Deconstructing .... ocallagh

Ste05

ocallagh is up next for this following on from this thread.

Same Rules:

There can be NO flaming, this isn't a chance for people to have a shot at who ever goes in. Entrants to the Deconstructing series will have their thick skins on but forum rule breaches will be dealt swiftly and harshly (1 week ban), so you have all been warned.

Just to spell it out: NO PERSONAL ATTACKS, criticise and critique his game and NOTHING else!

Keep it constructive and good luck ocallagh.

pok3rplaya

Seemed solid when I played with you at Fibbles. Didn't see any glaring errors. I remember at the end of the night we were playing 3 handed and I was impressed by your controlled aggression.

You play good IMO.

RichieLawlor

i really think you could open up your tournament game a bit:D, it just cant be much fun sittin there short stacked for days on end;)

LuckyLloyd

This post has been deleted.

ionapaul

I played a fair amount of SE touraments with Niall during my time in Dublin (soon to return!) and always disliked having him at the table because I knew he was a much better player than I. I particularly disliked having him to my right as my blinds would be frequently assaulted.

One thing I can remember from my hazy memories of those days is that his aggression in position enabled opponents to spring traps or CR on the flop. Not sure this is a leak really, considering the average weak post-flop play in live tournaments.

Always very impressed with his ability to read others on the final table and play a short stack well when he had to.

The_Chopper

Hey Niall,
I've played with a few times but never at the business end of a tourny.

I'm going to go against what most have said here and I think you're to tight early/middle stages of a tourny. I've also seen you struggle when there has been aggressors on your right NFR, me etc. I think that is something you might need to work on as you definately have a good table image and an excellent understanding of the game.

You're also one of the few players that i've played with that like playing past the flop and are excellent at it. Very few players play better on turn and river than you!!

rag2gar

You appear to have a great understanding of the key concepts of the game anytime I've played you. You play every street well etc. I think you could perhaps play a little bit more aggressive at the early stages of tourneys cause if you can get hold of a big stack early you could really dominate throughout.

Don't be afraid to walk ie be first out!

valor

I'm pretty sure you are suffering from male pattern baldness, for which there is unfortunately no cure. UL m8, at least your not a ginger

bohsman

Or from Donegal.

Captain Tom

havent played with you that much niall but id agree with what others have been saying. you played good but generally too tight.

lol i know this isnt very helpful just thought id throw it up.

ocallagh

Thanks for all the comments, I had a feeling my general tight approach would come up as an issue. I'm kind of happy with it in live tournament play in Dublin (and prob cash games too) but a bit more aggression might not be a bad thing. I 100% agree that in order to progress at the higher buyin tournaments around the country and probably more so abroad I need to step up my aggression a good bit and not let people run over me like The Chopper mentioned. If there are easier chips to my left I tend to get lazy and give up my BBs.. I definitely struggle to defend with less than 50BBs, and I hate playing out of position which I will have to work on. 30BBs or less I'm fine and over 60BBs I'm fine too... it's the amount where a 3-bet is not quite a shove but would commit me that I have a problem.

Hectorjelly

I havent played with you very much, but you have always impressed me

Goodluck2me

Hectorjelly wrote: »

I havent played with you very much, but you have always impressed me

Levelled!!!

lol, i think your easy to manipulate at the table.

mewso

Niall I'm another one who doesn't like having you at the table. Your thought processes during hands are second to none. I think talking about being aggressive early is too simple. It's all about aggression at the right times and any time I've played at your table you have made good moves at the right times but then I've not often played at your table early in tourneys.
You were particularly unlucky last time we played together in Kerry when you were easily one the best players left in the tourney and situations like that should not make you rethink your approach or doubt it.

kinaldo

Muso's sig reminds me of a certain ginger looking Alf with 202 in his username.

Anyway, Niall, played against or dealt for u not much but a few times and it was obvious u were mostly the best player at the table.

bottom feeder

small bit of constructive criticism - your to much of a nice guy.....:p

ianmc38

excellent player. if you could sort out some offf the table personal issues you could be even better still.

cardshark202

ianmc38 wrote: »

excellent player. if you could sort out some offf the table personal issues you could be even better still.

This is an important point. We all support you Niall.

On a serious note, you are a good player as has been said and yeah maybe you could step up you aggression a bit. The one time I noticed it was in the deepstack tourney in the emporium ages back where you had a medium-ish stack and sat on it for too long imo. If you attacked the blinds a bit more I think you would have been better off, but its well concieveable you just couldn't find a good spot. Anyway, good player, you just need to stop the web-****e and put more work into your game.

cardshark202

kinaldo wrote: »

Muso's sig reminds me of a certain ginger looking Alf with 202 in his username.

Anyway, Niall, played against or dealt for u not much but a few times and it was obvious u were mostly the best player at the table.

Terrible post.

ocallagh

cardshark202 wrote: »

On a serious note, you are a good player as has been said and yeah maybe you could step up you aggression a bit. The one time I noticed it was in the deepstack tourney in the emporium ages back where you had a medium-ish stack and sat on it for too long imo. If you attacked the blinds a bit more I think you would have been better off, but its well concieveable you just couldn't find a good spot. Anyway, good player, you just need to stop the web-****e and put more work into your game.

As soon as I stop the web development I'll just dump all my money to you at high stakes scrabble tho!

on a serious note though, I do agree with you. It happens too much that I'll get a stack together and as soon as the average hits roughly 30 or 40BBs I start making excuses to myself for not raising and I don't attack the blinds enough. This is where you can really increase your chances of winning a tournament, even fearlessness and blind aggression (TheChief/De Wolfe) at this stage sometimes outweighs any post flop skill one might employ. I have made huge efforts to combat this which has resulted in higher variance (ie: Kerry as Muso pointed out :rolleyes:) and will hopefully keep the pressure up.

ianmc38

High Stakes Scrabble? I'm up for some of that. Dotsy is a huge fish.

Gholimoli

Niall I don’t remember playing much cash with you but I have played a good few tourneys with you.
I have to say that I have all the respect in the world for your game and I hardly ever remember you playing a hand that I thought was badly played.
As others have said though I always thought to my self that with a bit more aggression you would be one of the best players around and could match any one.

ianmc38

Also on a serious note, I rate your game very highly Niall. Never played cash with you AFAIR but any time I was at your tournament table I thought you played really well and dont remember you making any mistakes.

Goodluck2me

huge cash fish, not a bad donkament player better than DOTSY though.

carfax

Almost every time I've played against you you have taken a huge chunk of chips off of me and had a big grin on your face for a few minutes afterwards. Both are really annoying.

Hitman Actual

Nothing tech-wise to add, but I have to say that your concentration/observation is very good (in a similar way to Daithio's). And you obviously make better decisions because of it.

PPP-Pit Boss

Scares the knickers off me at a table.....

Well yes I was bound to be constructive. I RAISE NO I MEAN IT!