Dave Masters and Co scoop the Team Championship of Poker.

Dave Masters defeated Michael Grayden heads up to win the inidivual title and lead his team to victory in the Team Championship of Poker. In a key hand in the heads up battle both played got all their chips in the middle almost even stacked. On a 7-9-3 board with two spades.

Graydon showd the 6-8 of spades and was a favourite over Master’s Queen-7, but Graydon missed all of his sixteen outs twice to end up crippled with a ten to one chip deficit.

In the final hand Graydon once again put his chips in as favourite with Queen-6 against Jack-Ten and hit a dry Queen high flop meaning his opponent needed runner runner to finish him off, but the dealer duly obliged and turned an Ace and a King to give Master a backdoor straight and the individual title.

Having reached the final table Masters only needed to secure third place in order for his team to take the overall title on points. Four handed the team were gifted the win when he isolated an all-in from a short-stacked player with Ace-9 from the button.

Keith McFadden in the small blind could only get his team – The Eglinton Casino – into first place on points by eliminating Masters in 4th, but since Masters had both the short-stack and McFadden covered, winning hand wouldn’t be enough for the Donegal man to help his team into first. If he called he would need to give the short stack a treble up and win the side-pot against Masters.

After putting himself on the clock and with only seconds left before his hand would be declared dead McFadden made the call with 2-4 of spades and Andrew O’Flarherty of the Leeds Rhinos team showed pocket fives.

By the turn, all was going to plan for McFadden as the board read 2-3-8-3 and O’Flaherty look set for a treble up with Masters losing out in the side pot, but a nine popped up on the river and the Dubliner eliminated two players at once while his team took overall title, as well as the club trophy.

County Down took the Inter County title in and The Eglinton Casino, Galway won the inter-casino title against stiff opposiiton from the Cue Club of Killarney and the Fitzwilliam card club of Dublin.

Nineteen teams and 114 players took part in the three day festival which also featured €300 and €200 side events with Irish Poker Rankings points up for grabs and considerable side action in both cash games and single table tournaments.

Results:

Main Event (Team Results)
1st: Dave Masters Motors €7500
Tied: for 2nd Team Dangerous and Team Eglington €3750

Main Event (Individual Results)
1st: Dave Masters
2nd: Michael Graydon
3rd: Keith McFadden
4th: Andrew O’Flaherty

€300 Side Event:
1st: Annette O Carroll €5,500
2nd: Dara O Kearney € 3,800
3rd: Bobo € 2,400
4th: Jaye Renehan € 1,550
5th: Francis Mc Cormack € 950
6th: Keith O Brien € 620
7th: Sean Geraghty €300

€200 Side Event:
1st: Andrew O’Flaherty (leeds) €2700
2nd: Dave Gill €1310
3rd: Eoin Mc Cann €1310
4th: Jim Carr €1310
5th: Liam Flood €360
6th: Dave Curtis €200