Clonsilla Inn 100+15FO

As most of you already know I play Dublin Poker Nights local pub games; each week the final 9 players would generate league points, with the top 5 league point holders creating a team to play against each other in the bi-annual team events. This year Robbie decided to do a different format: the top 5 get free entry into a €100 FO game, with a €2k guaranteed prize fund, and a limo ride from their house to the venue!

Meh! I wasn't one of the lucky league winners, as the league stopped just as I started to win some games! But I went along anyway to donate.

I nearly didn't go, as I had lost big this week getting slowplayed something awful; my online game was going from bad to worse - I was feeling on totally tilt. About 60 minutes before KO, I had a domestic calamity to sort out. my little girl fell and split her lip. We had blood, scrapes, drama and screaming demands: 'I need a plaster!!!' spent 40 minutes cleaning her up, trying to calm her down explain that we can't put a plaster inside her mouth! Then the Ice cream man comes, the brat jumps down like a shot, grabs the €2 her granny gave her and ran was out the door before you can ask 'where are you going...' came back with her cone, tears and blood forgotten and asked if she can go to her friend's house to play. Ha! I might as well go too... No guilt here!

Arrived 30 minutes late, 4 tables set up with 5-6 players on each table... I was placed on a 5 handed table with Gum to my immediate left, Benny on my right, Eamon and Phil were also with us. Starting stack was 15k,almost immediately I was tangling with Gum in one pot holding JJ (Q high flop) which I folded to her raise, she showed 2 pair... WP. And Benny in another, played into his trip 2s against my pocket 10s ...ah! I must be mad! It's too early for this! Down to 11k and it wasn't even end of the 2nd level. Finding AKs in SB; Eamon (rock player) raised 3xBB in MP, Gum called (standard for Gum) and I fired off a triple barrelled bet. Eamon called, Gum folded. Flop came 55x, knowing Eamon's range, I popped off a c-bed. He flat called. River brought another 5. I checked, Eamon checked. K on river and I fired out half the pot. Eamon insta-called to reveal AK for a split pot, phew!

Finding KK some hands later, my raise got two callers, hitting my trips on the flop, I bet out and got two callers, seeing a straight draw and flush draw possibilities I shoved the turn. They both folded... I was back up to 14k. Checking my BB a few hands later I flopped a nice straight and increased my stack up to 18k as Robbie came to break up our table.

On the 2nd table, I went card dead. Couple of missed opportunities. At one stage I called a pre-flop raise with pocket 6s and folded to huge flop bet on a J high flop, another player calls, 6 comes on the turn... and at showdown, I'm looking at A high hands(!) FFS! Called one raise from BB for value (there were 4 other callers!) and check called with middle pair King kicker, initial raiser shoves on turn and I fold as my pair becomes a set on river, meh! Went down to 10,375 approx at the break.

After the break, the play tightened up considerable. I hovered along for the next few levels, made a few raises but no callers just got binds/min-raises. Falling back again, after wrangling in a stupid spot with Paul S the slowplayer extraordinaire! Thankfully the damage was minor as he had a very small stack. He gloated afterwards how he 'loves taking my chips'... I just laughed at him.

Got my first break with KK in SB; MP raised to 2.5xBB several callers on deep stacks, I shoved for 8/9k, action slowly folded back to button who thought for a moment then elected to call with Qc9c. Two clubs on flop had me worried but my kings held and I doubled through. Shoved again with AK on a A high flop called by shortie on lower pair, to bring my stack up to 20k (approx 20bb) for the first time. I wasn't out of danger yet, the blinds were increasing every 25 mins and we had a monster stack LAG luckbox on our table with 60-70k knocking people out! He called raises from SB/BB/EP and bet out big if he got a pair or better... forcing people to fold or shove. Couple of run-ins with him saw my stack decreasing back to 14/15BB, it shoving time again.

We were down to two tables, I saw several good players way ahead of me at the first break, falling like flies, busted out with sick beats and slowplayed nuts. UL guys... I know how you feel.

A nice run of cards saw me treble up: the first AK, tangled with AQ. Increased my stack to 26k Then 2/3 hands later I got QQ and shoved with a raise and re-raise on the table, called by Benny who re-raised with JJ, Q on flop and I was up to 45k approx. Then I shoved with AJs on button a raiser and two callers all less than 20k - folded. I was just under 60k when this hand happened.

Horsebox1 was to my left, very good solid rock player, UTG is a LAG who raises in certain positions (UTG, UTG+1 if UTG had folded, CO and Button) with a lot of marginal hands and small pairs. The blinds were 500/1k at this stage; UTG made a raise of 3.5k, slightly more than the standard raise of 2.5-3k for the table. Finding 66, I flat called, he looked at me and frowned. Horsebox1 insta-shoved all in for 12.5k. As the action folded back to UTG, he tanked for a moment deciding whether to call or not... He kept looking over at my stack, counting out his stack then counted out the difference between Horsebox's raise and his bet comparing it to his remaining stack then called leaving 7.5-8k behind...

Sensing a weakness here. I put him on a marginal hand: A4-A10, J9-KQ combos, small pairs 22-55. Plus earlier he had flat called a shortie's all-in with 910s and hit the 9 to win. I felt my pockets were ahead of his range, knowing Horsebox wasn't shoving light KK-QQ and AK possibilities, but against the LAG I had an option to oust a dangerous opponent and just lose 6-7k in the process. So shoved my 60k stack over the line...

The look of terror in the LAGs face confirmed my suspicions and he didn't take long to fold. I couldn't believe that he folded with 70% of his stack already in. Horsebox tabled AA, I tabled my 66, flop and turn 2458 gave me an up and down gutshot. I was praying not to hit... The AA stood and Horsebox started breathing again. The LAG started telling everyone he would have had trips, that he folded 88s. But I personally doubt that, he would have shoved with 88 to push me out of the frame, not called as he did...

It was a risky move I made, but had the LAG folded I would have folded too. In his read, a fold here would have looked really weak for him. People would not respect any his raises after this, and raise them thinking that they can get him off if they shove. After this he stopped raising in EP sticking to limping in instead, and raising only in LP.

Couple orbits later I was card dead when I got A2s, getting bored I fancied my chances with them so limped in, BB checked and the flop came A2x. Niiiiiice. Action checked around, I opted to check to see if any aces in the frame. 10 on turn, I bet out after the blinds checked. BB called, others folded. River was a low card. BB shoved, thinking I was ahead with 2 pair, plus I had him well covered I called to see A10. Meh! NH sir...


Down to 20k, when the final table started, Paul S was still in on 21k, telling all and sundry that he was planning to outlast me(!) Muha-ha-ha(!)

There was three giant stacks. Tony on 160k; Eamon on 80k-odd and the luckbox from the 2nd table on 90k. Then came various stacks from 50-20k... with me on the lowest. As Robbie announced the prize structures, paying out the top 5, a deal was suggested to take money from the 5 places to create €100 money back for 6th-9th place - great deal, no one objected. I had my money back, and a good day playing for just €15 I was happy!

I was in an 'all-in or fold' mode vowing to play very tight. First hand, I was in CO, one of the bigger stacks raised. Finding 33, I decided to fold, regretting it when 3 came on the flop. Tony called in BB, and won with A3(!) Two hands later I got my third KK and shoved. Two callers, who checked to the end with A high, and I trebled up to 60k.

As the 9 slowly became 8, 7 and then 6, LAG (folder from the 66 hand above) down to about 20k shoved UTG. Finding 10 10, I shoved my 60k stack over the line, knowing none of the chipleaders would risk doubling me up. LAG tabled KJ and I showed my 10s; J on river and he was back in the game. Booo!

But with the blinds going up, my chips were going down, as I was card dead for almost two orbits, then shoved with 20k with AK. 4 callers(!) Hilariously they checked down on all streets on an odd 9 high board with no flush or pair in sight... as the last player checked. I threw in my AK expecting someone to table a low pair... not one, they all mucked! Phew! I was back in with 80k!

Shortly after this a furry of battles among the chipleaders saw 2 of them exiting in spectacular fashion, including Tony the chipleader at the start of the final table. He got dogged big time - UL Tony.

Down to 4: Paul S, Eamon (now chipleader) myself and the LAG... Paul S was shortstack, with less than 2-3BB for the past 4 orbits, and winning every time he was in BB! The luckbox! But it wasn't going to be 4th time lucky, and he exited in 4th place. But not without a parting shot. Coming around to my end of the table, the sly old fox rapped the table "May the best MAN win!" I just laughed...

The lAG just kept raising every hand, I didn't have anything worth shoving, kept folding. Finding AK in SB shortly afterwards, Eamon was on button as he threw in a raise, I shoved. LAG folded and Eamon tanked for a moment before calling with A7... 7 on the turn and I was out in 3rd place.

I was happy to get this far, considering I hadn't played my best game made some bad moves, until the final table of course. I would have been happy to exit in 9-6th with my money back... Any more than this was a bonus! My money was on Eamon to take this down as he played a sterling game from the start. Eamon and the LAG fought a lengthily HU game, with the LAG grabbing the chiplead, before they eventually split 60-40... WP!

GG! Well done to Rob and all in DPN for putting on a great game and a well run show!


Photos from the final table Eamon (2nd place) is to my right, Tony (5th place) two to my left. LAG (Winner) to Eamon's right. Paul S (4th place) is diagonally opposite, two places to left of dealer (DPN's Victoria)