UKIPT Dublin

The main event attracted over 700 players which is an increase of over 100 players from last years tournament and further emphasis's the dominance of the UKIPT poker tour in Ireland & Great Britain. There was also massive numbers for all the side events and good action on the cash tables through out the weekend. 

I decided to play day 1a and was rewarded with a pretty tough table draw for a €500 event. Everybody on the table seemed to know what they were doing with no obvious soft spots. I was going pretty well and picking up a few nice pots until I made a pretty big error. I flopped top set holding 99 on a 9,8,2 board with two diamonds. I fired and the the player on the big blind called. A blank looking 6 of clubs came on the turn and he check called another large bet from me. When the 7 of spades  came down on the river he checked again, I had about 22k in front of me and there was about  18k in the pot already. I figured if I bet now it will look like I'm bluffing and he might call me with any pair or 2 pair hands so I bet 7k. He thought about it for a while and went all in. Now I know he has it, he has to have it, but I convince myself he could not check the river with a straight there and after a long deliberation I cant find the fold button and he shows me 10,10 for the straight.

I was pretty disappointed with my call there, I spoke to a few of the lads after the hand while I was still steaming and got the usual "its not that bad" etc but Andrew Grimason summed it up best when he said "the bet is ok on the river as long as your good enough to fold to the re raise". That's the difference between running bad and playing bad. I ran bad because if the 7 does not come on the river then he probably pays me off with the 10,10 but playing bad I paid him off. Running bad is just part of the game but when you mix it with playing bad your going to loose money.

I decided to play the high roller on Saturday and got off to a bad start loosing a big flip with AK blind on blind v 10,10 then I rallied for a while until I was the chip leader on my table. There was not many flops been seen on my table with a lot of raising a re raising going on preflop. then with 20 people left I pick up KK on the button I raise and the other big stack on my table in the BB reraised.We had played a few pots together and I just min raised him back hoping he would shove and he did. Happy days...I call and he show's the mighty A 8. He manages to fill a straight with the 8 and I was left with one big blind....sigh.

I came back on Sunday for more pain in the charity tournament where I was a bounty. I did not play one hand for 90 minutes then get AA and its a miss deal!! Running well Chris!! after going really short I shove in after a few limpers a few times with out getting called then get moved to a new table where I double up twice with a AK v A10 & 88 v K 4. I now have a big stack and get involved in a big pot for pretty much the chip lead with KK again, this time versus 77, first card in the window was a 7....sigh again. Just as I was walking away from the table I see my friend from the high roller with the mighty A 8 picking up the trophy and a cheque for €19800. Ahh well maybe next time!!

The main event finished on Monday with a few notables on the table. Jason Tompkins was the chip leader starting play with last years champ Max Silver and 2010 Manchester champ Joeri Zandvliet also there. Jason ended up finishing 5th, Max 4th with Joeri winning his second title becoming the second player after Nick Abou Risk to win two UKIPT's.

I'll be over in Maynooth at some stage this week for the €50k (€100 entry fee) guaranteed tournament, its a new format with players allowed to buy in as often as they want on every starting day. It will be interesting to see how it goes and if this type of game becomes popular. My own opinion is that anything that gets more money in the prize fund is a good thing. There will be a large crowd over one way or the other and there is also a €400 Omaha side event on Friday which hopefully will get big numbers.