You give action, you get action. It's one of those poker precepts that everyone who's anyone knows and loves -- until it turns around and bites you somewhere unpleasant.

Sverre Sundbo, Team PokerStars representative from Norway, gives action. He also gives plenty of chat and usually sports an incorrigible smile. That is, until he ends up shipping the best part of 20,000 to a neighbour holding K-5.

Rewind.

I arrived at Sverre's table to find him sporting shorts and flip-flops, a book opened beneath his seat, and a huge stack on the table in front of him. As usual, he's also engaged in pleasant conversation with anyone around, but breaks his monologue to announce "call" when a short stack in the nine seat moved all in pre-flop. Sundbo tabled A-9, the short-stack showed A-K. Sverre winced.

But the flop was kind and showed that magic nine. Sverre winced again, but this time out of sympathy. Handshakes were offered and the unlucky holder of the big slick slipped into the night.

Two hands later, though, and Sundbo is involved again. This time it's a battle of the blinds between the Norwegian and Nikolaus Jedlicka, PokerStars Supernova from Austria. Sverre makes it up, Jedlicka checks and the dealer peels off 5s 5h 4c.

Sverre checks, Jedlicka bets, Sverre calls.

Sverre Sundbo, left, and Nikolaus Jedlicka take a nap after their confrontation

The turn is an innocuous looking Js, but this is when the action starts. Check from Sverre, bet from Jedlicka, raise from Sundbo. Jedlicka thinks, but not so long that it appears he's got a real decision. In fact, he announces all in and tosses in an extra 8,000 or so.

Sverre now has the decision, and in keeping with the way the hand had played out to this point, he keeps it brief. "Call," he says.

Jedlicka now shows his K-5 for trips and a pretty sizeable kicker. Sundbo mucks. "I'm drawing dead," he says.

The table tries to determine what he had. Sundbo tells them that it's obvious what he had. He couldn't beat any real hand but put Jedlicka on a complete bluff or a draw. The chips go to Austria, and Sundbo picks up his book. It's upside down, he puts it away and carries on the chatter.

He's down, but by no means out. Sundbo still sits with about 28,000, while Jedlicka nurses something very similar.