2010 PaddyPowerPoker.com Irish Poker Open

Main Event
Day: 2
1234
Event Info
2010 PaddyPowerPoker.com Irish Poker Open
Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a8
Prize
€600,000
Event Info
Buy-in
€3,200
Total Entries
708
Level Info
Level
29
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
4,000
Players Left 1 / 708
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Thinking Out Loud

Nik Persaud reminds me of Daniel Negreanu, not in his playing ability ('obv', as the kids would say), but in his vocal thought process as he mulls over a hand.

On this occasion, Persaud was in a tricky spot, and dealing with the dilemma of having a mediocre hand, but being fully aware that his opponent was capable of making a move.

It was 'Gentleman' Ben Roberts who kicked off proceedings, raising it up to 5,500 from the button. Persaud three-bet to 12,000 from the big blind, and Roberts made the call.

Both players checked the {J-Clubs}{9-Clubs}{J-Hearts} flop, but Persaud was less hospitable on the {2-Spades} turn, firing out for 11,000. Roberts counted out his chips, and moved all in, making it an additional 34,700.

"We started with about the same, didn't we?" inquired Persaud as he attempted to decipher the hand.

After a few minutes of mumbling to himself, Persaud grasped his stones firmly in the palm of his hand and moved all in, tabling {A-Spades}{10-Diamonds} in the process. Sadly, his stones were wrong, as Roberts was a gnat's pubic hair in front with {A-Diamonds}{K-Diamonds}.

Although Roberts, was ahead, he wasn't home and dry just yet, the river coming a rather crushing {9-Spades} to split the pot.

"My only worry was that you were bluffing with a slightly better hand, but I thought you'd ship that in preflop," mused Persaud, trying to defend himself against the simmer of smirks with his logic behind the call.

Tags: Ben RobertsNik Persaud

Chris Crossed

Chris Dombrowski just got knocked out by online qualifier Nelius Foley when the latter's {J-Spades} {J-Diamonds} held against {10-Hearts} {9-Diamonds} on a {9-Clubs} {3-Clubs} {5-Diamonds} {2-Hearts} {6-Clubs}.

Remember, the last PaddyPower qualifier at this tournament will net a cool €100,000 on top of anything else they win.

American Airlines Stay in Flight

"If I lose to whatever piece of shit you have..." said Kennedy, fearing that his {A-Clubs}{A-Spades} were about to be outdrawn by what was, given the dwell, obviously a marginal hand. Reluctantly, Anders Rasmussen called with {K-Hearts}{6-Spades} and a slight shade of crimson adorning his cheeks.

But despite his fears of leaving Dublin with a bad beat story, the {3-Hearts}{10-Hearts}{2-Clubs}{7-Diamonds}{7-Hearts} was as safe as the crown jewels, Kennedy doubling up to 35,000 as a result.

"I would have quit poker if I'd lost that," laughed Kennedy.

Tags: Anders RasmussenAnthony Kennedy

Level: 13

Blinds: 1,000/2,000

Ante: 200

Magnificent Seven

Just moments before the remaining players headed into the dinner break, I scoured the room for the current chip daddies. The following will all be deserving of a Father's Day card this year:

Janne Nevalainen -- 255,000
Zsombor Gall -- 240,000
Benjamin Juhasz -- 200,000
Keith Hawkins -- 170,000
Tyler Bonkowski -- 160,000
Nelius Foley -- 150,000
Yann Dion -- 145,000

Rob Jarrett-Smith Eliminated

"I had pocket tens at the time, so with just 14,000 it was obviously going in. When I saw Jen [Mason] messing with her chips, I thought, 'Here we go'. She had jacks and I didn't improve."

Jarrett-Smith also shed some light on the house-over-house encounter that crippled him. "I knew he had K-Q, I just knew it. Alan Trueick raised preflop and we both called. When I hit the set on the flop, I thought it was a perfect board to check-raise, but they both checked behind. I then check-called the turn, hoping Alan would come along for the ride, but he didn't. Then, on the river, I check-called again, and I even said, 'I know this is going to look really nitty but I'm sure you have K-Q.'"

Tags: Rob Jarrett-Smith

"Take Your Time."

Michael moved all-in on a {10-Spades} {2-Hearts} {6-Spades} {2-Clubs} board for about 60,000 in a blind on blind battle while the small blind tanked for a good few minutes.

Eventually the small blind made the call somewhat reluctantly and Greco flipped {J-Spades} {J-Diamonds}. But to his bemusement the small blind then flipped {4-Diamonds} {2-Diamonds} for turned trips!

"So sick," said Greco as the {K-Clubs} river came down. "Jeez, take your time..." referring to how it took the other player to call the push on the turn.