Day 1 ... and final day of the IPO (at least for me)

That wasn't like expected although the day started very well. I was well rested and in a good mood when I arrived at the Regency. I was able to take a short peek into the main room while it was still empty and then waited with the others outside until the doors opened at around 12:45pm.

Stephen and his team did a great job. That place looks really great. Feels like you're playing in a much more expensive torunament. Today's poker celebs included Padraig Parkinson and Surinder Sundar. Those two and several others had a bounty on their head (that's why the were wearing those football T-Shirts).

Didn't know anybody at my table. From the beginning I got a lot of good starting hands but couldn't catch any decent flop. Then I got bluffed off a turned straight on a JJT-A-J board. Awful Jack at the end. My opponent bet out and all I could beat was a bluff. And exactly that's what he showed me after I folded.

My stack went all the way down to 6k from 10k start when I finally caught a break with KK. Back to 10k and from there even up tp 15k. Now the world looked so much better until I ran my TPTK (AK) in a shortstack's set of fives. Down to 10k again. And back to being flop-dead. The blinds had already reached 150/300 (25) and my stack was down to around 7k.

Close to the end of that level I got AK and a guy in front of me who raised to 1,200. I weighed my options (all-in or call as raise or fold weren't possible options here) and decided for a call. With a call I could see if I get a piece of the flop ... or still opt out with enough left for an all-in on another hand. I missed totally in regards of Aces and Kings but the low flop was all diamonds and I was holding the Ace of diamonds. My opponent bet 1,500 and in this situation there was no way I would have folded that hand now. I didn't give him either the made flush or a set. So I figured that I was maybe even holding two overs to my nut-flushdraw. I went all in for 5,000 more to his bet and he called with QQ. Unfortunately 60:40 wasn't enough here and I was out at around 540's of 720 after four hours of play.

There wasn't much I could have done different so no hard feelings. Just sadness that it was over so fast. Went into the city for someting to eat and stumbled across the red carpet premiere of "Couples Retreat" at the Savoy cinema on O'Connell Street. Right in time to see Vince Vaughn (the main actor of the movie) hitting the red carpet. At least that was a nice distraction.

Will take some more photos tomorrow on Day 2 and playing a smaller event at the Sporting Emporium by night. Hopfully I can report better results then.