Poker Ireland Awards 2009

Gary Clarke, 15/12/09 | Print this article

As judged by Gary Clarke

On-line Poker Site of the Year
Great poker sites are those which go above and beyond their call of duty. An efficient and accessible site, a healthy stream of promotions, an ever-present customer service and of course a steady traffic of players are all requirements, not features. Once this is in place, most sites just sit on their laurels and wait for the money to come pouring in. Some however, continue to offer more incentives. Incentives like sponsoring players into poker tournaments. Incentives like offering high levels of rake back. Incentives like hosting the biggest poker tournament held outside of Las Vegas and hosting it at a loss to boot. This may appear to be just simple marketing but if that’s the case then why is every site not doing it? In 2009, there was one poker site which gave back more to Irish poker than any other. They boosted lucky logos and an array of characters fronting the organization both on and off the felt. They gave Irish players everything they wanted and more. This month the ever-likable, popular and above all else successful poker character Nicky Power was added to their list of sponsored pros that is bursting at the seams. Joining the recently crowned Irish Poker Champion Padraig Parkinson, the WSOP bracelet holder, former Poker Million and Irish Open winner Marty Smyth not to mention the whole of the young poker talent bar none, this year’s winner was an obvious choice. Boylepoker is the Irish poker site of the year.

Winner: Boylepoker

Contribution to Irish Poker
Rudyard Kipling will perhaps be best remembered not for his funny name but his poem “If”. This contribution to poetry could have been written abut this year’s winner! His contribution to Irish poker has been ever-present over the last few years. From running poker games in the pubs of Walkinstown and Tallaght to now being recognized as both the freshest and the most reliable TD in the country, it has been a long road for him. With rumours rife, his path may be now headed towards tournament directing on a European scale. Surely, it will not be long before the most supported TD in the country will be recognized and rewarded by all the tournament organizers in Ireland. If you can control a bunch of Irish poker players in a pub, and continue to control them in years to come then yours is the Earth an everything that’s in it and which is more you will be a man my son! JP McCann is not just a gentleman; he is a figure of authority and efficiency in Irish poker.

Winner JP McCann

Future Star
It’s fair to say that James McManus is already a star of Irish poker. He went deepest of the Irish in the 2008 WSOP main event (71st), came 5th in the 2009 European Deepstack Championship and he has been making a steady income from winning the Fitzwilliam end of month game last November and then coming 2nd at the festival main event later that month. For those who have played with McManus it is his game that they will recognise as extra special though. In terms of potential, he is capable of winning some of the very biggest tournaments in 2010. Irish Opens, EPT’s, the poker world is at his feet. On the back of two highly profitable years in 2008 and 2009, next year should prove a pivotal year in the progression from national success to Grade 1 tournament winner. He has a driven attitude among other intangible qualities that would suggest that he could well be the next Marty Smyth. And plus he has the same hair colour!

Winner: James McManus

Player of the Year
The winner of 5 ranking tournaments in the past 12 months, this year’s winner has had much more than a stand-out year. He has shown an unprecedented level of improvement which heightens the value of his achievements. That’s what makes him the player of the year. It’s not about one big tournament win, that’s a great performance. To make a great player you must bring home the results time and time again. Kicking off 2009 by winning the European Deepstack Poker Champs, his victories have continued throughout the year. Currently sitting atop of the Irish Poker rankings, who would have thought this “Wally” could be the player of 2009 last January. His performances this year have been well-deserved, hard fought and highly celebrated in the Irish community. A personality away from the tables, he is a force to be reckoned with on them. In what should prove a nail-biting climax to who is crowned No.1 in the poker rankings on Dec 23rd in the Voodoo club, either way Francis McCormack has had a year to remember. It’s with much joy that Poker Ireland recognize him as the player of the year for 2009.

Winner: Francis McCormack

Performance of the year
There once was a young man from Killybegs in County Donegal. He learned his trade at home before moving to the city in search of the big money. With daily battles to foot the rent and bills he was the classic grinder, paying his way through life. A gunslinger on the felt, he had to earn every penny he won. It’s one thing beating the live poker scene in Dublin but quite another thing beating it so hard; you could make a living from it. This summer he set sail for pastures new and wound up playing in Macau. Little did he know that one fine day he would come home with enough money to buy his house for cash? It was lucky he did as Irish poker was crying out for a major live result after a lackluster Irish Open and a hangover at the WSOP. His 1st in the APPT Macau hit the Irish Poker headlines so hard that hardly anybody could believe it. It was a proper big result for the good guys which came totally out of the blue. This performance of this year came on 30th August when Dermot Blain from Donegal won $541,000 in a poker tourney in Macau.

Winner: Dermot Blain

Gary Clarke can be contacted at gary.clarke@pokerireland.ie

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