My tournament only lasted about 4 levels eventually going out with top pair on the flop to an overpair. I lost most of my chips earlier when I flopped top pair and flushdraw and got it in against a Frenchman's second pair and over-card. I played the PLO and got a good stack together but went out in the last three tables in a huge pot holding top and bottom pair and nut flush draw verses a set.
The premise of the IPO is to bring big time poker to the masses and an amazing turnout of 1,440 says there doing something right. I had Andy Black and Neill Channing on my tables over the weekend and while I'm a little past being starstruck by poker players. I'm also sure that if I was just starting out like many of the field, I'd of been very grateful of the opportunity to mix it up with two of the biggest names in the game.
Eight of us headed from the Regency to the K-club for an Ireland verses England ryder cup type challenge, playing both courses. We slaughtered them in the fourballs on the European course. Myself and captain Marty Smyth winning 8&7 with Paul Spillane and John O'Shea winning 7&6.
We basically thought we just had to turn up the next day but Julian Gardner rallied his troops and to my amazement anyway, the English took the first three matches. It was down to me to win my match against Tristan McDonald to save us from having to give the old enemy a free weekend at the K-club. One up going to the 18th on the magical Smurfit course I wrapped it up with a super 8 iron to eight feet to the island green. Marty had priced up the matches and I had €450 at 4/6 on myself while Julian had a nice little monkey double on me, 4/6 and himself 10/11. Looks like there's a rematch planned for Celtic Manor early next year so looking forward to that.
18th green on the Smurfit course
