"The Booky" wins Party Poker World Open

Old opponents clashed again in the final heads up of the current edition of the Party Poker Open 3 tournament, held in London recently....and this time yesterday's loser was the winner.

When 45 year old former betting shop owner Anthony "The Booky" Hardy and fellow poker pro Ian Woodley faced off in the heads up it was a reprise of a previous encounter between the two...but with a different result. Both men are professional players in the UK, and Woodley was victorious in their last clash in the Poker Den 3 tournament in 2005.

On that occasion Woodley took the honours, but this time around it was Hardy who took home the kudos and the grand winner's prize of $200 000.

With a starting field of 72 players that included formidable opposition such as Roland De Wolfe, Juha Helppi, Dave "Devilfish" Ulliott, Liz Lieu, Ian Frazer, Thomas Wahlroos and members of the Hendon Mob, the Party Poker World Open was a tough nut to crack, and going into the final table Woddley looked the man to beat as chipleader and dominant player, holding 859 000 of the 1.2 million chips in play even when play was down to three remaining contestants.

But it was "The Booky" (his personalised car number plate) who truimphed after a hard-fought heads up against Woodley salted with banter and asides. "When it was just Ian, and I kept telling him I would win, it was sweet revenge for when he beat me in the Poker Den a couple years ago," Hardy said.

"It is a dream to win the tournament. I'm so chuffed," Hardy said. "I didn't hit many cards in the semi-finals or finals, but I just continued to hang in there."

Hardy, whose pro career spans eight years is no stranger to big tournament wins, including two Poker Den shows in one season. For Woodley it was a disappointment softened by a hefty second placing prize of $100 000.