I’m back up to 18.5k.

managed to get my stack to 11k when I find pocket threes in early position and limp. Button, who just had to fold Jacks on a low flop when two players went all in raises to 450. I’m only one left and cll as he has less chips than I do. Flop comes 10 6 3 I check and he bets 750. I make it 2100. i have a feeling that he has the overpair. he goes all in. He has QQ. An Ace on the turn and two on the river and I’m safe.

Len Collin is facing a smaller field than might have been expected at today’s EPT in the RDS in Ballsbridge, Dublin.

Only 91 players sat down for Day 1A in this €8,000 buy-in event.  The increased buy-in has certainly had an effect on the numbers, but with over 200 players officially registered we should see a bigger field sit down tomorrow.

Some of today’s big names include defending champion Roland De Wolfe as well as Andy Black, Barny Boatman, Dave Colclough, Johnny Lodden, Dario Minieri, Pascal Perault, Eric Seidel, Paul Testud and 2006 Irish Open runner up Ian Woodley.

my table is very reasonable - I only know one player - John Conroy and he’s very solid. A slightly mad Italian to my right who raised UTG 1500 the very first hand. All he took were the blinds. I got away to a good solid start and was pretty pleased with my game. A small rush saw me get my original starting stack of 15k up to 19k. I hit a couple of sets and a nut flush with my pocket queens. But then came a hand that will keep my good friend Reggie in amunition for months. I had pocket sixes in the Cut off +1 I decided to limp with them. Button called and BB raised to 275 blinds at 25 / 50 and last minute of the level. I called and so did the button. The flop came rainbow 63A one club. BB checked and I bet 600. Button thinks about it and calls. BB Folds. A 7clubs comes on the turn. I bet 1200. Button thinks about it and makes it 3200. I wonder if he has 45, two clubs or has he got two pair? Then a club on the turn that doesn’t pair the board. I check thinking if he has the straight he’s check. But he bets 5k. I’ve put him on a possible straight… I also feel he may have been heading for the flush. So it was a poor call by me. He had 45os. I felt the pot was too big not to call and I didn’t want to appear soft. I’ve been card dead since then and have now got 7.5k exactly half starting stack. So I need help.

more later.

Maybe it’s the size of the hall. Maybe it’s the “Sure there’s no hurry” kind of way we do things over here. But it’s five past two and there’s no sign of the show starting anytime soon. As predicted the size of the buy in seems to have affected numbers and it could produce a smaller but tougher field. There just aren’t that many players around.

I’m still looking forward to it. - last night I spent most of my time in the Gravity Bar with Danny McHugh [4th in last years Open] and Jesse May [He needs no introduction] Many pints of Guiness and a Chinese later I headed to bed.

I had a weird dream about a satanic Child. Don’t know what that was about - But at least I never soiled the sheets. So all in all a good start to the day.

More soon.

Afternoon folks,

I hope you enjoyed the long weekend, celebrated into the the wee hours and currently have a hangover worse than mine!

With only two days left in our Let RIP! promo its time to congratulate the lucky Giveaway winners we’ve had so far…

On Friday masterrobbi1 defeated a field of 44 and will soon be impressing friends with an 80 GB iPod Video; On Saturday it was PokeAce3’s turn to shine, oulasting a field of 59 to win a Nintendo Wii; Sunday saw an Xbox making its way towards the living room of planner99 who proved too strong for the 61 player field; and last night arf412 beat a field of 43 to claim a brand spanking new Zen 8GB Microphoto.

The final two Let RIP Giveaways take place tonight and tomorrow at 10pm and only cost $1 to enter (with rebuys).

Tonight’s prize is an 8 GB iPod Nano and tomorrow, on Halloween night we will be giving away a Sony Playstation 3!

Away from the virtual felt, where people play some sort of bizarre game called “live poker”, Len Collin will be updating you on his progress as he plays the fat card at the Dublin EPT which starts today.

Will he devour the field for breakfast?  We’ll just have to weight and see… 

Todays tournies…. 

7am – “PPP Brekkie Roll” $50 prize Freeroll
 

12pm – “Fast Food Freeroll” $50 prize Freeroll
 

2pm $20 Feeder to Irish Open GF Satellite
 

6pm $20 Feeder to Irish Open GF Satellite
 

6.30pm Dead Or Alive - $2 Allin or fold tourie to win an iPod Nano
 

7pm “PPP $200 Freeroll” . $0 buy-in, Speed freeroll
 

8pm Hellriaser $500 Guaranteed $5 rebuy

 
8.45pm $20,000 GP Double Stack - Buyin - $300 + $20, Rebuys & add-on
 

9pm $20 Feeder to Irish Open GF Satellite
 

9.15pm I know what you’re doing next Easter - $1 feeder to Irish Open Grand Final Satellite
 

10pm Let RIP Giveaway - tonight’s prize is a 8GB iPod Nano
 

Midnight $20 Feeder to Irish Open GF Satellite

Forgive the bad puns. This time round I’m going to concentrate on the poker and not the writing. Yes it’s EPT time in Dublin. I’m really looking forward to Tuesday, Day 1A when I start my bid to take the title down. Stop laughing…. The EPT was the first major tournament I ever played in. I managed to cash and was unlucky to have my aces cracked by Bad Girl Pham when we were down to the last two tables. Things have moved on since then and I’d be very happy with 18th position. I’d be happy with a cash. The Pokerstars sponsored EPT is a different animal these days. As a tour it is second only to the WPT and some may argue that it has eclipsed the predominantly American tour in it’s ambition and variety. One thing is for sure the price of the buy ins has made it more exclusive than other competitions. One might even regard it as exclusive. I’m not sure that’s such a good thing as I think it may lose some of it’s atmosphere with less non-professionals entering. Last year there were 389 entries. I don’t think that number will be bettered, but with two start days and a cap of 600 the organisers are clearly confident. I’m just grateful to my sponsors Paddy Power Poker for giving me a chance to swim with the sharks.

You can follow Dim’s progress right here.

Well done to DIDIPOKET who won this morning’s Brekkie Freeroll and to kukuryku2 who won the Fast Food Freeroll at 12pm.

Congratulations also to DuskyTheCat who won the first Hellraiser $500 Guaranteed tournament last night at 8pm.  He beat a field of 39 players to take home the $200 first prize.

Hellraiser is part of our Let RIP! promotion and takes place again at 8pm tonight, and every night for the rest of the week, so make sure to grab yerself a piece of the guaranteed action!

Padraig Parkinson, Ireland’s greatest poker character and paddypowerpoker.com’s sponsored player in Late Night Poker has made an immediate impact on the popular televised show … by getting knocked out in the first heat!!

“The bad news is that I snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.  Irish Open runner-up Roland de Wolfe had ace-queen and I didn’t have the brains to throw away the two kings,” lamented Parky, who finished 3rd in the 1999 WSOP Main Event.   As ever, the mischievous wit managed to spin some positive light on to his early exit. “The good news is that I set a Late Night Poker record by raising 54% of the hands up to that point!”

With Let RIP scaring the bejeezus out of everyone you’ll need to put your iron undies on to play today.

As well as all our boogertastic Let RIP tournies we’ve got our huge $75,000 Guaranteed starting at 8pm tonight.  Its a $50 rebuy tournament and the top payouts will keep you in pumpkins all the way to next Halloween!

Don’t miss out on some of today’s special tournies…

7am ”PPP Brekkie Roll” $50 prize Freeroll

12pm “Fast Food Freeroll” $50 prize Freeroll
 
2pm $20 Irish Open Feeder

6pm $20 Irish Open Feeder
 
6.30pm Dead Or Alive! - All-in or fold tournament to win an iPod Nano

>>>8pm  Weekly $75,000 Guaranteed - $50 +$5 Rebuy<<<

8pm Hellraiser! - $500 Guaranteed $5 Rebuy.

9pm $20 Irish Open Feeder

9.15pm I Know What Your Doing Next Easter! - Special $1 feeder to Irish Open Grand Final Satellite

10pm Let RIP Giveaway! - The prize for tonight’s winner is an 80 GB iPod Video! $1 Rebuy tournament.

Midnight $20 Irish Open Feeder

 
PS Congratulations Dbiffin who showed the world what a luckbox he is by taking down the first Dead Or Alive all-in-or-fold tournament.  He now has a shiney new iPod Nano to impress his friends with.  There’s another Nano up for grabs tonight at 6.30pm to don’t miss out.

We’ve got a real spinetingler of a promotion for you this week Let RIP!!!

For the next seven days we are petrifying prizes, ghastly guarantees and terrifying tournaments!

6.30pm
Go all-in or fold in our $2 Dead of Alive tournament - the winner gets a brand new iPod Nano!

8.00pm
Raise hell with our $500 Gtd Hellraiser tournament - $5 rebuy

9.15pm
Win a place in the Irish Open Grand Final Satellite for just $1 in I Know What You’re Doing Next Easter - $1 rebuy, 1 GF ticket guaranteed.

10pm
We have thousands of dollars worth of frightening freebies for the winners of our nightly Let RIP Giveaways including putrid Playstations, eye-gouging iPods and bed-wetting Wiis!

Thu 25th - Sony PSP
Fri 26th - 80 GB iPod Video
Sat 27th -  Nintendo Wii
Sun 28th - Xbox
Mon 29th - Zen 8 GB Microphoto
Tue 30th - 8 GB iPod Nano
Wed 31st - Sony Playstation 3

Any player who makes the final table of 5 of the Let RIP Giveaways will be rewarded with a $360 ticket into the next Irish Open Grand Final Satellite.

HALLOWEEN NIGHT!
11pm - Grab Yer Ghoulies!
$2k added to the prizepool
$20 Rebuy

If you don’t need a new pair of undies after all that we are even running a devilish 6666 hand promotion - win with quad 6’s and we will give you 66 times your Big Blind (terms and conditions apply)

Avoid a Nightmare on Fifth Street by scaring your opponents before they scare you.  It’ll be a Texas Holdem Massacre with bucket loads of blood money up for grabs!