Chip and a chair (and some garlic chicken)

A year ago I think it's fair to say the only people who had heard of Boylepoker.com were in the Irish market and to be fair they hadn't heard a lot, other than the sponsorship of a live event in Ireland a few years earlier. When I took the reigns a year ago I interviewed someone for the position who admitted at the interview that he had never heard of Boylepoker.com before and he was a regular online Irish poker player.

Marty's amazing year has earned us a bigger audience to speak to. I don't for one minute think players sign up with us because Marty is successful but they are much more likely to have a look at the website for the first time and that's where we can either show them what we can or of course cannot do.

The other reason I was so excited was a promotion I had spent one evening cultivating now looked like it could generate great headlines for all the right reasons if Marty won. We held a $1000 freeroll which was effectively 5% of Marty's Poker Million earnings. If Marty should do the unthinkable - the first prize would increase from $200 to $10,000. Not only that, but anyone who cashed would get 50-1 on their money and at this stage of the day Marty was a 7/2 shot for the whole thing.

I began the day by surfing the web and then met Marty and co. in one of the 'lucky pubs' we normally attend before an event in London. We kicked onto another lucky pub but may have been testing Lady Luck's patience as none of us were drinking alcohol.

We decided to go to the Vic to watch a rerun of the highlights show of Marty's semi final and all of sudden it was three o'clock, an hour till the players had to leave. We made our way back to the hotel and in the lobby was a veritable who's who of the Irish poker scene.

George McKeever, Donnacha O'Dea and Liam Flood were exchanging banter with Padraig and Rory; Neil and Dermot from Big Slick shook hands as Noel and his team from Paddy's arrived. Dave Callaghan, KP and Eoin looked ready for action, Fintan and Donal joined in as more and more well wishers, family and finally the four Irish players in the final chatted. Marty grabbed a pint of Guinness - never before had I seen a man look more uncomfortable in a suit.

The players left to a resounding hum of good lucks and play well; then everyone retired to their rooms to prepare for the night's activities. Personally I thought Marty's mind was elsewhere. He seemed distracted, not his normal self. It wasn't anything major but knowing him better now, I know how concerned he is for everyone else's welfare before his own, so naturally with all his family, best friends, friends and sponsors there he was bound to have many things on his mind. I just hoped he wouldn't be to disappointed if he didn't win.

A few of us met for a quick drink before heading to the party room. Again, maybe it was fate but the Smyth party were the first people in the room.

I met Marty's brother Paul, no slouch himself in the talent stakes as a football player for Queens and his lovely wife Anna. Michelle and Kevin's excitement was contagious; Ronan and Ciara both of whom we met in Cork looked resplendent but no one more so than Karen who looked the proverbial Million dollars, again maybe that was another sign.

Rita and Martin, Marty's parents completed the table whilst at the adjoining table Marty's friends and friends of Boylepoker took their seats, Padraig, Rory and Jeff Duvall alongside Dave and Annabel. Jimmy the Lips, Andy, Jonny and JP. Marty McCabe, Eoin and KP flirted with our table as they were guests of the O'Dea's.

I sat next to Karen wearing a logo (permission granted by the sponsors) and we waited expectantly for the show to begin.

Sky's cameras and co-ordinators came over and did a practise run. They asked who we all were and I saw Paul and Anna shouting after them to no avail as they left. I enquired as to the problem and it turned out that they had put down Anna as sister and not as sister-in-law. We chuckled at the thought of the camera cutting back live to the table, Jesse remarking "And there's Marty's brother and sister just as Anna and Paul indulged in a little spontaneous canoodling.

The sponsors were putting on a great show and then all of a sudden it cut to the dulcet tones of Channing and May, we were off. I was fairly calm, I fancied it was going to take a few levels to get going and then I looked up and saw Marty had A-K. As that was sinking in the camera showed Liam had KK, oh f**k.

The mood on our table after the hand was shock. A stunned silence. Everyone was looking down at their goat's cheese and broccoli tart starter and no one knew what to say. Inspired I exclaimed that Marty was only teasing us and that he told me earlier he thought he would add to his nice guy image by giving the others a fair head start, it seemed to do the trick.

Paul pointed out Marty was 25/1 with the sponsors and enquired whether it was a bet; I told him no (I made him a way bigger price). Before the starter was removed Marty had trebled up to approx 45k and just as the garlic infused chicken arrived his K-10 beat Liam's 4-5 though he had to dodge seven outs on the river; he was a man on a charge.

The cameras were focusing on Karen which was of double benefit to me, one I knew our logo should be getting some extra air time but more importantly it meant that with her nervousness I was now getting two dinners. I could tell we were getting maximum air time because Devilfish was hovering at our table, a sure sign the cameras were on.

Marty got back to 230k when Slevin just flat called with A-J and paid Marty off on a K-J-5 flop, Marty holding K-6. In less than an hour Marty nearly had as many chips as he had had at the start and in all honesty it was at this stage I knew he would win it.

Having said that my confidence took a knock with the announcement of the raffle draw in an advert break. Never in my life have I been so convinced I would win a raffle and this from a man who has only ever won once in a raffle which I later found out was fixed. The only consolation was that the raffle was conducted by Abi Titmuss, I'm only slightly embarrassed to admit I'm a fan.

The break seemed to be taking longer than normal and it was then I realised play had begun, they just hadn't cut back to it on the big screen, thus 30 Irish supporters invaded Sky's 'private' area to follow the action on the small monitor they had.

After dessert Marty was chip leader and we were all relaxed mingling with team Flood, O'Leary and O'Dea. Karen asked if I thought they would have done a deal, I think if you watched it and saw what Liam did with his fingers during play you can make your own mind up.

The poker being played was superb and I remember clearly the O'Dea - O'Leary hand, A-10 v A-3. I was chatting to Rita whilst the hand was taking place and was explaining I thought Eoghan was playing by far the best and if he called this great move by Ciaran he would seal that impression; call he did and was unlucky to only split the pot.

Having a chance to sit with Rita and Martin and explain to them how highly rated their son is not just as a player but as a person was one of the nicest conversations I have ever had the pleasure to take part in. Ciaran's demise in 3rd led to us all trooping to Paddy's team and consoling/congratulating Noel and his team, as Noel correctly pointed out, "We are all winners, Irish poker is the biggest winner", never were truer words spoken.

The two best players of the tournament for me went heads up for the tournament and a shot at the title. Marty, so cruelly robbed by a river card the year before and having had aces outdrawn for 6th the year before - that against a man who had already won a flagship event on I-Poker just five days earlier, and who was playing beautifully.

It went to and fro, Karen and Donnacha summed up the spirit in the room by putting an arm around each other, a genuine smile on their faces watching the action whilst behind them I sat with our business rivals high fiving each other, then Liam Flood arrived to a standing ovation.

It came down to luck, what poker game doesn't? At approx 11.59 an all in from Marty with Q-9 v call with K-J for Eoghan. Karen was in pieces, I put an arm around her at the turn which had increased Marty's outs to 14. I was relatively serene as bam! The queen arrived in the nick of time. It was all over a few hands later with Eoghan unable to pull off the magic trick that Marty had and that was it.

I did forget myself for a moment and along with a few others began jumping around like a baboon holding a winning lottery ticket whilst being tazered. After about two minutes I remembered there was a runner up and got my act together.

I suddenly remembered the Marty Freeroll winners; some lucky punter had turned two hundred dollars into ten thousand!

The champ arrived back with the incredibly heavy trophy and the party began in earnest in the front bar of the Hilton. Filling the trophy with champagne I even got Rita, a non drinker, to have the first toast. The mood was euphoric because all four Irish lads and supporters were there, it wasn't Marty's party it was Irish Poker's party and it's at times like these the Irish step up to the plate.

Champagne, Guinness and White Russians were in supply but not overly so; no one wanted to ruin the party by going over the top. By 8am I was in bed, one of the last to leave.

Saturday lunchtime Marty had to be up for a phone call, due to Keano leaving we needed someone to give the Sunderland boys a pep talk before kick-off, they won 4-0.

BadBeat Channing organised the restaurant for the sponsor's celebration meal and if people thought he excelled at commentary it isn't a patch on his restaurant selecting. La Porte Des Indes was home to a very happy party of 20. Afterwards we went back to the Metropole for a night cap which ended in one or two minibars being emptied and all of a sudden I was on a flight home contemplating the enormity of it all.

Times like these are unforgettable and thank you to everyone who was there, who sent messages, who watched, who phoned, texted or was just genuinely pleased for a nice guy to win.

Things have been busy here since, but you won't hear us complain. Every time I go on a trip like this I tend to have one song on my i-Pod that sets the theme. This time it was 'This Is The One' by the Stone Roses, ramped up to full volume - another sign perhaps?