**Saturday Game @ 5pm**

Its the Swords Poker ope n this Saturday the 8th of December with a new amended start time of 5.00pm the buy in is €65 + €5 reg
With up to 12 qualifiers out of the Manor Inn league we are hoping to have a prise pool over €1000.
The top 8 in the league have a seat booked (seats won are non transferable all the cash is in the pot so use it or loose it )
There is no surprise to see the best player in Swords top the league
Damo (that's me ) 98  , Kevin 86  , Tony 84  , Joe  79  ,  Dan  77  , Pat 67
Martin 66  , Alan O Shea 57

Dan O Hirlity

the above 8 have all won a seat.
Now it gets interesting , going into the last game tonight with 4 seats up for grabs it's all to play for.
Kay 50 , Karl 46 , Ger  45 ,  Young Alan 44 , Derek 43 , Eddie 41.
Will it affect how they play tonight ????
All I know is I will be putting maximum pressure on all these guys.

Okey Dokey

Last week it as Big Dan O Hirlity ( Just like Bill) that took down 1st place with Deco Boylan up from the Orchard to raid the Manor to take 2nd and yours truly back in the cash to take 3rd.

( Sorry if I spelt the name wrong again Dan )

Hand of the week

I was short handed on the final table but I got a double up off Deco Boylan to keep up with the average stack. Then 5 handed with 3 getting paid I find A 9 on the button and I push all in and get called by Flaa in the big blind and he has A 10 , S#1T , but the other raider from the Orchard gets very unlucky when I Bink the 9 on the river. Oh well that's poker he can always tell his mates he was busted by the best player in Swords.

The Game is good

The Thursday game in the Manor inn is growing from strength to strength , the numbers are up and the pots are growing.
The buy in is reasonable the starting stack is just right with the blinds and the structure for a pub game.

Kevin is on a Hot run

My personal game has been off the last couple of weeks but a couple of good scores on Full Tilt has the confidence  high for the next game tonight in the Manor inn.
Last week was all about the Kevin Fitzsimons show , Kevin took it down for the second week in a row and a 5th consecutive cash in a row that has seen him shoot up to second in the Top ten league.
I'm sill in front just about.
Were getting lots of views on the blog from all over the world which is great but are you guys shy ????

Lets here your comments , if you play in a similar game let us know about it and let me know what you think about our game.

                                          Snow leopards and Bob cats

Snow leopards and bob cats , well what does this mean ?????????????????????

I'm fucked if i know but it was a quote used at the table last week at the table when Martin was having a go at some players that dared to raise his big blind. Where did it come from we will probably never know but i near pissed myself laughing.

Martin Lynch

Ladies and gentlemen I give you Martin Lynch one of the most feared players in Swords because of his loose aggressive style of play Martin is very hard to work out he is so good even Martin cant work out how he plays.

But one thing for sure when Martin is on the table its never dull , its also never quiet  but it is always a good laugh and a lot of fun.

Look out for more of our player profiles and you can meet the players of Swords poker.

I'll see you at the tables every Thursday in the Manor Inn at 8:00pm sharp and even if you get knocked out and don't win a cent , you can always say you played with the best player in Swords.

3 weeks to go

There's only 3 games to go before the Saturday €65 + €5   25,000 Deepstack game.
So who is going to get the top ten free seats ???????
As it stands here is the table

Damo 84 pts , Tony 75 , Kevin 72 , Joe 70 , Dan 63 , 
Pat Mon 63, Martin 51 , Alan O Shea 49 , Karl o s 44 , Ger 43
Derek C 42 , young Alan 41 , Eddie 39, Kay 37, Jim P 32
Jamie 30 , Pecker 28, Packie 25, Greg 22, Keith 21 , Young Karl 20,
under 20 points
Mossie , Paul Moran , Chris Moran , Matt, Jay , Philip , Deco Fitz , Tommy , Breener , Marie

Movers & Shakers

Well done to Damo (The best player in Swords) Tony Higgins and Kevin Fitzsimons their seats are confirmed as 11th place cant mathematically catch them and another final table appearance for sit n go Joe will see him over the line.
Kevin took down the 28 player field last Thursday to continue an excellent run lately finishing in the cash the last 5 weeks in a row and his win last week also guarantees his seat in the Saturday 8th/12 game.
There is only a couple of points between Karl (9th) and Ger (10th) and the chasing pack , the next 3 games can cause a lot of changes  to win the free seats.
A player to watch is Jamie O Rourke who has played 3 games and has 3 x 3rd place finishes , a very solid player that knows the game very well if he plays the last 3 games he could force his way into the top ten.
Eddie Kelly is another one creeping up the table with his aggressive game , and young Alan's lack of form in the last couple of weeks has seen him drop out of the top ten but a good result or a cash will put him right back in there.

Friends of Swords Poker

Don't forget the new start time of 8:00pm sharp and you must be in your seat for the first hand to get the bonus 1000 chip

The Best Player in Swords

How are your Poker READS What cards has she got ????

Yes your right she has a big pair.

Damo ''The Best player in Swords''

 The best player in Swords took down last Thursdays game in the manor inn , Damo and sit n go Joe chopped the pot and Damo won the heads up to take the 12 points for 1st place and to further his number 1 spot in the league. As the top ten all win a ticket to the Saturday December 8th €65 + €5 game first place only wins some bragging rights and anyone that knows me that's very important.
After all I have a reputation to uphold '' I am the best player in Swords'' but you all know that already.
There's still time to make it into the top ten for a lot of players but if you are low down in the table why not cover you bets by giving a deposit for the Saturday game . €20 a week over the next couple of weeks will cover your buy in and you will have a little over to have a couple of pints.

Damo's Book 

I have to give a special mention to my partner in crime Kevin Fitzsimons , four weeks ago Kevin was like one of the horses he backs, way down the field in the top ten league but after five final tables in a row with three cashes sees Kevin shoot up the table into a comfortable fifth place on 60 points. When asked how had his game changed to bring him up to this level Kevin quoted '' Its all down to Damo's book after all he is the best player in Swords'' . Thanks for the kind words Kevin even if it is all true.

HAND OF THE WEEK 

Kevin 5th in the league

 Going to the final table the two big stacks were Damo and Kevin and not long after Martin Lynch went out in 9th ,  with the blinds at 500 / 1000 Damo opened  for 3500 and he got three callers in Derek , Jamie and Kevin with a rainbow flop of ACE  ,ten ,  five Kevin checked Jamie checked and Damo checked the turn brought a blank seven this time Kevin leads out with a bet of 9000 Jamie tanked then folded  , Damo looking puzzled gives it the old Hollywood speech asking Kevin why did he check the flop if he had an Ace????
after a minute Damo calls leaving only 6500 behind.
The river brings another five and Kevin moves all in and Damo does his Phil Hellmuth insta call Kevin shows AQ and Damo shows AA and gives a lesson on how to play the bullets.
After taking that massive pot Damo cruised to heads up.

Don't forget the new TD Conor, the new start time of 8:00pm sharp be in your seat for the first hand 1000 early bird  chip and the new buy in of €30 + €5 Thursday in the Manor Inn.

New Addition

Swords Poker at the Manor inn are delighted to announce a new member to the Team in the Manor inn.
Conner Blundel will be the new TD in the manor inn every Thursday.
The highly respected TD who successfully ran the poker game in the White house on the North road  Finglas had a very strong following and built up a reputation of running one of the best games in the city.
The popular Thursday night game in the Manor inn has been running consistently for the past six years which has seen the game adapt to suit the players and the economy.
There will be some slight changes to the game from its present format that we hope will help the players to enjoy the game and to also build the game to one of the strongest in north county Dublin.
With Conor as the TD the game will be run in a much more professional format that will create a much greater poker experience for all involved.

Conner Blundel

The Swords Poker Open 

Saturday 8th of December @ 3:00pm

in the Manor Inn Swords

€65 + €5    25,000 Starting Stack up to 25 min levels

The best value in Pub Poker 

You never know who you will see there , the best in Swords or the best in the World

Cash game 0.50 / 1.00 No rake just tip the dealer what you want

Its a Done Deal

Martin and Ger shake on the deal.

 Big respect to Martin Lynch who crushed the final table in the Manor inn last night . Martin chopped the pot when it went to heads up with Ger Fitzsimons with a chip lead of 5 to 1 at least.
The best complement I can give to Martin is when everyone is buying in the first thing they ask is where is Martin sitting ?
Martin has a style of play thats wild and hard to read and it pays off as most times he can build a large stack early in the game but at times he fails to change his game to keep and develop that stack but that's what makes Martin so dangerous.
There was 21 players in the Manor Inn last Thursday 1/11/12 with some great play few players were knocked out early on with the final table starting late at 11:30.
There were no real big stacks and only a couple of short stacks so it was anyone's game to win.
The League leader Tony went out in 10th resulting in the ''Best Player in Swords'' going top of the league with a 6th place finish.
Derek went out on the money bubble in 5th but wins 4 free pints for his poker of 2s for the best hand. Another strong finish by Kevin in the money in 4th. Jamie made some great lay downs to get 3rd ,in particular one with JJ four handed Ger moved all in for 8000 Jamie called but then Martin moved all in, Jamie tanked for a while then folded what was the best hand , Ger had 55 martin had A 10 the flop was 9 A 9 Martin takes the lead an 8 on the turn and a magic 5 on the river keeps Ger in it and Jamies fold is good. The blinds finally got Jamie all in and Martin gets him in the end. Then the deal is done and Mick is happy to get everyone out and on their way home.

Final table 

Hand of the day

A warning to everyone to pay attention to whats going on at your table , down  to 2 tables and Damo is short with 8000 with the blinds 1000/2000 its folded around to Tony in the small blind who folds and then Karl in the big blind mucks his hand to claim the pot but he didnt see Damo's all in and has to give up the pot showing the mucked KK , Damo shows 88. 

Swords Poker League @ the Manor Inn

Swords Poker League @ the Manor Inn is getting interesting with only 4 weeks to go.
Damo's win last Thursday brings him level with Dj Tony H on 63 pts
another Final table appearance from Dan and Joe see them on 56 & 55 points.
Pat Monaghan is in 5th with 46 points and joining him on 46 points with 2 strong finishes in the money in the last 2 weeks is our Kevin.
Alan O Sheas 3rd place finish last Thursday shoots him into the top ten in 7th place on 41 points. (sorry about busting your AA) .
Karl O Shea is 8th on 38 points
Young Alan is 9th on 34 to make his first appearance into the top ten
on the border is Martin & Kay both on 33 points. for 10th & 11th.
anyone from 12th to 17th can all make it into the top ten next week as it is very close.
Eddie 31 pts , Ger Fitz  28 , Jim Phelan 28 , Pecker 26 , Derek C 24,

Keith 21 , Greg 20 , Young Karl 18 , Packie 17, Matt 12 , Alan Kelly 11, Chris k 4

Scalp night in the Manor inn

We had 18 players for scalp night and the game was full of drama and the  banter was flying from early in the game.
Mad, any two cards Martin got his usual big stack of chips early in the game by knocking out Keith and the using the stack well to bully and bluff his way to the final table.
Damo (the best player in Swords) was building nicely when he was on the button with AQ after the usual 5 limpers in the pot with the blinds 100/200 he raises to 900 and gets 4 callers.
Flop A 2 3 Damo bets out 2000 and sit n go Joe makes the call. 4 on the turn , Joe has 3000 left so Damo puts him all in as there is to much in the pot to fold now.
Joe insta calls , a useless 10 on the river and Joe shows A 4 for a turned two pair to put Damo on tilt.
A Big pot was developing on the last hand before the Dominos Pizza break with 3 players , Eddie calls the 400 big blind Damo in the small blind calls and last weeks winner Deco Fitzsimons checks to see a flop of 9 6 5 with two diamonds on the board, Eddie bets 1000 , Damo calls then Deco moves all in for 6000 more Eddie is covered but he calls the all in, Damo has the two lads covered and tanks,he calls after a minute or two , he has K 6 of diamonds for mid pair and flush draw , Eddie shows 9 10 for top pair and Deco shows K 4 total air hes on a bluff , its just about all over as the turn is a 6 to give Damo a set of 6s , Eddie has 2 outs looking for a 9, it fails to hit and Damo has chips again and takes 2 scalps at the same time.
So pass the pizza baby and tell me your bad beats its break time.


                        Nadia Forde wasn't playing last Thursday but she looks
                        really good at our tables.

Sit N Go Joe go buy Damo's Book and don't play that Ace rag again.

And remember Damo's going to get you( LMFAO good old 6 4 bye Joe)

Its Final table time with no big stack leader its even enough with a couple of small stacks looking for action.
4 players will be in the money not bad with only 18 players  1st €260 2nd €140 3rd €80 4th €40.
The top ten league continues with Saturday December the 8th the day when 10 players get a free seat into the Swords poker €70 big game. The manor inns very own DJ Tony bubbled the final table but will still lead the league as he can't be caught tonight.
Its Damo who is running good tonight knocking out all but one on the Final table , Packie the only one not to be knocked out by the best player in Swords(its ok I got him last week, remember  Packie your KK v 98 for Damo catching the straight). The hand that won it for Damo came when it was 3 handed with Alan Kelly , Alan O Shea and Damo it was even enough in chips Damo had a small lead when Alan O Shea called, Alan Kelly completed the small blind and Damo moved all in as big blind , Alan O Shea done a Phil Hellmuth call lashing the chips into the middle of the table, Alan Kelly folds.
Alan O Shea got exactly what he wanted trapping with his flat call with AA and Damo walking straight into it head first with KQ. Damo tells the rail not to worry that QQ is coming on the flop , not quite the flop he wanted but Dano hits one Q on the flop but then the turn has Damo on his feet its another Q and a blank on the river Alan O Shea is out , the trapper got trapped and AA is busted and Damo has a 6 to 1 chip lead going into heads up.
First hand of heads up Damo is all in and knowing Damo will bully with his advantage Alan calls taking a gamble with his 6 7 suited v Damos 88 , the pair holds and the best player in Swords proves his point once again to go home with 1st place €260 and a record 12 scalps for another €60 .
The Manor Inn game is getting better by the week 18 players this week and a number of regulars missing i am sure there will be 20 plus players next week.
New players welcome every Thursday @ 8:30pm €30 freezout 6000 chips+1000 early bird with 4 re buy stacks (re buy cash goes into the league) see you there next week.
Knock me out to win 2 pints of beer next week.
All the best
Be Lucky and play smart
Damien Mc Dermott 
AKA Damo
AKA the best player in Swords