James Akenhead
Encyclopedia
James Akenhead is a professional English poker
player, sponsored by Full Tilt Poker
. and part of the London based poker group The Hitsquad
. He is best known for being a member of the November Nine
in 2009.
, he finished runner-up to Grant Hinkle
in Event #2, a $1,500 No Limit Texas hold 'em
tournament. He lost the heads-up battle when he managed to provoke Hinkle to put all his chips in with 10 4, an underdog to his AK, only to see the flop come 10 10 4. The fourth 10 on the turn sealed the victory for Hinkle and Akenhead settled for second place and a $520,000 payday.
Akenhead was the only British player to reach the November Nine final table at the 2009 World Series of Poker
. He started the final table with the least amount of chips and was knocked out in 9th place by Kevin Schaffel. Akenhead won $1,263,602 for his performance.
In the same year, Akenhead was one of two November Nine members to reach the final table of the World Series of Poker Europe
main event, the £10,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em championship, the other member being Antoine Saout. Akenhead was eliminated in 9th place, earning him £66,533 ($109,687).
In December 2009, Akenhead won the Poker Million 8
tournament, winning $500,000 in the process.
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player, sponsored by Full Tilt Poker
Full Tilt Poker
Full Tilt Poker is an online poker card room that opened in June 2004 with the involvement of poker professionals Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Andy Bloch, Mike Matusow, Jennifer Harman and Chris Ferguson...
. and part of the London based poker group The Hitsquad
The Hitsquad (poker)
The Hitsquad is a group of five professional poker players from London, England:* James Akenhead* Praz Bansi* Chaz Chattha* Sunny Chattha* Karl Mahrenholz...
. He is best known for being a member of the November Nine
November Nine
The November Nine is the name used to refer to the final nine contestants, or final table, at the Main Event of the World Series of Poker since 2008. The winner of the WSOP Main Event is considered to be the World Champion of Poker....
in 2009.
World Series of Poker
At the 2008 World Series of Poker2008 World Series of Poker
The 2008 World Series of Poker was the 39th annual World Series of Poker . Held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino, the series began on May 30, 2008, and featured 55 poker championships in several variants. All events but the $10,000 World Championship No Limit Texas hold...
, he finished runner-up to Grant Hinkle
Grant Hinkle
Grant Hinkle is an American poker player who won the 2008 World Series of Poker $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event. He earned $831,462 at the event, bringing his total live tournament winnings to $857,983....
in Event #2, a $1,500 No Limit Texas hold 'em
Texas hold 'em
Texas Hold 'em is a variation of the standard card game of poker. The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three then two additional single cards , with...
tournament. He lost the heads-up battle when he managed to provoke Hinkle to put all his chips in with 10 4, an underdog to his AK, only to see the flop come 10 10 4. The fourth 10 on the turn sealed the victory for Hinkle and Akenhead settled for second place and a $520,000 payday.
Akenhead was the only British player to reach the November Nine final table at the 2009 World Series of Poker
2009 World Series of Poker
The 2009 World Series of Poker was the 40th annual World Series of Poker . It was held at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and ran from May 27 to July 15. There were 57 bracelet events, culminating in the $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event...
. He started the final table with the least amount of chips and was knocked out in 9th place by Kevin Schaffel. Akenhead won $1,263,602 for his performance.
In the same year, Akenhead was one of two November Nine members to reach the final table of the World Series of Poker Europe
World Series of Poker Europe
The World Series of Poker Europe is the first expansion effort of World Series of Poker-branded poker tournaments outside the United States. Since 1970, participants had to travel to Las Vegas if they wanted to compete in the World Series of Poker...
main event, the £10,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em championship, the other member being Antoine Saout. Akenhead was eliminated in 9th place, earning him £66,533 ($109,687).
Other Poker Accomplishments
Akenhead is a regular on the Grosvenor U.K. Poker Tour and finished fourth in the 888.com U.K. Open in 2008 after winning two preliminary heats.In December 2009, Akenhead won the Poker Million 8
Poker Million
The Poker Million has been a televised European poker tournament since its inception in November 2000. The final debuted to 30 million viewers and has since remained popular. It was created by UK gaming outfit Ladbrokes with the help of sports promotion firm Matchroom Sport...
tournament, winning $500,000 in the process.