€3,500 Irish Open Main Event Day 1 | 2009 PaddyPower.com Irish Open

04-11-2009 00:43 UTC+2

Clarke Straightened Out

[user46298]

Gary Clarke, at one point up to the dizzy heights of 40,000, has had his now short stack ironed out by Sean Donaldson. Raising on the button to 1,500, Donaldson made it 4,500 and couldn't really fold (despite thinking for a while,) when the 4,625 Clarke had left went in. He held {10-Clubs}

up against Clarke's {A-Hearts}

.

The flop brought a wince from the bespectacled young Irishman - {7-Spades}

and the straight filled with the {J-Spades}

turn sending him to the rail.

Tags: Gary Clarke Sean Donalson

04-11-2009 00:37 UTC+2

Testud Busts Stasko

[user46392]

Martin Stasko has busted, calling all in on the river of a {3-Diamonds}

board but mucking with a sad face on, when Paul Testud turned over {7-Spades}

to take the pot and end Stasko's tournament run.

04-11-2009 00:35 UTC+2

New Chip Leader

[user46392]

William Kassouf appears to be our current chip leader, on a shade over 80,000.

04-11-2009 00:22 UTC+2

Big Stacks at the Beginning of the End

[user46298]

A few more players have gathered some very healthy stacks under the radar:

Heinrich Mayr - 45,600
Jani Vilmunen - 43,000
Yehong Luo - 37,000
Rumit Somaiya - 35,000
Alan Dillon - 34,000
Paul Testud - 30,000

The envied chip leader position isn't tied up just yet - will it be snatched from Harmon in the eleventh hour?

Tags: Heinrich Mayr

04-11-2009 00:18 UTC+2

Gray Fades

[user46392]

Scott Gray is gone, getting his last in with {7-Clubs}

but running into an opponent's {Q-Hearts}

and finding no help on the {9-Diamonds}

board.

Level: 8

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 50

04-11-2009 00:11 UTC+2

Bedtime Soon

[user46392]

This will be the last level of the night.

04-11-2009 00:09 UTC+2

A Few Chip Counts For Your Delectation

[user46392]

Kara Scott: 7,800
Michael Muldoon: 5,900
Albert Iversen: 30,000
Mick McCloskey: 25,500
Marc Goodwin: 21,000
Nicolas Levi: 9,500
Gary "Mclovin" Clarke: 10,000
Surinder Sunar: 5,500
Phil Laak: 40,000
John Conroy: 16,200
Barny Boatman: 20,000
Juha Helppi: 37,000
Karl Mahrenholz: 29,000
Nik Persaud: 15,000
Jon Kalmar: 26,000

04-10-2009 23:56 UTC+2

No Stopping Harmon

[user46298]

Maurice Harmon has been chip leader, or close behind, all day today. With 60,000, he's now a real menace to his whole table, as demonstrated by this hand:

Harmon raised preflop, called by Matey Boy in the big blind (sadly this player isn't listed today as his table was the very last to be created). The flop came {10-Spades}

. Check to Harmon, who bet 2,500, only to be quickly raised to 7,000. The check-raise didn't worry Harmon, clearly, as he counted out and calmly bet 18,000 - enough to commit his opponent's stack.

Eventually he got a pass, didn't show his hand, but told the table, "I had no kicker. I had {10-?}

. You have Jacks?" We'll never know.

Tags: Maurice Harmon

04-10-2009 23:48 UTC+2

Forrest on Fire

[user46392]

An unfortunate incident for Pippa Flanders, who has dropped down to just 6,000. I arrived in time to see Brent Forrest, resplendent in an enormous green top hat made of velveteen, all in with {J-Hearts}