DUBLIN BELLYBUSTERS

Come they told me
Pa rum pum pum pum
A feast of fish to see
Pa rum pum pum pum

Our finest donks to slay
Pa rum pum pum pum
To trap, bluff and outplay
Pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum 

About 15 months ago, I hit my first MTT, taking down the $4500 Guarantee. It was a modest beginning - a $5 rebuy event with a field of about 500. The very next day, I won the same event again. Both victories were worth about $1600 and needless to say, I was over the moon. Three days later, I was in the same tournament and with about 140 remaining, I raced to a big chip-lead. With 80 left, I had 2.5 times the chips of the guy in 2nd place and, brimming with hubris, I decided to scribble a quick e-mail to Full Tilt Support. In it, I asked them whether they would consider naming the tournament after me if I won it three times in the same week.

The tournament progressed and I remained in the chip-lead until a bad-beat with about 15 to go put me into 5th place. I was still in the hunt and made it to the final table 5 of 6. I ended up coming 4th for a nice cash but alas, no hatrick. I turned off my computer and went to bed, completely forgetting about the mail I had sent off. The next morning, I went online and found that Full Tilt had replied. They congratulated me on my winning twice in two days and said that they would put my request up for consideration if I were to win a third.

Since then, the tournament has changed somewhat. The buy-in and start-time have remained the same but due to increased numbers it became the $6K Guarantee and is now the $9K Guarantee. Despite my failure, my friends and I still affectionately refer to it as 'THE LAPPIN' and as tournaments go, it will always have a special place as the one that kick-started me in the online MTT world. My friend Stephen 'Stinky Budz' O'Connor shared a similar story with me a few days ago about how it was his first 4-figure tournament win and how he has won it on another occasion since. I won it for a third time about 6 months ago and last night, I made it number 4. First prize was a super-sweet $2700, bringing my profits for the month up to $9K so far. I have been running horribly in my 45-man SNGs (which is a pity coz I have a prop-bet going on my performance in them) but of course, I cannot for a moment complain about how the month is progressing.

Without doubt, a run at this million bucks thing is gonna require me to make about 15 final tables this month. With this in mind, I have to be stoical about a Final Table that doesn't end in victory. I will do my best on that front but I can't help but be frustrated right now as tonight's Big Double B was a huge opportunity. I had the chip-lead from an hour in and it was a big chip-lead. I had 30K when the guy in 2nd had 16K and the chip average was 5K.  I went a wee bit card dead with 30 to go but still had plenty of chips and was in 4th place when the bubble burst.

With 13 left, I sucked out huge with my A10 rivering a flush in a three-way pot versus 910 and QQ. The next few orbits burned me as any positional raises I made were repopped so by Final Table time, I was 8 of 9. I picked a late position spot to shove and pick up blinds in the first orbit and then got freaky/brave with a4 in EP a few hands later.

No further spots appeared and I was sitting short with 16K when I picked up A6 in the BB with the blinds 1K/2K. The small Blind pushed and I insta-called. He had the 95 of spades. Two spades flopped, the turn blanked but the river cruelly broght the 9 and I was gone in 9th place. A double-up there would have put me 5th with the chip-average and a decent shot but oh well!

I'll be back to battle again tomorrow night! Railbirds always welcome...

Tonight, I took down the $60+15 Big Double 'A' for almost $3K. Don't get me wrong, the prize-money itself is awesome (my second biggest cash ever) but potentially more interesting is the fact that I have now won 2 of the 6 Daily Double Tourneys in the first 2 days of the month. Full Tilt will pay a million bucks to a person who wins all 6 in the same calendar month. I, therefore have 29 days to win the other 4. I know, I know - It's still a ridiculously long long-shot but if I can hit one more this week, who knows? It might just be the December I remember for the rest of my life!

Stick on the George Foreman baby... coz Lappin's grilling up some midnight bacon!

If busting my first pro two days ago wasn't joyous enough (yes, I know - a long overdue achievement for someone who plays my volume), then tonight well and truly put the rasher in my breakfast roll! It wasn't a feast of Roman proportions but it was a significant taste as I took down the $10 Daily Double A for over $2300. I narrowly lost out on the Best Double Finish Prize ($800 approx) to a player by the name of YouPlay2Win who came close himself to claiming the Double Final Table Prize ($12K approx). He made a great run through the two tournaments and at the time, I was sad to be the one to end his dream of glory when I eliminated him from the DDA in 12th.

I had been cheering him on for the previous hour and I apologised for being the one to felt him. I expected him to respond in kind (express disappointment of course but ultimately be mature and gracious). I couldn't have been more wrong. He proceeded to castigate me for my good fortune as I had rivered him in his final hand after all his money went in pre-flop. I was quick to point out that there was no way I could fold as he had left himself get blinded down to the point of having absolutely no fold equity. He proceeded to call me a lucky douche-bag, an ass-hole and a fucker. He told me to fuck off, shut the fuck up and go fuck myself. Suffice to say, it was a pleasant exchange. My parting words to him were the following:

"You know what - it really didn't have to be this way. I was being nice. I honestly wanted you to make it. But now I'm glad you didn't because you played the last hour like a pussy and you got what you deserved. EAT RAIL DONK!"

Anyway, I digress. Bottom line - I took down the tourney. I got a wee taste of bacon and now I'm hungry for more. This may become a December to remember!