No Holy Grail or Magic Formula
Some of the more heartfelt questions I get asked a lot include; what does a person need to do in order to break through and win a big tourney, like a WPT or WSOP event? What is that final missing ingredient and where can they get it? Ahh… if it were only that simple! Just imagine.
“Excuse me Ma’m….can I get a double whopper, large fish & chips …oh…and throw in some of that extra secret ingredient too please”
“Is that to go, Sir?”
“Yes please! Thanks a million!”
Not likely.
Keep in mind also, that the people who are asking me these questions are players whose games I respect a lot and people I’ve been in the trenches with and have played against for a long, long time. So what is the secret? And why ask me you say?
Well, the thing is I also used to ask these same questions. You see, I had won close to thirty tourneys over the years. Most in the 100 to 200 player range and felt good about my game. Though I was proud of all, none of these events were major wins. I really felt that I needed to break through and win one of the big ones and prove it to myself that I could do it.
That day came for me last year at the WSOP when I won the $1,500 No Limit Hold’em event with a field of 2,998 players. It also meant I captured the biggest treasure of all, a WSOP bracelet.
Sure, even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and again!
Anyway, in capturing this title many people thought that I’d in someway done a ‘Da Vinci Code’ on it. Solved the mystery, so to speak, or cracked the code or found the hidden chalice.
Nope….I am sorry to say that it’s none of the above. There is no Holy Grail my friends, at least not in the poker world. There is no Magic Formula. The fact is that I’d always believed I was good enough to win but more than anything, it was just my time. And anyone who asks me, well I tell them their time will come too…providing they continue to play well and compete in enough events.
I’ll leave you with this, a final note; I think that at least 20 percent of any field is good enough to win that event. You have to be running really good and playing at your best. And if the poker Gods are with you; it shall be your time.
Play well,
Ciaran
September 30th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
I like it - Can you get me some too!
Murph
September 30th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
hi Big C
Just been watching ur day 1 of the wsop on poker tube, u and ppp got alot of coverage which was good, although the comentator had no idea who you were which suprised me with you being a braclet winner the year before!
nice call with ur 88 vs A6d, you walked away from the table as the cards were flipped and when the guy congratulated you, you commented the reason u called was because of how the hand played out, what sort of things were you looking for or had you seen.
anyway more to watch, hope you get to the final table ;0))))
d1antheman1
September 30th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Do you or anyone reading this know of any good places to play in Northern Ireland?
October 1st, 2008 at 4:46 am
Will do Murph! Thx friend
Big C
October 1st, 2008 at 5:08 am
Hi d1antheman - how are ya my friend?!!
They knew who i was alright d1an because thats why they put me at the featured table!
Regarding the hand with the pir of eights well it went like this -
The guy under the gun opened it for 3 times the big blind, then a another bloke called from middle position, then it came to the bloke on the button who JUST CALLED ( who is be the person that i would knock out) and then it was over to me in the small blind. I look down and see 88 so rather than trying to flop a set (8/1 shot) i decide to raise and represent a big hand. It goes back then to the first fella (the original opener) and after some thought he folded as did the player in middle position - so now its over to the button and as you’ve seen on utube he decides to move-in!
This just didn’t make any sence to me - if he had a hand like AA KK QQ JJ TT or even AK he would have had to reraise preflop before it even got to me as there has already been an open raise from under the gun and a call from middle position so he would surely need to protect his hand and reraise so i just knew he was making a move!! It wasn’t that the TV People didn’t know i was; it was this guy that didn’t know because if he did he would not have made that move against me!!
If you have more quetions d1an theman - besure to ask me man!!
Ciaran Big C
October 1st, 2008 at 5:13 am
Hi rebelmonty - thank you for droping by the sight again!! I don’t know for sure but i’ll try and find out Rebelmonty. I know there are a few clubs up there and i think they are all good but best to find out for sure-
take care brother!
Big C
October 8th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
the bridge club in banbridge is a great place to play run by ivan donaghy u wud also get the likes of paul leckey and john keown playin there