Irish News

Cash Result
Clonmel native Dennis O'Mahoney had a brief, but memorable, stay in Las Vegas during this year's World Series of Poker. Having paid his $5,000 buy-in for a no-limit hold'em WSOP tournament, O'Mahoney was dismayed to discover that the event was scheduled to last three days, and that the third day coincided with his flight home.

He explained his predicament to the organisers, and they agreed to return his buy-in. Cash in hand, O'Mahoney thought to himself: "I've come to play poker, and was prepared to put $5,000 on the line, so let's find a game."

The game he found was a $100-$200 no-limit hold'em cash game in which his pocket aces, on the very first hand, were good enough for a double through, and some nine hours later, that $10,000 had grown to a $76,000 stack.

It was a prudent moment to cash out, and the win represented a higher return than the ultimate eighth-place finisher received in the averted 466-entrant $5,000 no-limit hold'em tournament.

Night Watch
Former Irish Open winner and 2005 finalist Robbie McCormac was not exactly dismayed when forced to attend an antique watch and jewellery convention in Las Vegas. You see, by sheer coincidence, the event was staged in the Rio Hotel, just a hallway away from the World Series tables! Just how much business McCormac conducted during his days in the Rio is unclear, but he was certainly active at night, finishing second in a tournament at the nearby Palms Hotel, and winning $13,675.

Dublin Date Change
The Merrion Casino has changed the day of its monthly €500 tournaments to the second Saturday of each month. The tournaments will be two-day events, concluding the following day at 4 p.m.

Buster Bob
Sadly, four of the five World Series of Poker satellite winners at the Merrion Casino opted to take a cash alternative. However, the club was represented in "The Big One" by the charismatic Bob Battersby.

Player Incentives
€2,500 a month has been allocated for special promotions at the Merrion. Amongst the giveaways is €500 added to the first Tuesday tournament each month, €100 for the highest hand of the night, and bubble finishers receive free entry into the following week's corresponding tournament.

Willow's a Winner
Willow Connolly won the Fitzwilliam Casino's World Series satellite, a €330 freezeout. Something of a satellite specialist, Willow also won her seat into last year's World Poker Championships via a qualifier.

Parkinson on TV
Padraig Parkinson has surprised many with his natural talent as a TV presenter during the World Series of Poker. Daily webcasts via www.CardPlayer.com proved that the Irishman is as equally talented a presenter as he is a player.

Sunday Social Circle
A new €30 freezeout hold'em tournament, billed as being "very friendly and social" has been added to the Fitzwilliam's roster. It takes place on Sunday afternoons.

Collosus Cash Games
The Collosus Casino in Montague Street, Dublin, has introduced two cash game tables. The Jackpot, just metres away from the Collosus, was once the only poker-playing venue in Dublin, and was a regular haunt for World Series main-event finalists, such as Noel Furlong, Scott Grey, and Padraig Parkinson.

North West Championships
More than 150 players battled it out in Ballina, Co. Mayo, for a prize fund of €30,500 in the inaugural paddypowerpoker.com North West Championships, which took place in the Ridge Pool Hotel.

The buy-in for the event was €110, with every player having the option of a €50 rebuy or top-up. The crowd was made up of people mostly from the northwest part of the country.

The final table saw lots of drama, with several deals being brokered, and then declined. Due to tight play, the game went on until 5:30 a.m., when Michael Rosani eventually took the €10,300 first prize, beating runner-up Tony Padden.

Dublin Poker Websites
Fitzwilliam Casino: http://www.fitzwilliamcardclub.com/
Merrion Casino: http://www.merrioncasinoclub.com/
Amusement City: http://www.amusementcity.com/
Poker Events: http://www.pokerevents.ie/

Serial tournament winner Roy "The Boy" Brindley is sponsored by and writes courtesy of ladbrokespoker.com.