn, a longtime friend of Filipino sports patron Putch Puyat. "His unorthodox playing style and non-stop personality has already made a significant impact." Hearn added Pacific Poker wants to sponsor Pagulayan (for $30,000), with the Filipino wearing the Pacific Poker patch-logo when he plays pool.
A member of the powerhouse Puyat Sports Team, Pagulayan won the 2004 World Pool Championship in Taipei. Last August, he acquired Philippine citizenship.
WOULD you believe that World Pool champion Alex Pagulayan is also a mean poker player?
Pagulayan will play in London today in the semifinals of a televised poker tournament among sports celebrities, with the 26-year-old Filipino-Canadian gunning for the $500,000 (roughly P28 million) first prize.
Representing billiards, Pagulayan won his qualifying table of six celebrities to make it through the first round of the "European Open," Europe's richest televised poker tournament promoted by Matchroom Sport on Challenge TV, a major cable station in the United Kingdom. The other celebrities included snooker champion Steve Davis, a top darts player and TV personalities.
Pagulayan then won the first round proper on another table of six, which included four top professional poker players and Matchroom Sport president Barry Hearn, who earlier paid Pagulayan's entry fee of $10,000. Alex won again and reached the semifinals. His payout now is $10,000 and if he gets to the top two, it will be $30,000 with a good chance at the $500,000 top prize. Hearn, who is in his mid-50s, entered Pagulayan in the poker tournament during a break in Pagulayan's billiards campaign in Europe.
"Alex has won the hearts of British TV poker fans," said Hearn, a longtime friend of Filipino sports patron Putch Puyat. "His unorthodox playing style and non-stop personality has already made a significant impact." Hearn added Pacific Poker wants to sponsor Pagulayan (for $30,000), with the Filipino wearing the Pacific Poker patch-logo when he plays pool.
A member of the powerhouse Puyat Sports Team, Pagulayan won the 2004 World Pool Championship in Taipei. Last August, he acquired Philippine citizenship.