Poker Player

Last weekend I took a leaf out of Steve Cody's book and decided to follow one of my own dreams....that of winning a large poker tournament. I entered the Irish International Poker Open, Europe's biggest tournament with 1072 players from 17 countries.

When I arrived at the hall in the RDS in Dublin I was completely overwhelmed. I was lucky to be with a number of my poker playing friends. Had it not been for them I would have probably turned tail and run. The hall was massive and full of players who undoubtedly were a lot better and a lot more experienced than me.

The tournament started at 12pm and by the first break (2 hours later) I had only played two hands (mainly because I was too shaky to push my chips in!). On the last hand before the break I was dealt KK in late position. The betting came around to me and I made a big bet only to be raised by a Frenchman under the gun. He was then re-raised by a Danish Pro. This was all pre-flop. The Frenchman then went all in, the Danish Pro put enough chips in to put me all in and I was left with a huge question...did the Dane have AA? I must have deliberated for about 10 minutes. I could hardly breathe and then I remembered a piece of advice that Matt Broughton the Editor of Flush Magazine gave me before the tournament. He said the best players make the least mistakes. I determined that not going All-In with KK pre-flop would be a big mistake so I pushed all my chips in. The Frenchman turned over AK and the Dane turned over a pair of Jacks so I was in the lead. Just! if an Ace came down on the flop I was out of the tourney after just two hours. I couldn't look so I couldn't tell you the cards that came out but nobody bettered their hand and I won a huge pot, put the Frenchman out and seriously crippled the Dane.

I nearly passed out through the pressure. The adrenaline was coursing through my body so much that I couldn't stop shaking. I then wondered why i do this to myself? The tournament carried on and I kept setting myself small targets. Just get into the last 700, then just to get into the last 500 and so on. I would have been delighted to have finished in the top 250. After all this was a really good field. Finally at 1.30 am and after 13 hours of play I was short-stacked (not many chips left) and pushed All-In with suited connectors 4 5 spades. I was called by a fellow with A 3 off suit. A 4 and a 5 came down in the flop and I had 2 pairs. Then came a 2 - he had hit a straight and I was out. It was cruel but that is poker.

I often argue that poker is a game of skill but it also is a game of luck. This tournament taught me more about the qualities you really need to succeed: concentration, determination, persistence, concentration, discipline and courage. Pretty much the same qualities you need to get on in life in general. I finished in 133rd place, just a few places shy of the money, but I was still really pleased with the way I played and took a whole lot of learning from the whole experience. My friend Stephen Richards came sixth and made 12,000 euros so we all were celebrating in the end anyway.

Comments

[Meest]

Oh my god! What a donkey call! You raise, and get a re-raise, and then someone goes all-in!!

You're super-lucky they didn't have aces. I would have folded those Kings in the blink of an eye.

I'd save your money if I was you. Poker's not your game!

[Jacki Vause]

Hi Meest
Well I suppose in silhouette it does look like a donkey call but remember that I had been playing these guys for 2 hours and mostly spectating so I had a pretty good read on them. I had put the Frenchman on A something but the Dane had been very cocky playing every other hand so i figured (after much deliberation) he had 10s and I wasnt far off!