We Have Connectivity...In Ireland
Internet connectivity has been a long suffering problem, and the British Telecom engineer has been too busy serving important customers to worry about my broadband. Presumably that is why the many people working their way back to BT are outnumbered by those that are not.
Anyway I am now in the comfort of the Gresham Metropole, Cork. I quite like Ireland, and to be honest I think the tourist board doesn't hype the country up enough. For instance http://www.ireland.ie/ simply has the slogan "Ireland.ie Let's Play." but from a punters point of you they could go one step further. I have emailed them suggesting "Ireland.ie Let's play where the punters are looser and the internet is faster." As yet I am surprised to have had no reply, but when I do I'll be sure to post it here.
As for the tournaments I think I used up all my luck just to get into the main event in Drogheda. Having totally forgotten about this trip I was reminded of it by Lovejoy the night before departure, so in a state of haste I landed in Dublin with a wallet containing about 300 English and a handful of Hungarian Forints. In addition I was already a bullseye to the bad, having arrived too late at Gatwick for the flight. Having to cough up more money than the original booking had cost, just to transfer to the next flight was bad enough, but the 'Ryanair Rub-down' was complete when we went through the departure gates to see our original aircraft sitting on the tarmac delayed, along with the flight we had been transferred to.
Paying the 1000 Euro buy-in with a carpet was going to be something of a challenge. I immediately phoned event organiser Mike Lacey to ask if he had any card payment facilities, which he unfortunately didn't so it was looking odds against. However at the eleventh hour I was phoned by Mike Lacey who had (like all good event organisers would) arranged for me to settle 1000 euro of his hotel bill as a means of buying in. The tournament itself was excellently structured (if you like that kind of thing) with 15,000 starting chips and a one-hour clock. I fell just short of a pay out but drowned my sorrows in the bar after. I was content drinking both Jim Reid and Paul Lecky under the table whilst entertaining the locals with some remedial drunkeness.
Blagging a lift to Cork was a nice touch, and arriving earlier than scheduled in the more familar surroundings of the Macau just felt right. I play online against many of the folk that frequent the place and having both given and taken a few beats to and from them I seem to enjoy an honourary local status in these parts. In the main part they're over aggressive lunatics, but they give and take the swings with good grace and for that alone I respect them.
Earlier this evening Kevin O'Leary and I dodged the satelite at the Macau prefering to take in the James Bond film instead. There is a part of the film where Bond sticks in 6 million dollars pre-flop with the 5 and 7 of spades. I doubt there is a player in Cork that would have played the hand any differently. Interestingly enough it was quite eye opening to see how easily James Bond nipped that CIA chap for 5 million dollars. Didn't realise it was so easy!
Anyway I am now in the comfort of the Gresham Metropole, Cork. I quite like Ireland, and to be honest I think the tourist board doesn't hype the country up enough. For instance http://www.ireland.ie/ simply has the slogan "Ireland.ie Let's Play." but from a punters point of you they could go one step further. I have emailed them suggesting "Ireland.ie Let's play where the punters are looser and the internet is faster." As yet I am surprised to have had no reply, but when I do I'll be sure to post it here.
As for the tournaments I think I used up all my luck just to get into the main event in Drogheda. Having totally forgotten about this trip I was reminded of it by Lovejoy the night before departure, so in a state of haste I landed in Dublin with a wallet containing about 300 English and a handful of Hungarian Forints. In addition I was already a bullseye to the bad, having arrived too late at Gatwick for the flight. Having to cough up more money than the original booking had cost, just to transfer to the next flight was bad enough, but the 'Ryanair Rub-down' was complete when we went through the departure gates to see our original aircraft sitting on the tarmac delayed, along with the flight we had been transferred to.
Paying the 1000 Euro buy-in with a carpet was going to be something of a challenge. I immediately phoned event organiser Mike Lacey to ask if he had any card payment facilities, which he unfortunately didn't so it was looking odds against. However at the eleventh hour I was phoned by Mike Lacey who had (like all good event organisers would) arranged for me to settle 1000 euro of his hotel bill as a means of buying in. The tournament itself was excellently structured (if you like that kind of thing) with 15,000 starting chips and a one-hour clock. I fell just short of a pay out but drowned my sorrows in the bar after. I was content drinking both Jim Reid and Paul Lecky under the table whilst entertaining the locals with some remedial drunkeness.
Blagging a lift to Cork was a nice touch, and arriving earlier than scheduled in the more familar surroundings of the Macau just felt right. I play online against many of the folk that frequent the place and having both given and taken a few beats to and from them I seem to enjoy an honourary local status in these parts. In the main part they're over aggressive lunatics, but they give and take the swings with good grace and for that alone I respect them.
Earlier this evening Kevin O'Leary and I dodged the satelite at the Macau prefering to take in the James Bond film instead. There is a part of the film where Bond sticks in 6 million dollars pre-flop with the 5 and 7 of spades. I doubt there is a player in Cork that would have played the hand any differently. Interestingly enough it was quite eye opening to see how easily James Bond nipped that CIA chap for 5 million dollars. Didn't realise it was so easy!
posted by Matt at 7:03 PM
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