#201: “We’re Putting The Band Back Together”

It’s not that the band had broken up per se – we’re not ‘Pixies’, ‘The Smiths’ or ‘The Beatles’ – but ‘The Firm’ as a poker entity was losing traction as we entered the Summer months. Some appetites were waning in terms of staking which is hardly surprising when the likes of James Noonan and Padraig O’Neill, two tremendous lads with big futures, leave your ranks. They left a hole and neither Jason, Dara, Daragh or I were pro-active in terms of finding replacements.

Jason, Dara and Daragh went to Vegas with high hopes but two weeks later ‘The Soft Loft’ had enough bricks to build a ‘Lego Breaking Bad Superlab Playset’. It was all a bit bleak coming into the Main Event but fortunately, Daragh Davey provided a WSOP silver lining, finishing 251st for $37K. Next up was the Heads-Up Tournament in Galway between Ireland and England, a dismally one-sided affair that saw not a single Irishman make it to the round of 8 and The Firm’s three representatives on the team (myself included) all lose 2:0 in the first round. It’s fair to say that the mood in the camp was sullen at best.

But boy, what a difference a fortnight makes. Just one week later, on Tuesday the 6th of August, Dara O’Kearney was tossed into Super Tuesday after he won a satellite that ended after the start time. Ten hours later, he chopped the event for over $80K, his biggest ever score, a deserved marquee result for a man better known for his ruthless consistency at mid-stakes.

The very next day, we signed the Denver Dynamo Clayton Mooney to the Firm and he joined us in Galway for the UKIPT Main Event. Four days later, that tournament was on the final table bubble with Daragh Davey short but still in contention. A magic 9-ball and huge hold with the Djangos propelled him into 3rd place when the Final Table was set, the position in which he would ultimately finish for a massive €80K payday. It was so heartening to see Daragh convert this opportunity into a sizable score and it was so nice to witness the adulation and genuine affection towards him by everyone present after he busted.

The next day, The Firm’s momentum continued as Clayton took to the Pokerstars and Full Tilt cyberfelt for the first time since Black Friday. 30 hours later, he had won 3 tournaments, made umpteen final tables and banked almost $12K. Not to be outdone, Colin Hammond joined the party on Thursday, chopping the Hot 75. Then, on Saturday, jokes were circulating on twitter that we were trying to swoop again before the transfer window closed. As it turned out, we were absolutely over the moon to sign Kevin Kileen, one of Ireland’s rising poker stars. And as if things couldn’t get any better, Kevin won two tournaments on his very first night for ‘The Firm’.

So the band are back together again. We’ve done coaching sessions, sweat sessions and everybody seems to be keen again. We have healthy bankrolls and a healthy, positive outlook for the future. It’s a hundred and six miles to Chicago, we’ve got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark, and we’re wearing sunglasses.