#147: “A Smörgåsbord of Humanity”
Citywest boasted the weirdest eclectic mix of people this weekend. A ‘Monster’ Dirt-Bike Rally drew a toothless, leather-clad neo-heavy metal element. An Irish Dancing Competition meant that every hallway and corridor was occupied with hundreds of heavily hair-sprayed, orange crayon coloured, (probably vajazzled) ‘Toddlers in Tiaras’ doing their jigs and reels. And then, of course, there was the blonde-haired, blue-eyed, chiseled jawed, ‘Beats by Dr Dre’-wearing, Norwegian Poker degen fraternity who had made their annual trip away from home for their National Championships.
I spent the weekend with this s, playing the €750 JP Poker Masters on Friday (and briefly on Saturday) and the €300 side event on Saturday evening. The JP Masters boasted the toughest small field I have seen in Ireland. My first table played 4-handed for the first hour, forcing Mick Graydon, Feargal Nealon and I to swarm around veteran Mick McCloskey who, with his 67 career cashes (the most recent being his Western Open runner-up finish three weeks ago), was the obvious soft spot. I survived the day but busted early on Day 2, succumbing to a rampant Thomas ‘SuperBomberMan’ Nolan.
I jumped into the side game late and quickly got busy amassing a chiplead. Some flips before the final table didn’t go my way so I had just over average for the final table. I eventually finished 5th which would be super except it only paid 4. My friends Dara O’Kearney and Daragh Davey made the money, the former taking down the event after a huge comeback heads-up. I was obviously disappointed to bubble but it’s more important to me that I played well.
My salesmanship on the live felt has improved enormously in the past year, evidenced by a greater number of my bluffs getting through and a greater number of calls when I have the goods. It’s such a fascinating variant that is singularly a ‘live’ thing. It’s also so individual to the villain. For example, I know that in certain spots Dara O’Kearney is sitting across the table knowing that I don’t have it but the presentation I have delivered isn’t for him – it’s for my opponent who I’m confident will buy my story. On the flip-side, I have been making a point to randomise my play and take funkier lines versus the other pros. That’s a dangerous game as any divergence from optimal strategy versus good players can be spewy but longterm, I think it is vital to be unpredictable if you want to win the leveling battle.
The Norwegian Poker Championships continue all this week with about four tourneys each day. Daragh Davey binked the €120 with €50 rebuys last night for a tidy score but the real sicko action will be at the cash tables upon which literally millions of euro will exchange hands. If you want a slice of the action, get yourself down to Citywest and duke it out with the loosest players in Ireland or as the Norwegians refer to them “a bunch of nitty Irish cowards!”