#179: “Supernova Slog, Random Recommendations & Playing with the Big Boys”

As usual, I have left it late to maintain my Supernova status for the upcoming year. More live poker than I have ever done in years previous meant more time away from my computer than ever before. Suffice to say, it’s going to be a grindy month. With a bit of luck and a lot of work (roughly 1500 SNGs), I will get it all done by Christmas and if I don’t, sure I’ll always be able to 4table through several turkey dinners thanks to PokerStars Mobile.

As 2012 draws to its denouement, I am tempted, much like a shit TV show or magazine, to pick out the highlights from the past 12 months. The allure of the ‘Best of’ Blog is almost too much to resist. So, as a compromise, I will frame it as a list of recommendations:

1. Visit Prague. If you haven’t been there already, you should. It is as architecturally beautiful as Paris, as culturally rich as Paris and as culinarily sumptuous as… okay, maybe not Paris but the food is damn good. And it has next to no Parisiens in it so that’s a plus. I spent five fantastic days there over my birthday playing the Eureka Main Event but next year I plan to stay at least 10 days.

2. Go see ‘The Master’. It’s an incredible movie and perfect for a cold, dark Winter night spent in the cinema. Also, check out ‘The Thick Of It’. It is the smartest, funniest and most well written and acted TV sitcom I have ever watched. Buy it for Christmas for a relative who is staying with you for a few days and then suggest watching it instead of ‘The Sound of Music’ or some other Seasonal tripe.

3. Check out this link for Dublin’s Urban Rooftop Farm. This is a brilliant initiative and could provide you with some ecologically friendly present ideas.

4. Subscribe to the poker-blogs of the following people: Dara O’Kearney, Padraig Parkinson, Gary Clarke, Chris Dowling, Ross Johnson, John O’Shea, Nicky Power and Rory Brown. These will give you a tremendous insight into the different mindsets of and approaches taken by the diverse and colourful characters on the Irish poker scene. Also hit up the blog of my good friend Ben Wilinofsky whose battles on and off the felt make for compelling reading.

5. Join Irish Eyes Poker. For years, poker friends of mine have complained about the inconvenience of playing multiple ‘Euro-Sites’, having to make umpteen deposits, keeping way too much money on online cashiers. For years, they have wondered why nobody had come up with a convenient flexi-cashier that could be used across different networks. Well finally somebody did and they just happen to be a homegrown company here in Ireland. Now, through your Irish Eyes Poker account, you can play on multiple networks through using one cashier, accumulate more bonuses by virtue of being on one skin for all your ‘Euro-site’ volume, avoid currency conversion charges and avail of rakeback deals on networks where you previously had none.

6. Buy a copy of my new album of poker Christmas Carols, featuring such soon-to-be holiday classics as ‘We Trip Kings’, ‘Cold-deck the Halls’ and ‘All I Want for Christmas is a Trip to the PCA in the Bahamas’.

Finally, I would like to slip in a sneaky brag about how I won an EPT satellite to Deauville. As my friend Nick ’rounder63′ Carrillo snap-posted, playing a $100 rebuy satty ‘kinda sounds like spew for u’ but, in my defence, the field was soft as all the ballers are EPTing in Prague right now and there was a pretty big overlay. Yes, I know I am a bankroll nit but, on February 3rd 2013, ‘the coward’ will be playing the biggest buy-in tourney of his career thus far. In 52 days, I’m going to be stationing it off against the big boys.