Steve O’Dwyer has finally turned up in the High Roller, although he’s just using a regular chair this time so we’ll have to wait and see what happens.
A few tables away, I found Fotios Ntamaris contemplating a Qc Jd 2d 8h 7s board. After some time in the tank, he pushed his whole stack across the line. Fabian Gumz had folded before the dealer had even got out the All-In Triangle. Current counts: Ntamaris 55k, Gumz 140k.
Also seated at their table is one Phil Clarke*, whom you may remember from last year’s Irish Open when he won what was possibly the most degenerate thing I’ve ever seen occur at a poker festival. Dealers went around collecting names in exchange for fivers; finally all the names were put into a spreadsheet and the collected cash was awarded to not the first, but the second name randomly selected from the spreadsheet. Phil Clarke was that name. They gave him his winnings in a plastic bag – please see below. I think it came to about 30 grand. Hero.
*Bonus fun fact – Phil’s cousin Karen plays bass in my band and he let us stay at his house once after a gig in Nottingham! Check us out if you like banjos and so on.
