Live in Banbridge

If you know Northern Ireland, it's probably the last place that I would have expected to find a quality poker club. It's upstairs in the town of Banbridge and the sign on the door stated "No Alcohol". Inside the wall has a poster warning that player abuse will not be tolerated. The tables had been top quality in their day but are a little worn by this stage - not a bad sign.

I was welcomed on arrival and the hospitality continued throughout the night. I've been gone from NI so long that I'm out of touch with what's safe and what isn't these days. I remember enough to know that I was a fish out of sectarian waters. I also play enough poker to know when the other guy knows that I know that he knows. When I left Ireland, I could not have felt comfortable in that spot, although I found myself in similar spots a few times. That said, I couldn't have been more welcomed or more comfortable on this occasion. How far Ireland has come on in my absence.

Back to the poker. 23 players and 40 pound entry. I know that the exchange rate doesn't equate exactly, but that isn't an insignificant BI for a country town. I could understand why, pound for pound, this was the best standard of poker I've ever encountered outside of a Casino. I won a couple of hands early and managed to stay above the average until the tables were broken from 3 to 2.

With 11 players remaining, I found myself in the BB with a min raise. Blinds were 500/1000 and I had 12,500 behind. UTG had min-raised and as we were 5-handed there was a lot of stealing happening. With 85o, I decided to call and take it from there on the flop. 456r looked pretty good and I checked. Villain with 5000 behind bet 2000
and I decided to take my shot, hoping he had AK or similar - AI. He insta-called and I knew I was drawing slim.

Turns out I wasn't has he had 75s and I was ahead. Turn blank and river 2 to complete his str8 and I was on the rail but feeling not too bad with my play throughout. I'd been patient and got within a river card of top 3 in chips at the final table.

S&G was just starting and I decided to join 4 others with a 10 pound entry winner takes all. Ran pretty good in this one and won relatively easily thanks to the cards I'd been dealt. So I broke even on the night but once again felt older and wiser.

Thumbs up for the Banbridge Bridge Club.