Cardplayer

I've somehow managed to nip onto the cover of this months Cardplayer Europe. Rebecca McAdams was very nice to me in this linked piece. Although I feel calling me a role model is probably taking her artistic licence a little far. Cardplayer

CPT final Carlow

Firstly, huge kudos to John on his magnificent run at the WPT Championship. I know John will be gutted, but he can take great pride from such a brilliant performance.

With John's drive and talent, it's only a matter of time before he scoops a major title on the world stage.

The Celtic Poker Tour grand final had a €1,100 buy-in and 130 starters, with a 20,000 starting stack and one hour clock. For the top players in the country there is no greater value event on the poker calendar.

As I write this, it's down to four players including Dara, Jason Tompkins and Sean Prenderville with Donal O'Connor finishing an unlucky seventh. I think any knowledgeable person looking at the line-up would have the four lads in there top ten to run deep.

The CPT is more or less a rural tour and has a big following of a similar demographic, who more or less play the same style. Basically plenty of limp calling and never folding top pair.

The early levels were a bit of a minefield. Every open got 4/5 callers and every limper is calling 100% of their limp range. This is fine when you're hitting flops but if you're not, the best policy is probably giving up. The early levels here are about getting value from your made hands, I feel bluffing is not wise.

Couldn't get anything going until level three, where I picked up a good pot when I raised A6 and hit top two and another with the bullets.

Was cruising along nicely with 45k, when I get QQ in the small blind. Short stack pushed for 1600 and he was min raised from mid-position. I was fairly sure the raiser had a big hand, so I gave him a bit of talk about how his kings were in big trouble. His reaction confirmed to me that I was right.

I probably should have just folded the Queens, as I wasn't getting the odds to mine for his 23k, I just didn't want to and hit a Q33 flop. The other player had 5k left by the time the river King hit. I was so sure of his hand that I actually check called the 5k reluctantly into the 40k pot.

Had the king not hit, I'd have been on 70k with two hours play left, the chip lead at the end of play for the day was under 80k.

I buckled down for the rest of the day and managed to finish on 34k ahead of the average.

I had a great table but unfortunately it broke early on day two. My new table was harder with Sean Prenderville, Donal O'Connor and Bops on it.

Third or fourth hand on the table, I four bet Sean light. My following button I opened KdQd and Sean 3-bet me again from the BB. I peeled a low flop and floated his C-bet. My plan was going fine when he checked the turn but became unhinged when he shoved over my bet.

Gutsy move with the A8, for ace high which he showed, I would have called very light, just not K high light (just see result now and Sean went onto win it so at least the chips were put to good use).

This dropped me just under the starting stack, which was decimated further in a race AK v 99. I wilted away soon after.

I enjoyed the event; it was well run with a great structure and good atmosphere.

With a third of the year over my results have been woeful. I suppose I should be a bit worried about this, but I'm not. I've really only played a hand full of tournaments this year. I have a decent understanding of what variance can do to you from my STT days and I'm not panicking just yet.

I'm actually in a very positive place with the game mentally. I've been playing a bit more the last few weeks and I'm really enjoying playing. If I'm honest my enthusiasm for the game had weaned seriously for about a six months period.

I can't put my finger on the reason for the inertia in that period. I guess it's just a natural cycle. When you've spent as much time doing anything, as I have playing poker over the past five years, there's bound to be a flat spot. I'm just very happy to be hungry to play and still enjoying it.

No Joy but Good Times

I headed to the Burlington Thursday evening, full of the hope that the poker gods would shine on me and my name would be on the trophy come Monday evening. I'll be back next year with the same optimism.

Decided on playing the super satellite late. Mainly as a ploy to keep me out of trouble. It worked as I managed to pass the bar, which was hopping upon my exit at 2 am

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I knew Jay Renehan and recognised a couple a couple of other Irish lads at my starting table. It looked a decent draw until top English pro's Andy Ward and Laurence Houghton filled the two empty seats after about 30 minutes

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I had dropped to 7,500 after finding and in two hands where opponents chased draws and hit. I was happy I had lost the minimum.

After another level the table was broken. Andrew Grimason was running the show on my new table, which was far more aggro than the first.

The early and were the only two hands I had for the first six hours. All I really could do was to maintain my stack between 9k and 11k for this time

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Towards the end of level six, the chip leader at the table limped in early position, the first limp in three hours. Another three followed and I made up the small blind with . The flop of was rather pleasing. However, I started to think it might not be my day when all five checked the flop behind and then folded to my small lead when a second suit Jack hit the turn.

My exit came on a new table shortly into level seven. Jason Tompkins opened the button to 1,100 and I re-popped to 3,400 holding off suit with the intention of calling a shove. Unfortunately he held .

Jason is a player I've played against over the years and has developed into one of the best in the country. My initial reaction was it was a cooler as Jason's range for opening here is any two cards.

Given time to digest the hand, I should probably fold when he pushes. Our stack sizes were practically identical. And as he knows I'd seldom raised/folded over 8 of my 23 blinds here, he almost always had me crushed when he shoved.

Another fantastic run from Pete Murphy. His record in reaching final tables in major Irish tournaments over the last two years is phenomenal. It really is just a matter of time until he gets his hands on a major title.

I was gutted for runner up Paul Carr. Paul's a top lad and regular at every festival in the country. He put up an epic showing and but for a cruel river would of been crowned champion. When the dust settles, I'm sure he'll take some solace from the €312k cheque and his place assured in Irish poker history.

Having exited the tournament, it was onto the back up plan of Marty's s

tag. Marty was a little surprised to find himself handcuffed to a dwarf for 24 hours. He was probably more surprised to find the dwarf spooning him in bed the next morning.

The following week was spent golfing at the fabulous Lough Erne Golf Resort. We did take a day off from the golf for Marty's wedding.

A fantastic week, in a smashing spot with the best of company, good times.

Irish Open

Easter weekend is the most important annual religious feast in the Christian liturgical year. For poker players in Ireland, it means one thing; the most important tournament of the year is upon us.

The Irish Open is Europe's longest running poker festival. The significance of the event in Ireland can be gleaned from the fact that the prize-pool on offer is greater than the next five major Irish events cumulative prize pools totalled.

The tournament has two major changes from last year; the structure and venue.

The structure for the Irish Open this year sees a couple of needed extra levels added. Also, those lucky enough to make day two will see an increase in the duration of each level from 60 to 75 minutes.

While these are major improvements, I still can't understand the resistance to an increase of starting chips from ten thousand. Sooner or later the stakeholders will have to fall in line with every other major poker event in the world and give a larger starting stack.

This year's tournament sees a return to the 2007 IO venue, the Burlington Hotel. I'm not aware of the reasons for the move from the City West, but both are great locations, so another fantastic festival can be expected.

The last time the Burlo held the event, I was lucky enough to be part of an epic final table. The final nine in 2007 included Peter Eastgate, Roland De Wolfe, Sorel Mizzi and eventual champion Marty Smyth.

I finished sixth for €100,000 having entered the final day 2/7 in chips, I was so disappointed upon my exit, that I drove straight home and didn't leave the house for three days! I somehow don't think I'd be as disappointed now about nicking 100k.

2007 was also the last time an Irishman kept the title on home soil. Hopefully we can see off the raiders this year.

If the budget needed for the Open is beyond your bankroll, the Bank Casino Cork are running an alternative festival. This have a main event buy in of €275 and hosts three side events, so something for most pockets on offer.

Tight Kerry men

Kerry men have in general attained a reputation for playing tight poker. I saw this taken to a new level at the Paddy's day Deep Stack extravaganza at the Macau Casino Cork.

In the main event a Kerry player smooth called the river with a royal flush, in the round of each side event I saw another check behind the river holding the nuts. Loosen up lads.

The Main Tournament was a €440 buy in with 73 runners and boasted a 50,000 starting stack.

I was critical of the recent European Deep Stack's structure and this wasn't much different. I'm not saying these tournaments don't have merit and deserve a place on the calendar, just that the structures need to be a bit more balanced.

Of the 73 that started day one, 68 made day two, so we lost just shy of 7% of the field on the first day. This isn't enough and playing the day just all seemed so pointless to be honest.

I feel leaving out the 25/50 and 75/150 levels while introducing the ante at 100/200 would improve these structures no end.

My tournament itself was going fine until we hit level nine (500/1000-100 ante) when I lost a bunch of chips to a chap who considered 42s a profitable hand to play out of position. I had raised his limp pre and stuck in a good flop bet with my Queens on a flop.

I suppose I could have folded the river after checking behind when a second two hit the turn, but I'm a bit of a station.

Shortly following that hand, I lost the main chunk of my chips all in pre holing v . After a minor rally I went out two levels later in a button cut off exchange holding against stalwart of the Cork poker scene, Zeke Tuits Aces.

I did play the round of each tournament, but no good. Shout out to the three lads from my local club in Waterford; Shamu, Eric and lucky Colin Fardy who chopped it three handed.

Poker For The Homeless

The Jackpot was the venue for this wonderful event. Its a great testament to the players that numbers were up on last year in these recessionary times and €15,000 was raised for such a worthy cause.

Padraig Parkinson deserves a lot of credit for the work he and his team put into to these events. It's pretty unusual to see Padraig getting players out of the pub to start the tournament as we did on Friday night.

Fridays game was €100 freezeout and had a tremendous atmosphere.

There was a virtual horse race where the entrants were auctioned off. Eddie Walsh's horse won and Eddie proceeded to donate his €1,600 first prize to the charity; a super gesture.

Top trainer Philip Rothwell gave an impromptus preview of the Cheltenham festival which was well received by all the players, I'll reserve judgement until his tips run.

Former international prop-forward Reggie Corrigan was one of the celebrity players. It was quiet funny seeing the bouncer refusing Reggie entry when I was leaving. Reggie being the easy going type he is; thankfully for the bouncers sake, also saw the funny side of it.

Twenty seven teams turned up on Sunday for the four-man team event. My team consisted of Ray Kent, Pat Storan, Marty Smyth and myself.

It was touch and go whether Marty made it as he was still in the blackbelt tournament in the Vic in London late on Saturday night. Being the Champ he is he managed to lose his chips just in time before play ended.

All to no avail though as Marty exited early on Sunday, he did however stay in long enough to win the last longer bet with me.

All in all a great weekends poker, its not often that the participation is more important then the winning where poker events are concerned, but on this occasion that's certainly the case.

Bandit

Marty brought a bandit to the K Club last week for the golf, but he didn't do it right. Kevin played off twenty and did what all good golf hustlers do, just scraped home for his team on day one. Then on day two when the stakes were up, he shot the lights out, hitting a magnificent 38 points on the Smurfit course to secure a 14 point victory for his team.

What did Marty do wrong? He teamed Kevin with me, TY TY Mr Smyth.

Over dinner he told me the story of how the week before he laid his mate 50/1 on Marty to win an arm-wrestle. The mind boggles that he actually went on to win it, the arm-wrestle, not the bet.

I woke last Sunday refreshed after the two days at the K Club and mad to play poker. I was very happy about this, as it's a zest I've always had, but has been sadly lacking a bit lately.

I had a good look at Irishpokerboards.com to see what was on live. My choice was a €50 game in Tramore, or a €100 game in Dundalk. Instead, I decided to give the bigger online Sundays a spin.

Played about $1,200 worth of buy-ins and got a decent sweat in the warm up for a while, but ultimately died in 72nd for $1,600.

I travelled to Cork Friday night for the €275 Macau monthly tournament. Played well enough and hit the final table with the chip lead. With nine left and six paid, a few of the lads wanted to pay an extra three places for their buy-in.

I refused, as it just gave the three short stacks free reign to launch their chips. Within twenty minutes, I had doubled all three up, dropping from 180k to a shortish 60k. Over the next two hours I managed to chip it back to 220k and at 6 AM with six players remaining, I agreed to a chop based on chip counts.

This is always in favour of the big stack and I picked up €3,000, which was the second place money. Not going to retire on it, but always nice to hit any type of result when you haven't been making the first break for two months.

I had hoped to get to Dublin on Saturday but the late finish killed that plan. JP was running a tournament with a new innovative structure that by all accounts, was a great success. Hopefully I make the next one.

Not much on the calendar over the coming weeks. I won't go to Galway for the PLO, as I don't play the game and can't see the point of throwing grands away.

Friday the 12th sees the Simon charity game in the Jackpot and everyone should really try to get along to support this worthy cause.