The Best and Worst of the Irish Open 2023

Dara O’Kearney has summed up his greatest and worst moments of the Irish Open 2023, which resulted in victory for David Docherty.

Busting the Irish Open

They used to say the worst day of the yr for any high poker participant was the day they bust the World Collection of Poker fundamental occasion, except they had been Irish during which case it was the day they bust the Irish Open. I can testify to how dangerous it used to really feel, so I used to be a bit of stunned at how little I felt this yr. In earlier editions I wasn’t match for human firm for hours if not days afterwards, however this yr I shrugged it off with a fast bust-out espresso after which was in a position to give this interview to Laura Cornelius:

Possibly I’m simply getting older and extra seasoned, possibly it’s the truth that because the Open is now reentry it’s doable to bust it 9 occasions in a yr so that you get used to it, or possibly it’s the truth that this yr they made us bag for Day 2 earlier than we had been allowed to promote or switch any surplus tickets we’d received in satellites. This meant that once I did bag up on my second bullet in Day 1A, what I felt as a substitute of disappointment for bagging up simply over beginning stack was aid (just like that you simply really feel when the bubble bursts and also you’re quick stacked) that now I didn’t need to play one other 13 hour Day 1 and will promote my different six tickets.

In earlier years, I by no means apprehensive about this as I knew the organizers would let me use the worth of these tickets as credit score to purchase into different occasions. That’s a a lot better and fairer system for my part. Had it been in place I might have purchased into the 5k excessive curler as a substitute of skipping it this yr.

Diminishing status and enjoyable

For no matter cause (and I’ll recommend just a few doable ones later) the Irish Open simply felt prefer it misplaced a whole lot of its status, lustre, and enjoyable this yr. As I stated to Laura in that interview,  I feel Citywest was a greater venue. It had higher parking, a nicer location, and cheaper meals and lodging choices. The truth that the Open took over the lodge for the week additionally gave it a summer season or Easter camp feeling.

the occasion was in nearly the costliest a part of Dublin

This yr, the organizers had no selection however to maneuver (Citywest is getting used for the foreseeable future to accommodate refugees) and had few choices sufficiently big to host the occasion. In equity, the RDS was most likely the most effective of the out there choices, however it does imply that by means of no fault of their very own the occasion was in nearly the costliest a part of Dublin. Guests had been shocked to search out themselves paying nearly €4 ($4.37) for a espresso and €8 ($8.74) for a pint, on high of costly lodging and meals within the close by eating places. Many overseas guests informed me they wouldn’t be again.

Given the bills, a whole lot of locals focused the bottom buyin €150 occasions. Many of those didn’t even run. I had pals from throughout Eire who travelled up particularly to play one in every of these solely to search out it was cancelled once they arrived. One American pupil of mine who satellited in on-line regarded on the schedule and hoped to load his journey with these occasions solely to search out them cancelled. He says this reality alone made it unlikely he’d return.

I recognize there have been capability points and in some ways the organizers are victims of their very own success, however a a lot better approach to take care of such issues is to do what Stars usually does at its occasions, cap the entries. Stars additionally typically will get the message out in a a lot better vogue.

Let’s speak concerning the livestream

The truth that Stars took over the livestream and handled the occasion as simply one other Stars regional 1k occasion appeared to sap a whole lot of the status from the occasion. It made it really feel much less just like the oldest and most prestigious poker event in Europe and extra like, properly, simply one other Stars regional 1k occasion. The grand dame of Irish Poker, Willow Connolly, stated what most Irish folks had been pondering when she decried the dearth of Irish voices on commentary:

This isn’t about petty nationalism: it’s about having folks within the field with an actual connection to native grassroots poker who know the Irish gamers that also make up the majority of the sphere. There have been some compelling tales and narratives that would have been conveyed to the viewers to make what they had been watching extra compelling. As a substitute, the commentators didn’t even know the way to pronounce gamers’ names, not to mention inform their tales.

I’ve to confess I listened to little or no of the commentary however pals who did stated it felt extra like fourth price American comedians making dangerous Irish jokes on Paddy’s Day. Slightly than celebrating the nice custom of the Irish Open,  the tone was mocking the Irish regional 1k Stars occasion. That’s not a slight on the Stars commentary workforce who do an incredible job speaking to their very own loyal viewers – it’s simply the Irish Open ought to be greater than that.

Lengthy onerous days

One other problem that may be filed beneath “sufferer of their very own success” is the very lengthy taking part in days. I’ve already talked about my very own aid at solely having to play one lengthy Day 1. My good friend Kevin O’Donnell, who loves Irish poker a lot he not too long ago moved to Eire, was not so fortunate. He adopted up his current European Deepstack ultimate desk with one other deep run. Late in Day 3, he despatched me to get some painkillers for his again from his automotive, and on the finish of the day he posted this on his Fb:

“On to Day 4.. sleep disadvantaged as poker rooms simply make the times longer and longer 14 hours yesterday and 15.5 at this time. Irish Poker Open has been my favourite event because the 1st time I performed 6 years in the past. Sadly, after I win this , it should probably be my final…

I’ll need to let the younger guys and gals abuse their our bodies.”

Once more, victims of their very own success and the file numbers possibly, however there must be a greater means.

It must be stated the rake was fairly egregious too. The construction of practically all of the facet occasions was shockingly dangerous with some big blind stage jumps. The final occasion, dubbed Occasion 40: NLH Deepstack Turbo, boasted a 20k beginning stack that was good for ten blinds after two hours play and had a reg payment of greater than 15%.

The perfect factor

There have been additionally many good issues concerning the occasion. The sellers and flooring employees had been high notch as ever, all of the extra spectacular given they too needed to put in very lengthy days. The venue itself was properly laid out and the sponsors went to some effort with the participant lounges even when they didn’t handle to create the pure natural good ambiance of Irish Opens previous.

We acquired an incredible winner in David Docherty

To wrap up, I need to level out the easiest factor about this yr’s Irish Open. We acquired an incredible winner in David Docherty who has put within the onerous hours within the lab and the onerous years slogging the UK and Eire Poker Tour circuit. It was nice to see him get his simply rewards finally.

Heads-up, he defeated the favored Deccy Rice, a stalwart of the now defunct MPN tour. He had many of the native help and would have been a tremendously standard winner, however it was an incredible run from the massive man who informed me he’d bagged up lower than two thirds of a beginning stack on Day 1.

As we left the venue my VegasSlotsOnline Information and Chip Race colleague David Lappin stated the worst factor concerning the Irish Open this yr was the truth that he didn’t win it. I identified that for most individuals that was the most effective factor about it.