67 runners with 4 tickets up for grabs. With 12 left I push 37k into a 28k pot with top two on the turn and get call by a J high flush draw, was pretty gutted as would of given me 110k with 500k in play and a lock on one I'm sure if he misses. I know the guys flush drawing because of the speed he called my flop bet and the push is to take down the pot as I'm sure I can maneuver into a ticket from this point with over 65k and twelve left.
I'm annoyed with myself because of the way I reacted for a few seconds after the flush hit. I said to the guy how the fuck can you call that bet with the jack high flush draw and it took me a few seconds to shake his hand when he offered it. Anyone that knows me knows that I can take a real beat in my stride and never react in this manner. I think I was just in shock at the call rather then the fact that it hit. Satellite's are funny beasts. Talking to Mickste later he said that I want the call there every time and I initially agreed with him but on the drive home I started I thinking that maybe I didn't because I probably had as much chance of getting the ticket anyway as I had equity in the hand. Well done to Willie Clynnes and Paul Higgins who got in.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Macau Monthly
The Macau monthly game has changed it structure and buy in and the day it runs from Thursday to Friday. I always go down for this but it was losing numbers all last year and I was starting to feel it wasnt worth the drive as the last few were only getting 30 or so runners. There's much talk on boards about a decline in people playing so it was a great pleasure to see 97 runners last night for the new structured/buyin event. Its seems CPT has had it right all along just guarantee a decent prize-pool and the punters will come. In fairness Ken had promoted the event all month and did many satellites but I think 97 runners is a resounding success. I got off to a great start but the blinds caught up with me eventually and I went out attacking the bubble. Eight players go back today, best of luck to Caoimh whom I donated my chips to, hope he puts them to good use, he hasn't been hitting the results of late but is a great player and overdue. Now that I think of it most of the Cork lads seem to be back on form. I have to give Noel Magnier a mention after his great win in Killarney last week; why? because I think he might beat me up if I don't; have you seen the size of this guy.
I'm doing a Q&A tread on boards ATM, haven't answered that many questions yet but will get stuck into them over the next few days.
I'm doing a Q&A tread on boards ATM, haven't answered that many questions yet but will get stuck into them over the next few days.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
feels like home
After about seven months in online limbo I started back playing 6 man stts again this week. I had messed around with a bit of NLH and PLO cash over the last few months but just cant get the willpower, motivation or enjoyment from playing either to stick with it. Shorthanded stts were always my online niche and what I always played so it feels like coming home. I know many onliners look down at stts but I've always enjoyed the 6 handed version and never really tire of playing them. I'm running up a small deposit on a new site so playing lower then i used to for a while but made a tidy €1400 on the week including rakeback over 250 games which is encouraging and good to see I haven't lost my touch at them. I also get a great sense of satisfaction running a small deposit into a decent roll on a new site. In general I have never looked to be a big winner online and always said if I could grind out an average of €600 to €800 a week for 20 or so hours play that this would be sufficient for me. Kinda treat it as a basic wage with the live touches being the bonuses. LINK
On a side note; I love golf and miss playing this time of year, TBH I'm shite at it and not a winter golfer but play at least three times a week in good weather. I also love watching and betting on golf. Over the last few months my sleep pattern would be dictated by skys broadcasts from the far east. This morning it was 7 am from Abu Dhabi. I do quite well from my golf punting. Generally I trade off when I can and was able to do so this week with 36 holes of the tournament left to play as my punt Martin Kaymer is seven shots clear at the half way stage. There is no sweeter feeling in punting then to see all the runners on the betfair screen in green colours ( which means that whoever wins the event you collect ). I've been watching Kaymer for the last six months and have no doubt that this guy is the real deal. I think he will become a phonomanon ( as good as Els rather then Woods though ) over the next few years and will be a future winner of the US open.
On a side note; I love golf and miss playing this time of year, TBH I'm shite at it and not a winter golfer but play at least three times a week in good weather. I also love watching and betting on golf. Over the last few months my sleep pattern would be dictated by skys broadcasts from the far east. This morning it was 7 am from Abu Dhabi. I do quite well from my golf punting. Generally I trade off when I can and was able to do so this week with 36 holes of the tournament left to play as my punt Martin Kaymer is seven shots clear at the half way stage. There is no sweeter feeling in punting then to see all the runners on the betfair screen in green colours ( which means that whoever wins the event you collect ). I've been watching Kaymer for the last six months and have no doubt that this guy is the real deal. I think he will become a phonomanon ( as good as Els rather then Woods though ) over the next few years and will be a future winner of the US open.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Connie's Kingdom
Lakes of Killarney festival
Had a great weekend down in Kerry as ever. While poker is the premise for the weekend in Kerry it usually means meeting up with the cork crew and a good piss up. The last time I was down in Connie's club I finished sixth but had no recollection of the final table. I wasn't intending drinking that much on the way down as I had been stuck in bed sick all week and in fairness I didn't get stuck into the drink until play finished on day one. JPs room was the venue for some great stts early Saturday morning with myself caoimh bomber weafer sideshow lucky jimmy jp and skeletor. The craic was mighty but I'd of hated to of been the maid that had to clean that mess.
The tournament itself started very well for me and I had over 35k at the dinner break. I lost 13k in a very strange hand second hand back after the break and bounced between 20/40k for the next eight levels. I lost a 50k race with QQ v AK well into day two and somehow managed to get my last 21k into the middle with As7s v AK v AK shortly after to go out with under 50 of the 160 starters left in. Pat cashed for 4k in sixth so that covered my entry.
As a player I think that the 15k starting stack 60 minute clock is the optimum structure. But something I've only seen in Kerry and really like which is a Connie patent is the introduction of the antes at 500/1000 with a repeat level here + the 100 ante. I think structure wise it don't get any better then the weekend. Generally the average stack was over 40 bigblinds and didn't drop below 25 at any stage in the main event.
Also, well Done to the Cork lads who had a great weekend especially my bro's Skeletor and the Show. Theres no show like the Sideshow.
Had a great weekend down in Kerry as ever. While poker is the premise for the weekend in Kerry it usually means meeting up with the cork crew and a good piss up. The last time I was down in Connie's club I finished sixth but had no recollection of the final table. I wasn't intending drinking that much on the way down as I had been stuck in bed sick all week and in fairness I didn't get stuck into the drink until play finished on day one. JPs room was the venue for some great stts early Saturday morning with myself caoimh bomber weafer sideshow lucky jimmy jp and skeletor. The craic was mighty but I'd of hated to of been the maid that had to clean that mess.
The tournament itself started very well for me and I had over 35k at the dinner break. I lost 13k in a very strange hand second hand back after the break and bounced between 20/40k for the next eight levels. I lost a 50k race with QQ v AK well into day two and somehow managed to get my last 21k into the middle with As7s v AK v AK shortly after to go out with under 50 of the 160 starters left in. Pat cashed for 4k in sixth so that covered my entry.
As a player I think that the 15k starting stack 60 minute clock is the optimum structure. But something I've only seen in Kerry and really like which is a Connie patent is the introduction of the antes at 500/1000 with a repeat level here + the 100 ante. I think structure wise it don't get any better then the weekend. Generally the average stack was over 40 bigblinds and didn't drop below 25 at any stage in the main event.
Also, well Done to the Cork lads who had a great weekend especially my bro's Skeletor and the Show. Theres no show like the Sideshow.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
IPC trip review
Headed up Thursday and had a few drinks rather then play the super sat. The first hand I played in the main event was against Neill Channing where I lost 1000 chips making a very bad river call with top pair, the call on the turn wasn't as bad as I held an open ended straight flush draw. I picked up a few small pots before I was moved to the TV table.
Wasn't in anyway nervous about being put on the TV table but TBH would of been more comfortable getting on it at the business end of the tournament rather then the start. It wasn't to matter much as i was there for a total of two preflop folds and my exit hand. I raised UTG to 150 with 7c8c and Mike Sexton makes it 450. Now I probably should fold here as I'm out of position but 300 is 3% of my chips and I fancy playing a hand. I probably wanted to show off and pawn Sexton on TV if truth be known.
Anyhow the flop brings Jh 8h 7x and I lead for 1000 he thinks for a while and repops for 3500. I think I say out loud "three jacks Mike naw" and then push to be shown three jacks. I generally think fast and if the hand is shown on tv it might look as an insta push but I figured my hand played well against what he will raise with on this flop AA KK QQ JJ AhKh. I hope they don't show the interview I did after my exit, while I don't have any nerves about playing on TV I'm not good at interviews especially immediately post exit. So it was off to the bar for a good drink, Connie and Marty Smyth also went in level one so had some good company anyhow.
Pat Storan was flying and up to 50k before a few setbacks but went back for day two with over 30k and well in the top 15%. I cant help but feel that I added to his demise, when I woke Saturday morning his bed was rearranged near the hallway of the hotel room. I knew straight away that this was as a direct effect of my snoring. The lads used to give a hard time over it in Vegas this year but the noise never bothered me. Pat had a bad day where nothing went right eventually going out about four levels in having been crippled for a decent pot when he called a K10 push with AQ.
Jude Ainsworth went on to win it. I don't know Jude well but I'm great mates with his good friend Derek greenrizla Murry. Derek has always spoken very highly of Jude as a player and was very confident he would take it down from a long way out. I'm sure it wont be the last we hear of him.
Played the €750 and never saw a card. I played a good TAG game but never got going eventually going out with 28 left AQos Vs the AQs of big Al. It was good to see Donal, semibluff from boards get into a 4 way chop in this. Pat had a similar tournament to me but got a bit of a rush going late and had a real chance until some guy pushed for 27k with 910 into Pats QQ and hit 910 crippling him, eventually going out 24th.
Didn't bother with the €500 game on Sunday, experience has shown me that I might as well back liverpool to win the premiership as play these last events of a festival. The move to Galway for the event went well I think and pokerevents have cemented the IPC as one of the majors for the Irish poker calendar without doubt.
Wasn't in anyway nervous about being put on the TV table but TBH would of been more comfortable getting on it at the business end of the tournament rather then the start. It wasn't to matter much as i was there for a total of two preflop folds and my exit hand. I raised UTG to 150 with 7c8c and Mike Sexton makes it 450. Now I probably should fold here as I'm out of position but 300 is 3% of my chips and I fancy playing a hand. I probably wanted to show off and pawn Sexton on TV if truth be known.
Anyhow the flop brings Jh 8h 7x and I lead for 1000 he thinks for a while and repops for 3500. I think I say out loud "three jacks Mike naw" and then push to be shown three jacks. I generally think fast and if the hand is shown on tv it might look as an insta push but I figured my hand played well against what he will raise with on this flop AA KK QQ JJ AhKh. I hope they don't show the interview I did after my exit, while I don't have any nerves about playing on TV I'm not good at interviews especially immediately post exit. So it was off to the bar for a good drink, Connie and Marty Smyth also went in level one so had some good company anyhow.
Pat Storan was flying and up to 50k before a few setbacks but went back for day two with over 30k and well in the top 15%. I cant help but feel that I added to his demise, when I woke Saturday morning his bed was rearranged near the hallway of the hotel room. I knew straight away that this was as a direct effect of my snoring. The lads used to give a hard time over it in Vegas this year but the noise never bothered me. Pat had a bad day where nothing went right eventually going out about four levels in having been crippled for a decent pot when he called a K10 push with AQ.
Jude Ainsworth went on to win it. I don't know Jude well but I'm great mates with his good friend Derek greenrizla Murry. Derek has always spoken very highly of Jude as a player and was very confident he would take it down from a long way out. I'm sure it wont be the last we hear of him.
Played the €750 and never saw a card. I played a good TAG game but never got going eventually going out with 28 left AQos Vs the AQs of big Al. It was good to see Donal, semibluff from boards get into a 4 way chop in this. Pat had a similar tournament to me but got a bit of a rush going late and had a real chance until some guy pushed for 27k with 910 into Pats QQ and hit 910 crippling him, eventually going out 24th.
Didn't bother with the €500 game on Sunday, experience has shown me that I might as well back liverpool to win the premiership as play these last events of a festival. The move to Galway for the event went well I think and pokerevents have cemented the IPC as one of the majors for the Irish poker calendar without doubt.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Dam, Galway
Any year I went to the Galway races I always returned home skint. Over the last 30 months I've travelled to Galway on about six occasions to play tournaments and have never made the money. This years IPC festival was going to be different, well on the drive up it was anyhow. I had once driven to Galway for a tournament, a four hour drive got knocked out in the second hand and drove straight home again. Actualy I'm kinda convinced that I just dont run good in that place, you see!
The first real poker tournament that I ever played was in june 2005 in the westwood hotel galway; a €400 two day event. The previous Monday I had started a new job with an accounting firm in Dungarvan. I was told I had the job that friday, great but dungarvan is 30 miles from waterford which posed a slight problem. I had never driven a car in my life before that friday when I bought one to drive to the new job in that Monday.
The next friday I rang in sick ( great commitment I know ) and head off, new map in glove compartment, just me in my little motor at 10 a m for the 4 hour or so drive to the €400 event. I get to Limerick about 12.30 and the traffic in the city has me stressed. I konk out at a traffic lights in the city center, restart the car in gear and bash into the car in front of me. Aggggg the guys good about it and I give him my number and drive around Limerick for about another hour totally lost before I get out of the city. Don't know where the fuck I am now but just happy to get out of the traffic.
About 45 minutes later I enter a built up area again, surely haven't made Galway yet. To right, 10 minutes later I'm back at the traffic lights that I bashed into the guy 2 hours previously; Aggggggg. I'm totally stressed by now veins bulging in my head and need to get out of the car. I stop outside a church and find what follows a bit surreal. "You give love a bad name" by Bon Jovi is blasting from the church. I go to investigate and the church is full of bikers with the bride walking down the aisle to the tune lol. This for some reason totally relieves the stress and I head off again and finally reach the venue about three hours later but well in time for the seven start.
Think there was around 140 starters but I'm amazed by the whole set up. Blazingaces the club in Waterford had been open about two months but a €20 FO was the biggest game there at the time so a tournament on this scale had me astounded. I can only remember two hands from the event, my first and exit hand. The exit hand was losing to a runner runner flush with about 30 players left. It was to set the theme for many of my visits to Galway but I should of known that after my journey up.
The first hand was a nothing hand but it showed me that I'll probably never be fazed or get stage fright in any poker game ill ever play and remembering the hand helped with a question I had being asking myself about this weeks exit hand. I said its my first big tourney I know absolutely no one there. Fintan announces that "Pro" Mick McCloskey is a bounty. I'm very naive and don't know much about pros but assume Mick must be a deadly player if he is a pro ( I'm not saying Mick is not a deadly player here it could of been anybody just that the word pro had me totally impressed). Anyhow the very first hand of the tournament cutoff limps as does Mick on the button I make up the SB with 46os. Flop totally misses me and its checked to Mick who bets and I raise to take the pot.
You see the Question I was asking myself is why the fuck did I play a 3bet pot out of position with Mike Sexton with 7c8c. Surely there easier chips to go after early in a tournament in Galway. While I don't fully know the answer remembering the mentioned hand tells me its something I've always done and basically I don't care about reputations on the table and I just want to get in there and play with anyone.
I know this post is a bit off the wall but had two much thinking time on the four hour drive home today. I'll probably do my normal trip review tomorrow which the above post was supposed to be before I digressed.
The first real poker tournament that I ever played was in june 2005 in the westwood hotel galway; a €400 two day event. The previous Monday I had started a new job with an accounting firm in Dungarvan. I was told I had the job that friday, great but dungarvan is 30 miles from waterford which posed a slight problem. I had never driven a car in my life before that friday when I bought one to drive to the new job in that Monday.
The next friday I rang in sick ( great commitment I know ) and head off, new map in glove compartment, just me in my little motor at 10 a m for the 4 hour or so drive to the €400 event. I get to Limerick about 12.30 and the traffic in the city has me stressed. I konk out at a traffic lights in the city center, restart the car in gear and bash into the car in front of me. Aggggg the guys good about it and I give him my number and drive around Limerick for about another hour totally lost before I get out of the city. Don't know where the fuck I am now but just happy to get out of the traffic.
About 45 minutes later I enter a built up area again, surely haven't made Galway yet. To right, 10 minutes later I'm back at the traffic lights that I bashed into the guy 2 hours previously; Aggggggg. I'm totally stressed by now veins bulging in my head and need to get out of the car. I stop outside a church and find what follows a bit surreal. "You give love a bad name" by Bon Jovi is blasting from the church. I go to investigate and the church is full of bikers with the bride walking down the aisle to the tune lol. This for some reason totally relieves the stress and I head off again and finally reach the venue about three hours later but well in time for the seven start.
Think there was around 140 starters but I'm amazed by the whole set up. Blazingaces the club in Waterford had been open about two months but a €20 FO was the biggest game there at the time so a tournament on this scale had me astounded. I can only remember two hands from the event, my first and exit hand. The exit hand was losing to a runner runner flush with about 30 players left. It was to set the theme for many of my visits to Galway but I should of known that after my journey up.
The first hand was a nothing hand but it showed me that I'll probably never be fazed or get stage fright in any poker game ill ever play and remembering the hand helped with a question I had being asking myself about this weeks exit hand. I said its my first big tourney I know absolutely no one there. Fintan announces that "Pro" Mick McCloskey is a bounty. I'm very naive and don't know much about pros but assume Mick must be a deadly player if he is a pro ( I'm not saying Mick is not a deadly player here it could of been anybody just that the word pro had me totally impressed). Anyhow the very first hand of the tournament cutoff limps as does Mick on the button I make up the SB with 46os. Flop totally misses me and its checked to Mick who bets and I raise to take the pot.
You see the Question I was asking myself is why the fuck did I play a 3bet pot out of position with Mike Sexton with 7c8c. Surely there easier chips to go after early in a tournament in Galway. While I don't fully know the answer remembering the mentioned hand tells me its something I've always done and basically I don't care about reputations on the table and I just want to get in there and play with anyone.
I know this post is a bit off the wall but had two much thinking time on the four hour drive home today. I'll probably do my normal trip review tomorrow which the above post was supposed to be before I digressed.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
2007, Part Deux
June/July
The best part of these two months if not the best part of the year was the 3 weeks+ I spent in Vegas. While the only result I had was the $6500 for tenth of 545 runners in the last event of the Venetian Deep Stack festival I still really enjoyed my time there and gained a lot from the experience. Actually looking back over the year that tournament in the venetian is the one that bugs me the most. I made a squeeze play with about 12 left and a guy took 5 minutes to call. With the right speech play I could of gotten him to fold ( there was history ) but I messed up. I should of gotten over $40k out of that tournament at least and it still bugs me.
I played the two events that I got on sun poker in the Rio. The first I was two outed for about a three times the average stack with over 80% of the field gone. If I could of avoided th
e river 6 I'm sure that was a definite cash. But I didn't mind the beat to much as I was happy I had played very well in my first WSOP event. I ran bad in $500 STTS I played for a few days and got a real turn against the Rio so didn't play there again until the main event which was short lived.
I said at the time that I was in no way excited about the main event and I wasn't. Looking back now it just became another tournament as I was playing a tournament most days. I think I will learn from this in future as I really should be excited about playing the WSOP main event. I loved binions and downtown.
June I made over $6000 online but it was the last month I have online records from. I basically became an online recreational player for the rest of the year. The only other event I can recall is winning the monthly €200 game in blazing aces on my first game back in the club after Vegas for about €3000.
August/September
Were pretty dead months in Ireland and didn't play anything of note. I was a small winner live looking at my records in both months and chopped a tournament on stars for $5000. Actually thinking of it now the slight profit shown live was probably from % swaps with Pat Storen rather then wins myself.
October
One of my best live profit months of the year clearing over €10,000. The bulk of this coming from a live EPT satellite in drogheda. I kept the cash and didn't play although I should of won in online as well. I was three handed for a package, me 40% of chips compleat donkey 50% of chips and a chap from galway who got it 10%, I came third.
November
A bit Like May with three major events in Ireland. I got no run in the SE or Macau €1000 games, getting one outed in the SE game. I had a good run at the Waterford tournament losing a half million pot to Jen Mason with 12 of the 285 starters remaining. The big bonus in Nov was winning an EPT Prague package for $24 on stars
December
Was a decent month, the EPT was a good experience and playing one would of been one of my goals at the start of the year. I won entry to the IPC for €200 in blazingaces and chopped €500 games in Drogheda and Limerick which wrapped up my year nicely. I think when the GJP Irish Rankings are finalised I will be 7th for the year. Not bad but I feel a little unlucky in these as I won or chopped about five events that just failed to reach the criteria for points ( either they fell short in numbers or Qualified on buy-in and numbers but didnt because they were satilites)
All in all I'd say a good year and would easily accept the same profits for 2008 now. But its only human nature I suppose to wonder what would of been had I won that race with six left in the IO.
The best part of these two months if not the best part of the year was the 3 weeks+ I spent in Vegas. While the only result I had was the $6500 for tenth of 545 runners in the last event of the Venetian Deep Stack festival I still really enjoyed my time there and gained a lot from the experience. Actually looking back over the year that tournament in the venetian is the one that bugs me the most. I made a squeeze play with about 12 left and a guy took 5 minutes to call. With the right speech play I could of gotten him to fold ( there was history ) but I messed up. I should of gotten over $40k out of that tournament at least and it still bugs me.
I played the two events that I got on sun poker in the Rio. The first I was two outed for about a three times the average stack with over 80% of the field gone. If I could of avoided th
e river 6 I'm sure that was a definite cash. But I didn't mind the beat to much as I was happy I had played very well in my first WSOP event. I ran bad in $500 STTS I played for a few days and got a real turn against the Rio so didn't play there again until the main event which was short lived.I said at the time that I was in no way excited about the main event and I wasn't. Looking back now it just became another tournament as I was playing a tournament most days. I think I will learn from this in future as I really should be excited about playing the WSOP main event. I loved binions and downtown.
June I made over $6000 online but it was the last month I have online records from. I basically became an online recreational player for the rest of the year. The only other event I can recall is winning the monthly €200 game in blazing aces on my first game back in the club after Vegas for about €3000.
August/September
Were pretty dead months in Ireland and didn't play anything of note. I was a small winner live looking at my records in both months and chopped a tournament on stars for $5000. Actually thinking of it now the slight profit shown live was probably from % swaps with Pat Storen rather then wins myself.
October
One of my best live profit months of the year clearing over €10,000. The bulk of this coming from a live EPT satellite in drogheda. I kept the cash and didn't play although I should of won in online as well. I was three handed for a package, me 40% of chips compleat donkey 50% of chips and a chap from galway who got it 10%, I came third.
November
A bit Like May with three major events in Ireland. I got no run in the SE or Macau €1000 games, getting one outed in the SE game. I had a good run at the Waterford tournament losing a half million pot to Jen Mason with 12 of the 285 starters remaining. The big bonus in Nov was winning an EPT Prague package for $24 on stars
December Was a decent month, the EPT was a good experience and playing one would of been one of my goals at the start of the year. I won entry to the IPC for €200 in blazingaces and chopped €500 games in Drogheda and Limerick which wrapped up my year nicely. I think when the GJP Irish Rankings are finalised I will be 7th for the year. Not bad but I feel a little unlucky in these as I won or chopped about five events that just failed to reach the criteria for points ( either they fell short in numbers or Qualified on buy-in and numbers but didnt because they were satilites)
All in all I'd say a good year and would easily accept the same profits for 2008 now. But its only human nature I suppose to wonder what would of been had I won that race with six left in the IO.
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