Paddy's Corner

A Game of Illusion

I get on pretty well with my neighbours. The fact that most of them are dead and reside in the nearby Père Lachaise graveyard probably helps my stats, but you can only play the cards you're dealt.

I visit them quite often as graveyards are a cool and peaceful place to hang out in a big city, especially if you're there on a voluntary basis. There's lots of famous French people I've never heard of resting there but there's also a few guys I know like Chopin, Oscar Wilde, and Jim Morrison.

If you're famous, Paris mightn't be the luckiest spot to be hanging out. I went to visit Wilde one day and noticed that someone had left him a present of one of his books. I suppose it's the thought that counts but you'd think he might have preferred something he hadn't already read!

Round about the time of the 25th anniversary of Morrison's death, they had a police guard by his grave as apparently loud music and weed smoking were frowned upon, but the credit crunch must have set in because when I went to see him last week he was all alone, unless you count Japanese tourists with cameras.

I remember reading a book on his life and death and that there was a theory that he hadn't died at all but had faked the whole thing just to get away from the fame game, but then again, if you were to believe all that stuff you wouldn't be too surprised to bump into Elvis or Jimmy Hendrix in the supermarket any day now. The point is there's always an air of mystique about the great ones. It's the same in poker, when you play against the best, they'll always leave you guessing, even when you think you're sure. I suppose that's what sets them apart.


A White Lie

In the nineties, the Irish poker economy wasn't very healthy so a stream of Irish players came to Paris for weeks at a time to join those who'd already taken up residence in the Aviation club. The results were quite predictable. Everyone made it to work for the afternoon shift and then hit the restaurant and drank their way through a six course dinner.

Sometimes, hostilities were resumed after dinner but quite often nobody got closer to the poker room than the bar. On one such occasion, I was at the bar with Aviation regular Tom Ryan (before he became Tomas O'Riain, but that's another story) and Jerry Jones who'd arrived from Ireland that day.

It transpired that the French porn academy awards were being held that night in the nearby Lido and the club restaurant had been booked for a late dinner for the stars of the show. The barman had explained this to us in French so Tom knew what to expect, I had half an idea and Jonesy hadn't a clue.

Round about midnight, when we could expect to be half hallucinating anyway, a couple of dozen young ladies half dressed, quarter dressed, and not really dressed at all walked happily through the bar on their way to the dining room. Tom and I managed to keep it together but Jonesy, taken completely by surprise, almost tripped a few of them up with his eyes. When he looked at us in amazement, Tom couldn't help himself and casually told him that this was a nightly occurrence.

The game goes on, even when you're not at the table.


Giving a Little Bit Back

These days, through no fault of their own, lots of people are worried about their jobs and their houses. Some people aren't because they don't have either, so those of us involved in Poker for the Homeless were delighted when the Eglinton Club and Party Poker generously added a charity event onto the Party Poker Irish Poker Championship weekend in Galway recently.

Irish poker has always had a reputation for heart but it must be said that on this occasion our overseas visitors matched us punch for punch and pint for pint in the generosity stakes. Everyone chipped in to make it a great night. Among the nice things that happened was the massage girls donating almost €400 of their hard earned money, and players of all shapes and sizes quietly slipping us a few quid, whether they'd won or lost.

We also got generous donations from Ladbrokes, Party Poker, Bruce Poker, and the Fortune rooms. After several hours and several vodkas, Nicky Power took the title back to Waterford, beating Anto O'Callaghan, another man who'd have been a very popular winner, but this was one of those nights when everybody felt they'd won.

Until they looked in their pockets the next day. My own sponsor, Boyle Poker, in addition to making a generous contribution to the homeless, will be sponsoring the March Madness weekend from March 27 to 29 in the Jackpot Club, Dublin - a fun weekend with a strong charity element where celebs, legends of Irish poker, and locals will fight it out, both individually and in teams.

I might even go myself!

Padraig Parkinson is well-known on the European poker scene, both for his poker prowess and sense of humour. He was one bluff away from winning the 1999 World Series of Poker, but unfortunately got called. Padraig Parkinson plays at and is sponsored by BoylePoker.com.