Friday, 29th March 2024 04:51
Home / Uncategorized / PokerStars Festival Dublin: High volume, high roller

If somebody tries to tell you that they don’t like watching high buy-in poker tournaments because the players are all too quiet and serious, you can look them squarely in the eye and say, “Nonsense”.

Regardless of the event–be it a PokerStars Championship, the World Series of Poker, or a PokerStars Festival–the highest buy-in event will also have the most table chat. All the players know one another, or they’re well on the way to making friends. Seriously, just stand beside a Super High Roller event and listen for a few minutes. There’s more nattering going on than at a meeting of Gossips Anonymous.

All this goes by way of introduction to the €2,000 High Roller event, which has recently started here in Dublin. True to form, the volume is high over there. The likes of Jake Cody, Ludovic Geilich, Niall Farrell are all seated, and then there’s players like Terry Jordon too, whose describes himself as a “nutty poker player” in his Twitter bio.

niall_farrell_psf_dublin_hr.jpg

Niall Farrell: High roller time

A short while ago, Jordon said he wanted to straddle. He knew full well that you can’t straddle in a tournament, so put out a blind raise instead and called it a straddle. Two seats around, Geilich three-bet. Jordon called, then check-folded a low flop when Geilich bet. Geilich gave him a bit of a rub-down, and on they went.

Not long after, Farrell was knocked out from a neighbouring table, and Geilich had the good manners to go to the bar on both their behalfs while Farrell went to re-enter. Farrell came back and found a seat on the same table as William Kassouf. No one ever heard that guy talk, did they.

Farrell wasn’t the first to bust and re-buy, however. Maria Konnikova already hit the rail, but was tempted back in. All this is too good to miss out on as she continues to research her book.

maria_konnikova_psf_dublin_hr.jpg

Maria Konnikova: No laughing matter? The opposite

Geilich had to move tables, but that left Kelly Saxby to continue the table chat with Jordon. Matthias De Meulder is also on that table, while Geilich now has Peter Eichhardt and Orpen Kisacikoglu among his neighbours.

It’s also the only event at this festival that has appealed enough to Max Silver for him to make an appearance.

max_silver_psf_dublin_hr.jpg

Max Silver: Father-to-be

Silver has an excuse. The two-times UKIPT champion will likely be a father this time next week: his wife Lisa is expecting their first child in the coming couple of days.

Study Poker with Pokerstars Learn, practice with the PokerStars app