EricStoner, aka Brendan.

[duncthehat]

An honour to have known you over the last 2 years Brendan

RIP

[The_nun]

What a sad day it is, having to acknowledge that a true hero of ours has now gone to sleep. He showed a great attitude towards life and determination not to be held back along with always being so supportive with his words of wisdom.



RIP Brendon

Until we meet again

Darren, Maureen and Reece. XXX

[Bainn]

What to say ?

We have lost a true friend and part of ourselves.

The tears will stop, but he will live on in our hearts.

He is free from pain and reunited with his love, for this we are thankful.

Our thoughts will be of him and our prayers go to Tom and Lucy.

We miss you so very much my friend.

All our love,

Christian & Helen x x x

[crapper]

Unfortunately I never got to meet the man himself, but as a Blonde member it would've been impossible not to notice how much respect and admiration he commanded both on this forum and in person.

R.I.P. Brendan,

Ian.

[turny]

posted by brendan on august 1st reference to this weekends bash

"Yep Days is good for me also,park right outside.Then a little purr of the buggy down to the 'G'.Easy..............As long as you can miss being treated by Dewi, to the mother of all kebabs at 4 am."


this fucking lifes a shitter sometimes!

[Dewi_cool]

posted by brendan on august 1st reference to this weekends bash

"Yep Days is good for me also,park right outside.Then a little purr of the buggy down to the 'G'.Easy..............As long as you can miss being treated by Dewi, to the mother of all kebabs at 4 am."


this fucking lifes a shitter sometimes!

 

[dino1980]

I remember that moment in Cardiff when he walked in on crutches and it was amazing. I didn't know Brendan back then, although I knew of him. Since then I had the pleasure of meeting him on a few occasions at various poker events and the last occasion was in Bristol on August bank holiday. We promised to chat at the Blonde Bash, gutted that he won't be there.

R.i.P Brendan, you'll be missed.

[TightEnd]

I heard the news earlier tonight while offline and was stunned. I got to know Brendan well, at events and on and off forum and his courage through adversity and good humour were an inspiration to a lot of people. I won't forget his walking in Cardiff and his Ireland APAT performance in a hurry. In Ireland in particular he was very frail, just out of hospital a few weeks before I think, yet he fought like a tiger to win that event

I'm going to reproduce a couple of articles/interviews I did with him. They don't really do him justice but give you a sense of the man.

[Snatiramas]

There are few people who can cast a glow of warmth onto a room full of people. Brendan had this ability in spades. The first time I met him was at a Blondebash and he ran over my rather injudiciously placed foot. In the tournaments we played together he never complained, always smiled, always had time to chat and was a truly noble poker adversary. More than that he was damn fine company away from the table

Such sad news
I wish his family my sincerest condolences

RIP Brendan

[TightEnd]

October 2007

blonde Hall of Fame

Since many of us came to know Brendan following the launch of blonde Poker in early 2005, we have come to regard him with huge respect and affection not just for his poker playing ability but notably for his fortitude in overcoming severe health problems.

Brendan takes his screen name 'ericstoner' from the Steve McQueen character in 'The Cincinnati Kid' and has been involved on the poker scene since the early 1990s. First live as a player at the Vic in London and in recent years as a frequent presence in online tournaments.  His major successes were his win in the Stars Sunday night 'biggie' on Easter Sunday 2003 and his runner's up spot in the 2007 APAT Irish Amateur Poker Championship, where he was roared on by a phalanx of rail-birding blondes. His poker winnings have allowed him to thoroughly indulge his main hobby of horse-racing via purchase of a racehorse and paying the heavy expenses to keep it in training.

However, Brendan is more than a mere poker player and instead represents to many of us a triumph of human spirit in the face of adversity. Consider the following: Brendan has been on Dialysis three times a week for the last 28 years and underwent five failed transplants between 1978-86. At the end of this period his life was saved by a policeman donating forty units of blood in Intensive care one Saturday morning. Tragically too Brendan lost his wife of 19 years at the early age of 38 several years ago. Once again Brendan faced a spell in Intensive care earlier this year and yet recovered, having to be wheelchair bound for the past few years, to walk with only minimal aid at the APAT Welsh Event in Cardiff in the same place where he is now presented with this award.

Brendan is one of life's gentlemen. Ever friendly, ever upbeat and a friend to many of us.
 

[TightEnd]

Interview after APAT Ireland 2007

The Runner Up in the Irish Amateur Poker Championship was the popular Brendan Hartnett from Brighton. He kindly took the time to answer a few questions for APAT members:

Many congratulations on your excellent performance in Dublin Brendan. Looking back now, how do you feel about your second place finish?

I felt distraught just after we finished, but on reflection I’m happy with my  2nd place. I know I played well, had great support, but the gods were not with me. Oh and the silver medal and £1,800 ease the pain.

So tell us about the first day of this tournament for you. You seemed to make slow progress at first?

The slow structure at the APAT meant that I could portray a rock image, up until the 200/400 level. I had Ironside to my right which meant his big blinds kept me level on chips!. Just before the buffet break I doubled up my AA v AQ.  After dinner I was moved to a passive table who had just passed their chips amongst themselves, so now time to get busy, I knocked three people out  including Daniel Phillips, when in the sb he raised all with 44. I called with A9 suited the board came two pair, Dan bit the dust.
I went a bit card dead for the last hour went from 85,000 to 50,000,but hung on to reach the final 20 and day two. The plan was going to schedule.
One final point, I did risk my entire stack just before buffet break, when  I shoved the lot in with 55, only to be called by big stack with an over pair…….the miracle five on the river kept me in.

You ended the day with around 50,000 chips, in the middle of the chip count of the last twenty players. What were your realistic expectations for the second day?

I was happy to have made the last twenty, that’s always my first intention, and as I saw it there were six smallish stacks and no massive leader so it was all to play for. My 58,000 gave me room to move with blinds of 2000/4000.





The second day was certainly a dramatic one for you. On the way to the final table we began to nickname you the “terminator”! Such as when two players pushed all-in and you found AA. Was there any point on the second day when you thought it was your day?

On the bubble. I pushed with AJ, for my last 51,000, Stephen Lister called with AK Hearts, flop ame two hearts but the spare J hit on the river, I doubled up. Then minutes later, I knocked out  Aisling Collins when her flopped pair kings couldn’t match my flush on the turn.
So with 14 left I was leading the table, I remembered the  level payout structure, so I decided to go aggressive for a top three place.
Soon someone raised 20000, Zaffky pushed allin with AK, and I looked down to see AA. It stood up and I was on my  way to the final table., with about 250,000 .


Reaching the final amongst the top few chip leaders, it all began well for you didn’t it?

Yes, when we finally started the final table, it began quietly. One or two players went, I was stuck around 200k then we were down to six, I was content but reality was about to slap me in the chops.


Tell us about the Jennifer Tilly tell on Doc Farrell?!!!

Well it seemed to make people laugh. Doc pushed on a QQ4 flop (two diamonds) I looked down to see 10 10 when it was passed round to me down the other end of the table from Doc. I didn’t want to call him for half my stack, but when I looked up at Doc Farrell, I saw his chest heaving, just like in that u-tube video of jenny trying to bluff, but giving it away by her rapid breathing. Phil Ivey couldn’t believe she had such an easy tell..
So I knew he was flushing, so I said “Hay Doc your chest is heaving more than jenny Tilly’s in that video” everyone laughed, then I folded, I didn’t want to risk giving him 2/1 getting his flush, plus the outside chance he had a queen.


Things really began to go wrong for you four or five handed with 99 losing to Jacques’ QQ. This left you with 3x the big blind with 5 players left. Amazingly in the break you commented “I am still going to win it” Explain please Brendan?!

Tell me about it, I’d been playing well till that happened. When Jacques went all-in I decided to go for it with my paired 9’s he showed his pair queens. The dealer counted down, Jacques took a pot best part of 400k and I was down to 28,000.
I took two minutes to recover looked round, and thought,” now I’ve gotta move” and the amazing thing is players were letting me nip the blinds when I went all in with any two cards. Then I got lucky with a couple of double ups. As the others were all roughly equal stacked ,  I sensed I could make moves as by now nobody wanted to risk their chips. 

Miraculously then you went on an incredible card-rush and rose from 30,000 to 720,000 chips in two levels. I have never seen anything like that Brendan, was it as special as it looked for you?

Special? It was unbelievable! I went from 3,000, to 100k by pushing anything. Then I hit KK twice on one rotation going up to 380,000, paused for breath then hit AA to go to 600k.  In the next few minutes, I knocked out Patrick and David Jones .and Paul Townsend.
I couldn’t believe what was happening, the crowd were cheering every move, for us amateur players, it don’t get much better than this. To do it in Dublin, as the son of a man who emigrated from Ireland in the 1940’s, this plastic paddy was gonna bring it home.

Then your incredible tournament turned sour again heads-up with your straight on the turn against the flopped two pair. Were you trap-calling on the turn? Do you think Jacques would have called a push all-in there?

I knew by the way he’d been playing heads up, taking his time and not risking his chips, but making the occasional raise to steal pots, he’d not call  if I went all in on the 8 turn that made my straight so I called hoping a dead river card would see him pot committed if I went all in there after his small bet or check. On reflection I made a mistake allowing him to hit his full house on the river.


After that you tried hard but lost the vital final hand, racing with KQ versus 33 all-in pre-flop and then having 14 outs on the river. Those poker gods  Brendan, they tease us don’t they?

Yes for a while I stole some chips from him and when the final hand came down we were near enough equal chips.

I felt happy with my KQ when he called with 33 and all the chips went in, but it wasn’t to be. The Gods had been with me all night……..now they’d gone down the pub.

So looking back, what are your thoughts on the competition?

The APAT event in Dublin was fantastic. Everybody was up for a fun weekend. The Fitzwilliam card club, looked after us in typical Irish style.
For us amateurs, the cameras, interviews and all made it a bit special.
It was the best event so far, but I’m a bit biased there.

You were fantastically well supported by your many friends who played and cheered you on at the Final. Were you conscious of this support at the time, or were you so focused that it passed you by?

I was focused on getting the job done, but as I started to knock other players out I could hear the noise from the rail. Every time I turned round I saw a smiling face, which is a surprise, as I’d knocked half of them out on the way! He He.

Brendan, many of us know that 2007 has been another difficult time for you with another stay in hospital. Many congratulations on your inspirational achievement and near-miss! We all hope to see you at future APAT events, I hope you plan to play?

Of course, I ‘m totally behind the APAT,  I know there’s more to come next year and I’ll be with them all the way. I know my health is touch and go, so while I wake up to each new day, I’ll still have this inane smile on my face.


Thank you for your time.

[scottm]

Lost for words here, met Brendan at the 1st Apat event in Birmingham. Had a great laugh with Brendan, Ironside and Bigfella in the hotel bar til the early hours after a full days play at the Broadway, Brendan was still going strong when all the rest of us were tiring 

Was  great company and always had a smile on his face.

RIP Brendan

[ruthless1]

Rest in peace Brendan xxx

[Dingdell]

Heard the news at Luton tonight and I don't think it really sunk in until I came onto Blonde. Words can't, of course, do justice to such a lovely man and I am struggling to say something that will do his passing and life any justice. 

His recent trip to Australia amazed me and his joy for life sometimes put me to shame. His part in our lives is tiny compared to that of his family and I can only imagine the devastation they must be feeling.

A sad but stark reminder that life is too short, Brendan for one, was always keen to sieze the day.   

Tracey xx

[morlspin]

Im truely gutted and upset over hearing the news of Brendans passing.

I was sat with him playing at the pokerplayer championships in Brighton on saturday, and we were laughing along at the tales of being in the hall of fame on apat and blonde, he even commented that he wasnt gone yet!

Brendan was a true gentleman, an APAT god, and will sorely be missed by all. May you rest in peace Brendan, God bless you and your family.

Graeme