Paul Testud would get a $100 bounty… if it was online… but instead he’s on his way to possibly cashing in the EPT with my chips.

Another frustrating day of poker, card dead for most of the first two sessions.

I won the first pot of the day ironically by raising on the button with KJ it went uncontested by the blinds.

That was the best hand I saw in the first level. I picked up a small pot with 23 on the BB when the SB and table chipleader completed. We saw a 953 flop two spades. We both checked. A three came on the turn, he checked and by this time I thought a check would lead to a bet on the river from him, which I planned to re-raise - except the river came a nine. Now I was concerned that he may have two pair with the nines and fives. I knew he didn’t have better than that on the flop - or a nine. He bet 2300. Which because of my low stack was quite a lot to me. I suspected that he had a busted flushdraw and eventually called. It was the right call.

I made a few attempts at raises with suited connectors but both times I got re-raised. Once I folded - The second time I went to raise and my thousand chip got stuck behind the line. So it was deemed a call. The player next to me Andreas Hoivold raised to 3k. It got folded back round to me. I felt that I couldn’t keep folding to a re-raise and decided to call. The flop came 692 rainbow. I pushed all in and had Andreas covered. I hoped he had AK AQ and would fold. He called for his 9k with pocket kings, they held. I was now down to just over 6k. With the blinds at 800 / 400 and running antes of 100 that was soon down to 4.4k when I found KQh in the small Blind and an uncontested pot. I pushed my 4400 in it was 3600 more to Andreas and I got him to call me blind. He called and turned over 83off. Neither of us hit a pair and King high took it down. I then got AQ the very next hand and pushed all in again. No callers but 2k in blinds. So I was now on 12.8k. I got JQoff the next hand… I considered playing it, but felt that it would be called if I pushed all in and would be too weak to raise or limp with it given my stack. So I folded. The flop came 8 9 10 I would have had the nuts against a pair of Aces and Paul testud’s 6s as it was they ended up splitting when the board ran a straight to the jack.

The reason I can recall all of these hands so well is because I played so few. My median hand was 74off.

So on to my next hand … Still sat on around 11k I made it 2700 to go from early position with A 10 - It looked like a monster at this stage. Paul Lecky pushed all in on the button for 15k - perhaps I should have called. But Paul and I know each other well and I know at best this is a race - and at worst I’m dominated by AK, AQ. AA or KK. I fold face up and he shows me nines.

So it’s back to waiting for a real hand. I’m down to 6k when the button raises and I find AJ in the Small Blind. I go all in and it’s folded to the button who calls with KQ. The flop comes J rag rag all hearts, a king on the river and I think I’m out of it. My opponent has the King of hearts - but an 8 of hearts on the river gives me the nut flush.

Having survived that I then get 99 on the button and push all in for circa 12.5k Paul Testud is Big Blind and it’s up to him as Andreas has folded. He thinks for longer than I would expect with AK. But he was always going to call. An Ace on the flop sends me to the rail.

And that is all Fatboy wrote.

I’m on table ten seat six. The same table and seat my friend Danny McHugh started in yesterday. Danny nd I swapped ten percent of each other before the tournament started. He went out on pocket tens yesterday. My most significan’t hand was the A4 where I represented the trip tens on the 10 10 4 flop. So my prediction. I’ll finish tenth.

What a pleasant phrase that is… yes Dimmy’s bowels are playing up again. The nerves are jangling and the maid is eyeing me with suspicion. But so far no major accidents. Hopefully that will hold true on the poker table today. I’m not in that bad a position, better than I expected to be. Unless the draw changes I am on a table with no monster stacks. One player on 40K three on circa 25K Two of us on circa 17K and two shorties on around 5k. But today it gets serious and there’s bound to be more pushing. If the cards don’t come I’ll have to use my wits. But I have a feeling that today may be my day. Paddy McCloskey is the only other Irishman at my table, three Scandies, one German, one French and one American.

Yesterday was spent drinking and relaxing mostly. This ended up in Cool Hand Lukes with us playing a “Friendly” one one Omaha game. The friendly part being that we were only supposed to buy in for €50. Eddie and I started singing Elvis numbers and did our impressions of Louis Armstrong and Boney M amongst others. Padraig was so impressed he went to the pub, Jessy couldn’t stop laughing and Willow and Eamon kept raising the pot. In the end Des Doc Farrell and I walked out small winners. So maybe things are looking up after all.

Bounty:

For obvious reasons I will not be playing my bounty tonight. But it will be going ahead at the usual time of 19.00 with Mrs Dim filling in for me. She’ll be playing under my name so you still have to look out for Fatboy… But it won’t be easy this week as we all know who wears the trousers.

$10 =$1 19.00hrs PPP $100 Bounty

That was a very tough day with hardly any hands. I’m through to day two with 17,275 chips. Hopefully things will improve nd I’ll get a few hands. i had to try and do something towards the end of play today. So finding A4c UTG I limped, with the hope of seeing a flop. UTG +1 raised to 1600 - blinds 200 / 400. He was a fairly tight player from france if that isn’t a contradiction i don’t know what is. Gets folded back round to me and I decide to take a risk and call his raise. The flop comes 10 10 4 one of the tens is a club. I know I’m ehind and that a bet on the flop will only lead to a reraise. UTG + 1 makes it 3k the size of bet makes it clear that he hasn’t a ten - So it looks like a good opportunity to call the bet with the idea of making a play later. The turn comes an 8c so now I push all in for circa 9k. I’m hoping that he thinks I’m scared of the flush and that I’m pushing with a set. He goes into the tank for ages. he asks if I have a ten. I don’t think I blink. he eventually folds and I show him the bluff.

It was the only fun I had all night.

Getting down to the last four hands a short stacked scandie states he’s going to push each time. he does so on my BB and SB. i have nothing i can call with. When I get the button he is BB and I peel back 57os. it’s a hand that ideally you’d like to raise on the button or see a flop with. But I know a raise may well be called or re-raised and a limp would be no good. So I play safe and fold. The SB completes and the BB checks. the flop came 68Q a 4 on the turn. Ah well.

On Thursday i’ll have to take my chances. Still all to play for.

The player giving me grief is from Norway [of course] Otto Holt. It seems every time I raise - He calls or re-raises. The last time I had pocket nines pre-flop. At the worst it was a race so I folded. Anytime you raise now it’s 1k, so a fold is hurting. He knows he’s getting to me and I have to say he’s playing his stack very well. now if only I can get get a lock on a hand with him.

I’m on around 16k. One more level to play. it’s been hard - almost un-enjoyable poker. I think my face looks like a smacked arse most of the time.

Chip and a chair.

I’m on 9k at the dinner break. It’s been frustrating to say the least. I haven’t had many good hands. AQ a couple of times, but always in early position and had to fold it a couple of times too facing a re-raise. Got jacks but no callers. Any time I was in position and tried to raise I’d get a reraise it seemed. looks like I’ll have to tighten up even further. There is one player who seems to be running over the table and every time I catch a hand he has something better. It was the same player who caught a straight against me when I had trips. And in the cut off + 1 I looked down to see 10 10. I raised he called. Q92 flop. Two clubs. I bet and he called. A queen came on the turn that lead me to think my tens may be good. I checked. He checked. A club on the river slowed us both down. Check, check and he turned over KQ.

That player is on around 40k now.

I need some luck after the dinner break.

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.

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.

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.