#210: “Czechered Flag”

Last year, when I traveled to Prague with Saron, the plan was to play some poker but, most of all, see a city to which I had never been before. This year, Saron opted for the Amsterdam/Paris trip for our Winter getaway so it was poker, poker and more poker for 5 days in the Czech capital. First up was the Eureka Main Event, a humongous field of 1315, testament to how far poker has come in this part of the world and what a phenomenal job PokerStars have done, creating yet another successful mid-stakes regional tour to rival Estrellas, FPS and UKIPT. I managed to make a deep run, another day 3 but alas, another short one as I ultimately fell in 42nd position, re-shoving over a cut-off open with A10s only for the SB to wake up with Aces. I was very pleased with how I played, especially with how I picked my spots when short for the final third of Day 2. More importantly though, I want to give a massive shout-out to ‘Friend of the Firm’ Mark Dalimore, a tremendous character and poker player whose canny skills netted him over €55K for 4th place in the event.

On Wednesday, I headed across town to the Andel’s Card Casino for the Grand Live Final, another €1K buy-in, this time with a field of about 300. Chris Dowling and I both made it to Day 2 but I fell short of the money, busting around 60th. Chris made it through the bubble and at the time of writing, has an average stack with 36 left going into Day 3. (GLGL!) Of course, no trip would be complete without a visit from the Djangoes. At 8pm tonight, I late-regged the €150 Turbo in search of another Czech flag. At approximately 8.08pm, I was out the door, having run my Kings into Aces. So it looks like I will have to be satisfied with 19 cashes this year as I’m not sure there will be another opportunity on the baize before Christmas. All in all, I am delighted with that effort (especially as I don’t do Vegas), although it would have been sweet to become only the second Irishman ever to crack 20 in a calendar year (Damn you Doke!!!).

For me, the highlight of 2013 has been the travelling. I have been to 15 destinations across Europe (not to mention some fantastic Irish trips) and had the opportunity to get to know loads of great people on all the different circuits. It is these friendships formed with players, dealers, TDs, bloggers and the staff of various poker rooms, live and online that enriches the live poker experience so much and makes it not so bad to spend a third of the year living out of a suitcase. On that, it was especially great to catch up with my old pal (in poker years) Anton Wigg, whose genuine warmth is always present infectiously from the outset of any interaction. I’m delighted that justice has been served in his case with the Swedish Government and that rightly, he can look to the future with his reputation irrefutably intact and a line drawn under a very arduous chapter of his life. It was also great to have a few quick chats with Nick O’Hara, a gentleman, a gentle man and a consummate professional, even when working his fourth straight 14-hour shift without a wink of sleep. I genuinely don’t know how he does it; day in, day out, never a bad ruling, always polite, a master of diffusing potentially explosive situations with a quiet word or a deft hand.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Dara O’Kearney has been part of a 3-person (now 2-person since Kevin Killeen arrived out to play EPT last night) Firm online skeleton crew. It goes without saying that Dara has been crushing but joining the party in a big way this past month has been Nick Newport who followed up his impressive second Fitz EOM victory of 2013 (chopping with the excellent Fintan Hand) with numerous online scores. I’m hoping to join the party next week as my Supernova Grind takes on the final few bends before entering the homestretch. I’m going to work my ass off, SNGs and MTTs, because I would dearly love to take that checkered flag before Christmas.