Letter from Doke (News and Promotions - 2nd August 2012)

Hi

Welcome to this week's letter where there is news on new promotions including details of a 'Reload Bonus', a look back at my trip to San Sebastian as well as our poker strategy section.

Since my last letter, I've got in some good online grinding (highlights were a deep run in Super Tuesday on Stars, a couple of high roller final tables and winning a Barcelona EMOP package on Irish Eyes) and a trip to Spain for Estrellas San Sebastian.

I had a pretty good day one, increasing from 15K starting to just over 27k at the end of the day. After a good start to day 2 (I was up to 37k after the first hand), it all went south fairly fast. After losing over half my stack with KQs versus J9o all in pre, my exit was one of the more bizarre I've ever had. It involved everyone folding to me in the small blind after the big blind had failed to protect his cards and had them mucked by the dealer, me shoving from the small blind, and him then being allowed to retrieve two cards from the muck and make the call with kings. I asked the dealer for the floor but there seemed to be a language issue and she didn't seem to understand. I spoke to the tournament director after the event but with the action having already moved on and other hands having been dealt, there was obviously nothing else that could be done at this point.

After that debacle I was in no real humour to play any side events so I just chilled for the rest of the trip. There was a good travelling Irish contingent that included David Lappin, Gary Clarke, Feargal Nealon and Annette Carroll. Feargal was chipleader for a while on day one and continued his recent run of good form with another cash. Feargal is looking very focussed at the table these days and I don't think it's a coincidence that his recent run of form has coincided with his getting into great physical shape (he recently won a bike race in Sligo!).

This week's strategy section continues my exit hand from the WSOP main event. After my opponent threebet big, my next decision was whether to flat call or raise, and if I did raise, how to size it. In these spots I would prefer to flat if I thought there was any danger my opponent would fold, but based on the way he was playing and his three bet sizing, I didn't feel this was likely. So I elected to raise. When sizing the raise, the main considerations were to size it so that it was (a) not too big that he might fold (if I shove all in for example or bet enough to make it clear I'm pot committed he might get the message) (b) not too small that he can profitably set mine.

Set mining is where you figure that you have a smaller pair and call with the intention of giving up if you don't hit a set because you feel that you'll win a big pot when you do hit a set to make it profitable. You flop a set 14% of the time so it needs to cost less than 14% of what you'll win to call preflop for it to be profitable (actually a bit less, since you can't be certain you'll get fully paid when you do, and occasionally you'll be set over setted or lose some other way even when you do hit your set). With a stack of 40k I therefore wanted to raise a bit more than 5600 to make set mining unprofitable, so I elected to raise just over 6k to 12925. This bet size is less than a third of my stack so my opponent might reasonably think I'm not committed (which is what happened).

Inspired by the 2012 Summer Olympics, Irish Eyes Poker is organizing its own Poker Olympics where poker champions get the recognition and the prizes that come along with the thrill of victory.
A MacBook Air, the new iPad, a trip to EMOP Barcelona, and cash are just some of the rewards at stake. Choose your event: 400 meter hurdles? The triple or high jump? A marathon? Enter the events and find riches on the road to glory! To enhance these exciting contests, players can receive an extra bonus by participating in the Reload Bonus during the second week of August.

MARATHON

Starting 9 August at 20:00, Irish Eyes Poker will run a weekly Thursday Marathon tournament, where players will have a chance to win a MacBook Air 11" (Core i5, 1.6 GHz, 64 GB, SSD) notebook or a cash prize. The buy-in is 20 VIP points that must be earned 48 hours prior to the start of each tournament.The maximum number of participants is 1000, 5000 in starting chips, and 20 minute levels.

The winners will be determined two hours after the tournament start. At approximately 22:00, the tournaments will be stopped. Depending on stack sizes at that time, all qualified players will receive their prizes.

When the tournament is stopped, a special The tournament is pausing note appears on all tables and all current hands are played out to the end.
The final standings of the tournament can be found on the Players tab.

MacBook Air, players must send an email with the following information to promo@igt.com no later than Friday, 31 August:
- Subject: "Marathon MacBook claim"
- Poker nickname
- Full home address
- Phone number
Cash prizes will be paid out within 48 hours after the tournament end.

ATHLETICS

Triple Jump

Get the same pair as a starting hand three times in a row at the same cash game table and win €300.
This promotion is available on all real money Texas Hold'em tables.

To claim a prize, players must send an email with the following information to promo@igt.com no later than Friday, 31 August:
- Subject: "Triple Jump claim"
- Hand History number of the first pair hand
- Poker nickname

High Jump

Get a Royal Flush in any suit using at least one of your hole cards and win €100.
This promotion is available on all real money Texas Hold'em tables.

To claim a prize, players must send an email with the following information to promo@igt.com no later than Friday, 31 August:
- Subject: "High Jump claim"
- Hand History number of the Royal Flush hand
- Poker nickname

400 Meter Hurdles

Win four Super Turbo Sit and Go tournaments in a row on the same level and win a new iPad (4G, 16 GB, White) or a cash prize!

Sit and Go's qualifying for this promotion are marked (PROMO) in the lobby.
Please note that the collation of tournaments is determined by time of registration.
To claim the new iPad, players must send an e-mail with the following information to promo@igt.com no later than Friday, 31 August.

- Subject "400 Meter Hurdles claim"
- Tournament ID of the first Sit and Go in the series (in the poker lobby under Account Information/Last Transactions)
- Poker nickname
- Full home address
- Phone number

RELOAD WEEK (6 - 12 August)

Reload your account between 6th and 12th August to receive a 100% deposit bonus. When depositing 50 euro use the code deposit50 or when depositing 100 euro use the code deposit100. Then when you have earned 500 vip points after the 50 euro deposit or 1000 vip points after the 100 euro deposit (there is no time limit to when you earn the vip points) you will receive your bonus.

SPRINT CHALLENGE - WIN A SEAT TO EMOP BARCELONA

Compete in the Sprint Challenge at 100, 200, 400 and 800 meters between 8 August and 29 August and take a chance to win a travel package to EMOP Barcelona worth €2,000! 
Each package consists of a tournament buy-in of €1,100, fours nights' accommodation, and a €350 travel bonus, which is credited to the winners' poker account.

The buy-in in VIP-points is the same as each distance and is calculated from 1 August 00:00 until the start of each challenge. I hope to see you there.

Don't forget to 'Like' our Team Irish Eyes Poker page on Facebook and you can get the password to the Weekly Facebook €100 Freeroll every Wednesday night. Here is the link http://www.facebook.com/pages/Team-Irish-Eyes-Poker/112290065454803

Good luck at the tables - unless I'm at the same table :)

Doke
Click on the links below for details on all Irish Eyes Poker Promotions, Blogs, and News.
Irish Eyes Poker Promotions - click here
Join Team Irish Eyes Poker on Facebook - click here
Join EMOP Ireland on Facebook -- click here
Keep up to date on Doke's blog - click here
Interview with Per Hildebrand - click here
Play Fast Online Poker on your Mobile or iPad on Terminal Poker. For Signup Offer - click here
Play live poker with the Celtic Poker Tour. For next events and news - click here