A look back at 2007

I been reading back over the blog and in the very first entry after the team event in Waterford I made the following statements. I think I'm a completely different player to the one i was a year ago and I really believe that a big result is just around the corner and Also I really feel that I will play maybe 15 events at most this year with such a big/good field so realistically if you can manage to go deep in three or four of them it's a fantastic year so it feels like a wasted good run at a tournament. Well I got the big result in the Irish Open and ran deep in four big tournaments so I suppose I should be happy with the year. In general I am but feel that I should of had at least a top three finish in one off those four tournaments so I'm not entirely happy with how the year went. I'll look back at my poker year on a month by month recap.

January

Although its only been running a couple of years now the IPC is in the top three tournaments run in Ireland over the year. I had cashed in this in 2006 finishing 26th of the 393 starters, I started well in the tournament but blew an above average stack with TPTK to a player I thought was bluffing ( I always think northern players are bluffing ). The hand I went out on was bad as I had decided to check/raise the flop and fold to a push. However I had some sort of a brainfart and called the push. I played three live Satts into the tournament and won all three taking €1500 cash twice.

Online Sunpoker had started a mpp race for 100 Vegas packages with the top 60 guaranteed a main event seat. I had decided to go at this and started upping my play mixing a few PLO full ring tables with the stts which I usually played. I made $3000 and broke into the top hundred in the race in January.

Febuary/March

Were very quite months; I had losing months live, the biggest tournament I played was the bigslick team event where I finished 4th of the 240 or so starters. Online I only won $2500 for the two months and broke into the top 60 in the race thing. Sun also had a stt for the top ten hand count players at PLO. I came second in the stt for a $2500 vegas package getting AAxx cracked HU for the $11500 package.

April

Was all about the Irish Open and I did a comprehensive report here in the blog

















I did a interview with Antesup just after being knocked out which many people commented on subsequently to me, heres a link

May

I had a decent run at the Waterford open finishing 33rd of the 180 starters. Would of loved to take this one down but Jakey hit a straight against me on the river for a decent stack which would of put me above average for the first time in two days.

The Macau summer festival is one of my favorite events of the year and I had a good but ultimately very disappointing tournament. To have the chip lead with 15
players left and finish 13th leaves a very stale taste in the mouth and I went out on one of the worst plays of my life about six hands in on day three. I can still picture myself walking around a field 30 minutes outside cork puffing on a smoke and scratching my head at what I'd done.

Online I dropped $2000 in May mainly due to securing the wsop seat. I ended the month 10 tabling 2/4 limit and it was close but I got the package in the end. The last night of the promo was a close call

finish this l8r

Fitzpatrick's Limerick Xmass FO

Finished off what was a pretty good week with a chop in this yesterday. 30 runners for the two day €500 event. I got €4600 and the trophy in the chop, 2nd got €3900 3rd €3500 and 1k for 4th 5th and 6th. Got back for day two with an above average stack of 37000 chips but was going nowhere and down to 11k when the cards turned for me. I cant say enough good things about the casino/cardroom and its definitely in the top three in the country. There seems to be a great bunch of locals playing there and I really enjoyed the game.

I made a right balls of a tournament online tonight 12k first prize over 500 starters. I was second in chips with 12 left and finished 12th which was a fair achievement lol. Badly spewed the chips which leaves me very annoyed ATM.

Have a good Christmas

I'd like to wish anyone who reads the blog a great Xmass and I'll probably do a review of the year at some stage soon. Think I'll play the €500 game in Limerick on the 27th then the IPC and the week after the Festival in Killarney so a busy enough couple of weeks. After this I really need to get some focus on what I'm at online. I've basically been a recreational player online for over six months now and this has to stop. Its either go at mtts on stars in a serious manner or spend some months learning to beat the ring games, be it NLH or PLO. But, I know I cant sustain myself in the game without regular income from online which I just let slip this year as I was well rolled and lazy after the touch I got in the Irish Open.

GJP Xmass game Drogheda

Only 24 Starters for this which was a very disappointing turnout. Suppose the day was in it people just had to much on but a €500 event with a great structure and no reg cost really should of gotten 50 starters. Upon entering the club Joe asked me would I just take €2000 now and leave. He probably had my equity right for a tournament in Drogheda 400/500%

My new nemesis Owen Mullen was at my table but the tournament was missing a bit of value as Fran (Jackyback from boards) didn't play. Started grand, then with about 14 players left I overplayed TPTK and lost most of my stack when I put Baz on a draw instead of a set. Owen was very quick to let me know what a donkey I was; ridiculing me for the play and making sure every one herd. But I had 3k in chips left and told him that he could regret the comments yet.

So it was with great pleasure that a few hours later I raised UTG to 3.5k with KK and the chip lead and Owen pushed his second in chips stack in from the BB with 1010. Sweet or what ul Owen gg lol. I ran sick good at the final table, right from the start and had 120k of the 240k in play with 5 players left. Neill "the poet" Murphy nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback after being sucked out on twice by the maestro Mullen, he got his 175 chips back to about 30k at one stage and was unlucky to bubble.

In the end there was a three way chop, I had doubled up two shortstacks and Ciaran Burke had taken both out so was level on chips with me. Baz had about 35k when a deal was struck; Me and Ciaran getting €4150 Baz €2500. I was happy to deal in the end as it was after one and myself and Pat had headed off at ten that morning and faced the long drive home. It was also important to me that Pats 20% of me was someway decent as that had been one way traffic over the last few months.

Joking aside, Owen and Joe run a great and welcoming club, as players their selves I suppose this is to be expected but its always a pleasure to play in the DPC and as ever a game with GreenJokers involvement is always top class.

IPC SAT Blazingaces

Got my IPC ticket in the €200 freezeout sat in blazingaces tonight which is handy. I played three live satellites for this event last year and got a ticket each time so that's 4 for 4 which is a decent batting average. Pat Storen was very unlucky to run set over set with 6 players left and three tickets up for grabs. The last time I won into an event in the local club was for last years Irish open so hopefully this one can lead to a final table appearance as well.

Travelled up to the sporting emporium for the €100 FO on Monday night. A long way to go for a €100 game but felt like a game and finished forth of the 39 runners. TBH I played shit all night and it would of been an injustice if I had won it, think NFCRob took it down.

EPT Prague brief day two

This is what I wrote on boards before day two started didn't start great and tbh haven't played very well, just one or two small spots I played a little iffy; so happy to be going back with an average stack. It was a pretty tuff table I was on all day but was comfortable enough even without being on top of my game. Hope I play well tomorrow because although its my first EPT I've learned my game is well up to this level and feel with a decent run I could easily win one of these things. I knew there was to be a redraw for seats and that we would be playing 8 handed for the rest of the tournament, all new to me and I had decided to start very tight and have a look at the table. In hindsight this was a mistake and not something I had the luxury to do with my 14m stack. The photo is my a little to smug face at having 14m.

Very first hand I get 66 in the SB and a 14k stack bet the cutoff I folded. Next hand I fold A10 on the button to an early position raise. I'm annoyed over these two hands and its very weak play I should of put the first guy in and 3bet the second. Another spot where I could of been more aggressive was against the eventual second Gino Italian guy. I raise with Ac5c he calls BB. Flop brings 10sQs5d and he bets 5k were playing similar stacks and I thought long and hard about putting him for about 23k total. I think he is betting a draw or hands like QJ A10 which can fold to make my push the right play but I jibbed it in the end. Having read some of the later reports i don't think the guy would of folded A10 QJ type hands anyway.

My exit came half way through the first level of the day. blinds 400/800 100 ante UTG makes it 3 UTG+1 calls I make it 12k with AKs UTG pushes for another 7600 gotta call into AA. Push two hands later for my remaining 5200 with 22 and get through. Next hand button raises 2400 into my BB I call with Qs10s and push my last 5400 on a K 10 X flop into QK. No regrets about the way I played the AK hand except losing chips to Tomas Brolin the ex Leeds and Swedish player. My actual exit hand is bad and could of given up the blind and entered push-bot mode for a while.

All in all I enjoyed the week. I had planed to play the 1k event on Friday but got fairly pissed on Thursday and couldn't get out of bed for the 12 start. I did manage to get out of bed about 7 that morning for a piss with a rather funny outcome whick my good mate and roommate for the trip Gavin Kelly described in his blog "There have been some fun moments - Nicky went to take a piss in the middle of the night and accidentally went out the room door instead of into the bathroom and locked himself out and had to go down to reception in his boxers - from the 8th floor - all because I was conked out and couldn't hear him knocking on the door LOLERZ."

I got a fair bit of coverage during the event on pokernews mainly because the reporters were Irish, Mike Lacy and Nicky O' Dee but it still amuses me when I see my name mentioned in the the poker media. When I read things like " 75 would go to the rail in the first two levels. The rapid bustouts of the first few hours saw popular pros such as Rolf Slotboom, Nicky Power and Katja Thater all eliminated," on the pokernews homepage I realise that I've had a good year profile wise. Now all I need to do is win a major event and I might really feel like a pokerpro rather then someone who has found a temporary means of dodging work

EPT Prague Day one

my table had Annette_15 in my cut off and allinstevie to her direct right so expected plenty action from these two online stars the rest of the table was an English Asian and random scandies. I knew Annette obviously and Mike from greenjoker who was covering the event for pokernews filled me in Stevie ( I checked his online record later and its very impressive ). Anyhow I knew I could expect an active table and it didn't disappoint.

The first hand that I played was against Stevie's Qs9s on an Js8s8xXxAs board holding AJ it cost me about 2500 and I played the hand badly; mainly bad bet sizing which meant that I actually saved chips on the hand because I was always calling his river value bet as I didn't put him on the draw. I knew it had actually saved me chips but I was quiet annoyed after the hand at how I'd played it. Shortly after this I raise my button with KJ os and get a call from the SB and a Kh Jh ragx flop. I bet full pot on flop and a bricked turn, the river brings an A, not a heart but its a bad card for me and I check behind. The SB tables AK to take the pot. I'm down to under 5k in level two but this hand actually puts me in better form as if the guy had bet the river I'd of called so feel I'd gotten away very lightly. Here's my happy down to under half my starting stack first two levels face.

I then play two semi strange hands first one there 4 limper's in the pot before me so I limp the button with Ah8h. I put 2x100 and 1x25 chips in the pot instead of the 150 so its deemed a minraise and everyone calls it. Flop brings A1010 and the six players in the hand now check it to the river where my A is good. Shortly after I pick up AA UTG and raise to 450 with 5 callers; they don't look so good now until the flop brings A56 with a flush draw. Both blinds check there option and I bet 1500 praying someone has hit a set or fancied playing a draw aggressively but no action comes. I drop back down to 5k again through a badly played hand then double up with AcQc when i get my 5k in on a 10 high two club flop Vs JJ hitting an A on the turn.

It's the forth level 100/200 at this stage and where Annette goes out in a rather strange spot. She had been playing pretty LAG with lots positional raising and 3bets. I hadn't really tangled with her, I think I had 3bet her twice to take down pots pre but had given up my BB to her and Stevie easily enough at these cheap levels. She had doubled through rather luckily when she 3-bet pre with J4 and hit JJ9 flop. In her exit hand a pretty bad player limped for 200 in the hijack Stevie made it 800 from the button and Annette repopped for 2800 all standard enough until the bad players calls. Now at this point its very clear to me that this guys got a premium hand. A raggy flop was checked, she bet 3750 on a J turn and pushed a brick river into KK. I'd say the guy owned her in the hand but tbh he had no idea what he was doing, she said in her blog that she had air and put him on a draw when he called the turn but I thought she played the hand totally spewy after he called the 2800 pre she should of closed shop and given up on the hand.

At the 150/300 25 ante level I get AA again in early position put in a standard bet get raised to 2700 and then another player pushes for 10k the 3-better folds and I hold against AK. Think I peaked for the day at about 32k and never really saw a hand for the last three levels so feel I did well to get back for day 2 with a near exact average stack of 28400.

close to another handy one

Nearly picked up a handy EPT Dortmund package tonight worth $13000. It was another one of those one seaters and hit the final table with the chip lead and 25% of the chips in play but finished bad fifth. Never saw a card at final table and lost an early race then pushed my remaining 6bb which was 14% of the chips in play with 25os SB into QJ. Would of been deadly to pick up another package like this

Macau Winter Festival

Headed down to Cork Thursday with high expectations as I've had atleast some sort of result at my previous four festivals in the Macau; but alas not this time.

Was going along grand in the main event with about 18k in level three then get these three hands in the space of four hands, call a four bet on a flop with st flush draw, check fold the turn because I've 12k left and I know he has top set. Next hand run second nut flush into nut against a guy who had no idea what he was doing. table breaks 2nd hand on new table 6 k left flop top two with AK into KK.

Played the €300 event where I lost a race against Rob AQ V JJ for 35k, average was about 20k at the time with circa 30 players remaining.

Cashed in Sunday million last time for the first time for a whooping $412. I've only played this about five time and really should play it more often as there's great value in it.

So I'm off to Prague on Sunday for my first EPT and while I'm not exactly in a rich vein of form ATM I feel I'm playing well and hopeful of a good tournament.

My tournament Philosophy

I received this question in a pm from a member of the boards.ie poker forum and well I had to answer after he said whats highlighted.



"Originally Posted by *****
hey Nicky,this is a completely random question but it is obvious to everyone that your a great tournament player and i was wondering what do you put it down to? the maths side of things? or is everything you would've read etc are thrown out the window and it comes nearly natural? i'm gonna try make some mark on the tourney scene next year but i dont like the whole over evaluating hands and starting to doubt your own instincts if you know what i mean. So i'm just asking questions to any good players i can get in contact with and try and find some kinda pattern to winning play feel free not to answer anything if you dont wanna bother

cheers bud ***"

*** its very hard to quantify what makes a good tournament player and many different styles can be successful. All I can really advise you on is to play as much as possible, no amount of books can teach you experience. Yes you need basic poker maths but people can get boggled down with all the literature out there. Learn how to win first you can learn why your winning later.

I think you will learn a lot more by making mistakes and thinking about where it went wrong then reading about what mistakes to avoid. I consider myself very much a situational player and can play hands very differently then the pure theorists will dictate. All I can advise is play as much as you can and go with your reads don't be afraid to look silly if you think your right. I still make plays that would be laughed at in $10 stts but its these same plays that have made me a winning player for the last three years now.

I know all this is very vague but you just cant put into a box what ultimately makes a winner of tournaments. I will say that understanding playing the player and understanding when to gamble are very important, again this cant really be thought you must learn it through playing. I think these two areas are what separates the OK players and the good to great players. When I talking about gambling I'm not talking pot odds but rather taking a shot at a race considering the holistic effect this will have on your chances of winning the tournament. Or if a player is running over a final table it could mean taking a stand with a marginal hand to slow them down and swing the balance of power on a final table in your favor.

My goal is always to win the tournament and I always think in this context rather then cashing or sitting up the money ladder. This year if I was a more conservative player in these areas I could probably of sat into cashing for €200k+ more then I have with the situations I found myself in, but I firmly believe over my poker life my philosophy is + EV.

Anyhow best of luck and if you have anymore specific Qs ill do my best to answer along the way.

Nicky

Ps its not often I get my thoughts on strategy down on paper so I might use what I have written here in my blog, I wont off course use your identity if I do

EPT Prague for $24

How sweet is that

Was playing a few tourneys on stars but was fairly tired and was just off to bed when I noticed I was sitting out in the $8 re-buy double turbo one package guarantee. I had forgotten that I had registered for it and had 450 chips lol re-bought doubled up a few times then topped up. Got the chip lead 150 out of the 350 starters left and never relinquished it. Very happy to win the package as usually these one prize satts mean pain for me. Roll on the 10th of December.

nicnicnic gets a sicsicsic one

Seat 1 : Liam Flood
Seat 2 : Roy Brindley
Seat 3 : Tom Kitt
Seat 4 : Cormack Delaney
Seat 5 : Reggie Corrigan
Seat 6 : James
Seat 7 : Wes Farrell
Seat 8 : Nicky Power
Seat 9 :

Above is my starting table for the Sporting Emporiums November Festivals €1000 main event. 72 starters and I didn't mind having Flood and Brindley to my left as I thought it meant a good chance if I picked up a big hand early they might pay me off. I had a load of action early and raised AA on the button into the boy to 300 re-popped to 800 and I went for 2300 fully expecting him to come back but he folded. I got the 15000 starting stack to 20k in level one. Then lost 8000 in a pot I played QQ over aggressively and rather badly on An AAX flop leading out and C/R the turn.

My exit hand was one to remember 20 minutes into level 2. I pick up AA again and get two caller and an A 4 5 flop. I bet 500 trying to look weak Reggie Corrigan ( the Irish rugby international ) goes for his chips and I see he is contemplating a raise so I thinking straight away I've got him he has a hand. When he re-raises my 1400 turn bet to 3400 I'm pretty sure he has a lower set and put my remaining 7k in he calls and tables pocket fives. So we've got AAA Vs 555 and I'm feeling pretty good until he hits the the river five, wp gg nh.

A year ago this would of busted my brain but I think its a measure of my progression that I honestly took it in my stride and I'm really looking forward to next weeks Macau festival. Now if I get another one as bad down there then that could bust my head :-)

WWF Back for Day three

Third time this year I hit a final day of a 3 Day or more event and like the last two ( 13th of the 13 that went back in the macau and 6th of the 7 in Irish open ) this one was also a disappointment. There was many of the top players still left in the tournament. I'd say any knowledgeable person picking 30 players against the 280 field would of have picked at least 8 of the 20 that remained.

I decided the morning that I was going for the win and would play aggressively. I also decided if I got very deep I wasn't dealing and that if I got the chance to race I would. Well I did second hand in when I raised to 23k and the BB pushed for another 70k I called and his 77 held. Shortly after this I lose another 75k when I called a raise from the button in the BB with KQ on a K1010 flop. So within the first 20 minutes I'm down to 12k.

I work this back to about 275k and then out in a half million pot to Jen Mason when My A10 couldn't suck out against her JJ. I posted the hand on boards.ie strategy forum Some of the better posters suggest that I didnt play the hand optionally but I'm happy enough with my play given the situation. Mason has just knocked out two players and is playing 800+k. Were six handed and since the last knockout she has raised 4 of 6 hands uncontested so is basically mopping up the chips and good on her. I haven't seen her pass a cutoff button in two days. I'm playing 250k blinds are 6k/12k 1k ante. I haven't looked at the money and I'm looking to win the tournament. Anyhow she raises 36k from the cut off and I look down at A10os.my choices as I saw them

1. fold
2. call and fit/fold the flop

I consider these weak and not the plays of someone trying to win the tournament.

3. raise to 110 or so and either call or fold to a 4bet

4. shove

its a lot to shove but I thought it the best option, I considered option three and decided if she put me in i was calling so better just get them in first. The consensus on boards was that 3-bet call/shove was the best option.

So out in 12th for €1700 pretty bad considering I was 4th coming back in chips and the story of the year for me really if truth be told . Close but no cigar.Its give me great pleasure the see these type of events being held in Waterford and great kudos the the bigslick crew they really have come a long way in the last couple of years. Two years ago I was playing A €5 rebuy with this crew in a pub called 19. To see an event run by the lads being the feature on sky poker weekly show gave me a great buzz

Waterford Winter Festival part 2

The next table was the hardest I played in the tournament. Bomber, Smurph, Jen, Ollie, good northerner. I found it really hard to find a spot as the table was super aggressive. By far the best hand I saw here was A8os and Bomber pushed UTG for about 150k, I'm next to act but couldn't consider a call with the rest of the table to act. He showed KK to take the pot uncontested, a good move given his image and I'd of insta called him if it was blind on blind. Thankfully the table broke shortly after this.

I played on two more tables before the 14 hour day ended with most of my action coming in the last 20 minutes. By the final level I'm still playing 120k but by now its 66% of the average blinds are 5/10k 1k ante so its basically push or fold. I push A7os and Smurph calls for 75k with KQ and hits a K.

I then push my remaining 45k twice in a row with 73os and A3 and get through, the same player tables 66 then 77. Its quite clear to me that three of the four players to my left are just hanging in to come back tomorrow. There's 23 left and were playing down to 20.

The very next hand I look at an ace and push without seeing the other card. I get a called by AJ but hit my kicker an eight on the river. After that hand I have 160k and then the very last hand of the night I look down at KK UTG. I consider putting in a standard raise but decide I've been pushing so much it stands a good chance of getting called a little light. Unluckily for Keith from Kerry he wakes up with QQ on the BB and I'm coming back on day three 4th in chips with 325k.

stay tuned for day three

Waterford Winter Festival

Anybody that knows me knows I like a beer or two. Since last November's green joker poker festival when I went to showdown twice after miss reading my hand I've knocked it on the head while playing. So when the cards hit air on Friday I was in my usual day one state of extremely hungover having given it a good lash on Thursday night.

On my starting table I had Vera two to my left and Kevin Hickey directly to my right. While both are good solid players you should really know where you are in a hand with them so I felt it was a good table until I realised there's a complete nutter directly to my left. The fox came to the table early enough and christened him the eccentric player. Got an early enough double through the eccentric player and peaked for day one on 40k ending it on 33k.

There was a bit of Deja Vu there for a while when Marty Smyth joined the table which meant three of the final six from this years Irish Open on the table.

Day two started with a bang when I double through the Longlad with KK on a J high board ( he put me on AK which is fair enough and I always respect someone who goes with there reads). In the first two levels I had aces three times, kings twice and queens and AK a few times also. Most of the time just getting small pots but by level three of the day I was among the chip leaders with 110k.

During level three I was pretty disappointed to get moved. But not before I got to play a slightly bizarre hand. We were nine handed and I announced raise from the small blind, Vera folds and I table my AJs. a few at the table get anxious and I immediately put my hands over the cards as I realise something is wrong. Rag2gar from boards had raised from seat one and I'd missed thus had to raise which I did to 6k. The Flop of k 10 4 was checked and I bet out 7.5k on the turn to which he folded. I asked what he had and he said AQ to the amusement of the table.

My new table had Pat Storen, Pat O' Callaghan and Connie in pushmode. Was on the table for at least three levels but saw very few cards and did well to hold what I had.

finish this later

Not EPT

Well I didn't play the EPT and have no regrets about it. I did play the €825 game and the charity event but never got going in either. My No 1 travelling companion and good mate Mr Storen took the title in the charity event and my % of him covered my buy-ins on the week. TBH swapping % with Pat is costing him a few quid lately and he doesn't seem to be in when i get a result. Hopefully I can put this right in one of the games over the coming month

To EPT or not to EPT that is the ?

I played a €1k entry 8 man stt in Drogheda last night and managed to take it down. I was short stacked with only 5k of the 80k in play with six left but got there in the end with good cards good moves and good luck. I won a crucial 30/70 with A9 Vs 1010 with 4 players left and chopped a pot against the short stack with A7 Vs A10 with three left. The heads up was against a player I didn't know and while a little unorthodox he was a very good and tricky opponent. The headsup lasted two hours and swung many times. I pulled off a crucial river bluff with jack high on a 99763 board which would of crippled me but gave me 75% of the chips when it came off and I finished it off soon after. But with one prize this was a real pressure heads up and I was very happy to come out on top.

But now I have a decision to make, I thought the club had the ticket bought but was handed €8000 cash when the tournament. it really is a hard one if I was handed a ticket well I wouldn't sell and play but to be handed 8k is different. I've always been of the opinion that buying into one ept is -ev and that I would never buy into one unless I could buy into at least five the same year. I know the variance would be still huge but I always felt that if I played five of these in one year I would have a run at one at least. Its not a choice of playing the other lower buy-in events coming up I'd be playing those anyway but rather do I put 8k down- a significant % of my roll- for one tournament. ATM I'm probably leaning towards being prudent and not buying in but don't be surprised to see me there on the day 4-betting scandies.

I must say that they run a great show in the club and have some great stuff going on for the players. Cash league with a car first prize, 2.5k badbeat and etp Prague and wsop freeroll leagues coming up. Having said that you can win a dartboard in blazingaces :-)

Playing well/ Ceasars palace EPT sat

I hope I don't put the blink on myself but for the first time in over a year I feel I'm playing well Live. I cant really put my finger on it but know that for some reason I'm really on top of my game ATM. I haven't been on any great run of results or anything but in conversation with Danny the other night I told him that I feel I'm playing the best poker of my life. It just seems I'm seeing every thing at the tables and hopefully I can turn my play into another big result before the end of the year.

I can honestly say that for about 15 months I haven't been happy with my game and up to a month ago wasn't even enjoying playing since I had returned from Vegas. For some reason in the last month my enthusiasm for the game has returned.

Played the ETP sat in New Ross but unfortunately only 22 runners for the €300+20 game so not enough for a ticket. In fairness Seamus offered to make up the difference for the ticket before the final table started but some of the players wanted to just play for the money on a normal payout structure. I wanted to play for the ticket obviously but some of the players had satted in and the money on offer was decent so I cant really blame them. One prize events are basically heartache most of the time. Anyhow there was a four way split for €1500 each which I didn't mind doing as it was = to the 2nd place money and I had a splitting headache and the cards had just seemed to be starting to run against me.

IPO/Golf Killarney/Snooker

Played the IPO and finished about 150/160th. Got a decent stack at one stage and played pretty well but towards the end of day one decided that it was going to be monster stack for day two or home. Three fast race losses and a donk of my last few chips meant it was the latter. It was amazing to see nearly 1100 players in one spot in Ireland and while many problems were encountered over the two days I think overall the tournament can be considered a success. I’m sure it gave many aspiring players there first taste of what a bigger event is like to play and at €150 I’d say everyone got value for money.

Ah to golf, Sideshow was good enough to invite me to what must be one of the most exclusive courses in the country during the week. The Old head in Kinsale is simply breathtaking as a golf course its €1200 for a tee off time so a nice freebee and I repaid bobs generosity by taking his money on the course. Here’s a link to the courses site there’s a video in the bottom left of the home page that gives a taste of this unique course but it doesn’t do the place justice. I was well impressed; it’s worth a look

http://oldhead.com/

Travelled down to Killarney for the cue club monthly. As ever the trip to Kerry usually becomes more of a social occasion. The event was the clubs new €200 monthly and had good starting numbers at 55. I over did the social aspect of it and actually had to ask Connie on sunday where I’d finished after about 20 pints of Heineken. So a sixth place for €715 was better then expected considering my condition.

As a bonus I still managed to pawn Flipper on the snooker for a tun on Sunday morning as well, sweet.

structures getting over the top ?

well the first time I encountered over 10k in a decent buy in was last years GJP game. I thought at the time and still do that 15k and the 60 minute clock was a magic structure ( although I'd rather antes, a subjective preferance ). Bigslick followed this structure for there game the Waterford open and again a super structure was in place. The macau then introduced a 75 minute clock with two added key levels for there 10k starting stack summer festival. This worked very well and the structure was every bit as good as the previous two mentioned events.

Now coming up we have the macau xmass 75 minute clock 15k stack. Next year JP and Bigslick have 20k stacks and 60 minute clocks while GJP have just announced the 50k starting stack game. While I'm against denouncing something without trying it I fear that the optimum structure may of been reached with last year games. I remember a conversation with Dathio at this years Waterford open where we were of the opinion that the event structure was borderline to slow and anything more would just be to much. While I hope to play the GJP JP and BS events next year I feel that line has been crossed

Feast or famine

From a players point of view this year has either been a feast or famine. We had the IPC in January IO April ant then three conservative tournaments in may. Then nothing for five months (bar the hastily put together mini festival in the emporium but 77 runners isn't really great).

Now over a two-month period we've got a glut of tournaments again. ETP Bigslick Fitz Emporium Macau. I have no doubt that of the organisers are losing players because of the cluster in dates. I Know I for one wont play them all in that short a period but maybe would of if there was a better spread and I think I'm not alone.

I think that the IO EPT and IPC are fixed in the calendar. I don't know but it doesn't seem like rocket science that the other promoters of major events could get together and work a calendar around these events for a better spread of the bigger buy in tournaments. I'm sure it will insure better numbers for all events.

For 2007 it seems all big tournaments ran early April to early June then late October to early December, meaning that the year had the nine big events in the country which were run over four months and a three and five month gap without one. Its really just common sense that the people involved in organising the tournaments get together and come up with a better spread calendar.

JPs monthly/IPO

Drove up to dublin for this today only 38 runners which was a little disappointing. This is a well structured well run event and deserves to be supported. Went out on the bubble of the final table when I made a big call with KQ to a four bet push. He had QJ and if i had avoided the J on the turn I had a double the average stack on the final table but wasn't to be. Losing a 70/30 usually doesn't bother me very much and had this been AK v AQ it would of been water off a ducks back but I felt a little aggrieved after making such a huge call. Gholimoli had more chips then jamie gold when I left so I imagine he took it down.

Looking forward to next weeks IPO. I must say i was a little sceptical as to whether this would work but with 800 registered tonight my hats off to Stephen/Derek and Anna it's great to see there hard work rewarded.

Changing strategy in Mtts

Lost my internet and Tv last night so with time on my hands I decided to put some of my current thoughts for MTTs into words

Changing strategy in Mtts

To be a TAG or LAG that is the question or is it. People generally fall into one of the said categories but should the aim to be good at either. Surely the aim of players should be to be capable of interchanging their game between both styles when table conditions are accommodating or when stack size dictates, also the tournament structure is very important. The following thoughts are for early and middle/latish stages of tournaments and not for very late stages (I’d consider most have an idea of how aggressive we should be when a tournament reaches two tables of seven until the finishing line)

The LAG game affiliates itself to the accumulation of chips branch of thought for MTTs. The basic premise being that you get chips and lots of them enabling you to have more chips then others meaning you can take a hit or a big race without your tournament life being on the line. In theory the LAG will go out early in most tournaments but when he goes deep, it’s really deep and either wins or cashes big.

The TAG game is aliened with the tournament survival branch of thought. It generally means playing big pots with premium starting hands. While the TAG may cash more then the Lag these cashes will be smaller and the loss of a race or a beat usually means the end of the tags tournament.

Personally I initially played a fairly LAG game and was a raise ATC merchant. I had reasonable success playing this method mainly due to good natural post flop instincts and the convection to go with my reads. Also the standard I was playing against was very bad in live small stakes small field games.

As I started playing bigger games against better players my game tightened considerably and over the course of a year I went from being a total LAG to a total TAG. I still incorporated the odd big move or play into my game but instead of three or four an hour I did when lagging, it might be one big move in five levels, which were being set up by my Tag image. Also the games were becoming so aggressive you got paid when you waited for a premium hand so it just seemed the logical way to play.

Now on the live front I intend to loosen up my game again considerably drawing on all the experience I have gained over the last two years. Quite simply I’m bored playing a TAG game. Poker is more exciting playing pots and outplaying your opponents on latter streets. Also I feel the game in general has tightened up a lot over the last six months. Thus I feel the time is right to loosen up,

This doesn’t mean that when you meet me at the table I’ll be raising every pot. On the contrary, in the first paragraph of this I said that the aim should be to be good at both styles so your game becomes interchangeable when conditions dictate. To explain my thoughts I’ll look at two different sites where the players and structures are considerably different.

On the cryptologic network where I play a good bit you’ll often find your self at a table where players are tagging it early; well on this type of table opening pots with a huge range of hands is the optimum play as you know the majority are only fighting back with premium hands. My guess is 66/75% of initial raises get through and probably the same for C-bets if called. This will allow you to build your stack with many small increments. As the tournament progresses with the blinds increasing players start playing back at you a lot more so tightening it up and playing big pots with big hands probably becomes the optimal.

The main factors here are the style of the opponents and the blinds structure, which rise exponentially at the latter stages. Also the flat payout structures from 30 to 10 mean that your opponents are only too happy to get there chips in with marginal hands. To summarise in these types of tourney in theory we should try build a big stack playing loose aggressive generally small pots and then tighten up as the M drops and the field is gambling.

On stars I think adopting the exact opposite strategy is called for. The 3000 starting stack guarantees and the re buy tournaments usually allow for a decent M in the mid to mid/late stages of the tournament while the preflop aggression is much greater early. Here I would not advocate opening pots with hand unless your prepared to get them all in pre, I’d say up to 75% of initial bets get raised on stars. Of course you can attempt to snap off a few serial raisers but in general I want to try and get a biggish stack by playing big pots with big hands.

On the occasions when we can achieve this then I suggest really opening up your game. Say weave hit the money typically 150 or so out the average stack is usually a decent M; then I think the course to adopt is very aggressive. Your opponents can smell a really decent payout and won’t be fighting back as light as before especially if you have the big stack. If a shortstack fights back well take him on with any shit it puts others off doing so and generally you wont be worse then 30/70. I generally use a 15% of my stack rule for this though.

Now I’ve been using the stars/crypto tournaments as examples but you should be able to see the characteristics in whatever game your playing and your aggressiveness should be interchangeable to take advantage of the situation you find your self in

so much for my week off

Well I had intended to take a week off but forgot about the GCSOP on crypto so when I turned on sunpoker at 7.50 Tuesday and saw a $215 freezout with 4500 starting stack and a $50,000 guarantee I couldn't resist. There was approx 270 runners and with 31left (30 paid) I pushed my average stacked SB A10 into AK. This left me with 2.5 BBs which I push JJ into Q5; Q on turn to finish 30th.

I thought there would be more play in these but the structure means total crapshoot anyway deep but there's a lot of dead money so decided to play the rest of them for the week. So last night I get my stack in second hand on the turn holding KK v 66 the board showing 2335; 4 on the river.

Played tonight's $50k and somehow had the chiplead with 20 players remaining without seeing a hand better then JJ all tourney. With 16k for winning it was very disappointing to go out in 11th. These are so crapshooty there is no way of bullying with the blinds so big two or three tables out. As there is no change in the money, everyone is looking for a spot to gamble; you just gotta hit cards and win your showdowns to take it home. After taking a few hits I finally went out AK v Q10.

There's three of these left in the series but I'll be beering Friday so that leaves the $150,000 guarantee on Saturday which is a $500 buy in and Sundays $£1000 buy in $250000 guarantee. I'll probably play both; its about time I had a big win in a online tournament so either will do.

embarrassing stats

Ive done ok in stts in the past but haven't really played them over the last 4/5 months. Tried a few on stars over the last few weeks ( the account is old and would of been mainly used by my dad over the last 18 months- he was probably break even over 160/180 small stakes stts). I'd say I played 20 or so $100/200 over the last two weeks and must of bubbled 10 of them, ran really shit in the ones i played.

The result of this is pretty shocking sharkscope stats yep the dreaded goldfish is jumping. Now I really haven't the heart to rectify it ATM ( and TBH I not sure if i can beat this level on stars, I'd have to play at least 1000 or so to get an idea if I could ) so took the easy option of removing the embarrassing stats. Guess this says a lot about vanity but wtf i confess

Road Trip

Travelled the Country over the weekend playing the Macau, Jackpot, and GJP monthly games. Didn't put in a showing in any of them but Pat Storan who generally travels to most games with me these days chopped the Dublin and Drogheda games and finished 4th in cork. We usually swap 20% so that put me up on the 3 events and also made a few bob playing cash waiting around for him.

Pat has a great TAG game and is naturally very competitive a combination that makes him very difficult to knock out of a tournament. I can honestly say that he gets to the business end of over 50% of the tournaments he enters and a result in a bigger tournament is just a matter of when not if.

On a personal note I'm taking a little break from poker, just a week or so. I don't seem to have any motivation and the knock on effect of this on my game is that my game seems very stale to me. I'm generally sitting at the table or keyboard without any enthusiasm which leads to just going through the motions and playing without any thought or imagination.

I've been playing the game seriously for two years now and its been my only income for the last 21 months. In that time I've never really taken anytime off so a week away from the tables is long over due.

A quiet August

well as the heading said I've had a very quiet month. Lost about €1100 live and finished up just over $4000 online. I stated in an earlier post my intentions to start getting into ring games but the motivation is just not there at the moment to play with any intensity.

By intensity I mean playing six+ tables which I just don't want to do right now. So for the time being my online will consist of two and three tabling MTTs, I'm sure this will change when the winter sets but ATM I'm happy just to tap away.

I've had a few stabs at qualifying both live and online for the WSOPE over the last month but never got close. This year the live tournament scene in Ireland is totally dead from early June until October which is in my mind is bad business by the 5/6 major promoters here. Surely it wouldn't be beyond the realms of possibility for all the promoters to get together once a year and come up with a balanced calendar and avoid the ridicules scenario that we have had this year where we had three European ranking events for three consecutive weeks and then 4.5 month's without a decent tournament

Bankroll on stars sorted

been trying to get a bit of a roll going here for a while and chopped the $25 25k guarantee last night for 5k which gives me something to work off on the site. The tournament itself had 1291 starters so never easy to get through that size of field no matter what the standard.

I hit the chip lead 130 out and kept it until there was seven left when I took a few big hits. Although its only a small tournament two things pleased me. To keep a chip lead for that stretch of a tournament is not easy. To do shows that I was playing good big stack poker, I felt I pulverised the tables I was on from ten tables out. The second thing that I was happy with was over coming momentum stoppers I took two big hits with seven left. Recently I haven't been bouncing back when the chip stack starts to dwindle but here I was very aware of this and consciously focused more rather then letting the hits affect me.

Was unlucky not to go really deep in the 45k guarantee there tonight when I lost a double average pot with 100 of the 1400 starters left with AK v KQ. When the chips went in I thought I was getting a stack to utilise again.

No good in kerry the weekend lost a race with three tables left. The club looks great after the refurbishments and the draught heineken is a great addition. Kerry is always a great spot to get away to for a poker weekend and I strongly recommend anyone who hasn't been to one of Connie's festivals to get down there, I guarantee you'll go back

A post out of boredom

right I'm at a loose end boards is dead I don't feel like playing and the weather's to bad for golf and oh yeah I gotta stop turning on the racing channels at moments like this. So a good time to start rambling here.

I'm still just messing around online I don't think I've had more then four tables open at one time since the end of may now. This will change soon I have two plans of attack on my mind either I'm going to bang out 2000 £50 sixpacs or I'm going to start playing cash.

If I go at the sixpacs running medium to bad i should net 8500 Stirling over the 2000 games including rakeback which I intend to play around with on cash starting at 2/5 if crypto 2/4 another site. The other option is to just start playing cash. I might just lodge $600 on stars and grind it up from the .50/1. I'd really like to get a decent bankroll going on stars because in reality it the only place to qualify for major events. I also think it might be a good place to learn to beat cash because I guess if you can make it there you can make it anywhere!

In the week since I posted I just played the Macau €200 but ran top two into a flopped straight. Online a tournament I've been playing a lot is the £2,500 gar head hunter on crypto, £20 entry. There's only about £600 to be won in this but the format makes for a great craic. Half the pot goes to your scalp value and when you knock someone out you get 75% of there scalp value and 25% of that value is added to your head. Makes for something different and I think playing such a format can add to a mtt players game. I've won it twice and came third twice in the last two weeks winning saturday for £375 and £220 in heads.

on sunday I came 11th in the betfair $50k for $600 was cruising third in chips with about 15 left but took a big hit and never recovered. I lost a buy in at $5/$10 PLO after the pub monday night having trebled my stack I lost the biggest online cash hand I ever played, I knew where I was when the chips went in but running sixes counterfeited my aces busting plan. I didn't really mind as I bought in with the $1k to gamble and have since ground it back.

The betfair tournament got me thinking about my recent tournament performances. In a five week period from the start of june I had three chances of a big score. The macau €1500 where I had chip lead and finished 12th. That £1000 entry crypto tourney where I came 18th, there was £75 k first prize in that one and the tournament in the Venetian where I came 10th for $6.5 had a $186k first prize. I had average chip with 14 players left in that one.

In general I would expect to have at least on top three finish from three opportunities like that. I always thought of myself as a closer of tournaments and if we throw the irish open into the mix maybe I will have to re-assess my strategy and play a little less aggressive from two tables out in tournaments.

Well that's enough rambling for the time being.

Monthly update

well I said I'd do a monthly update so....... Since I came back from Vegas I'm up about €3000 on live events and running Ok online. I wont be giving detailed P&L type updates but will say how I'm running. Did venture up to Fintans new club in galway last friday for a €300 freeze out but blew my chips with about 20 of the 55 runners left. Smashing club and I'd say it will do very well. Played the JP €250 monthly sunday, I had come third in his previous weeks €150 for €800 but no joy in this one when my KK was no good against A10 all-in pre. This would put me well above the average two tables out and I would of fancied my chances but an A on the turn put paid

Not much happening over the coming month will play the Macau monthly tomorrow and Connies summer festival is on in the cueclub Killarney next weekend. I will be more focased on the piss up rather then the poker but recommend heading down to the kingdom to everyone the craic is always great and Connie is a great host. Apart from those two don't know what I'll play; only been tapping away a little online so going to play a bit more and will have a few stabs at the WOSPE on betfair

Deck in the face

Played the blazinaces monthly last night €200+€20 with 38 runners. Think I had AA 3 times and KK 3 times must of knocked out 15/16 of the field including 5 of the 6 knocked out on the final table. Chopped on chips with four left. I got €2550 think initial first was €3200 so happy enough. Buda got €1700 paddy dooley €1400 and Jason from Carlow €1300. Nice to win a tournament but what a rush of cards like that could of done for me two and a half weeks ago

Trip review

Vegas

My first impression as we travelled to the house from the Airport is this place is a shithole and on the journey to the airport on the way home my opinion hadn’t changed but what a shithole. Now I’m not one to be seduced by shiny things and Vegas is simply the shiniest thing in the world. Having spent many summers holidays around Mediterranean resorts since the mid eighties the decadence of Vegas was nothing new to me its just on a larger scale there with gambling thrown in.

I enjoyed downtown its realer less pretentious and while they still want your greenback they seem to give something for it and don’t want to totally clean you out.

Poker

A number of people had told me that I would come back a better player. I don’t think I have. But what I learned will enable me to go back to Vegas better prepared for a trip there. The size of the field’s there mean it is just not feasible to play tournaments exclusively and any future trips will be incorporating a lot of cash games. Its just fiscal logic but as a tournament player it’s a lesson that had to be learnt.

Having said that I came out about $3000 ahead on poker there if I exclude the $11500 in WSOP entries that I had earned online at no cost. I ran very bad and at times played good and even on occasion great poker.

The standard of the average American playing in the tournaments that I played was shockingly bad. I’m not exaggerating when I say tables that I played in $1000 events there were easier then €25 tournaments run in blazinaces on Monday night. There was the odd good young American but in general the standard was really bad.

AS for the two WSOP events I played. The standard in the $1500 was awful I have no doubt I could of gone very deep except for that two outer when all in on the turn. My main event starting table was very tight for the first level and as that was as long as I lasted I’m not going to make any judgement on the standard of play.

I didn’t like the Rio and its something I’m going to have to get past when I go back to Vegas. This is a flaw in my make up and rather then just play past it and play the four or five WSOP events I had mapped out I opted for the better-structured games in the fantastic Venetian poker room. Logical yes, but reflecting on the trip I regret not playing more bracelet events.

All in all I enjoyed my time in Vegas. The people that I shared the house with were all A-one and I’m sure that many of us will team up again in the future for trips as there was a lot of poker talent there and people who will be in the game for the long run.

So that’s me blogging off for the time being. As I said earlier I wont be updating with the mundanes of my everyday grind but may do a monthly update and will do tournament reviews of any decent events I play.

His sideshowsness 40th

Right I'm back from Vegas and off to the real capital for the big fellow's birthday bash. Hmmm lashing good Heineken and not dealing with American accents is appealing but the Cork accent is just as bad i suppose ah well the drink will be good.

As I said earlier I'll do a full review of my thoughts on Vegas later in the week. As for the blog well I have to decide but I wont be updating it with the nothingness of my weekley grind. Will probably do a monthly update and review any bigger tournaments I play.

The next few months of the Irish calendar look fairly baron for poker so after the Vegas review it could be quite here for a while. I'm looking at doing another challenge like the failed 35k stt one I did last year http://bigslicktour.proboards54.com/index.cgi?board=poker&action=display&thread=1151281951&page=1 but this will be September before I get around to it. So my main aim ATM is to build a bankroll on stars for mtts and on the live seen I want to get to Briton for a couple of the £1k grosvenor events and try qualify for the wsop event in London in September I'll also try qualify for the crypto st kitts thing in november.

A friend just showed me this post irish open interview, I cant believe how happy I seem in it

http://www.challenge.co.uk/ipo/interview22.php

Thats it I'm off

thats it I'm off going to head home, three weeks+ in this place is enough for anyone me thinks. Played the $2500 in the Venetian without seeing a card for six, hour levels. Finally pick up kings in the bb playing 22k and UTG had pushed for 16 with AK the A on the river was annoying but not as annoying as what happened next.

Very next hand the table has 4 stacks between 4 and 6k including me utg pushes and the other two small stacks call one of the big stacks calls. I've got 8d 10d and decide this is a great spot to get m in . While the other big stack is deliberating a call my phone rings and dopey here answers it and the dealer mucks my hand. Needless to say the flop brought a 10 and 8.

So had A great time here but happy enough to get out of the place now. If I don't count the main event entry which didn't cost me anything then I'm ahead on poker for the trip. Its been a good experience and when I get back here the experience gained this time will be put to good use.

Anyone whose been following the blog well I hope you enjoyed it to some extent; probably a little boring at times but some of the stuff you just cant put out there. I'll do an update looking back next week so until then goodluck2him

Was thinking of trying to qualify for the wpt for a while but the Venetian have a $2500 buy in 15000 starting stack with an hour clock tommorow so that's where I'll be. Been here over three weeks at this stage and thinking of heading home a bit earlier then the pre booked flight on the 19th of July.

Pat Storan who I have been rooming with the last week final tabled yesterdays $1k at the venetian coming 8th for 6k which he really deserved after some pretty sick beats during the week.

Anyhow I'm sure I can bring my A game to tomorrow's game and would be nice to finish with a result as I cant see myself playing again here after this one this trip.

I'll do a lengthy review of how things went here and my feelings about the place at some stage.

Well that was fast

Lasted all of 2 hours 20 minutes here's how cardplayer reported my exit hand

"Power out gunned
Recent Irish Open finalist Nicky Power has been eliminated. 'I found aces the hand before, raised it up and got no callers,' he explained to CardPlayer.com. 'The next hand i found A-K and the flop came K-K-4. All the money went in the middle and the other fella had 4-4. I don't mind really, folding is not a big part of my game so what can you do,' he grinned."

don't know what was up with me today but sat down for my first main event with about as much enthusiasm as a £25freezout in the local club. just wasn't feeling it today. gonna try and qualify for the WPT in the bellagio . have a feeling the main event could be heading to Irish soil this year and as I have a % of about 10 players all may not be lost yet.

quick update

just doing these from a terminal in the rio so just a quick update. Played the $500 in the venetian again today 315 runners and finished around 45th with 30 paid. Had to take a race as it had gone a bit crapshooty. will do a longer post on the past week when I have the oppertunity. might just take a little break from poker before the ME as I have played a lot over here and want to enter that fresh.

brief final table showing

made the final table of the venetian $1k deep stack yesterday but only had 6 big blinds and got busted when my J8 push was no good against the BB A7. Got $6.3k for 10th which felt a little low after getting through a field of 545. Picked up another $3.5k for the 10% I had swapped with Derek who got into a chop. Will do a longer post when I get a chance .

At least its a half decent cash and good to go deep after a few early exits. Played a $500 in binions today but really shouldn't of bothered as after I sat down the thought of another 12/14 hour session wasn't appealing

Moving

I'm moving out of the house and into the Rio tonight as I had arranged to share a room with Pat a mate of mine from Waterford for a week. I'm very happy in the house so it's a bit of an upheaval. Before I came my intentions had been just to stay in the house for a week and then stay in a few different casinos but as the lads have been good enough to have me back, I'll be moving back to the house after the week.

On the poker front I played the venetian again yesterday. Played very well for the first five levels and had a nice stack when I mad a drastic mistake. I'm not bothering to go into it but it involved mixing up 5000 and 500 chips and was rather stupid for a player of my experience. Myself the Dangerous and Dave Murry busted within ten minutes which ment Gavin was the only one of the four of us that entered left. I'm convinced that he just blinded himself away to last longer the the rest of us.

Only joking Gavin ( Valour on boards) is a top player and I took 5% of him in the main event last night. I think he is prepared to sell a bit of himself and I would recommend that anyone looking for an interest in the wosp to contact him and get a piece of his action as it wont last long.

As I said in my last post Kevin"lovejoy" O' Leary was going well in Thursdays Venetian game. He ended up doing a five way chop I herd for 28k. Also NFC Rob has made the money going into todays second day of the wsop $2k no limit event, think he has about a 2/3 average stack GL today Rob.

I will not be updating the blog as often over the next few days as I don't have access to the Internet during my stay at the Rio. I'll do my best to get in a post or two somehow and will definitely update after each days play in the main event. Hopefully there will be a few of those.

Dont think I'll play today but will play the final event of the Venetian festival tomorrow and play $500 games in Binions tuesday and wensday.

quiet day

got up fairly late so just played a little online. came 3rd in the $20k on crypto for $2000 and final tabled the other tourney I played coming 9th for a small profit in that one.

headed into the venetian to register for tomorrow's monkey game. Had a chat with Kevin O Leary in there who was going well in today's event with about double the average and 38 players left.

the only gambling done happened at the dinner table. Myself Gavin Derek and Dave Murry tossed coins for the $300 tab. Dave was the unlucky one so that makes me two for none in the dinner tossing stakes over here

steak & eggs at binions/more bollox at the rio

Got into the venetian at 10.50 but everyone seems to be realising that these are the best game in town as I was handed alternate ticket 142. They have been hitting about 600 for most of the tournaments including 120 alternates so I wasn't waiting around for three hours with only an outside chance of getting in. Was speaking to a guy later who said they only got 109 in.

decided to head downtown to see what was happening in the mini series in the home of poker binions. You can actually taste the history in this place its like walking into the sixties. Looked like all the employees and customers were there since that age also.

The series there running is based on the wsop. They run one of the following days wsop event at a tenth of the buy in. Unfortunately for me they had chosen the stud eight or better rather then the shorthanded NLH But I decided to give it a shot it was only $100 buy in and I get to play a tournament in binion's, good value in my book.

Had steak and eggs in the coffee shop there which I highly recommend best grub I've had since I got here

Anyhow picked up the stud fast enough for anyone that doesn't know the game it plays pretty much like limit hilo. I had double the average at the first break which was quite encouraging but that was as good as it got.

Went into the rio with the intention of satting into today's 5k shorthanded. Decided to play the 9 o, clock main event mega satt. $500 in and 185 runners 3k in chips so 9 players would get 10k worth of wsop buy in chips. got an early double through when I raised with with 7c8c and got it all in on a flop of 9c 10d kc against AK; 2c on the river. still had this 6k when I got it in preflop against AK but an A on the river put paid to this one.

Decided on playing two $535 stts then the first I went out of early but at least Gavin from the house got a chop on it. The second one really annoyed me, I played flawlessly and had my stack to over 8k of the 20k in play with four left in level six. the prize money is $6920 as $5120 and 9*$200 last longer bets. At these stage in these there usually chopped and I said I'd take 3k which would put me up $1400 on the night and was about right as I had about 42% of the chips. one guy playing about 5000 said he wasn't chopping for $1600 so very next I get KQ in the SB which is an auto push but right into AA grrr. vert next hand the guy who wouldnt deal pushes UTG with 910 and I call from the button for my last 3.9k with AK but a nine on the river really annoyed me but Wat you gonna do. Actually that $500 stt hurt more then the two outer in the wsop $1500 don't know why but just did.

just chillin

just hung out around the pool yesterday nursing a hangover. The house here is the business so its easy enough to chill here. Played a little bit of inter net and made $1100 in a few stts on crypto. With the time difference there's about 3 people on crypto at 10 at night here so moved to stars.

Now I hardly ever play stars but had lodged to play the big wsop qualifier last week and had a little over $112 in the account I busted in A $100 freeze out and out of pure boredom played a $2 900 runner tourney. Lyonzy and Derek thought this hilarious as they said if anyone back home sees your name in this well they will think your in serious trouble financially. :-) but I can report that I have finally cash in a multi tournament even if it was for $4.72.

I'm just off to the venetian now and if I bust I'll go to the rio and play two $500 sats for tomorrow's $5000 shorthanded. This has a 10000 starting stack so is well worth playing but if I don't sat in I wont be buying in directly.

no poker

well just a little. I had no intentions of playing any Internet poker over here but played a few stts yesterday morning just to win something. Played about 8 for $720 profit. not bad for an hours work and good to know my bread and butter is still thee if i need it.

Myself Derek and Lyonzy went shopping yesterday, jeez men's clothing is phenomenally cheep over here flipper woul buy about fifty of those polo tops he likes as there about 20% of the price at home. I bought a pair of deadly prada shades for about $300 which the guys thought quite amusing and gave me a lot of stick over.

the three of up ended going out on the lash joined by Gavin starting in the rio and moving on to the carnival club in harrah's. Gavin is a pretty cool lad but he has this ripped wrangler thing going on which might be all the range in donegal but I'm going to have to bring him shopping the next time I go. The club was basically full of gangbangers but with the amount of cocktails we put down think we fit in more headbangers then gangbangers category.

next update will be poker related and my playing the tables drunken impulse may be cured as I had no impulse to do so last night even when pissed

venetian deep stack

Pushed over a guy who had been re-raising a lot from the bb with AK and the initial raiser calls with 77??? for over 10k when average is 13k. Wouldn't mind getting some kinda cash soon just for the confidence. Was feeling very good about my game before my messy little gambling spree the other night. Don't know what it is but that feeling isn't with me now so I'm not playing poker for two day to get my head together.

Did go up to the Wynn to have a look after I busted out of the venetian and played a little cash but I just don't have the disposition for cash and just acted the bollix for a small loss.

NCF was going well in the venetian and I did a little % swap so with $136000 first prize and the way Robs been playing lately could get some bucks there.

rio

played the venetian $550 yesterday busted out first level after the break then headed down to the rio and played 3 single table for a very small profit.

I'm really starting dislike the rio the place is getting under my skin while in contrast the venetian is a fantastic poker room and thats where I'm off to now for there $1060 game 60 minute clock and 10000 chips. there not even updating information for tournament screens for up to ten hours after the tournaments start in the rio.

went on the lash thursday night after i busted out of the tournament so the last update was a little disjointed as half of it was written pissed and the rest hungover. There was 6 or seven of in the cocktail bar in the rio. Andy Black joined us for a while as did big Al, great night until I decided to give the blackjack and roulette a bang which was rather stupid but I guess a saint would end up doing the same over here at some stage. I really shouldnt of started backing horses at royle ascot at 5 am when i couldn't even see i was so pissed. Ah well we live and learn.

We were in the tilted kilt earlier in the night and as we are leaving I spot phil gorden reading a book in the corner. Now I find him quite annoying so couldn't resist a little big of a dig. as I pass him I give him a big wow hi phil in my best American accent and he waves I then point to the book and ask is that super systems that he is reading but he doesnt see any humour in the comment. He says to Lyonzy and Gavin as they walk past him seconds after me "do you know that jerk", which I found quite amusing.

went into the rio at about 6 today to play a few monkey stts and went none for five which wasnt very good got very unlucky in the second and third one with four and three players left. Probably shouldnt of played really today but not to worried about losing the couple of k as the standard is bad and I'm have to run very bad not to win it back on the next sesssion of them I play.

Dont know if I'll play the $1500 tommorow theres 1800 registered allready and with a 2500 cap I'd probably have to get into the rio by 10 in the morning. As its now 5 am as i write this that seems highly unlightly.

first wsop event

second hand get AA an only manage to lose 1200 of the 3k starting stack. I'm happy to still be in as i could easily of bust here. I played very good poker in this game and had my stack up to 16k by the start of level 5 before i took a hit. I went out with about 1000 players left when I was playing 10500 chips in by the turn holding AA against a guy playing 66 on a 55 10 9 board but a 6 on the river put a pretty abrupt end to my tournament. the average at the time was 7500. Ah well there was a time when this kind of thing affected me pretty bad but what more can you do then get a guy to put his chips in when your a 95% fav.

had a good few beers last night so fairly sick atm but might venture into the venetian for there monkey game but might just chill. Really happy with how I've played so far over her and despite how I went out of he two tournaments so far I can feel the cards running a bit my way which is quite encouraging.

for any cork readers theledgendary Big Al is still in with 180 left playing 55k with the average at 48k


edit just reading card player they know I've arrived hehe
"

The $1,500 no-limit hold’em (event 35) saw a field of 2,541 that included Noah
Boeken, Roland De Wolfe, Ben Roberts, John Duthie, Nicky Power, Al Kelleher,
William Thorson, Andy Black, Pascal Perrault, Arnaud Mattern, and Rolf Slotboom.
By the end of the night, the field was whittle down to less than one-tenth."

venetian deep stack

well my first event just went into a $350 tournament in the venetian deep stack festival. Had to que for a players card and by the time I got it the tournament was full so went on the alternate list at number 52. got in the third level with 5700 of the 6k starting stack there was a total of 590 runners

At the first break I had 14500 and had just ran over the table for the 60 minutes I played. Felt really good about the table as I was talking to lyonzy and the Dangerous at the break but alas two hands back the table broke.

then it got a little funny, I was given seat 10 table one but when i got there table one had broken. Table two's seat ten was free however and a floor guy put me in but a sec later a guy comes over with the table two seat ten card so I'm off again and again its a fcuk up as there's someone in my new allocation already.

Eventually I get a table and in the second hand I get 1010 on the button after two limper's. I make it 1800 blinds are 200/400, flops Q 9 8 rainbow and the caller checks. I ask him for a count of his stack and I bet 2600 as he is playing 4400 he flat call which i find very worrying. Turn brings a rag diamond and he pushes which i gotta call; he shows Ad 6d. The guy calls over half his stack against me with A high and no draw on the flop????

Got stuck in a horrible position shortly after this when there's a raise and a caller, I decide to squeeze with 86os from the button but the BB calls. the other two fold pre the K 6 4 flop. The bb pushes for his remaining 2k. Now I know I gotta call getting these odds but don't want the table to see the 86os however folding is probably worse for my image. I call and he has K10 just a messy hand.

I went out with 230 players left playing 17k with blinds 300/600 50 ante. Guy raises early to 2100 and I pop for 6k with 88 on the button. He pushes for 10k on a 1066 flop. After a lot of deliberation I call his AK but a king on the river kills me. I win and I've 33k when the average 13.5k so a little unlucky as I felt I could of gone really deep. The venetian poker room is magic

Gonna play my first WSOP event a $1500 no limit tommorow but with 3000 starting stack not much play so getting a bit of luck early will be needed.

The house were staying here is the business pool table inside and nice swimming pool out back. All the lads staying are dead sound so a few good times ahead over the next few weeks I'm sure

Well I promised to update regularly so day one well nothing to report. got to vegas about 12.30. got ripped off by a taxi man on the way to the house which is smashing by the way. Couldn't get a taxi then for four hours felt like we were in bigbrother. Went to the rio and got a players card and had a few drinks. didn't bother playing as had been up for over48 hours. Will play tommorow

I'm Off

last post before I head tomorrow, going to play 4 bracelet events and the main event will try satt into the $5000 shorthanded but not paying into it. Some nice tournaments in the venetian and two $500 games in binions in the mini series running there which are a must I think. If I go out early in the main event hoping to play the WPT in the bellagio on the 10th of July.

I'll update the blog regularly I hope. Wish me luck.

Main event seat

When I started this post it was to be a preview of my thoughts heading to Vegas for my first trip but ended up being about an semi interesting last day of a promotion in which I secured my main event seat. I'll do a preview of my thoughts aims for Vegas before Monday.

Well I’m off to Vegas for the first time on Tuesday the 19th of June and return flight is 19th of July. I have my main event seat which I got in a MPP race on sun and a $1500 buy in which I won in a promo in march on the same site.

The main event seat was won in an mpp race run from Dec to the end of May. A lot of play went into securing the seat mostly from heavy play in jan/feb/march. After I got the touch in the Irish open online grinding wasn’t so appealing so to keep up my points and secure the seat I used to jump into eight $2/$4 limit tables for a few hours when I was playing. I was a small looser in these and with a week to go in the promo my seat looked secure as I had about 5000 mpps to spare.

I hardly played over that weekend which was a bank holiday in England so the table wasn’t updated between Friday and Monday. When I checked it on Tuesday I got a bit of a fright as I only had 1200 points to spare, the race was running until 5 A M Friday morning, so I had to get stuck in over the next few days.

So Tuesday and Wednesday I put in 3000 points between the two days to put this in context 900 is the most points I had earned up to this point in a single day through the promo. However when I look at the table leading into the final day Thursday I’m only have about 700 points to spare and all the other guys pushing for a seat have been hitting 2K+ points in the previous few days so its going to be a long Day.

OK then its fine just going to have to put in a long day on the Thursday but one problem my bankroll on the site. When I started the rush for points on the Tuesday I had $3k but went on a bad downswing so starting Thursday I had about $800. I have money on other sites but it would take 24 hours to get into neteller, which I’ve kept empty since their troubles. Sun nor Neteller wouldn’t accept my laser and I don’t have a credit card so I just started playing with the $800 10 tables $2/$4 limit at 1 P M.

By 3 I’m down to $300 and worried I ring Flipper to see if he has any cash on Neteller, which he doesn’t but tells me to hang on. A few minutes later he get Niall O’ Callahan to transfer the last €260 he has on Neteller to me (he had cleared his account for Vegas). Dropped to six tables but was in trouble by 9, tried to lodge using my brothers card to no avail and Alex Collier tried ringing Sun but they wouldn’t allow him to transfer or lodge money to my account.

At this stage I’m getting desperate and have a couple of offers to dump chips on a heads up table. I didn’t want to risk my account been frozen which happened to me last year on another crypto skin when I dumped $1k to Danny (both accounts still frozen). So its 12 A M I’ve given up on getting cash into the account and I have a total of $120 between three tables and can see all the other contenders lashing into it. Well I somehow keep the three tables going for the next 5 hours at the end I had $226 in the account and had made it by 287 MPPs less then two hours play.

The irony of all this was that amount on money I had in the bank and chunks of cash laying around the house. I’m very grateful to OCallagh and flipper for sorting that €260 because that’s what got me there in the end.

Q&A

Richie from bigslick asked me to do a Q&A for there site, the outcome is posted below


1 do you prefer live or online poker, Answer live but you have to play online if you want to make money at poker.

2 do you prefer Omaha or holdem, Answer holdem, Omaha to me is a game of jamming it in 60/40 situations but my limited experience is based on full ring games’ I’m sure Omaha gets more complex shorthanded.

3 tournament or cash games, Answer tourney I just don’t find cash games that interesting however later in the year I’m going to concentrate on cash on line because that’s where the money is

4 how often do u play; Answer depends I’ve been playing a lot the last few months but cant really quantify how much I’d say somewhere on average between 30 and 50 hours a week.

5 what’s ur favourite venue. Answer that famous pub game in 19; TV table in the burlinging comes a bad second

6 whats ur most memorable poker moment; Answer I think winning the main event at the macau winter festival in December 2005; at the time a lot of people thought I was cracked paying €1000 entry to a tournament while to me it was a natural progression. To win was proof that I as right

7 how long have u been playing; Answer first played holdem in September 2004 started playing regularly when blazing aces opened April 05.

8 how long have u been a pro, Answer I don’t think I have ever told anyone that I’m a professional poker player although poker is my only income. I have a vision of what a pro is and I’m not there yet

9 who has been ur toughest opponent so far; Answer padraig Parkinson, the only time I have felt in the presence of genius on a poker table, it’s nothing specific that I can put my finger on but I just felt this guy was different class and over the last two year’s I have played with most of the named pro’s from England and Ireland

10 what’s the next big tourney u plan to play; Answer I’m off to Vegas so the main event but will play a few bracelet events before that. If I don’t get a run in the WSOP I hope to play the WPT event in the bellagio on the 10th of July

11whats ur favourite aspect of poker; Answer winning

12 whats ur least favourite aspect of poker; Answer losing

13 how do u feel ur playing at the moment; Answer I’m playing OK and I’m not running well, if I start to play well and run good I will do some serious damage in Vegas.

14 who do u most admire on the local, national & international scene and why; Answer having played all over the country I know that that standard locally is very good. There are probably about 15 quality players in Waterford but for some reason over the last four months the standard is dropping rather then improving which is puzzling me. Nationally well I’ve played most of the big games in the last 18 months and I can’t see anyone who stands clear of the pack. Dave O’ Callaghan is a class player who will win big and you cant argue with flippers results but there’s no one head and shoulders above the pack. On the world stage well I want to play with them to make my mind up not watch or read about them. The best I’ve played with are Parkinson and Vaswani.

15whats ur long term poker ambition; Answer to be able to play and compete in the top tournaments I have never been a goals oriented person so I find it hard to set targets for myself. I’m more inclined to think wouldn’t it be nice to be playing all the WTP and EPT events rather then I will be playing them in say two years

16 outside poker, how do u relax....no jumper stories please; Answer I like a game of golf and the odd drink; I’m also a regular glue sniffer which I find quite relaxing.

17 whos the funniest player u ever had at ur table (apart from urself) Answer Sideshow is always great to have on a table yeh he probably stands out

18 whos the most intimidating player u ever had at ur table. Answer Had a good think about this and don’t think I have ever been really intimidated on a table

19 whats ur biggest cash in a tournament to date; Answer €100,000 this years open’ never thought I could be gutted winning that much but I was

20 how do u psyche urself up for a big tourney; Answer listen to the music from rocky three “ eye of the tiger “

21 i-pod,shades,hat or hoody or none of the above; Answer shades if hung over or at the end of a long days play I cant understand listening to music playing live poker.

22 whats ur favourite online site, Answer I’ve always liked the cryptologic network, That’s willhill littlewoods sun betsafe ect

23 whos the biggest fish uv played with; Answer I’ve played with many very bad players who think there very good, in my mind these are the biggest fish rather then the poor mugs who have no idea. I’m not going to name one person but the biggest donator was Fred

24 whos the biggest rock uv played with; Answer HMM Whitty, Alan O’ Goram and Dave MaC was fairly tight in his day 25 when u play online do u look for certain opponents; Answer Na mostly just play systematic in stts so not an issue

26 suited connecters or small pocket pair early or late in a tourney; Answer I just play situations so I never have a predetermined way to play a specific hand

27 who was ur biggest influence in poker; Answer I used to watch late night poker before I knew how to play the game, this sounds a bit off the wall but I also knew that a lot of players on it weren’t any good so before I knew how to play I knew I could be better then many of the named pros. This has to have been a major influence

28 what did u do b4 u were a pro; Answer the last two jobs I gave up were in an accountancy firm I also stopped lecturing in accountancy part-time at WIT

29 in general, do u play the cards or the player; Answer well you play both you also play your image. Building a table image has become a more prominent aspect to me over the last year. But sometimes in tournament’s it can be worthless because you just get moved.

30 whats ur poker nickname; Answer none but a few people have started to call me teapot when I’m all in lately

31 pocket 2's pump 'em or dump 'em; Answer pump em sure there as close to AA as KK

The GCSOP Main Event

The GCSOP Main Event

This was the final event of a series run for the last week on the cryptologic network. I hardly ever play online mtts as they are a tilt magnet for me and generally psychologically damage me so there more trouble then their worth. However the structure on this one caught my attention yesterday. It was a £1000+50 buy in, £225000 guarantee with a magical 10,000 starting stack, 30 minute levels and all the levels in starting at 10-20. Now isn’t that just lovely. Anyhow played a few satts in and got in on my last attempt costing me about £370 in total for the seat. There was 197 starters so a 28k overlay..

The game starts at 4 pm and straight away I clock this maniac who is button to my BB. In the first three levels he yoyo’s 10k to 15k down to 7k up to 25k and down to 4k playing about 70% of pots. I haven’t gotten over 11k or fewer than 9k when I played my first hand with him in level four. Two limper's and he makes it 450 I call with Ac10c from the button as does one of the limper. Flop comes Kc Jc 6x first guy checks and the maniac pushes for about 8k; I call and river the flush. I typed into the chat box “ figured out the A could have been good against that nut “. He was still there and said it was a risky call but that I was probably right. He then continued to rail me for a good while typing encouraging stuff which I found rather funny considering I had just called him a nut.

Got my stack up to 40k quickly picking up 10k in two AK hands. The first there was a 450 raise and call, I made it 2100 from SB. The initial raiser folds and second guy calls. Flop is a king high rainbow and I bet 3300 and get raised to 7800, he folds to a push. Then pick up another 10k in a AK v QQ race. So after two hours I’m cruising comfortable in the top 10. I stay in the top ten for the next seven levels but then take a few hits and drop down to 30k but get it back to 60k by taking down a few preflop pots.

I only saw one hand (JJ) from about 9.30 until I went out at 12 after 8 hours play. When the bubble was approaching I wasn’t aggressive and settled on sitting into the money really. Its nothing something that I do often but with €3300 for tenth to twentieth I figured to sit in and just have a gamble when it bust was probably the sensible thing to do. But the cards were so bad there wasn’t that much I could of done anyhow. I was down to 10BBs and pushed Ad7d into aces to exit the tournament in 18th. All in all I enjoyed this, as I said I hardly ever play mtts online but I might start playing a few more.

Macau €1500

Macau €1500

The Macau is probably my favourite place to play cards and I was looking forward to this as the previous three festivals I attended have brought some kind of a result. It didn’t start to well as I said to Danny before we left the hotel I hoped I didn’t get the table at the back of the club, which I duly did. That set of tables can get sweltering in the summer and the back one is the worst.

Dave O Callaghan, Connor Doyle and John Quinn were at the table. Very first hand I look down at AK in the BB but the alarm bell’s start ringing when my mind flicks back to the super satt on Wednesday night. When I had driven down from Waterford for the game, arrived 20 mins late but people were still registering. A new table was opening and I was allocated seat seven the only other seat occupied was seat one. The dealer dealt the first hand, eight dead ones and AK to me. I raise with AK and get a call and an A75 rainbow flop. I raise get re-raised and I push AQ calls and hits a Q on the river. So one hand heads up after a two-hour drive and it was back to the car. Well thankfully I took down the pot uncontested.

My first two levels can only be described as terrible. The last time I played this badly was over fifteen month’s at Connie’s festival in Feb 2006. I was down to under 3000 chips and went for a little walk before I donked the rest off to clear my head, as with the 75-minute clock I knew I could get back into it.

The table broke shortly after and I moved to a much better aired part of the club. Danny, Skelator and Ken O Regan were at my new table all of who’s game I know well. Got a fast double up and then nursed my stack up to about 10k. A semi interesting hand then occurred. A five way limped pot brought a forth spade on the river on an unpaired checked all the way board. I was BB and after Tom Hanlen checked I bet 450 into the 1000 pot with the king of spades. There’s two callers back to tom who makes it 3000. After quite a bit of deliberation I called and he mucked. I thought it was a great play by him but I called because I thought him capable of the play, as he is predominantly an Omaha player. Finished day one on 16500 when the average was 18300 I think.

Day two started well enough and I was up to 30k within the first hour. The first hands I can remember on day two were against halibut. Hand one I raised early with AQs to 2500 he pushed for about 10. He had been card dead so I put him on a wide range and his 88 doubled him up. The very next hand I get QQ put in the standard and he calls. Flop is three rag spades. I don’t have a spade and fire in a bet that’s slightly bigger then the pot leaving about 12k behind. He pushes after some thought. Now the way it played out I was confident that I was up against a middle pair, sure enough when I call he’s got 99 including the spade. Q on the turn and a paired board on the river put me on 40k. Shortly after I was moved with the field down to about 50 I think.

At this stage I seem to be getting some momentum. I pick 10k in each of two pots I played well. The first when I make a good call on the river with second pair against a Scandi. The second when I check raise an English chap with 77 on a Q94 flop, it was blind on blind and I had raised from the small pre flop.

I’m comfortable enough over the next two hours when I get two big pots. The first is a 90k pot against Tim (pipert on boards) all in pre, me AA Tim JJ. The second one a guy raises 20k from the cut-ff playing 30k I’m SB with JJ and put him in for his remaining ten which he has to call with K10, I hold up. Suddenly I’m close to the chip lead and think I take that spot with about 20 left when I read Alex Lopez for pushing light over my KQ button raise, that was another 60k pot. I’m right and his K10 is no good.

So were down to two tables and I’m chip leader when the following hand occurred. I raise from utg with AdKd to 10.5k blinds are 3000/1500 with ante of 300. After a bit of banter from mid position player (Sylvester) with 75k min raised to 22k. he seemed in a bit of conflict as what to do. I haven't played with him long enough to know his game but confident from what’s gone on that I'm not looking at AA KK. I push and get called by QQ and although I hit two diamonds on the flop I don’t improve.

This was a real momentum stopper and I end the day about an hour later with 82k having dropped to 60. I quite happy to get out of there with a playable stack after a long 12-hour day and feel I can do well the next day. Twice before I had entered a final days play in the macau and won outright once and chopped another so was feeling confident as I went back to the hotel.

Well the next day was a disaster, basically had a brainfart the 6th hand of the day. I pushed over the top of a button raise with pocket two's which in it's self isn't that bad but the fact that the client just wasn't a light raiser or a person capable of putting down a hand makes it just pure shocking. I was fairly annoyed with myself but reflecting on it now, well it’s a mistake and all players make them.

Reflecting on the tournament I should of got more out of it; if I win the race I’ve got over 20% of the chips in play 4 off the bubble. I know I can dominate the tournament from here but wasn’t to be. The first €1000 buy-in tournament that I played was in the Macau Dec 2005 which I won. Now I have played a total of 9 1k or more buy-in events in the intervening 18 months and cashed in four, which has to be a pleasing stat. My last four large fields events since the end of February read 4th of 240, 6th of 708 33rd of 181 and 13th of 121 this is all the more pleasing as I know I haven’t been running well.