It's a long way from Tipp to Monte Carlo

It’s been a while since I last posted and a lot of things have happened since I last hammered the keyboard with my typing finger.

Tipperary is foggy memory blurred by Guinness, Bulmer’s & Budweiser. The tournament was in Roscrea in aid of the local scout group and from what I remember a success for the cause. My own tournament was a rash of big pots won with the monsters of 8 2 & 3 4 plus a KK thrown in for good measure. My initial chips rose from 2500 to 25000 during the rebuy stage and up to 60000 soon after until I ran top pair into a set and that was that. Guts was the game that followed a series of sit and goes with the DIT lads and lassies before being turfed out the hotel at the ungodly hour of 11am and a horrendous train ride back home.

The night before Tipp I played the Fitzwilliam €270 game. 22nd and four from the money is all I need to say. I also played in the ‘Joe Show’. This was a televised double shootout and I managed to finish second at my first table, an hour long heads up match with Mark McGhee was fun but he won in the end.

Monte Carlo was my next stop on the Antes Up live update tour. The week flew by in a haze of €20 burgers (chips were extra). Actually I never ate one of the burgers after hearing about the rawness of them from others, what is it with the French and raw meat? The rich opulence of Monaco was not that appealing to me, give me the cheap tackiness of Vegas every time. Apart from a sit and go on the first night with the some of the other journalists I got no live poker played. I intended to play one of the side tournaments but too many late nights online hampered that plan.

It was very entertaining over there watching €20k sit and goes and Chinese poker being played for up to €4k a point. Some of the professional poker players are just sick:). Interestingly the €10k and €20k sit and goes were won by none other than Joe Hachem and Greg Raymer, as if they need the money….

My online cash game play is improving each day. My results whilst in Monaco were the best I have recorded so far and the online bankroll is getting to the point where $5/$10 is comfortably within bankroll requirements and $10/$20 is not crippling if I lose a buy in or two. This allows me to play a bit more relaxed at these levels and go with my instincts without fear of bankroll trouble if I am wrong. Poker Tracker support for Tribeca has finally arrived and I am getting the benefit of this now at those tables. I have also re-acquainted myself with Party Poker with great success. It seems a lot smoother than I remember but still just as fishy. I have not tried any tournaments there yet but my cash bankroll there is multiplying nicely.

If you ever get the chance to watch players playing online at the highest level then make sure you pay attention, there is a lot to be learnt. In Monte Carlo I had the opportunity to see a lot of this and it is no co-incidence that my own game has improved.

Lastly, I have been doing some phone in reports on the Irish poker scene for Poker News on Poker zone which can be seen on Sky Digital. This is great fun to do but I have yet to see it myself. If anyone has any good stories or news then drop me a line and I will give some airtime.

Au revoir & bon chance,

Mike