It was finally here, the day had arrived. After all the months of team selection discussions and on-line qualifiers, the team had been selected and were all gathered in the GB team headquarters (it was actually a pub just around the corner from the venue for the ensuing challenge).
Team shirts were handed out, each one personalised with the players name, and bearing the logo of team GB's sponsor "Blue Square Poker" . Tension mounted as the team members put on their shirts for the first time, and after a short speech from Game4Life/Poker for charity founder Davey Newth, and an even shorter speech from myself as team manager, we left our
and embarked on the short walk to the venue.
It must have been some sight for passing motorists and pedestrians as 14 people in colourful shirts emblazoned with the Union Jack walked along the streets of Dublin and into the Fitzwilliam club for the challenge ahead, but despite a few beeps on car horns our arrival was uneventful. Once all the team were safely in the Fitz, we noticed that our hosts and opponents for the day were nowhere in sight, any thoughts of them running scared were unfounded when they arrived in unison, all wearing camouflaged t-shirts and matching caps emblazoned with the logo of team Ireland sponsor "Paddy Power Poker". Some good humoured banter ensued with the Irish boys saying we looked like more of a hockey team than a Poker team, and Team GB congratulating them on clearing out all the £1.99 T-Shirts from the local army surplus store.
Before we knew it, the draw was being made and then it dawned on us that the action was about to get underway. I gathered the 3 on line qualifiers and the 1 live qualifier together and told them that they were under no pressure and their only objective was to enjoy themselves, the occasion, and to remember why we were all here.. To raise some money for charity and have some fun along the way.
First match drawn was
Johnny "Samba" Downes (Irl) v Paul "Pab" Foltyn (GB) this particular match was cagey and keenly contested with the chip lead changing hands several times. The key hand inevitably arrived with "Samba" holding Q8 on a 678 flop and re-raising "pabs" flop bet to all in thinking "Pab" was on a draw. "Pab" insta calls and turns A8 and with no suprises on turn or river, "Pab" chalked up the first point to GB.
Next up was
Darragh "HectorJelly" Thomas (Irl) v Paul "Pav the Cat" Reast. "hectorJelly" took an early chip lead with some strong flop play and looked to be heading for victory until a flop of 679 saw "Pav" make a bet which was immediately met with a re raise from "HectorJelly" which committed all of "Pav's" chips into the middle... 78 for "Hector" giving him middle pair and an up and down straight draw, and 94 for "Pav" .. Top pair held up and now it was "Pav" that was in control and he used his chips to his advantage by aggressively playing flops before "HectorJelly" decided to make a stand with 88 only to be called by "Pav" with KQ clubs... a Queen dropped on the flop and it was game over and 2-0 to Team GB.
Third game
Oliver "Ollieboy" Boyce (Irl) v Chris "Clothey" Huyton. after a tight opening to the match "Ollieboy" took a healthy chip lead and despite a valiant effort by "Clothey" (including getting all his chips in when a mile in front only for the board to reveal an Ace high straight resulting in a split pot) "Ollieboy" closed the match out and Ireland had their first point on the board. Ireland 1 Great Britain 2
Up next was the eagerly anticipated clash between Niall O'Callaghan (Irl) and JP Kelly (GB) both are very promising young players and are both predicted to be future WSOP bracelet winners by many in the know. This was no game for the faint hearted, big raises and lots of "every street" betting meant that this was going to be quick and brutal. And thats how it proved when Niall managed to get JP to commit his chips with a flush and straight draw against Niall's overpair, JP missed all of his outs and Niall had scored the equalising point for Ireland. 2-2.
The fifth game saw the first "speciality event" Pot limit Omaha contested by Eoghan O'Dea (Irl) and Richard "Rudders" Rudling-Smith (GB) This was truly a marathon encounter with "Rudders" taking an early but small chip lead and then keeping Eoghan at bay and giving nothing away, lots of small pots and general tight aggressive play from "Rudders" finally wore Eoghan down and GB had taken a 3-2 lead.
Then it was the turn of Steve McArdey (Irl) to take on Khayam "Belsize007" Ezzat (GB) in a match that was as quick as the previous one was long, "Belsize007" emerged as the Victor when he flopped trip 5's against his unlucky opponents top pair and GB had attained a lead of 4-2
The next 3 games were now even more important and as they were all played at the same time we could have it wrapped up soon, and the excitement and tension was mounting.
Jennifer Mason (GB) was taking on Mara O'Neill (Irl) in the second "speciality event" of Omaha Hi/Lo.
Dewi "DewiCool" James (GB) was to play Karl Hudson (Irl)
George "Token" McIntosh (GB) was up against Ken "KPnuts" Powell
Ireland took a chip lead in all 3 matches and could conceivably have taken a 5-4 lead into the last 2 games which were going to be the last "speciality event" of 7 card stud played between Dave "booder" Baker (GB) against Collette Doherty (Irl) the latter being a very experienced and successfull stud player and the first woman to play the WSOP main event. And the Captains match which pitted team GB's Skipper James "RoyalFlush" Dempsey against his Irish counterpart Mike "Antesup"Lacey.
Karl Hudson (Irl) wasted little time in dispatching Dewi James (GB). Karl hit some quality hands and Dewi was chasing throughout and suddenly the whole match looked like shifting away from Team GB (Irl 3 - GB 4 Mara was totally dominating his game against Jen Mason, and "KPnuts" had "Token" down to 800 chips from a starting stack of 5,000 in his game. Then the Poker gods decided to smile down on Jen, and she called an all in in her match only to suck out on Mara and claw her way back into the game, there followed one of the most amazing outdraws i have ever witnessed, we worked out that with one card to come, Mara was 97% fav to win the hand, but Jen caught her miracle and a few hands later it was 5-3 in Team GB's favour.
George "Token" McIntosh had been hanging on for grim death against Ken "KPnuts" Powell and the frustration was beginning to show on KP's face as he was continually thwarted in his attempts to close the match out. and minute by minute "Token" was gathering back chips and eventually emerged as the victor, giving Team GB an unassailable 6-3 lead, it was an impressive performance by "Token" his sheer determination to hang in there paid dividends and it is for that that I awarded him the performance of the day award (his prize was copious amounts of Guinness which he accepted with glee)
With the contest now over and only pride at stake for the Irish team, you could have forgiven Team GB for chucking the last two games and starting the celebrations, but nothing could be further from the truth and Dave "booder" Baker played the game of his life in beating his more experienced opponent Collette Doherty in the 7 card stud game, And James "RoyalFlush" Dempsey emerged victorious against Mike "Antesup" Lacey in the Skippers game. So there it was an 8-3 victory for team GB and ownership of a fantastic trophy.
It is safe to say that everyone had a fantastic time and the hospitality of the Irish team and the staff at the Fitzwilliam club was quite simply first class, the whole event was played in a superb spirit with plenty of banter which remained friendly throughout, it really was a credit to both the teams and the organisers.
So Team GB win the first ICHUC contest, but the wheels have already been set in motion for the return leg, and if its half as good as this one was, I CANT WAIT !!
Author