S P POKaturday, June 25, O2011 KEERR FFAACCEE THE IRISH RACING P OST ... exclusively for the Irish poker player

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John O’Shea reports back from his Vegas voyage PAGE 11 KITT HAPPENS Singer-songwriter turned poker phenomenon Tom Kitt reveals all in an intriguing interview PAGE 9

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By Ken Powell of €52,000. Aidan IRISH EYES NORTHERN OPEN It was a similar story at the 136- McAllister 1. Aidan McAllister €9,300 JUNE’S two biggest domestic runner Celtic Poker Tour Grand Final 2. Alex Scullion €7,100 tournaments followed the lead of May’s earlier this month, with a three-way 3. JP White €6,475 JP main event, with chop settling matters at the Dolmen 4. Stephen Neeson €5,830 multi-way deals in the latter stages. Hotel in Carlow. 5. Connie O'Sullivan €5,520 Aidan McAllister was deemed the Tom Kitt was presented with €19,200 6. Jeff Jones €4,925 winner of last weekend's Irish Eyes and the title, while Tommy Walsh and Northern Open at the Fairways Hotel in Dimitri Pembroke took home €15,200 CELTIC POKER TOUR GRAND FINAL Dundalk following an equity split and €14,700 respectively. 1. Tom Kitt €19,200 requested by the last six remaining Other notable final-tablists at the 2. Tommy Walsh €15,200 players. €600+75 event included evergreen McAllister was presented with Northerner Mick McCloskey and 3. Dimitri Pembroke €14,700 €9,300 and the trophy, while Alex popular Dublin potter Colette Murphy. 4. Noel O'Brien €7,000 Scullion, JP White, Stephen Neeson, Veteran side-event specialist Nicky 5. Alan McIntyre €5,000 Connie O'Sullivan and Jeff Jones Power prevailed in the 51-runner €200 6. Niall Rogers €4,000 carved up a further €30,000. tourney in Carlow, while Elaine 7. Mick McCloskey €3,000 The €260+40 event attracted 200 Moloney took down the 35-runner 8. Collettee Murphy €2,000 runners, contributing to a prizepool €150 game. 9. Caroline Murphy €1,700 Season 8 EPT schedule unveiled Slog on the Tyne pays for Foley By Ken Powell Any pain he was suffering didn’t diminish his fear, however, as he got Viktor Blom IRISH grinder Barry Foley took home caught shoving 5h-4h blind-on-blind over £18,100 last week for his fourth- to exit in seventh place for £8,580. place finish at UKIPT Newcastle. UKIPT Newcastle attracted 554 Scottish pumper Richard Sinclair, entrants to the £500 main event, who has cashed in the WSOP main contributing to a £277,000 prizepool, event for the past two years, defeated with 72 spots paid. Englishman Raj Verma heads-up to Other Irish players to cash were land the title and £67,000. Ciaran Boyle (13th), Andrew Dwyer Foley, from Portlaw in Co (17th), Richie Lawlor (28th), Gerard Waterford, was always shortstacked Connolly (38th), Mark Coyne (46th), on the final table and laddered his Ken Corkery (54th) and Nik Kamal way to fourth following an impressive (57th). slog on the Tyne. In the £300 side event, Sligo pro Tadhg Ryan, from Cork, also made Fergal Nealon was unlucky to finish it to the final table, sporting a plaster fourth, having had half the chips in cast on his right hand due to a hurling play seven-handed, but he still took injury. home £4,000 for his efforts. Mizzi’s honour as poker players help charity

By Ken Powell on progressing as a poker player and giving back to my community. As a CANADIAN pro Sorel Mizzi has kick- young poker player with a talent that started a new charity program with an brings me financial abundance, I feel initial $10,000 donation for Poker it’s my responsibility to give back to Players Against Poverty (PPAP). people in need who are hurting It’s part of A Good Idea, a non-profit financially.” program that connects people in need Mizzi, nicknamed Imper1um, with those who want to help alleviate finished third at the 2010 Aussie hardship and homelessness. Millions for $599,319 and followed PPAP now hopes to recruit other like- that up with a ninth place in this year's minded poker players who will commit renewal Down Under for $108,967. service days and percentages of their More recently, he won Full Tilt tournament winnings in the fight Poker’s FTOPS XX Leaderboard against poverty. challenge in May and cashed in two By Ken Powell in France, Prague in the Czech expecting another incredible year, with In addition to Mizzi’s first donation bracelet events Republic, and San Remo in Italy. a whole host of new champions of $10,000, he has pledged five per earlier this month. THE EUROPEAN Poker Tour has The largest change to the schedule crowned and maybe even the first ever cent of all tournament winnings released the first half of its Season can be found with the dates of the EPT two-time EPT main event winner!” through the lifetime of his poker- Eight schedule. The first seven events San Remo main event, which will take Swedish online poker phenom playing career. on the schedule will take players to place from October 21-27. The popular Viktor Blom aka Isildur1 said he can’t The 25-year-old, from Toronto, will locations as diverse as Tallinn, Estonia, tournament on the Italian Riviera has wait for the new season to begin. He also participate in four service days for the first event in early August and usually taken place in April in years added: “I’m really looking forward to annually working directly with the the Bahamas in January. past, but it will now hope to attract the coming EPT season. My live game homeless in 2011, with plans to work The first seven events feature two players who are participating in the is something I want to work hard on with the Nevada Partnership for festivals of poker – in London in late World Series of Poker Europe in improving, and I would love to have Homeless Youth in the US. September and early October and at Cannes, France, earlier in October. some deep runs this year. I plan to play Speaking about his new the PCA in early January. EPT Chairman John Duthie said: in most of the events, including philanthropic endeavours, Mizzi said: The other stops in the first half of the “We’re delighted to announce the dates Barcelona, the PCA and London. Those “I am very excited for 2011 and tour are Barcelona in Spain, Deauville for the first half of EPT Season 8. We’re stops will be big events for me.” beyond. I will be placing equal priority Sorel Mizzi

SEASON 8 SCHEDULE EPT Tallinn, Estonia Aug 2–7, 2011 €4,000+250 TWEET OF THE MONTH EPT Barcelona, Spain Aug 27–Sep 1, 2011 €5,000+300 EPT London, England Sep 30–Oct 5, 2011 £5,000+250 “Irish bracelet winner considered as likely as Maggie Thatcher moon EPT San Remo, Italy Oct 21–27, 2011 €4,600+300 EPT Prague, Czech Rep Dec 5–10, 2011 €5,000+300 landing? Is the double too much to hope for?” 2012 PCA Bahamas Jan 5–15, 2012 $10,000+300 EPT Deauville, France Jan 31–Feb 6, 2012 €5,000+300 Padraig Parkinson (@padraig888) tweeting from the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas Racing Post Saturday, June 25, 2011 POKER FACE 3 POKER NEWS

There’s so much to read in your super Congressmen move to legalise POKER FACE SUPPLEMENT online poker in United States PAGES 4 & 5 All the low-down on a By Ken Powell Texas Rep legislation introduced by cracking couple of weeks Joe Barton Massachusetts Democratic Rep Barney BIG MOVES to legalise online poker Frank that would legalise and regulate the WSOP in Vegas were afoot in the United States this online gambling. week, with Texas Republican McDermott, who first introduced his PAGE 8 Representative Joe Barton set to legislation in 2009, said: “Legalising, ANDREW GRIMASON introduce legislation to make online regulating and taxing internet poker lawful and set up a new federal gambling just makes sense. answers our unique agency to regulate it. “Right now, the US loses billion of questionnaire April 15 2011 came to be known as dollars to off-shore gambling and Black Friday in the online poker world illegal gambling rings because of an when the FBI shut down PokerStars, unrealistic and virtually unenforceable PAGE 9 Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker, policy. An unmissable interview three of the largest poker websites. “The current prohibition of online with Dublin poker star The companies were charged with gambling has failed and made TOM KITT illegal online gambling, bank fraud and countless American vulnerable to money laundering. fraud, identity theft and money However, Barton insists online poker laundering.” PAGE 10 is not illegal in itself, though he admits His revised bill's provisions include The EMOP jets into Dublin some processing payments used by an incentive for states and tribes to online poker sites are unlawful. participate in the form of a six per cent According to various discussions on tax on gambling deposits; two new PAGE 11 the proposed law, online poker sites revenue set-asides designating 25 per Pulsating punter JOHN will be registered and regulated in a Barton’s spokesman Sean Brown said poker back to the comfort of cent of the funds for foster kids; and state where gambling is legal, much the Representative has been besieged Americans’ home computers and 0.5 per cent reserved for historic O’SHEA reports back from like brick and mortar casinos. by complaints from angry poker- laptops. preservation and the arts. Vegas in his monthly diary Barton, a senior member of the playing constituents since Black Friday And Barton isn’t the only lawmaker Tax incentives would be used to House Energy and Commerce and added: “He is very serious about pushing the issue on the federal level. encourage illegal sites to operate getting something done.” Washington Democratic Rep Jim Edited by Jonathan Mullin Committee and an avid poker player, within the law, while internet gambling will propose a bill that will allow A group known as Poker Players McDermott will reintroduce legislation would not be part of the current tax and David Jennings payments for online poker games in Alliance has been working with Barton to tax licensed internet gaming in the exemptions given to the horse and dog states where such gambling is legal. to draft a bill that would bring online US. His measure is a companion to racing industries. 4 POKER FACE Saturday, June 25, 2011 racingpost.com WORLD SERIES OF POKER

Las Vegas is buzzing for Black the WSOP Friday fails to darken WSOP

By David Jennings Friday brought the game into setting summer thus far in 2011 and all begin the competition disrupute. we are confident it will continue simultaneously. SO MUCH for Black Friday sending Many online poker players were through the duration of the Series.” Perhaps the biggest growth, however, dark clouds over the Rio. The 2011 unable to retrieve their bankrolls and Several tournaments have been has come around the tournaments World Series of Poker has already those who would normally have record-breaking, either in terms of rather than in them. Side action, smashed several records with attempted to satellite their way into a attendance or prizes. The Heads-Up including cash games, daily attendance figures soaring from last WSOP event or two at an online poker Championship featured over $3 million tournaments and satellite tournaments, year. site, no longer had the opportunity to in prizes, the largest prize pool ever for is reportedly up 45% year-over-year. Through the first 30 events, player do so. a heads-up tournament. The Rio has spread 96 tables of cash participation was up 11.7%, with prize While tournament organizers said all This year’s Series has also seen the games that have mostly been filled to pools increasing by a total of 8.6% over the right things in public, most largest (in terms of entries) capacity, and over 150 satellite their 2010 levels. observers expected a noticeable drop in tournaments in history for Omaha tournaments are planned. At the halfway point of the Series, attendance at the World Series but that High/Low, Pot-Limit Omaha, Eight- In most minds, the real test will come nearly $56 million in prize money had hasn’t transpired. Game Mix, and Seniors events. when the Main Event starts on July 7. been awarded. “We are humbled once again by the The Seniors Tournament also broke Last year’s main event attracted 7,319 WSOP Before a hand was dealt at the WSOP, incredible turnout from players all over the record for the largest live $1,000 players, and most observers had Executive concerns were mounting over the the world,” WSOP Executive Director No-Limit Hold’em tournament ever expected this number to come down Director Ty Stewart game’s grandest spectacle after Black Ty Stewart said. “It has been a record- with a single start day, as 3,752 players somewhat due to Black Friday. Back-to-back omaha crowns for Dundalk native Spillane By David Jennings on Thursday, so much so that Spillane, juice to enter, but then when I took a Spearmint Rhino with the profits.” 44, let his hair down well before the re-buy I was shocked there was another There were couple more Irish cashes FORMER Boylepoker.com chief Paul final table. $60 on top of the second $500 too. early yesterday in the World Series, Spillane showed Ireland’s WSOP Indeed as he got heads-up with “So obviously my view was I'll get with Peter Murphy and Jude Ainsworth raiders the way forward in Las Vegas cocky US pro David Williams, the back the $120 in ‘free’ beers. That was making the money in Event 36, the last week, taking down two big-field WSOP bracelet-holder and former WPT my strategic edge!” $2,500 NLH. pot-limit omaha competitions in champion told his Twitter followers: And he added: “It’s not often people Armagh potter Murphy, known as consecutive days. “Heads up! Even chips vs the drunk win back-to-back omaha titles so I’m ‘The Multiplier’, finished 68th out of The popular Dundalk-based potter guy.” very proud of that.” 1,734 runners for $9,500, while finished first out of 260 entrants in the Almost an hour later, Williams Runner-up Williams, for his part, Galwayman Ainsworth took $5,200 for $120 PLO tourney in Caesars Palace on tweeted: “He’s getting drunker and his wasn’t too disappointed ultimately to 156th. Wednesday, trousering $5,000. chips shorter. 3.9M to his 2.4M.” lose to ‘the drunk guy’. Singer-songwriter Tom He fancied a bigger spin-up, Coors Lite-fuelled Spillane ultimately He later told his followers: ‘Danutpeddler’ Kitt made an impressive however, so he postponed any prevailed, however, and pocketed “Reflecting on the ride home, and Las Vegas debut in Event 38, a $1,500 celebrations, telling friends: “Might let another $47,000 for the day’s work. although I didn’t win, it still feels pretty NLH competition which attracted my greying hair down after the $500 He later revealed the structure of the good to get 2nd in a 420 person field.” 2,192 runners. The tuneful Dubliner Paul Spillane (right) celebrates rebuy PLO at the Venetian.” event had affected his thirst, As for Spillane and his pals, a source battled his way to 123rd place, for with pals Julian Gardner and Everything went according to plan explaining: “Well it was $500 plus $60 told Poker Face: “They cruised off to which he collected $3,700. Padraig Parkinson Racing Post Saturday, June 25, 2011 POKER FACE 5 ´® §© WORLD SERIES OF POKER Callaghan flies Irish flag in Vegas

By Ken Powell The Rio DUBLIN pot-limit omaha kingpin Dave Callaghan produced Ireland's best performance of the World Series so far, busting just before the final table of the $5,000 6-handed bracelet event in the Rio on Thursday morning. Callaghan, who previously finished fourth in the WSOP Europe £10,000 PLO event in 2007, was knocked out in eighth place by eventual winner , trousering $53,200 for his efforts. The last three tables comprised a who's-who of PLO sharks, with luminaries including Tom ‘Durrrrr’ Dwan, Erick Lindgren, , Dave ‘Devilfish’ Ulliot, Chris Moorman, Dave Callaghan Peter Jetten, Mike ‘Timex’ McDonald in action at Vegas and David Chiu all in the mix. Indeed the 507-strong field was described by Pokernews.com as “the greatest ever assembled in modern WSOP history” – but it was no surprise to see Mercier claim the $619,575 first prize. celebrations from his raucous games on Full Tilt Poker. The Florida betting machine won the supporters as they jumped the rail to This year, however, he has EPT San Remo in 2008 for €869,000 embrace their hero. concentrated more of his efforts on and he also has a previous WSOP Callaghan, for his part, was left to tournaments, with predictably superb bracelet, from the $1,500 PLO event in rue what might have been, telling results. 2009, for which he received $237,400. Poker Face: “Mercier runs unnaturally He took first place in the Southern Mercier defeated fellow Nicaraguan good. I guess I'll just have to win the Poker Championship in Biloxi, Hans Winzeler in the heads-up on $10,000 PLO event now.” Mississippi, for $31,600 in January, Thursday morning, the pair eventually The Dubliner has been Ireland's most famously handing the trophy to his getting it in on a 9d4s3d flop after successful online pot-limit omaha vanquished heads-up foe because he heavy betting pre. cashgame player for the last six or couldn't be bothered finding room for Winzeler’s AcKcKdJs stayed ahead seven years, having tackled even the it in his suitcase. against Mercier’s Qc6c5d3s on the 10c likes of , , Gus He followed that up with second turn, but the 7h river brought Mercier a Hansen, Ilari ‘Ziigmund’ Sahamies and place in the Los Angeles Poker Classic winning straight, sparking wild David Benyamine in the nosebleed for $34,400 in February. Darren Woods Brits blaze a trail at the Rio By Ken Powell “In limit poker, there’s a lot more Championship. Even Cody has a hard play involved and you don’t have to time believing his phenomenal run is THREE new British champions have be 100 per cent accurate. If you get a real. already been crowned at this year’s bad beat then there’s still more hands He admitted: “It didn’t seem real World Series, with Darren Woods last as long as you play sensibly. You’re until I got down to the last two. Then week joining countrymen Jake Cody never going to lose all your chips on I thought, ‘Oh my God, I am one and Matt Perrins on the 2011 roll of one bad beat, should you have a match away from winning poker’s honour. decent stack.” .’ I didn’t let it get to me, Woods took down Event 19, the Earlier this month, Jake Cody, from I just tried to do my best.” $2,500 six-handed limit holdem, Rochdale, completed poker’s holy And Cody was soon joined in the defeating a field of 354 players to win trinity, adding a WSOP title – and winners’ enclosure by pal and fellow $213,431 and his first WSOP bracelet. another $851,192 – to his EPT and Rochdale pro Matt Perrins after he The 26-year-old, from Grimsby in WPT accomplishments. collected the $1,500 buy-in draw NL England, was previously an The 22-year-old pro rose to 2-7 Lowball title in the Rio All-Suite accountant before discovering online prominence after winning EPT Hotel & Casino last night. poker five years ago. Deauville in January 2010, solidified Perrins’ victory was particularly To win his first major title, he his prowess with a victory at WPT impressive as he had never played this eliminated Kim Nguyen in second- London last August, and now he has poker variant live until the event place. Nguyen entered heads-up play completed the trifecta by winning the started. He trousered $102,105 to go with the chip lead, but the San Diego WSOP $25,000 buy-in Heads-Up with his shiny new bracelet. native fell short and would earn $131,900 for second place. There hasn’t been a female champion in the past 180 open WSOP events, although in this year’s WSOP, Nguyen and Maria Ho have finished second. Woods was on the rail as his Canadian buddy Tyler Bonkowski won his first WSOP event just days beforehand, and now the roles were reversed with Woods having his day. Both the pals won their bracelets in limit events. And the Grimsby grinder admitted afterwards: “I feel like I have a bigger chance in the limit tournaments. I have played a lot of no-limit as well, but if you lose one coin flip in no-limit or just one bad beat or one bad call, that’s it, you’re out. Matt Perrins 6 POKER FACE Saturday, June 25, 2011 racingpost.com Racing Post Saturday, June 25, 2011 POKER FACE 7 8 POKER FACE Saturday, June 25, 2011 racingpost.com QUESTIONNAIRE P O K E R N EWS

FITZWILLIAM CASINO AND CARD CLUB We ask Dublin €800 Poker Festival €500 to the Mid-month €160 professional poker star Ticket Freeroll Freezeout on Sunday, July 17 and also THE Fitzwilliam Poker Festival 2011 to the Saturday €125 Freezeouts on will run from Wednesday, November the 23 and 30 July. Book online ANDREW 23 to Tuesday, November 19 inclusive. www.fitzwilliamcardclub.com. The Festival Main Event runs over two days from Saturday and has a €700 End of Month Freezeout – GRIMASON Buy-in + €60 Scalp + €40 registration Thursday, July 28 with a starting stack of 20,000. Plenty IRELAND’S premier monthly poker the questions that of action is guaranteed with an extra tournament takes place on Thursday everybody wants to €1000 up for grabs for ten nominated 28th July – the Fitzwilliam End of bounty players and an optional €50 Month €250 + €20 Freezeout. The know the answers to! last-longest proposition bet. For full main action will get underway at details on the Fitzwilliam Poker 8:30pm, with 1- table sit and go Festival, go to satellites from 5:30pm in the Club. www.fitzwilliamcardclub.com. Online booking for the End of Month 1 How did you start The Fitzwilliam is running a special is available on playing poker and what freeroll on Sunday, July 10 at 5pm www.fitzwilliamcardclub.com (Credit age were you? with one guaranteed ticket for the Card or Moneybookers account). A fairly uneventful intro for me into €800 Main Event up for grabs. To May’s tournament saw 141 players battling it out for a prize pool of poker, I started playing with my mates register for this tournament, email your name and mobile number to €35,500 – bragging rights went to when we were about 16 and then [email protected], phone David Costello who finished top of the watching it on TV increased the 01 6114677 or drop into the Club and pile and took home the €10k first addiction. I guess the semi interesting sign up at Reception. The deadline for prize. part was that the main friend I was entries is Saturday, July 9. playing with was John O’Shea who Mid-Month lives down the road from me. There New €25 Saturday night €160 Freezeout are probably only about 50 pros in Freezeout SAVE the date for our Mid-Month Ireland and two of us came from a cul THE best value tournaments are in the Freezeout Tournament which takes de sac of 15 houses! Fitzwilliam this summer. Saturday, place on Sunday, June 12 at 4:30pm. July 2 sees the introduction of a brand Buy-in €150 + €10, an extra €500 is 2 What was your first new weekly freezeout with a buy in of being added to the prize pool, and seats are available online at big breakthrough win? just €20 plus €5 registration. To launch this tournament, an extra €500 www.fitzwilliamcardclub.com. My breakthrough win would have will be added to the prize pool. This been my cash in the WSOP Main €25 freezeout offers a cheap EMOP Dublin Satellites Event 2007! I probably had less than introduction to live poker in the club, in the Fitzwilliam $10,000 to my name, so scooping ideal for online players who are THE EMOP comes to town from the $30k was a nice boost to the bankroll! looking to gain experience of playing 28 to 31 July and you can win a seat Pretty funny story how I won that live events for the first time. With a to the €1100 Main Event in the ticket actually, I was playing in my starting stack of 5000 and 20 minute Fitzwilliam. Taking place on all gaff with a mate and I popped out to blinds, the action gets underway at Thursdays in July at 8:30pm, the the shop for a minute so I left him at 9.00pm and you can register for a seat satellite buy-in will be €100 with €50 the wheel. He wasn’t paying attention online on unlimited re-buys for first 3 levels. and then the screen popped up with www.fitzwilliamcardclub.com. the aces! He panicked and ended up Fitzwilliam Card Club timing out! The two other lads got it €500 added to Player of the Year 2011, all in pre-flop and pocket queens tournaments in July sponsored by Poker Face binked a queen on the flop! So it Heartbreaking but it kind of gave me while, he’s due a big one for sure! AS WELL as the new €25 freezeout on UP FOR grabs with this coveted title is could have been a very different confidence too. It was a seriously tough Saturday, July 2, the Fitz is adding a special trophy along with an entry summer for me! field and I held my own pretty well. If you weren’t a ticket to the €1100 UKIPT Main Event 10 in Galway and $1500 credit on professional poker FullTiltPoker.com. Points are earned 3 Do you prefer playing 6 What has been your player, what would you by buying into and finishing in the top live or playing online? biggest payday to date? do to make a living? 9 places in all poker tournaments in Why? I came third in an ECCPT in Barcelona I guess I’d be in some office job. I don’t the Fitzwilliam Card Club between I generally prefer playing online, it’s last year for 65k euro! That was a even know what people do in offices! January and November this year. The bigger the tournament, the more so much faster and you can play more great tourney, the buy-in was 2,500 Mind-boggling how so many people go points on offer. In the beginning of than one game at once. I like playing and the bubble was 12,000 or to work in offices, but I’d guess I’d December, the top 20 players will sit live tournaments though, it’s great fun something crazy! have one of them. I have a masters in down and play off for the title, with playing live when you have a big Business Analytics so I’d put that to the stack sizes corresponding to the stack! Although that hasn’t happened 7 Where is your favourite use somewhere. points that have been won. in a while! poker destination and why? 11 Any WSOP bracelet €500 added to 4 Who would be the Vegas is a lot of fun, but my wallet isn’t bets planned? Saturday Freezeouts toughest possible player a big fan! The PCA in the Bahamas was Well I’m 38 tournaments in Vegas THE Fitzwilliam is adding an extra €500 is being added to the Saturday to face in a heads-up probably the nicest place I’ve been. without a cash so think I’ll lay off the night €120 + €5 Freezeouts on July side-bets for now. battle? 23 and 30 at 8:30pm. Book your seat There are so many good guys around 8 What would be the best online now to secure a seat. these days. I guess the latest sick piece of advice you could 12 Who do you admire puppy from Sweden would be a give someone starting off? most in poker? nightmare, Viktor Blom aka Isildur1. It’s so much tougher these days, you Guys like Blom, Phil Ivey, Sam FITZWILLIAM FESTIVAL 2011 SCHEDULE He’s crushed some of the best in really have to work your ass off to get Trickett, – fellas who have Wednesday, November 23 : heads-up battles, it would be good good now. Talk to people about hands, beaten the top top games have to be €50 + €5, Super Re-buy Satellite for Festival Main Event craic tackling him in PLO though. never just accept a situation, keep respected. Although I don’t admire Thursday, November 24: questioning everything. Ask why is a their lives, it seems that at the very €250 + €20, Fitzwilliam End of Month Freezeout 5 What was your most certain thing right, read forums, watch top you have to be a complete degen. Friday, November 25 : memorable hand? training videos, there’s so much info €75 + €20, Scalp + €5 Festival Scalp Tournament I guess this is just asking for a bad out there compared to when I was What upcoming Saturday, November 26: 13 €700 + €60 Scalp + €40, Festival Main Event Freezeout, Day 1. beat story! Probably my sickest was in starting, take advantage of it! events do you plan to the EPT Dublin a few years ago, I €1000 added for 10 Bounty Players. Opt. €50 last-longest bet. play in? Sunday, November 27: think it was 2007. Once again I was 9 What player do you I’m over in Vegas, the next event is the Festival Main Event Freezeout, Day 2, €200 + €20, Festival Omaha Triple Chance playing an event where the buy-in was think is one to keep an $2,500 hold‘em/omaha. Monday, November 28: about the same size as my bankroll! It €500 + €40, Festival Freezeout Team Event, Day 1. Free Reg for Charity, Teams was about 20 off the bubble and I got eye on in 2011 to take the What are your main of 4. all the loot in with AA vs KK. Flop poker world by storm? 14 Tuesday, November 29: came down Ace-high but he My roommate Nick Heather kills it poker goals for 2011? Festival Freezeout Team Event, Day 2, €100 + €10, Festival No Limit Hold’em backdoored clubs to knock me out! online but hasn’t had a result live in a To try to make some monies! Double Chance. Racing Post Saturday, June 25, 2011 POKER FACE 9 HEADS UP ...interview with Tom Kitt Ground control to major Tom

Singer-songwriter Tom Kitt stops to chat with David Jennings before jetting off to Vegas to join the Irish invaders at the World Series of Poker

OM KITT is packing his It’s Kitt’s maiden voyage to Vegas were playing. yourself to keep your composure.” comfortable on stage or with a suitcase for Vegas. Ugg but he couldn’t be going over in much “The key for me was looking around Tom is the son of the Fianna Fail microphone in my hand and it’s boots? Check. “They’re better form. Earlier this month, the at certain players that weren’t politician with the same name who definitely something I’d love to get perfect for poker,” he Rathfarnham rhymer captured the improving despite playing a lot, served as a TD for the Dublin South into more. The Irish Open was an explains. “Originally it was prestigious Celtic Poker Tour Grand because their ego was the problem. I constituency from 1987 to 2011 and unbelievable experience. It was really mTade as a man’s shoe and they are Final title in Carlow, defeating 135 never thought I was better than I was. was also Government Chief Whip hard work as I had a camera in my lovely to wear – very comfortable and opponents in the process. I knew who was good and I wanted to from 2004 to 2008. While he dabbled face for 12 to 14 hours a day but I your feet don’t stink. It’s like walking That field was whittled down to 17 get as much information as possible with the idea of following the path of loved every minute of it and got on on kittens.” when Sunday arrived and once it from the way they played.” his father, other avenues became really well with Jesse May. He’s a top Guitar? Check. “That’s a no-brainer. became three-handed, Kitt brokered a Kitt took time to learn his trade more attractive and he graduated guy. He’s works so hard and is a total I wrote half my last album in a hotel deal with Tommy Walsh and Demitri though. Several near misses at the from Trinity College with a degree in professional.” room when I was travelling. It’s Pembroke which saw him take the business end of tournaments proved Computer Science. So be it presenting or playing, poker business first though. I’ll get the first title and a cheque for €19,200. costly and left him reeling in the ‘what But Kitt has been struck down with is very much part of Kitt’s plans for bracelet out of the way and maybe “It was the first big title I’ve won so might have been’. But he has learned the poker bug in recent years and the foreseeable future. then we’ll have a party.” I was happy to finish it off. That’s the from those mistakes and benefited in even when he’s not playing, he’s still “I would like to pursue the That could prove a very popular funny thing about poker, you're never, Carlow from past failures. Now the involved. At the Irish Open in Dublin's presenting thing but I still love party. Singer-songwriter Tom is the ever happy unless you win. I finished challenge is to maintain the winning Burlington Hotel in April, he fronted playing poker and get a great kick out brother of Irish singing sensation third in the UKIPT last September and habit. Paddy Power’s live stream TV of it. I hope to stick at it but the game David and an acclaimed musician I was disgusted. The Celtic Poker final “I started about four years ago and coverage alongside Jesse May and changes and people get better. With a himself. His debut album ‘Kitt has been known as a soft tournament won a few quid in the local cash Tatiana Pasalic and proved an instant lot of help from friends and mentors I Happens’ earned rave reviews from in the past but then obviously good games, then I went on to play in some hit with viewers. seem to have got a good hold of the the critics and his gigs regularly pack players are copping on to that and of the bigger tournaments around “Liam Flood rang me and asked me game. out Whelan’s on Wexford Street. So a playing in it so it’s becoming more Ireland. To begin with, I wasn’t was I interested in being part of the “I don’t really like the day-to-day free rendition within the confines of a competitive. getting past day one, then I might Irish Open coverage on TV. I was grind online and I much prefer to hotel room in Vegas could prove the “I couldn’t do anything right the scrape into the day twos of planning on playing in the event so I interact with people in live events. I’m perfect release from the hard grinding first day but I just didn’t do anything tournaments but then as I began to had to give it a lot of thought and it very chatty at the table and I use that at the Rio. stupid and hung in there. Then the learn more I managed to get to a few was a tough decision. I’d be an to my advantage. “Music is my first love. I put an second day I lost a big pot with A-K final tables. extrovert though so it was definitely “While poker is still value, I’ll awful lot of work into my first album against pocket aces and my stack “I finally started to click and was something I knew I’d like so I said I’d definitely keep playing. I’ll only stop if and released that independently. But went right down. Then when I got going well in Waterford but I did a give it shot. I’m getting beaten up by a load of the thing most people don’t know is going, I really went nuts and just kept Rory McIlroy (US Masters version!) “I’ve always been pretty young guys.” that the music business is a non-profit going. Once you can get a hold of and made an absolutely hash of it. I organisation. People think you’re your table, you have to really make it know there are no real physical Kitt chats to Sofia doing well because you’re on the pay. That’s what I’d be good at – I’d be attributes to the game but it was the Lovgren at the radio but if you even just do the relentless and just wouldn’t stop. I first time I had played three days in a Irish Open simple maths in your head, you’ll didn’t give them a second.” row and it obviously got to me. realise that it's impossible to make Ironically, Kitt is staying with Sean “I had another big chance in money. By the time you pay for your Prendiville – his predecessor as Celtic Killarney. I was much more focused equipment and band and cover all the Poker Tour Grand Final champ – when there but just made one big massive costs, you’re basically making a loss.” he arrives in Vegas and their mistake that cost me. Things like that It’s lucky poker has been kind to friendship has been a big part of Kitt’s leave you in your bed for the week Kitt recently. His tournament cashes development in the poker jungle over thinking back over them and it even have been covering his music costs, the last few years. starts to effect your time machine. and then some. “When I started “I started asking the best players as Then when you get your chance winning a few quid through poker, I many questions as I could. The likes again, you have to take it. When you went back recording and buying gear. of Sean, Seamus Cahill, Rory Brown, get to the endgame in a poker I’ve wasted a lot more money on Andrew Grimason and Peter Murphy. tournament, you can look around and music than I have on poker over the All those lads were winning and I see the guys that are left. You can use last few years, that’s for sure.” learnt a lot from the way they that to your advantage and remind 10 POKER FACE Saturday, June 25, 2011 racingpost.com POKER NEWS

European Masters for Battle of Clontarf

By David Jennings has issued an upbeat bulletin ahead of promote the event and supply staff and the four-day extravaganza. equipment. Unfortunately I won’t be THE VEGAS recuperation process will O'Sullivan told Poker Face: “It should able to play in it this year because I’ll be hasty for Ireland’s top poker players, be a cracking couple of days and the be organising it. It’s different to a most of whom will descend on Clontarf EMOP events are always very popular. casino as everything is already set in Castle for the European Masters of It’s the first time it will stop in Dublin stone in a casino but when you have an Poker on July 28. and we are expecting over 350 event in a hotel, you have to set things While all eyes are firmly fixed on the participants. There are 200 from up from scratch.” WSOP at the Rio right now, it won’t be Europe coming over and we’ll have John 'Dagunman' O’Shea will be long before attentions will switch to the Scandinavians and some from Spain among the favourites for top honours EMOP which visits Ireland for the very and Italy and the rest then will be Irish and he hopes to run deep in a first time this month. and English." tournament he holds in high regard. With the prizepool set to soar over Clontarf Castle, a deluxe four-star “The EMOPs are always great the €350,000, a stellar line-up will hotel, would not be renowned for tournaments,” he said. “I always like to enter the stalls for the Dublin leg and hosting poker tournaments but play in as many as I can and the John O’Shea, Dara O’Kearney, Nicky O’Sullivan was keen to stress the structure of them is great. It would be Power and Paul Lucey are just some of historical Northside venue should super to go well in Dublin and the household names expected to lead prove extremely alluring for foreign hopefully if my Vegas exertions don’t the home challenge. visitors. take too much out of me I will be able Paul Lucey Dubliner Stephen Sammon has He explained: “We picked Clontarf to have a right good crack at it. already cashed at an EMOP stop this Castle for the people coming from “From talking to some of the lads, The Romanian went into heads-up board fell K-9-2-A-K, enabling Hansen year. He finished sixth behind abroad really. Tourists are fascinating there will probably be a good field play with Finland’s Riku Molander with to follow last year’s winner Maciej Norwegian pumper Stefan Hansen at by castles and you won’t find a much heading to Clontarf Castle and the a four-to-one chip lead and needed just Lipny of Poland as Gran Canaria Gran Canaria and netted a tasty €8,300 nicer castle in Ireland than Clontarf. It’s prize pool will be tasty so I’m certainly 15 hands to claim the title, sealing the champion. in the process. Sammon will be hoping a very picturesque setting and the looking forward to it.” €65,000 windfall after his pocket threes An Irish success hasn’t looked likely to feature at the business end again on friends and families of the players in There have already been three stops outraced Molander’s A-5. in any of the EMOP events to date, but his home track and brings some solid the EMOP will have plenty of fun on the EMOP tour. Abdul Atila Seiar The Lisbon leg was won by Finnish with a strong home contingent eager to form into the event. distractions.” outlasted a 276-runner field at the poker pro Jukka Koskela who bested a be crowned Dublin champion, there Connie O’Sullivan, popular The structure of the €1,000+100 Crystal Crown Casino in the Bulgarian 309-runner field to get his hands on the might just be a Brian Boru-inspired proprietor of the Cue Club in Killarney, tournament will be the same as the resort of Golden Sands early last €72,615 jackpot. crowd-pleaser winning the Battle of is promoter of the EMOP Dublin and he other EMOPs with each entrant getting month. A number of elite poker pros from Clontarf on July 31. a starting stack of 20,000 chips and across Europe travelled to the Casino there will be one-hour levels. There will Estoril in Portugal for the €1,100 main EMOP Bulgaria be 150 to 200 playing Day 1a on the EMOP Lisbon event and Koskela eventually defeated EMOP Gran Canaria Denmark’s Asger Boye in heads-up play 1. Abdula Atila Seiar ...... €65,100 Thursday and then another 150 or so 1.Jukka Koskela ...... €72,615 1. Stefan Hansen ...... €34,160 playing Day 1b on the Friday, with the to cap a memorable performance. 2. Riku Molander ...... €39,060 2. Asger Boye ...... €43,569 2. Yohas Avidani ...... €34,580 survivors fighting it out for the main Norwegian Hansen lifted the first 3. Luka Vovk ...... €25,480 prize over the weekend. 3. Robert Svedin ...... €28,428 EMOP season III title in Gran Canaria 3. Andrei Demchenko . . . . .€24,940 4. Kiril Donovski ...... €15,510 O’Sullivan, who took home €5,500 4. Patric Mattson ...... €17,304 back in January. He took down 4. Pim van Wieringen . . . . .€28,130 5. Mikko Taskinen ...... €12,190 from the Northern Open in Dundalk 5. Nikola Prijovic ...... €13,596 €34,160 for his victory in the €1,100 5. Johan Berg ...... €10,220 6. Andre Moreira ...... €9,420 last weekend, has established a serious 6. Philip Jacobsen ...... €10,506 buy-in event at the Casino Las Palmas 6. Stephen Sammon ...... €8,300 in the Canary Islands after a four- 7. Ciorabai Ferdi ...... €8,310 reputation as a shrewd poker player. 7. Kristian Alfredsson ...... €9,270 7. Öystein Sannes ...... €7,240 However, he'll be unable to compete in handed deal. 8. Ofir Pinhasov ...... 7,200 8. Niko Alatupa ...... 8,034 8. Matti Konttinen ...... 6,170 € Clontarf as he'll have his work cut out € Hansen beat Yohas Avidani from € 9. Ionescu Alexandru ...... €6,090 ensuring the event runs smoothly. 9. Diogo Cardoso ...... €6,798 Israel heads-up after pushing all-in 9. Ran Sahanes ...... €5,110 He admitted: “I have to try and with 6-6 and getting called by 3-3. The Racing Post Saturday, June 25, 2011 POKER FACE 11 JOHN O’SHEA The diary of a professional poker player Time to cool off on sports betting and concentrate on Vegas challenge

OLLOWING my May from playing poker in 2011 (that’s not June 11 with a few friends. as impressive as it sounds as I am in I chose to do this for several My big collection on Barca madness on the sports winning the Champions the red on the poker front this year) reasons. Number one was because I betting front, I decided to League was badly needed! take my foot off the gas a so I need to be a bit more professional play better poker when I am little with my gambling about it. physically fit. Number two was that it aFway from poker. Not that I was With the rugby season over and the would get me in good shape for my losing much, but I was punting way WSOP now in full flow, I second weigh-in for my weight- beyond my bank roll which is never need to concentrate loss bet with Nick Heather. clever. hard on poker and And three because I came to The day of the Magners and forget about the WSOP for seven Champions League finals, I had just everything else. weeks last year and found under $50K on both Leinster and it too long and very Barcelona to lift the trophies. Then ARRIVED in draining. when Drico and Co didn’t produce the Vegas a little The triathlon was on in goods against arch rivals Munster, I Ilater than usual Cahirsiveen, which was was fairly sweating let me tell you. last Wednesday my grandfather’s I said to myself before tip-off that if week. A lot of the hinterland. It was a 750- Barca got chinned I would have done lads came out metre swim, a 20-kilometre 25% of my bankroll in just a few earlier in the month cycle and a 5-kilometre run hours, which equates to disgraceful but I had planned up a cliff face. bankroll management. to do a triathlon I had only trained in a If you constantly punt outside your in Kerry on 15-metre pool for bankroll with sports betting, you will the swimming problem with this was exposed about table for the two tournaments go bust. Make no mistake about it. and the 15 metres into the swim when I mentioned above, I have spent most When playing poker I always press realised that I didn’t have a wall to of my time trying to concentrate on hard and wager large portions of my push off. my two prop bets. bankroll. Then if I lose I just Somehow I managed to finish the I have a $3K golf bet with Paul moved down to softer games swim. The cycle and run were pretty Spillane that was supposed to be and was able to rebuild again straightforward afterwards and I played last summer but is going quickly. completed it in a time of one hour ahead next Monday. I am a serious In sports betting there and 35 minutes, which isn’t great, but dog for this one given that Paul quit is no moving down not too bad either. his job and dedicated the last year of levels. You just have to I have been in Vegas about a his life to winning this bet. reduce your bets week so far and everything has My odds did improve last week sizes which impacts been great. Well everything bar after Paul won back-to-back PLO upon your poker. I haven’t been overly tournaments for $5K and $50K. He’s profitability. motivated to play and have been celebrating ever since so there’s Sports betting, only played in the $3K and a small chance I might catch him on like poker, $5K PLO events so far. the hop and with a hangover. started as a bit Both were very similar The other one is that weight loss of fun for me tournaments for me. I got bet I have with Nick Heather. The but then found short by not running well weigh-in is before day 1 of the Main out I was pretty but also by leaking chips in Event. I have to get to single figure damn good at it, spots where I usually won’t. body fat (9.9% ships the chicken). It’s and I began to Then, once short-stacked, I going to be pretty close but I have realise it was got it in ahead to get back to been gyming pretty hard so fingers something I could starting stack and got dogged. crossed I can collect $3K off Nick to make good money It’s early doors though so pay Paul. from. hopefully I can turn things However, I would quite happily lose As a consequence, around along with the rest of the both for a run in the $10K PLO or the my attitude towards Irish. $10K NHL Main Event. poker was slightly reckless I have heard rumours that Vegas is at the start but when I start T HAS BEEN an absolutely horrific lovely in November but I certainly viewing it as my main form performance by the Irish so far wouldn’t mind finding out for myself. of income, I adopted a more Hopefully I’ll Iover here at the WSOP. Bar a few Although the way I’m playing at the structured approach towards it. wipe that smile minor cashes there is absolutely minute, I’ll be sampling the colder I have made more money off Nick’s face nothing of note to report back. climates of Dublin when November from betting on sports than Apart from my brief spells at the arrives. 12 POKER FACE Saturday, June 25, 2011 racingpost.com