I drove to Dundalk to collect Paul Spillane, then to Dublin for the ferry to Holyhead. Leaving the ferry for the long drive across Wales, my sat nav jacked. I was driving in rush hour traffic without a clue where I was going, so I decided to stop at a garage to get a map.
Tired and a wee bit stressed, I somehow managed to mistake the services entrance and went the wrong way onto a slip road for the motorway. Luckily, I copped it and got into reverse just in time to avoid an on coming truck. Paul was of course obliviously snoozing through the lot and will never know how close he came to an untimely end.
Good craic at the golf, although that Ryder Cup course has way too many 430 yard par fours for my liking.
Headed off to Manchester, refreshed and determined to put my abysmal record in England right. I lasted four levels over two tournaments.
I played three hands of any consequence in the main event. The first, I flopped top two with AK and should have folded by the river, against Rob Taylor's flopped set of kings. The second I folded Jacks as an over pair on the turn and got shown kings.
The third, and exit hand was rather unique. I started the hand with 
5500, blinds 75/150 raising AK to one caller. When I C-bet 700 on a 10 7 2 rainbow flop, my opponent asked how much I had behind. He then proceeded to push enough chips to cover me over the line, but announced call while doing so.
It was deemed a call of my 700 bet. Obviously I was finished with the hand, until I paired my King on the turn. I bet small and he put me in holding pocket nines and blinked another on the river, GG!
My performance in the £330 side event can be best described as embarrassing.
I was happy enough to get out of Manchester by Sunday. The generic Grosvenor Casino isn't my favourite place to play poker; if I'm honest I find them rather depressing. I'll probably play the Scottish and maybe Brighton leg of this tour but won't be rushing back for the £500 legs.
