Jonathan Raab

Poker Overkill in London.

Before the World Series of Poker started I predicted a good year for British players. Forgive me for patting myself on the back, but it seems like I was right.

The political system in the UK is currently facing one of its biggest crises of confidence in living memory, due to an ongoing series of scandals regarding expense claims by members of parliament. These have included senior ministers paying off their mortgages, refurbishing private residences, and in one instance building a moat using taxpayer's money.

Now that the WSOP is almost upon us, it is time for my annual guide to those players from the British Isles who are the most likely to bring home a bracelet. Failing that, these are all players who are certainly capable of going deep in multiple events this year.

EPT Numbers Soar:

In past columns I have written about a young group of talented players from London, collectively known as The Hit Squad. They include former WSOP bracelet winner and GUKPT titleholder Praz Bansi, Karl Mahrenholz, James Akenhead, and brothers Sunny and Chaz Chattha.

Over the last couple of years I frequently reported on the healthy state of the UK's poker circuit. A few weeks ago, it failed a medical, as the GCBPT (Gala Casinos British Poker Tour) became the first casualty of the current economic crisis.

The European Poker Awards have been in existence for several years and the recent batch of winners was recently announced at a glittering gala dinner and awards ceremony at the Aviation Club de France in Paris. It was staged during the host club's annual Euro Finals of Poker festival, where Dave "Devilfish" Ulliot won the €5,000 main event. There were several categories of awards, ranging from player of the year to rookie of the year, and a lifetime achievement award.

Re-buy tournaments are a hot topic these days, with rumors that the WSOP will drop re-buy events from its 2009 schedule. Many players do not like the re-buy format because it favors larger bankrolls and can turn the early part of the tournament into an all-in tilt-fest. Some claim it's a license to "buy" a bracelet for those who can afford to hammer the felt in order to accumulate a massive stack by the end of the re-buy period. While not everyone holds this view, it would seem that the re-buy tournament is in decline.

Former European number one Ash Hussain became the inaugural Grosvenor UK Poker Tour Champion of Champions. He defeated a field of 93 players, all of whom had won GUKPT events in 2008 to claim their seats in the prestigious £75,000 invitation only tournament.