England’s Rob Cooper produced a solid performance to cruise into the semi-finals of the 888.com UK Poker Open.  
 
With three on-line qualifiers from 888.com at the table, Cooper took an aggressive stance, but was soon thwarted by Anthony Mackay and two time UK Poker Open finalist Barry Hearn.  
 
With Hearn and Cooper forcing the early action it was a surprise when they made way for Mackay and on-liner Panos Mamalingas to battle it out.  When Manalingas limped in with pocket Queens, Mackay got a free flop with Q 8 and a Q 3 8 flop was only going to have one outcome.  All the chips went in on the turn and Mackay was the first to go.  
 
Next into the limelight was Neil Derbyshire, a qualifier for just $7 at 888.com.  He had been continuously raised behind him from Hearn and when he picked up Jacks in the small blind he immediately raised and was re-raised by Hearn all in with A 9.  Derbyshire had a long hard think and eventually laid them down and never recovered.  In his final hand Derbyshire’s K 10 came up against Hearn’s K J.  The flop came 9 3 10 and Derbyshire made two small a bet that allowed Hearn to see the turn which brought a Q and also the end for the brave man from Leicester.  
 
Out in fourth was gutsy on-line qualifier Pam Brown, one of only two ladies entered into the event.  Pam put up a brave show and as the blinds rose to 7 / 15 she was forced to move all in with K 3 and was unlucky to run into Hearn’s pocket Jacks.  
 
Three handed Hearn came out firing and swiftly moved into second place but when he hit top pair on the flop the chips went in and he was out-kicked by Cooper who took a huge chip lead heads up.  
 
It was only a matter of time till Mamalingas made his move and when he found K 10 in the small blind he made a raise which was immediately re-raised all in by Cooper with A Q.  A Queen on the flop sealed the deal and Robert Cooper became the second man in the semi-finals joining ‘Take Away’ Dave Gregory for a shot at the $250,000 first prize.