The event in the Cahir House Hotel on Friday night was well attended as was the Crowne Plaza in Dundalk on Sunday, generating a total prize pool of €24,000 over the weekend plus many hours of excitement for our poker players. Lately we have also seen a vast improvement in the quality of food and service being provided by the various hostelries which is great for both ourselves and the players’ alike.

Our Grand Final is fast approaching and the quest for tickets for the €100,000 guaranteed main event game is starting to gather momentum. If anyone desires some tickets to play for in a club or pub etc. just give me a call on 087 9109841 and they can be got on a sale or return basis. The Grand Final weekend on the 16-19th January promises to be a great weekend of poker craic and cash games and should not be missed. The Clonmel Park Hotel is offering a great accommodation rate for the weekend and I urge any ticket holders to book their room now as the hotel is limited to 99 rooms. You have been warned!

Next weekend myself and Elaine head to Vegas for 8 nights however the show goes on with venues in Toughers of Naas and a €10,000 Guaranteed Fundraiser for the Ballycotton Lifeboat in Midleton Co. Cork at the Midleton Park Hotel This is the 3rd year for the fundraiser and your support is very much appreciated for this worthy cause. It will be interesting to see how Las Vegas is coping with the current financial crisis.

Friday night in Cahir Ned O’Dwyer won the high hand prize [€300] with a Royal Flush no less. Brendan O’Sullivan picked up some valuable player points on the bubble in 11th place plus €150 in consolation cash taken from first prize. Larry Ryan is another player who is starting to pick up player points, he exited in 10th place when his pocket 5’s were called by John O’Donohue with A/J. the proverbial Ace came on the flop, no surprise to Larry! Martin O’Connell went card dead at the final table, he pushed with K.Q. John Broxson called with A/K. with John improving to a Nut flush on the River. Martin exited in 9th place. Cork’s Catherine Casey ran out of luck in 8th place. Catherine pushed with pocket 7’s; Michelle Brooks called with A/Q. suited. Flop comes A.J.10. Turn 6. River 5.

John “Skippy” Jordan was on tilt having just lost a huge pot and pushed his remaining chips in blind. Caroline Murphy called with pocket 6’s. John tabled 10/3 off. No help for John sent him on his way in 7th place. As I speak John has arrived in sunny Australia, Good Luck to John on his travels from all the C.P.T. crew. Michelle Brooks ran out of steam when her Q/J. ‘all in’ was called by Tom Broxson’s A/K. A King on the flop sealed the deal for Tom sending Michelle out in 6th place. Michelle now moves into 12th place on the players’ league.

John Broxson himself had mixed fortunes at the final table. He tried a steal with Q/6. Ray Twoomey called on the big blind with A/7. Ray’s Ace held up sending Tom to the rails in 5th place. Shortly afterwards Ray tried the same manoeuvre with 4.5. suited. There was value for Ger Burke to call with K.5. suited. Board came 8.9.10. Q.Q. Ray exited in 4th place. John O’Donoghue is on a roll lately having finished 2nd the previous Friday in Rackett Hall. He was chip leader at the final table for quiet a while but he bled chips profusely coming 2nd too many times in big pots. He moved ‘all in’ with A/5. Caroline Murphy did not hesitate to call with A.Q. A Queen for Caroline on the flop won her the pot sending John out in 3rd place [€1,000]. John is knocking on the door of the top twenty on the players league, he now moves into 23rd position. Heads up saw Caroline Murphy and Ger Walsh Duke it out for the honours. The chip lead changed several times before Caroline who was on the back foot pushed with Q/J. on a 10.K.7. flop. Unfortunately for her Ger held pocket Jacks and made the call. Turn and River came rags making Ger our Cahir House event winner. Ger took home €3,350 in cash, Grand Final ticket and Crystal Trophy. Caroline had played well and was the short stack at the final table for a lot of the night, she was not too disappointed with her €2,000 2nd prize she also won the last lady of the event prize [€200]. We are back in Tipperary this coming Sunday at the Clonmel Park Hotel. Reg 4, Start 5.

Sunday we returned to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dundalk, A €13,000 prize-pool made the journey worthwhile for some of the many travelling players’. As is typical up north the cash action was lively especially the round of each table. Players were well fed and watered and the service was spot on. Sheena O’Hare won the last lady of the night [€200] and Mark Hamill won the high hand prize (€300) with a straight flush to the 9. Seamus Burden received €150 as a bubble consolation prize.

On commencement of the final table Dermot McNeice moved ‘all in’ with A/8 on a checked 10, 6, 7. board. Gareth Tuite called with A/9. Turn 5. River 5. saw Gareth’s 9 kicker play sending Dermot out in 10th place [€400]. Soon-after John Poland pushed ‘all in’ with pocket Jacks on a 10.6.4. board. Garett Tuite called with K/10. Turn 2. River 10, giving Gareth a set and sending John out in 9th place. Seamus Scullion was getting short stacked when he pushed with K/10. Gareth Tuite called with K.K. no improvement sent Seamus to the rails in 8th place. Tom Cloney pushed with K/J. Cathal Lundy called with K/Q. suited and preceded to hit a flush sending Tom out in 7th place. Tom now moves into 6th place in the players’ league. Paul Kiernan moved ‘all in’ with pocket Kings on a 2-5-6 flop. Gareth Tuite called with A.2. and hit a set of 2’s on the turn. No miracle on the river saw Paul leave the final table in 6th position. James Fearon pushed short stacked with 9/10. Kilkenny’s John Hennessy called with Q/J. Flop came 2.Q.7. pairing John’s Queen. No help on the turn or river saw James go out in 5th place. John Hennessy pushed ‘all in’ with A/K. Cathal Lundy called with A/9. flop came 9.7.5. Turn A. River 10 pairing Cathal’s A/9. and sending John out in 4th place [€900]. John also picked up a valuable 17 player points moving him into 4th spot on the €25,000 guaranteed players league. Gareth Tuite who held the chip lead for most of the final table found himself ‘all in’ with J. 10. Cathal Lundy called with 9.7. flop came 7.Q.6 Turn 5. River 4. giving Cathal the win and sending Gareth out in 3rd place [€1,200]. A lively heads up saw Cathal Lundy and John Powell play on. John got the better of it. Cathal pushed with A.7. suited. John called with A.J. flop came J.Q.9. Turn 10, River 10, giving John two pair and the win. Gareth took home [€2,000] in consolation cash. A delighted John received €3,350 in cash, Grand Final ticket and C.P.T. Crystal Trophy.

Don’t forget our €25,000 MINIMUM GUARANTEED CHRISTMAS CRACKER GAME on December 29th in Toughers of Naas. Tickets are now available and make great Christmas presents. Contact Denis on 087 9104413.

This coming weekend we have a super satellite to our Grand Final in the ATLANTIS CASINO in Carlow on Friday night Nov 14th Reg 7. Start 8. It is a €150+ 20 fully dealered /catered event with a 15,000 starting stack and 25 min blinds, Each Grand Final package will include buy-in/top up and Reg and is worth €750. There is a cash alternative if you already hold a grand final ticket. Full Casino facilities are available on the night

On Sunday Nov 16th we return to THE CLONMEL PARK HOTEL for a €10,000 min guaranteed game Reg 4. Start 5.

Please note the earlier starting time on Sunday of REG 4 START 5!!

Congratulations to all!