€3,500 Irish Open Main Event | 2009 PaddyPower.com Irish Open

04-13-2009 16:05 UTC+2

Bubble Boy Baker Announcing Final Table

[user46298]

As play kicked off today, a man with a microphone in a tuxedo said to me, "Now I feel a bit sad." I asked him why, and discovered that the announcer for the final table's major action is none other than Philip Baker, ninth-place finisher in this very event! I had failed to recognize the popular player in his penguin suit, but there he is -- talking through the all-ins of the players he was just hours ago seated at the table alongside.

Tags: Philip Baker

04-13-2009 16:06 UTC+2

Kassouf Likes Flop

[user46392]

Four players made it to a {7-Clubs}

flop, which William Kassouf must have liked the look of as he announced, "All in". All the others passed, though, and he took it down right there.

Tags: William Kassouf

04-13-2009 16:15 UTC+2

Secretly Rooting for Kara

[user46392]

Townsend: other side of the camera today

Added to the novelty of the final-table bubbler announcing the action, the commentary on the live feed is currently being provided by wooden-spoon winner (he was first out on Day 1) and other half of Kara Scott, Brian Townsend. In a completely unbiased way, of course.

Tags: Brian Townsend Kara Scott

04-13-2009 16:18 UTC+2

No Flops Here

[user46392]

We've been playing flop-free poker for a little while now.

William Kassouf raised, but folded to a reraise from an impassive Atanas Gueorguiev in the big blind.

Andrew Pantling raised under the gun and it was enough to frighten everyone else off.

The next hand it was Christer Johansson's turn to raise, but Pantling made it a hefty 275,000 to go, and after a moment spent counting his chips and eying up his apparently unconcerned opponent, Johansson folded.

04-13-2009 16:25 UTC+2

Kara-geous Call Doubles Scott Through

[user46298]

Andrew Pantling, cruising in fifth gear, raises to 70,000 on the button, winning the blinds, then gives it another go in the cutoff. This time button Kara Scott reraises to 175,000. Back to Pantling, who quickly announces "All in", putting the same pressure on her as he was doing to other short stacks through yesterday's latter stages.

She doesn't pass, however. She thinks for a long time, fingers laced, and chats, smiling, with Pantling. Whatever she gleans from this interaction (wish I could hear what she was saying) she makes a decision: call.

Kara shows {8-Hearts}

, in great shape against Pantling's {3-Diamonds}

. The

flop is met with hush from the crowd, but a round of applause greets the {8-Spades}

turn, giving Scott trips and leaving Pantling drawing dead. Over 1,500,000 for her now.

Tags: Andrew Pantling Kara Scott

Level: 24

Blinds: 15,000/30,000

Ante: 3,000

04-13-2009 16:34 UTC+2

Pearce Kassouf's Armor

[user46392]

Lee Brooke-Pearce raised in the cutoff, and after the customary pause, William Kassouf called.

Flop: {7-Hearts}

Check, check.

Turn: {A-Spades}

Kassouf checked, and Brooke-Pearce bet 100,000. Surprisingly quickly, Kassouf passed. Brooke-Pearce's one-woman support section at the rail went crazy.

Tags: Lee Brooke-Pearce William Kassouf

04-13-2009 16:40 UTC+2

William Kassouf Eliminated in 6th Place (€100,900)

[user46298]

Kassouf: pair of ladies crushes his knaves

Atanas Gueorguiev raises under the gun... it passes all the way to William Kassouf in the small blind, who thinks, still as a statue, and then announces "All in". Gueorguiev calls much more rapidly with {Q-Hearts}

-- Kassouf with the {J-Hearts}

has just run into a pretty cool spot there.

The board runs out {6-Spades}

, upping Gueorguiev's stack into what is probably the new chip lead (although it's all evening out here on the final), while Kassouf exits to a round of applause.

Tags: Atanas Gueorguiev William Kassouf

04-13-2009 16:42 UTC+2

Jacks Come a Cropper Again as Johansson Doubles Through Brooke-Pearce

[user46392]

This time it was a race, Christer Johansson all in with {K-Spades}

against Lee Brooke-Pearce's {J-Clubs}

.

Board: {4-Spades}

Johansson doubles up to 1,100,000, while Brooke-Pearce is now very firmly our short stack -- he is left with perhaps 300,000.

Tags: Christer Johansson Lee Brooke-Pearce

04-13-2009 16:46 UTC+2

Lee Brooke-Pearce Eliminated in 5th Place (€130,600)

[user46298]

Englishman Lee Brooke-Pearce now had little option but to get the rest of his chips in and hope to double through back into the game; he did so with {8-Diamonds}

. Andrew Pantling gave him a spin with his {K-Hearts}

and even before his live cards had their go at beating Pantling, Brooke-Pearce was out of his seat, raising his sunglasses, undoing his microphone.

By the time the {K-Clubs}

hit on the turn, Brooke-Pearce was drawing dead and now four-handed, the remaining players are off on a 20-minute break.

Tags: Andrew Pantling.Lee Brooke-Pearce