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Padraig O’Neill is the primary Irish EPT champion after taking down the Essential Occasion in Prague. [Image: PokerStars UK & IRE X]
Grasp of Europe turns into Champion of Europe
Eleven years in the past, my good pal Padraig O’Neill (affectionately often called ‘Smidge’) acquired his MA in poker, taking down the European Masters of Poker (EMOP) title in Dublin for €32,500 ($35,489). Final night time, he grew to become the champion of Europe, profitable the European Poker Tour (EPT) Prague Essential Occasion for €1,030,000 ($1,124,775).
Coming into the ultimate day because the brief stack of 5, Padraig hoped for a few ladders. The maniacal Norwegian Jon Kyte was within the field seat with 72% of the chips in play. The mom of all sun-runs had put him in an enviable place as monster stack with 4 opponents all trying to outlast each other.
The heads-up versus Kyte was the dingiest and dongiest of ding-dong battles
Padraig had twelve huge blinds and a dream however that dream grew to become a actuality after ten hours of probably the most grueling, enthralling, and, at occasions, heart-stopping ultimate desk. There have been some ‘seat of your pants’ bluffs. There have been hero calls aplenty. The heads-up versus Kyte was the dingiest and dongiest of ding-dong battles however in the long run, it was the Irishman who emerged victorious.
By no means unsure
Since his breakout win in Dublin in 2012, Padraig has been a real quadruple menace, crushing stay and on-line poker, money video games and tournaments. He cashed the Essential Occasion in 2017, 2018, and 2022. In 2020, he gained back-to-back Unibet Opens. In March 2022, he took third in a Venetian Deepstack for $127,000. Just a few days later, he pulled the $100,000 thriller bounty within the Wynn
Down the years, nonetheless, what has all the time been most spectacular about Padraig is his temperament. The person is completely unflappable. If you’ve been on this recreation a very long time, you come to grasp that a lot of being an expert poker participant is about being an expert and never about taking part in the playing cards. You must handle your self properly and Padraig survived the tough early years of his profession by being intelligent, selective, and, at occasions, nitty.
he was not some wealthy child with a security web
Padraig really received teased for his nittiness however he was not some wealthy child with a security web. He was a staked participant for some time. He was even handed along with his small bankroll. He received it quietly and constructed it up progressively. He took calculated dangers. He exercised self-discipline. He was all the time the mannequin poker participant and none of his mates doubted the place that highway would inevitably lead.
The comeback
Up in opposition to stiff competitors, the EPT Prague attracted 1,285 entries, simply 18 fewer than final yr. That generated a prizepool of €6,101,300 ($6,663,016), shared between the 191 gamers who made the cash. After 5 days of battle, Kyte, who led the event from Day 3, had a gargantuan chip-lead, one which appeared unassailable.
It appeared like a good better foregone conclusion early on the ultimate day when his Ace-King spiked a king on the flop in opposition to Padraig’s pocket fours. That was till a 4 on the flip started what is among the nice comeback tales on the EPT. By no means since Martin Jacobson manoeuvred his approach from brief stack to champion within the 2014 World Collection of Poker (WSOP) Essential Occasion has a participant proven such composure and deftness while taking part in all the stack-sizes on a serious ultimate desk.
he had a commanding chip-lead over the beleaguered and punch-drunk Kyte
As quickly as he hit the entrance three-handed, Padraig eased away from his opponents. After eliminating the Italian Umberto Ruggeri in third, he had a commanding chip-lead over the beleaguered and punch-drunk Kyte. It was at this level that offers have been supplied and rejected. Counter-offers have been proffered and rebuffed. The 2 males would play for all of it and what adopted was an intriguing heads-up encounter.
A conflict of types
It was instantly obvious that we have been witnessing a conflict of types. Kyte was brash, fearless, and at occasions reckless. Padraig was balanced, prudent, and at occasions circumspect. Kyte bashed himself again into rivalry with some huge bluffs. Padraig chipped away and even pulled the set off on some cheeky bluffs of his personal.
The blinds rose and rose once more. The stacks received shallow and at these depths, it was Padraig who had maybe probably the most important edge. Kyte finally received perilously brief and was pressured to commit with any two playing cards.
After he gained the 2012 EMOP in Dublin, I printed a weblog about Padraig through which I wrote:
“A modest man, it’s by no means in Padraig’s nature to be boastful about his poker achievements. It’s this humility and real looking outlook that retains him grounded and me, for one, assured that he has a giant future within the recreation.”
With this outcome, little question his legacy within the recreation is assured however one thing nonetheless tells me that that’s nonetheless the case.
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