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Poker Playing “Loser” is a Winner; it’s All About the Name

This is a story one of my U.K. scribes sent me the other day.

It obviously happened in Europe, but I think it’s pretty funny.

The definition of lower is:�a person with a record of failing; someone who loses consistently.

Ok, I’ll buy that.

It would hardly be considered the most flattering name for a poker player to be saddled with, but one man determined not to live up to his name is German player Manig L�ser.

But Loser recently did well at the European Masters of Poker tournament in Bulgaria last week.

Manig L�ser succeeded in outlasting a field of 260 players at the Crystal Crown Casino, to win the 1,100 euro buy in event and walk away with the 49,080 euros first place prize.

Not bad for a Loser, eh?

As the tournament eventually played down to just nine players, L�ser then plahyed a solid game and maintain his stack, while others busted out around him.

Finally, L�ser eliminated Romanian George Draghici in third with his Q-8 badly dominating his opponent�s J-8, to force a heads-up encounter against Israeli player Shani Vahnun.

It took less than an hour before the final hand of the competition was played, after Loser was dealt K-6 to his opponent�s 9-8. With the flop falling� Q-J-6, L�ser bet out 55,000 euros with bottom pair, only for Vahnun to push all-in over the top for his remaining 700k with a gut-shot straight draw.

The turn and river of A-2 failed to improve the Israeli�s hand and he had to content himself with the runner-up prize of �35,000, instead.

Manig L�ser thus became �the 2010 EMOP Bulgaria champion.

L�ser has now won $60,311 from four live tournament cashes, all coming this year.

A loser no more.