Facebook
Twitter
RSS feed
Site map
18:13 I'll settle for losing the one pot
I've just been speaking to Liam Flood who has an above average stack of 21k. He hasn't played any big pots but seemed a bit disappointed when telling me about a pot he lost against the table maniac. While he didn't lose many chips in his confrontation, he just seemed annoyed to have lost a pot! The Gentleman did admit that he'd settle for just losing the one pot though.
18:00 Our outraged Side Event Winner!
Briefne Earley,a well known face on the Dublin poker circuit approached me wondering why news of his win in last night side event had broken on the site! "Bref" pocketed a nice 4.7k for the win,not bad for a 100 euro investment,even more so when he had been campaigning for a chop from 14 players out! (by Sam Baneham)
17:41 Paul Leckey back in action
Paul Leckey spotted last night with an imposing looking stack at a lively PLO cash game table is back in action in today's Day 1B. He is relatively short at the moment with just under the average stack, however his table is brimming with chips - so if he can find a double he will be right back in the mix. Another one of the Sunderland bounty brigade who have just got news of a free pint courtesy of Boylepoker. That's a win!
17:32 Van Dam's KO
Floris Van Dam now has over 20,000 in chips after an exciting hand at table 27. After raising pre-flop with a bet of 2,000 he quickly found a caller in seat 4 by the name of Edvardo Da Costa who shoved all his chips in. Van Dam came up with the extra 5k and both flipped their cards. Van Dam had AcQs, Da Costa had 10d,Ah. Van Dam now has over 22,000.
17:16 An applause from the table
Gary Clarke just told me that he got an applause when he called down his opponent with pocket Jacks on a King high board. His opponent pushed all-in his last 9k on the river and Gary made a call hero call that he admitted would have seen him out of the tournament 9 times out of 10. This time he was good though and as the chips were pushed towards him he noted that the entire table was applauding his call. I have a sneaking suspicion that they may have been applauding his opponent though, but I don't want to bruise Gary's ego by mentioning that to him. He's currently motoring with over 35k with the average stack at a low 12k (when compared to this time yesterday).
17:12 Out of position against Neil Channing!
Never a nice place to be! A bad table draw sees Robert Taylor out of position to Neil Channing with the bulk of his opens being snapped off immediately by the English man. Taylor, dangerously close to tilt according to good friend Dara O'Kearney did have some good fortune however doubling through when his set of sixes met his unfortunate opponents Ace Queen on a As Qh 6d board.
17:05 Sticking out like a sore thumb
One thing that's glaringly obvious as you walk around the floor is that there's a lot of people here who are playing live for the first time. Typically the internet players will be seen with their chips stacked in bundles of tens and spread all over the felt while the experienced live players are doing their best to try build beautiful structures that are engineering feats in their own right! We're just about to enter the 6th level of play of the day here with blinds at 150/300. Antes have also just been added. It may only be 25 chips per hand but you'd be surprised at just how quickly that adds up for players and the lengths players will go to to try and recoup their losses!
17:00 S-u-n-d-e-r-lllllllland FC
If you're wearing a Sunderland jersey, get yourself to the bar! Boylepoker will pay for your beer until further notice. Yes, you heard me right! Get going..
16:42 Everyone loves a banker
Table 29 - Mark McGuinness in seat 7 went up against Edward Banks in Seat 10. Flop was AsQhAd, Turn was Kd and the river was 5s. Edward called right down to the river and flipped over his AK to make a full house. Mark did not show his cards but conceded defeat!! It look's like Edward lives up to his name and banks the pot. (Yes, that's was a pathetic joke!). Edward Banks now has 20,000 in chips.
16:22 The long march
With the first break of the day out of the way, players are starting to get stuck in to the task in hand and try win themselves a tournament! With so much aggression, somethings got to give and this is evidenced by the stream of players entering the main room with table and after table breaking from the side room. Nicky Power, Neil Channing, Mad Marty Wilson and Jesse May are a few of the instantly recognisable faces over there who have set up residencies and are progressing well. It will be interesting to see how they'll respond to their imminent move to the main arena.
16:01 Update at the break
Players have left on a 15 minute break. We have already lost one hundred players from our starting field today. Blinds are still 100-200 moving to 150-300 in the next ten minutes. The average stack is 12k.
15:50 A badge of honour
Mick McCoskey is an easy man to spot in the crowd. Another bounty player he is wearing his familair cap adorned with badges and pins from all the big live tournaments in Ireland over the last decade. Mick,not usually a man to fall on Day One has picked up some chips in small pots and has just over 14k.
Nicky Power, fresh from his side-event score at Killarney two weeks a go, has just predicted his own demise. He said he can't get anything going. He's currently donning a wonderful Sunderland jersey but he thinks it would look better on someone else at the table and perhaps wants to follow in the same direction that fellow Bounty Hunter player Andy Black went to a while a go i.e. to the rails and to the bar. He's said this before though and if I remember correctly he said it to me two weeks before going on to finish second!
15:33 Derek Murray aka "GreenRizzla"
It took three takes to get a picture of Derek looking less than in the depts of utter despair as he looks to grind this way through todays huge starting field. Derek who undoubtedly has more experience than most when it comes to fast structured big field events is another one of our Sunderland wearing bounties. He is just above the average stack at the moment on 12.4k.
Gary Clarke made his way to the press desk to detail his double through. Finding Kd Kh in early position he made a standard open to 450 only for next to act to move in for his entire stack, just over 8k. As the player in question had appeared relatively normal prior to this hand, Gary sheepishly confessed he had given folding some thought. After considering the aggressive nature of the tournament the Dubliner snapped to his senses and stuck in his remaining chips. He was in great shape against two black Jacks which could not improve . Clarke now has 22k.
15:09 A WSOP Champ
I'm sure a few of the younger earphone wearing "aggressive internet kids" are not aware that they are sat beside a former WSOP Champ. Noel Furlong who won the 1999 Main Event, taking home one million dollars for his troubles, has started well today. After getting a few of his early raises snapped off he has moved in over three bets three times in a row gaining over 8k chips in the process. He now has 16k.
With the blinds at 75/100 Kieran Tracey bets 1,000 and Loic Le Moal in Seat 6 raises to 3,000. Kieran calls the 3,000 and both players anxiously look for the turn card - which is a 4d of diamonds. Kieran pushes all-in, which Le Moal calls. Kieran shows his Kh10d, Le Moal shows his pocket 8's. The river is Jc - Kieran takes the lot with a better full house.
14:48 Jesse May takes the potThe action at table 68 is in full flight with Stephen Doherty raising 3,500 after the flop of 4,5,6 of clubs. Jesse May goes all-in and after the turn of 7 diamonds and the river of 8 clubs, he takes the pot with a flush, showing his pocket kings. Jesses' chip stack is now at 18k.
14:40 The action heats upMick McCloskey takes his time before calling a raise of 2,300 by Matthieu Vincendeau. His AK is enough to clinch it though and he takes the pot with A10. Chip stack of 15-16k.
14:22 A master classI wish I could think of a different title when reporting about hands involving Dave Masters. A rivered ace gave Dave a better full house than his opponent, racing ahead of his flopped set of fives! As you would expect the pot was big in relation to the blinds and sees Masters get off to a great start with just under 20k. (by Sam Baneham)
14:13 Icons of pokerSuch is the enormity of the field two rooms are needed to accommodate all our players. On wandering into the second room one voice boomed over the hum of riffling chips and washed cards, that voice predictably was that of Mad Marty Wilson. He somehow found time to stack his chips while regaling the table about past Eurovision winners! Half the table looks on extreme tilt while the other half is spending more time laughing than concentrating on their cards. A few tables away sit the bearded, almost Rasputianesque Andy Black. There can be no denying the man has serious table presence and in contrast to Marty's table an intense, concentrated silence lingers in the air! A glance to the left and we can see Jesse May, author of the incredible poker narrative Shuffle up and Deal who has made a good start moving over the 15k mark after just an hour of play.(by Sam Baneham)
12:05 Where does the time go?Just under an hour before this room will be brimming with eager poker players and the clinking of plastic chips. This time tomorrow many will have regrets, few will still be hoping for success.
11:05 Breakfast over blogging begins
The tournament organisers busy themselves ahead of the madness, with the calm before the storm clearly evident on their faces.
09.55 The cure
It seems like the traditional cure of bacon and eggs is going down a storm here at the Regency Hotel as players gather to prepare for Day 1B and try to keep down the drinks of Day 1A. We have an exciting day of action ahead of us, with another huge field of players expected to arrive shortly.
Comments (3)
Haven't found him yet, will try again in a wee while.