April madness... and some Sadness.

Starstruck at the IO...

Went to the Westbury for the Good Friday €100FO, with a 20k starting stack and 1k early bird - I don't think I have played anything as deep as this before! There was quite a few notables there with Tom Maguire, David S, Alan Carroll, KoolKid and of course our Susie Woosie! I had a loose, loose lag to my immediate right. Involved in several pots left right and centre with marginal hands, just getting lucky here/there, losing just as much as he was winning with his stack yo-yo'ing like mad. I was just waiting for my spots and keeping out of his way after he whacked my AK with 710s. Down to 16k in BB, blinds 100/200, Yo-Yo Lag raised to 600 from SB. I looked down and found QQ. Bingo! Re-raised to 2400, Yo-Yo Lag shoves his 20k+ stack over the line (standard for him) I insta-called. He tables 88... flop came J810... but no queen or 9 to save me and I was gone. Meh!

After that got persuaded by Alan Carroll (busted out early on a cooler AA-v-KK) to go up to City West, while I was keen to play cash/SnGs I think he was more excited at the fact a bar was open on Good Friday, LOL! While he went off to drink himself something silly, I added my name to the list for cash table. Waiting to be called for a cash spot I went for a walk about the room, practically blinded-starstruck spotting likes of Jamie Gold, Jennifer Tilly, Phil Laak while looking on in horror at a desperate looking Andy Black!

WTF with that beard Andy? When I first saw Andy in real life - he came in to officially open the first IPO in RDS looking radiant, trim and sexy (oh yes!) in a nice suit, what changed?! Here was a down and out with tatty clothes, unkempt beard and a hair style that makes Doke's look neat... He was a walking advert how poker can put you in the gutter! I was so stunned I missed looking for the people I know like: Smurph, Clamper, Doke, Flushdraw & Gilly or JamesG!

I was more pissed at missing Michael Greco! Had a HUGE crush on him years go, mind you it's probably just as well as I'd have made a total eejit of myself chatting him up or worse: stalking him for the entire event... LOL!

Finally got into a cash game, and yo-yo'ed my initial €100 buy-in up and down all night. Had a figure of €300 in my head (trying to win my buy-in back plus a wee profit - enough for the buy-in for the Ladies Side Event) but never got beyond €200... just kept crashing back down. After few hours I shoved with JJ and got called by QQ. As I was walking out of the room right behind Andy (looking even more destitute walking out arm-in-arm, deep in conversation with Channing) and watching a certain Boyle Sports rep wrestle drunkenly with some players in the foyer... exiting the building got a shock seeing how bright it was, realised the night had just flown!

Following night I decided to give the cash tables another bash, but no luck, another 100 down and ruled myself out of the Ladies Side Event. By all accounts the standard was as dire as last year, I guess I missed nothing!

Had a nice and quiet Easter in Roscommon instead, until I put my back out something awful... went to GP and got anti-inflamms etc, had a sick note for the week but made myself go into work. Bad idea, ended up worse and having to take this week off.

Coolered at the Scalps

Was in the mood for a game on Friday, went into Fitz for the scalps game, and didn't win one scalp! Practially had to fight for my pots, was barely up to 8k by break, topped up to 12k. Then went card dead after the break, til I then found KK, one raise (all-in short stack), one caller already and two blinds to act... I shoved, as you do. All four called(!) Two AKs, AJ and JJ... what are the odds of an ace AND a jack appearing on that board(?) I kid you not - they did!

Went down to the cash tables with €150, barely 2 hours later after a nice rush of cards I was up to €450, but the tiredness from the sleepiness nights I was experiencing was kicking in, I was happy to call it a night at 1am.

Vegas Nights Team Event

Got asked by JamesG to join his team for the Vegas Night Team Event with '€5k Guaranteed' for the winning team. With 65 players, or 13 teams, the numbers fell short of the 15 needed to meet the guarantee, never mind providing a payout structure for the final table from an expected 'excess'. Vowing to play tight I had a rush of good cards from the start, which I hate... They all got busted. Limped in with AJs and called a raise to see A810x flop, got kicked by A10. Next hand raised in LP with AQs hammered by MP's 910s for a straight to the Q on the river. Down just under 5k from a 7k starting stack - I got AA in BB, 4 limpers I re-raise 6xBB. Action folded around to SB (4k) who called, then check-called all my raises to the river with 810 off - he floped a straight on the flop(!) Grrrrrr! Shoved pre-flop with my final 1k holding AK called by 10 10 - no ace to save me and I was out by the end of the first level! Meh! Well done my friend, fellow-dealer Paul Fox, who took it down!

Playing cash and the side event - the amount of limping in with prime hands (AK, AA, QQ etc), slowplaying and trapping was unbelievable. I gave up and went to Tallaght Poker Rooms to build up my cash hours. No luck there either, just got the hours sorted for the Cash League event on 17th May. We met John the new manager for Celbridge Poker Rooms and bagged an invite to the grand opening freeroll next week. Looking forward to seeing the new premises!

Malahide EOM Game

I was so looking forward to this since I won the ticket! With 65 players generating a huge pot, 17k starting stack and 25 minute blinds we had a full night of poker ahead of us. Well, I never really got going.... I was so card dead it was sad!

I had aimed to play tight for a first few levels anyway, I had a migraine on/off all day, kept coming back in the game and folded a couple of hands that I would have normally have played (both would have paid me off well with flopped straights and big pots etc). Finally got a pair of 10 10s to raise with, but BB (chipleader) re-raised huge and I had to fold.

I raised with air a couple of times in desperation to keep my chips up, my heart was hammering til they both folded! Was so thankful to take down those pots to keep my hoovering around 15-17k until a couple of levels after the break, falling to a low of 9k, I re-built the stack up to 25k approx with two key hands; then I found A10s in MP and overplayed it badly. Raising 3xBB, button and SB called, flop came A32, SB checked I bet out 2/3 pot, both button and SB called. Turn was 8. SB checked, I made a continuation bet of 1/3 the pot, and botton insta-re-raised to 10k. I had 14k left and folded after a dewell showing my ace putting him on AJ/AQ/AK/A8/88. Bad move, I should have check-raised the flop or shoved the turn. Asking button if he had two pair he said no... that my ace would have won, meh, I felt a right fool for thinking I was behind. The mistake put me on tilt a bit and I shoved with A4 shortly after into AJ, Jack high board sealed my fate.

Great game, I learnt a lot from some players, the standard was really good. Will aim to win another Satt and play it again! Hopefully I do better than exiting in 30-something place!

Sad News

I was stunned to learn of Joan Vicker's untimely and tragic death this week. I first met Joan while playing the Sean Jethi Team Event, we played on the same team with Smurph, Sam (the dealer) and Laura Lashes; I spent the rest of evening drinking with her and her husband; after both we got kicked out early in our heats. I continued to meet Joan around the poker circuit, exchanging small talk and good humoured banter, she was a good player and great craic to have on the tables. I often miss out on the general banter at the table and Joan would repeat it for my benefit. I really appreciated this small gesture, so disappointed I never got to thank her for doing that for me. Bumping into her after exiting the scalps game last Friday in the Fitz, I moaned about my cooler exit hand and she listened sympathetically urging me not to take it to heart... I never thought it would be our last meeting.

RIP Joan, you won't be forgotten.