Irish News

Melinn and Brindley

Quite possibly, on home soil, I'm a little biased, but I think last month's Paddy Power Irish Open was one of the best tournaments ever staged in Europe.

It's hard to put your finger on what exactly makes a festival so outstanding, but maybe it is a combination of ingredients, ranging from added prize money, a relaxed atmosphere within a quality hotel, and little touches like an Easter egg left in your room with a note reading: "Best of luck in today's tournament."

Maybe it is just the hospitality and general good feel you will not find in the likes of a hostile, dark casino elsewhere. I don't know, but the recipe was almost perfect.

If forced to be critical, I could point only to the prize money payout structure being inappropriate. It featured big jumps, which is always unfair to those who have played themselves into a fine position. Let me explain …

Twenty-first place was set to receive €6,000, while 11th-20th earned €10,000. Therefore, at a stage when 25 people remained, the short stacks were hanging in for dear life with another €4,000 in prize money achievable.

However, once those short-stacked players had reached their goal and realised that the chances of nursing their chips into 10th place (for another big jump up to €20,000) were all but mythical, they consequently played with the mindset of a schoolchild who has already passed all of his exams.

This could be easily avoided if there were gentle steps up the prize money ladder.

Now, don't get me wrong here. After being one of the chip leaders from flag-fall, I found myself down to the felt after losing a big pot with 19 people remaining, and I successfully lashed my chips in enough times to get myself back into a fine position by playing as if I was on a total freeroll.

Anyway, it was curtains for me with 13 people remaining, and I had no regrets. I simply can never recall playing for 17 hours straight without some bad-luck stories and some welcome luck.

Hand on heart, at no stage did I lose a confrontation that I entered as the favourite, and at no stage did I go in behind and come out in front. There were no outdraws, no miracle rivers, no stories. That's how I like it, too, incidentally.

My friend Rumit Somaiya did not fare as well, having his pocket aces cracked by K-Q with the money going in on a K-4-2 flop.

As Rumit slumped back into his chair in stunned disbelief as another king fell on the river, his fortunate opponent urgently tugged on Rumit's arm and whispered agitatedly into his ear. Little did I know what was being said.
It transpired that the fortunate winner of this hand went on to be the auspicious winner of the tournament - Vincent Melinn - and his sentiments on dogging Rumit in such a way were to present him with a betting slip that read: "€100 each/way Vincent Melinn to win the Irish Open," with 300-1 scribbled next to it!

€37,500 later, and Rumit had enjoyed his most valuable bad-beat ever, and the name Vincent Melinn will be forever associated with the word gentleman!

Things could not get any better for the Leicestershire-based player, although his rush did continue into the Tuesday after the decider, when he won his seat in the forthcoming Ladbrokespoker.com Poker Million in Dublin's Merrion Casino.

Well, maybe myself and fellow Ladbrokes player Martyn Smyth (alias Macedonia), who filled second and third places, did him a turn in return for some percentage points, and let's say we both hope the expression "what goes around comes around" is true!

Dates for the Cork Macau Casino Irish Classics, a European ranking event, have been set as follows:

Aug. 16, no-limit hold'em, €100 plus €10 registration; rebuys for 60 minutes plus a double add-on; this is a "bonus supersatellite" to the main event, featuring free tickets.

Aug. 17, no-limit hold'em, €300 plus €30 registration

Aug. 18, no-limit hold'em main event, €1,000 plus €70 registration; freezeout; this is a three-day event.

Aug. 19, no-limit hold'em, €500 plus €40 registration

Aug. 20, no-limit hold'em, €250; this is the final of the Hold'em Freezout Pub Challenge.

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