After three days of action the WPT Merit Cyprus Classic is down to its final 21 players. Internet poker star and WPT mainstay Jonathan Little who blogs here, is in the mix of things. Layne “Back to Back” Flack who according to PokerNews has recently started calling himself the most interesting man in the world (wonder if the pitchman from Dos Equis has heard the news) is at least the most interesting player in the tournament as he is the massive chipleader.
There are 7.2 million chips in play, as 181 runners started the tournament, and at this point Flack is sitting on 1/8th of all chips. Cyprus has been good to the self-proclaimed most interesting man. Flack, is at the very least flame retardant as he seems to always dance on the edge of trouble but get away with it in life and in poker.
For example, Flack narrowly avoided being on a VH1 reality show Megan Wants a Millionaire, perhaps due to his non-millionaire status, that had a deep run by a guy, Ryan Jenkins, who just killed his model wife and canceled the show. Course that guy and his wife were at a poker event the night before her murder. So, poker still got dragged through the mud a little bit.
Not Flack though, who didn’t get cast. This is the same guy that brushed off his DUI during the World Series of Poker with equal Teflon Don aplomb which for him that’s a toothy grin, gum chomping, and a boyish charm. He also was caught on camera golfing with poker pariah Russ Hamilton and Flack received very little Flack for that too.
Course in Cyprus, nobody knows that, they just know Flack as the guy decimating the field. He’s not out of the woods yet, and his dancing with danger style has some dangerous partners. Rep Porter is close behind with 812k. Huck Seed and Jonathan Little lurk just behind each with enough chips to hurt Flack.
Players not as lucky, who will have to take in the sights instead of rake in the cash include several live name pros like Dan Harrington, Chris Ferguson, Sorel Missi (okay he likes to play internet poker), Roy Winston, Allen Cunningham, Andy Bloch and Bruno Fitoussi. Harrington was the last of his lot to go getting eliminated in 24th place.
Action Dan got all the action he could handle as his pocket 10s ran into pocket kings. The 10s didn’t improve but the Kings did on the turn and Harrington was sent packing.
November Niner, from a year ago past, Kelly Kim is in the middle of the pack with 223k. This time it will be hard for him to fold his way to a million in chips. This time he’ll have to do a little gambling. Speaking of little gambling we look for Jonathan Little to make a run at this thing.