New Year's Day in Galway Bay

By the time this story reaches you, we will be well into the new year. But I must mention my New Year's Eve trip to Galway. Galway is on the west coast of Ireland. Having never been there before, I was excited about the prospect of visiting a new venue. Inasmuch as I was going to be running a Tombola and organising a "Win With Wilson" and a "Play Your Cards Right" night, I was taking my Peugeot Expert van. You know a man's doing well when he owns his own Peugeot Expert van. It's fully paid for, with a roof rack on the top, a ladder on the back, and an interior light for when I stick Jesse May in the back and drive to Matchroom recording sessions. I was dressed and ready to roar out of the car park in Bridgnorth at 7 a.m. for my long drive down to the ferry port of Hollyhead. As I boarded the ferry, I noticed that for a £10 upgrade, I could move into business class on Irish Ferries. If only it was this cheap with Quantas! The extra £10 entitled me to free tea and coffee, juices, fruit, cheese, and biscuits. Well worth it!

As we unloaded at Dublin, it was a 136-mile drive to Galway across Ireland. Wow. I've had some long days in my time, but I can't remember any as long as this drive to Galway. I arrived at 6:30 p.m. on New Year's Eve. The first people I see are Padraig Parkinson, Jesse May, Rory Liffey, and Jon Kalmar, standing outside in the freezing cold.

I can honestly say that I was impressed with Galway from the time I arrived. New Year's Eve was one of the best I have ever had, drinking beer and laughing with some of the greatest poker players I have ever known. The bar had been partly taken over by a group of female pensioners who were dancing the night away. I donated a skipping rope and a Punjab United calendar to be used as spot prizes. An 83-year-old woman from Sligo named Elsie won the skipping rope for best newcomer dancer. World Series of Poker bracelet winner Ciarán O'Leary won the calendar for best all-rounder. It was a night to remember.

The next morning, we weren't up that early. We decided to go for a stroll along the seafront at midday, walking down to the Salthill pier. To our amazement, there were nearly a dozen people in swimming outfits diving into the freezing-cold sea. Was this the world's greatest endurance test or was it just some lunatics from Galway cleaning up their acts after New Year's Eve? Apparently, it's something that they do every New Year's Day, and volunteers are welcome, as the numbers are dwindling. I've done some crazy things in my time, but I know that under no circumstances will you ever catch me swimming around Galway Bay in freezing conditions.

Later on that day, we moved to the Radisson Hotel in the heart of Galway, where the PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championships were to be held. I was so excited to play, as I'd been sponsored into the tournament by an Internet site called poker.co.uk. One of the things I must mention is the quality of the cardroom in Galway, which is called The Eglinton Club. It is run by a personal friend of mine, Fintan Gavin, who does an absolutely perfect job of running a first-class tournament. From the time I walked, in I was very impressed with the dealers and the layout of the casino, and the generous structure of the tournament. And around the walls are pictures of some of the most famous Irish players who have ever walked the planet. In fact, the only non-Irish players on the wall are Vicky Coren, Isabelle Mercier, and Katja Thater. I wonder why he chose these three. Fintan also let me run a Tombola, which raised €240 for charitable causes in poker.

Although I slipped out early, the main event was a resounding success, and it was good to see the Irish Poker Championship trophy in the hands of a local Galway lad, Jude Ainsworth. Katherine and I couldn't stay for the after party, as we had to be up early the next day to prepare for our flight to Australia and the Aussie Millions. I'll catch up with you from there, and wish you all a great 2008!

Mad Marty Wilson is a professional gambler and poker consultant for Matchroom Sport.