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We started Sunday off with another round of golf between the three of us but this time Marty, not Nicky, did the handicaps. Marty won on the 16th. Along the way we were joined by Andy Ward, Ian Frazer, Paul Marrow, Ciaran O'Leary and Warren Lush. We really didn't deserve a gallery the way we were playing. The most surprising and most welcome visitor was the sun, in fact we all got sunburned, another 100-1 shot in the winner's enclosure.
I played the 1500 side event but turned up a little late as the hotel had to give me 38 different key cards before admitting defeat and getting a locksmith to let me in. When I did make my table I was genuinely chuffed to find Dan Harrington on my left, I knew I would be outplayed on the blinds but in return I would be getting a close up lesson on things not just poker from one of the most respected voices in our world and I'm glad to say I wasn't wrong.
Also at the table was Paul Smallwood (who later kicked on to the final table) and Smurph, who seemed a little star struck as Dan was the reason she started playing poker (not too star struck to steal our blinds whenever she got the chance!).
After exiting from the 1500 (made a move against the wrong player), I took my place in the bar to watch the conclusion of the Masters. Jim Furyk didn't win but then neither did Tiger and Channing's prices kept us all punting till the bitter end.
Monday
Sadly no golf, Marty and Nicky claimed the weather was too bad (there was a cloud in the distance that a telescope had picked up), I knew it was because it was my turn to do the handicaps. I went back to bed and overslept missing the charity tournament. Had a crack at the cash games which were a lot of fun and nearly turned my 200 euro into 2500, but I couldn't crack my opponents J542 with my KK85 on a 852 flop. In between had a great dinner with a few of the chaps including messers Hanlon Sr & Jr who were on cracking form.
Afterwards I stuck to the black stuff whilst those around me were determined to make the most of the last night. The round became a bottle of vodka, judging by a few faces at breakfast I had made a good choice of steering clear.
Surprisingly over the event I won a couple of quid and had a real shot in the Omaha; unsurprisingly the sponsors and staff did a cracking job. I was impressed with what PPP had done with the room last year but even more impressed this year, wp them. I found the dealers to be excellent and encountered only one mistake over all the time I was playing. The atmosphere was cracking but marred slightly in my view by a number of fights that broke out at various times in the bar (more security needed in the bar imho).
No lucky logos anywhere near the winner's enclosure in the Irish Open this year but we will be back, hopefully with an even bigger team next year.
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