"Lucky Rob" is 2008 Irish Poker Classic ChampIPC's $150,000 Guaranteed Main Event Finds Its Winner After An Explosion Of Poker |
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The atmosphere and the action intensified as the final 10 were established in the Irish Poker Classic’s €1500 + €100 freezeout at the Macau Sporting Club in Cork. With the number of entries up by 49 from last year, it was a tough three days as 169 players competed for the top prize of €80,000 in the prestigious main event.
The chip counts going into the final table were as follows:
Jeff Duvall: 455,000
Michael O’Brien: 360,000
Nicky Power: 355,000
Ryan O Donoghue: 300,000
Mick McKeever: 255,000
Jonathan Butters: 245,000
Olivier: 230,000
Paul Corrway: 160,000
Ben Blackmore: 125,000
Rob Taylor: 90,000
McKeever was first to go when O’Donoghue’s pocket fives made a full house on a board of Q-7-5-Q-X. McKeever, who held K-Q, hit top pair on the flop and after some betting, moved all in. Despite hitting trips on the turn, it wasn’t good enough, and O’Donoghue flew in to the lead with McKeever’s departure.
Corrway was all-in pre-flop against Taylor, but his pocket queens could not withstand the force of Taylor’s pocket aces and he was next to leave in ninth.
With seven to go, the pocket pairs were at it again when Blackmore raised to 22,000 in late position holding pocket tens. O’Donoghue pushed the pot to 65,000, and Blackmore moved all in. O’Donoghue went into the tank but eventually called with J-J. Blackmore failed to catch and O’Donoghue further increased his lead.
Michael O’Brien, also known as “Sideshow Bob”, found his own pocket pair and moved all in with 6-6. Steaming ahead of Power’s A-7 on a flop of K-K-3, the turn and the river left him fatally wounded as they fell 9-9.
Butters then pushed his short stack in with K-2 — an untimely move against Taylor’s A-Q. A-Q-J was the flop, giving Taylor two pair and Butters a straight-draw, but with no 10 in sight Butters hopes melted away.
The next hand saw Londoner Duvall stick all his chips in the middle on a board of 10-7-3, with A-10. Power called with 3-3, and took the pot down. Power got busy again, this time against “Lucky Rob” Taylor, but the runner-runner on the turn and river saw his jack-high flush beaten by Taylor’s ace-high flush.
The final three were “Lucky Rob” Taylor, Olivier, and O’Donoghue. Taylor’s 4-4 held strong against O’Donoghue’s A-10, and then there were two.
After some astounding play, and an exciting heads-up battle, “Lucky Rob” emerged as the well-deserved champion of this year’s Irish Poker Classic.
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