Tournament Trail Q and A: Rory Rees BrennanIrish Poker Championship Winner Spoke To Card Player after His Victory in Galway |
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The PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship kick-started the year with the first major tournament of 2009. Enthusiasts wondered would the trophy and title stay in the Emerald Isle or would it travel overseas to its new home abroad once the deed was done. The €2,000 buy-in televised event attracted many poker thoroughbreds such as Mike Sexton, Kenna James Donnacha O’Dea, Marty Smyth, Padraig Parkinson, Ciaran O’ Leary, and Julian Gardner.
But it was one young up-and-coming Irishman who topped the 255-strong field and sailed easily to the finish line, after making a comeback late in the event. Card Player wanted to learn more about the winner, Dubliner Rory Rees Brennan, and so caught up with him straight after he received his first major title, trophy, and €160,000.
Rebecca McAdam: How are you feeling at this moment?
Rory Rees Brennan: Unbelievable, I’m really proud to take it down for me and all my other poker playing friends; it’s really great for our team. Especially after Eoghan [O’Dea] did so well in London. I’m just really proud about how I came back.
RM: You’re friends with Eoghan O’Dea — do you think your styles have rubbed off each other?
RB: Yeah, we play similarly enough. Actually, I found myself playing sort of like him heads up, trying to keep the pots small and limping in a lot, but that was just how I would have played because of my stack size at that time. We play similar, but I like to think that I’m slightly more aggressive (laughs)... he might get annoyed at that.
RM: Do you play predominantly online?
RB: Yeah, I play Omaha cash games online the whole time, from day-to-day, and then I play some live tournaments too.
RM: Just in Ireland?
RB: I’ve played a good few tournaments in London, and the World Series...
RM: What about EPTs?
RB: I played in San Remo, and the Bahamas are classed as EPTs — I played that one twice.
RM: What does this win mean to you now?
RB: It means a lot. It’s really good to get on the ladder. It means a lot to be recognised as a good player. There are a lot of people who would know you and recognise you but now that you’ve won something big, it puts you out there. And obviously the money is great, but I’m not even thinking about that at all to be honest, I’m just thinking about the win and the trophy and everything else.
RM: Do you prefer online, or are you kind of switching over to live now?
RB: You’re right actually; I’ve had some successes in live tournaments now so I’m sort of really enjoying them. I mean they are a sick grind because they take like three days, and I’m always going to have to play cash games online, just because you can’t go out and play a live tournament every day. I like doing that about once a month, and day-to-day just playing a couple of hours on the laptop. So, I’m not sure if I prefer either one, they’re both good in their own special way.
RM: What was the moment when you felt like, “Right, I’m going to be able to do this professionally”?
RB: Well when I met Eoghan and he showed me the ropes, and then when I was in college I won a couple of tournaments online for five and ten thousand, and that was just sick money for me when I was in college. I was like, “Jesus, this is so easy for me, I’ll be doing this forever.” And then after college I had a bit of a down swing, a bit of a reality check, but kept at it, and some days you feel like quitting tomorrow... I’m not sure if there was an exact moment, but I’ve had some good days in cash games when I think, “I’m just going to keep at this”.
RM: What was your family’s reaction to — I’m done with college, but I’m a professional poker player now.
RB: Yeah, a bit of a waste of a college degree. But they’re pretty relieved that I have a college degree, so that’s one thing at least.
RM: Did they worry about you?
RB: Yeah, they were worried at the start, but then when I bought a car and that sort of stuff, and shared a bit of what I was winning — I told them about some of it not all of it. (Unfortunately, they’re going to find out about this I’d say.) Then my Dad was like, “Fair enough. I mean, jobs are hard to get at this time anyway.”
RM: How did you get involved with BoylePoker.com?
RB: I think they originally contacted John O’Shea, and he said, “Yeah, there are a couple of us who would be interested, and then we just went into Boyles. So they decided to put me on a trial, a six month kind of deal, where they are going to put me into five or six tournaments over six months and see how I do. I had a good start anyway, this is my first run at them. They are obviously getting good value this time if nothing else.
RM: Who do you respect most online or live?
RB: I think Eoghan’s a great all-round player and he’s done unbelievable, so I might have to say him. I think John’s a really good Omaha online cash player too. Also Marty [Smyth], who’s a pretty easy pick, because he just wins about ten tournaments a year, and you can’t ignore that.
RM: Have you learnt much about your own style from your experience at the IPC?
RB: Coming in to it I knew I was playing really well, because I was doing well in a few [smaller] tournaments. I had a comfortable stack and I just blew it all, and I suppose no matter how well you think you’re playing, sometimes you have to just give up on the river and don’t stick it all in like I did.
RM: After this, what are you expecting?
RB: I’m going to Australia for the Aussie Millions. I’m looking forward to that. I’ll play a couple of events there, and then we’re thinking of going to a tournament in Adelaide after. So, then afterwards I might take a break for two weeks and go to Thailand, or take a holiday somewhere anyway.
RM: What does the money mean to you?
RB: It’s great obviously, it’s unbelievable, a sick amount of money. When I won, and when I got dogged before the win, the money wasn’t coming into my head at all. I just felt like I really, really wanted to win. The money is great though, and I hope I’ll spend it on a house in a few years when I’m more mature... when I grow up. I’m going to wait for the house prices to crash and then I’ll swoop in... (Laughs)
RM: What’s your poker ambition?
RB: I would say a bracelet in Vegas — that’s why Marty’s my hero... and that event as well... I’d love to win that event.
RM: So, you’re more interested in Omaha then?
RB: Well, I only play Omaha cash games online, and then I just play tournaments in Hold’em.
RM: Why is that?
RB: They just seem like better value. Some of those 18 and 19-year-old guys online who are huge winners are really good hold’em players, but they’re just not as good at Omaha yet... I’m sure they will be in a few years but hopefully then there will be more 18-year olds who aren’t.
RM: Does it come into your mind at all, or bear any importance, that you’re a young Irish player?
RB: Yeah definitely. I read in all the magazines about how well the Russians and all the Scandis are doing. There are so many Irish people who play poker who love it as well, that’s why when Marty wins something, everyone’s just so chuffed, and then at the Poker Million when there were four Irish, that was just unbelievable. Everyone was like, “Screw you and everyone else, the Irish are here.” It’s obviously brilliant to win it here. It’s coming out of Galway but at least it’s in Ireland.
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