New Boylepoker pro Nicky Power has a nice ring to it - well I think so anyway. I was delighted to secure the deal with Boyles as quite simply, it feels like getting picked to play poker for Ireland.
I've been lucky to get to know Marty Smyth and Padraig Parkinson well enough to consider both good friends over the past few years, but they are still heroes to me. Becoming a Boylepoker-sponsored player and wearing the Boyle colours alongside these guys, really is a dream come true.
I visited Boylepoker HQ last Tuesday to chat about my role with the company and had a great day. The poker team at Boyle's made me feel very welcome. While I've gotten to know Paul, Ciaran, Lisa and Gerry socially, seeing them in their working environment was a great insight into the reason Boylepoker.com has been so successful. They seem to work together with an exceptional harmony and it's clear that their mission is 100% customer focused.
We went out for a great meal Tuesday evening and then onto the pub, where Lisa totally owned me at pool. I worry a little for Marty at times; he lost money to Ciaran Corbett - in a pub called Corbett's - at some hoops game they play there. Obviously great game selection by Ciaran though.
I stayed over at Paul's gaff and we chatted into the night, mainly about golf handicaps for Vegas this year. A bit like the recent government/public union meetings, after protracted negotiations no agreement could be reached.
It was at this late night drunken chat that Paul revealed it was between Flipper and myself for a sponsorship deal. He said he couldn't decide between us and cunningly hatched a plan for a secret poll. The question Nicky Power or Flipper was added to the heads up interviews. Thankfully I was picked seventeen to one (I can't believe Boyle's gave Noel Hayes a heads up).
I feel this is a great opportunity Boyle's are giving me and hopefully I can repay them with some decent results over the coming year. I'll certainly be giving it my all anyway and can't think of a better place to start than this week's Irish Championships, which will be my first outing in the colours.