The End

There were 8 levels on Day 1 and after 6 levels I was sitting pretty above average on 35K. I planned to push on in the last 2 levels but then got moved quickly twice. For a short time I was on Liam Flood's table - Liam saw my Boyle badge and said, "Are you Irish?" He seems bemused that (a) I'm English and (b) he doesn't know me - bemused opponents are a good thing!

Anyway another quick move and I end up on Table 1 Seat 1, to the right of Chris Brammer who was still steaming from a hand with Vicky Coren, where apparently he had accidentally exposed his cards. Anyway, any steal attempts I make from late position prompt him to re-steal. No cards for me, so I end up Day 1 frustratingly under average at 30,500 and looking forward to the Day 2 re-draw.

Day 2 and there are a few latecomers. Blinds are 600-1200 with 100 ante. I take advantage of the 6 handed table, including coming over the top of any late position raises from the blinds with garbage and quickly get back to 35K. I then look down at AQ and raise from UTG to around 3K. The BB has just sat down with approx 25K and re-raises immediately to around 8K. I got the sense that he wanted to make an immediate statement to the table. He looked like a Scandy, I had him covered. I think I have a lot of fold equity in this situation and if called, it would probably be in race, so I decide to push. He calls immediately with and I am down to approx 10K.

Liam Flood joins our table and I actually really enjoy the remaining 90 minutes of the session. Firstly I can relax into "push or fold" poker (no "Meta Game" thinking required, whatever that is) and secondly I get a bit of table banter going with Liam. I push 4 times with AK (shown), (shown) 24 (suited, not shown) and 57 (unsuited, not shown) and increase my stack back up to 14K.

You can guess which hands were, when Liam was in the blinds! He thinks hard about the 57 push and says, "I couldn't squeeze out the 2nd Ace". I try a bit of reverse psychology on the table and say, "Your first one was good enough Liam, I am just trying to gather money for my blinds".

One hand with Liam in BB - there is an early raise and 3 callers. Liam puts in a big raise and takes it down. I say, "Was it you or Padraig who invented the Squeeze, Liam?" I think Liam appreciates my compliment, as he reels out a few stories about the old days in the Vic and how they didn't know it was called the squeeze then. The eventual winner of the whole tourney is on our table and, disrespectfully in my opinion, blurts out, "Oh, that was a squeeze was it? Yeah...right - I haven't seen one of those since 1978". I can tell Liam is a little offended.

The "eventual winner" keeps shouting over to his sponsor on the next table, Neil Channing (a poker hero of mine), updating him on hands and annoyingly calling him "Boss". When he redraws with the best hand for most of his chips he gets so excited he spills his drink all over his chair which was amusing.

Anyway, towards the end of the session I look down at suited in early position and push again. The "eventual winner" decides that his AQ is good enough to take me on for about a third of his chips. Liam can't resist a, "Oh, that was a good call was it?".

Interestingly, he doesn't shout over to Neil Channing this time!! Luckily for me, there is no repeat of my Irish Open exit bad beat and I end the session virtually where I started it on nearly 30K.

Frustratingly I get moved before the 1st hand of the 2nd session. Liam says with a twinkle in his eye, "I'm sorry to see you go, now I know how you play". The table I am moved to has a monster stack who appears to be raising every hand. He is the eventual runner-up. I go completely card dead for an hour and find no spots at all. I'm down to less than 20K, with the blinds about to hit 1,000 - 2,000 200 ante.

The monster stack's raising range appears to be any picture card and he always C bets - he calls a short stack's push, after his UTG raise with suited and hits. I look down at AQ in the SB. The monster stack raises to 4K and I think that I am prepared to go all the way with this hand at this stage. I decide however that I have zero fold equity pre-flop - his stack is just too big and my push is too small to make him fold. I may as well maximise the pot, so I just call and plan to check-push whatever hits. Looking back I may have had some fold equity if I push.

Anyway, the BB calls too so it's a decent pot for my small stack. The flop is 894 and I carry on with my plan - check, check, bet, push, fold, call. The monster stack tables 89 suited for a flopped 2 pair. A queen on the turn gives me 8 outs on the river but it wasn't to be.
I'm a little disappointed because of how comfortable I felt for most of the tournament. I felt like once I warmed up and established an image, I could have been one of the table controllers, which has definitely come from experience. I was disappointed with the fact that I lost all my chips by twice arguably over-playing , something I preach against, and mercilessly take advantage of in others, in our local games.

So - that's it. It has been an amazing experience and thanks to everybody at Boyles, particularly Ciaran, Gerry and Lisa, for the opportunity that winning this promotion gave me.
During the last 8 months I have had the privilege of playing on the same table with poker players such as Marty Smyth, Scott Grey, Jon Kalmar, Jeff Kimber, Neil Channing, Keith Hawkins, Liam Flood, Vicky Coren and Jake Cody.

I have also had the privileged experience, and in some cases "education", of meeting people like Padraig Parkinson, Jesse May, Nicky Power, Paul Spillane, Paul Marrow, Michael Hill, Andy Ward, Nick Persuad, Richard Ashby, Martin Silke, John Weafer, Andrew Grimason,and John O'Shea.

And, best of all, once I was actually in the same hotel foyer as Dan Harrington!!
Not bad for a few dollars!!

Now it is time for me to build my own bankroll and earn my right to be a poker tournament player the hard way - grinding "Nicky Power" style!!

Good luck to everyone at Boyles, to the next sponsorship winner and to everyone who has followed my blog.