Just for BigD...

roryc

These were in the papers last night, thought it might interest you...

Publication: Sunday Mirror
Date: Sunday, March 5, 2006
Page: 16
Extract: 1 of 1
Circulation: 49.814
Author: PADDY CLANCY

Headline: PAUL'S CARDS ON THE TABLE
PAUL'S CARDS ON THE TABLE
By PADDY CLANCY

A TEN-CENT-A-TIME poker player flies to Monte Carlo today convinced he's going to scoop a €1.2 million jackpot. Businessman Paul 'The Hangman' Roper believes he will be European Texas Hold Em No Limits champion by the end of the week. He started playing the specialist brand of poker for the first time last April in a pub near his home in Cliffoney, Co Sligo.

The 34-year-old father of four was gripped by the game and has played it at every opportunity, moving on to high-stakes on-line tournaments.

Four months ago, starting with a €10 entry stake, he became the first person in the world to qualify for this week's European Championship tournament.

He won a qualifying event run by Poker-stars.com, an online company that picks up his expenses this week as well as providing him with the initial €10,000 stake money.

"There's a prize kitty said Paul The Hangman' Roper of €5 million, with €1.2million for the outright winner,". "I just know I am going to win. I feel
especially lucky."

His girlfriend Corina added: "I have complete faith and confidence in him. I'm behind him all the way."



Publication: News of the World
Date: Sunday, March 5, 2006
Page: 33
Extract: 1 of 1
Circulation: 166.045
Author:

Headline: JACKPOT IS ON THE CARDS!

A POKER player used to playing ten cent stakes in today convinced he's going to scoop €1.2 million. Businessman Paul 'The Hangman' Roper reckons he will be European Texas Hold 'Em No Limits champion by the end of the week.

Paul, 34, who runs a courier company with fiancee Corina Fox, said: "I
just know I am going to
win. I feel especially lucky."

He only started playing 'real' poker last April when he entered a charity tournament "for the craic" at O'Connells pub near his home in Cliffoney, Co Sllgo.

He plays regularly with his mates but the stakes are usually just ten or 20 cent. But he has also been playing in high-stakes tournaments online and became the first in the world to qualify for this week's European championship tournament in Monte Carlo.

The online gaming site Pokerstars.com, that ran the qualifying round, will cover his expenses this week — including a €3,000 hotel bill — and give him the initial €10,000 stake money.

He will be the only amateur In the contest. If he wins he plans to turn pro.

5starpool

The front page of 'The Sligo Champion' has a picture and a story about him too. It also states that he came 109th (ish) out of 3000 in last years WSOP. They could at least get the facts right.

karlh

nice hat.

roryc

Yeh, just look at how many things they have got wrong in the two stories. I hate reading articles written by non poker players...

5starpool

roryc wrote:

He will be the only amateur In the contest.

This is my favourite bit. Journalism at its finest.

The C Kid

I think these criticisms of Paul, who I know reads these Boards from time to time, are getting a bit boring now.

roryc

Criticisms?

Where exactly?

Culchie

I believe he's a good guy actually. A friend of mine knows him quite well.

Provincial newspapers sucks at these sort of stories anyway. There was a fellah from The Drogheda Leader at one of Mike's touneys last year, and some of the questions he was asking just illustrated the basic lack of understanding of poker from the general public.
I've given up trying to sway 'non believers', parents included.:rolleyes:

roryc

Lads, this is nothing against Paul, I'm posting these to show how badly written most poker stories in newspapers are.

The C Kid

This thread is fine Rory, I probably should have been more clear.

Quite a bit has been posted about him the last few months, and its a bit unfair as he actually a really nice guy who loves his poker. He has a tendency to make a few stupid moves but is trying to improve his game. He's also an excellent self-publicist who has made quite an impact in a short space of time, and has had media attention that much better players don't.

He does read these Boards from time to time, and while constructive criticism is fine, I don't think its fair to labelling him a donkey all the time.

roryc

Fair enough, but the newspapers aren't doing him any favours by calling him a "ten cent a time poker player". And most poker players would never put their foot in it by saying "I just know I am going to win". Perhaps he was misquoted?

The C Kid

roryc wrote:

And most poker players would never put their foot in it by saying "I just know I am going to win". Perhaps he was misquoted?

I doubt it.:D

ionapaul

roryc wrote:

Fair enough, but the newspapers aren't doing him any favours by calling him a "ten cent a time poker player". And most poker players would never put their foot in it by saying "I just know I am going to win". Perhaps he was misquoted?

If I wanted a story to run on my playing in a tournament I would definitely come out with an outlandish statement like that! Saying 'I hope I do well' isn't quite as newsworthy, is it?

I think anyone who seriously wants to make a go at live tournament play should be doing their damndest to get into the papers, radio and TV - if anyone accuses you of self-promotion (which it obviously is), you can reply by saying you love poker so much, you're only doing your bit to let more people know about it, or other such crap! If I won a ticket to the WSOP main event I'd probably invest much more time in self-promotion attempts than actual tournament preparation - I bet the self-promotion would have a much higher ROI % than the poker preparation would!

5starpool

ionapaul wrote:

I bet the self-promotion would have a much higher ROI % than the poker preparation would!

In it for the women

smurph

5starpool wrote:

In it for the women

Does he play in the Fitzwilliam:p

5starpool

smurph wrote:

Does he play in the Fitzwilliam:p

I'll point him out to Martin next time, so that he can 'take care of business'. An innocent thing like yourself seduced by IonaPaul's success. I can see it now.

smurph

5starpool wrote:

I'll point him out to Martin next time, so that he can 'take care of business'. An innocent thing like yourself seduced by IonaPaul's success. I can see it now.

"Stop im blushing"