Doke is in the well

5starpool

Dara O'Kearney, aka "The Running Man" has agreed to go in the well. No abusive or flame posts please and keep it civil. Thanks for doing this Dara.

I'll start with a couple of Q's thought at short notice.

1. How long have you been playing poker?
2. To what do you attribute your successes in such a relatively short time compared to those of us who have been playing longer with less success?
3. Are you mad?
4. Is running still a priority over poker now? If the WSOP was scheduled to be on the same weekends as a the next world mad distance running ahcmps, which would you choose (assuming money is not an object).

Good luck with this,

Dom

AKQJ10

Good luck in the Well, just one question for me,

Why did you have Kings when i had AK in Drogheda

bops

i dress like an accountant whilst playing poker because:

a) i feel physically comfortable
b) i feel mentaly comfortable
c) both
d) neither, i'm just a loon

gl in the well
scruffybops

doke

5starpool wrote: »

Dara O'Kearney, aka "The Running Man" has agreed to go in the well. No abusive or flame posts please and keep it civil. Thanks for doing this Dara.

I'll start with a couple of Q's thought at short notice.

1. How long have you been playing poker?

Just over a year. The brother gave me a crash course in May 2008, I played online limit for about a month, then played my first live tournament in late June (Scalps in the Fitz, Smurph beat me headsup).

2. To what do you attribute your successes in such a relatively short time compared to those of us who have been playing longer with less success?

In moments of egomania, I almost convince myself I developed technically quite fast and was well served by an ability to read people and situations accurately and adjust my strategy to different table dynamics.

In moments of clarity, I realise it's mostly just crazy luck. There are way way better players than me who haven't had the same amount of success yet.

3. Are you mad?

Almost certainly.

4. Is running still a priority over poker now? If the WSOP was scheduled to be on the same weekends as a the next world mad distance running ahcmps, which would you choose (assuming money is not an object).

Poker is priority for now. The original plan was to develop the poker gradually over 6-7 years to reach a point where I could play it at a high level as my running career wound down. In fact, the poker developed much faster than anticipated, and since it's also my principle livelihood at this point, it takes priority. Overall, I think you could say that running is still as much a priority as it ever was: it's just that poker now replaces what I used to do as work.

It's a bit of a balancing act though: like I decided not to go to last couple of GUKPT's even though I love those tournaments because I felt the travelling was detrimental to my preparation fo Korea.

Thanks for the questions.

ditpoker

1. Do you ever visit the Marathon/Running forum on boards?
2. Ever had trouble with your ITB - if so, how did you fix it!?
3. With regard motivation, starting off a 24hr run, what goes through your mind during hours 1-3?? Equally, in terms of poker, playing the Deepstack game, what was your game plan early on?

doke

AKQJ10 wrote: »

Good luck in the Well, just one question for me,

Why did you have Kings when i had AK in Drogheda

Because I was running like God/Gold at that point.

ozpoker

I'm really looking forward to this well Dara. Thanks for doing it.

1) What do you believe you do better than most tourney players?
2) What do you do away from the table to improve your game?
3) What are the qualities about yourself that translate to success, both on the felt and on the track?

doke

bops wrote: »

i dress like an accountant whilst playing poker because:

a) i feel physically comfortable
b) i feel mentaly comfortable
c) both
d) neither, i'm just a loon

gl in the well
scruffybops

d) I guess.

There used to be a reason but I'm struggling to remember it. Something to do with the idea that if you look like an accountant, and play very tight, nobody will ever suspect you of bluffing or moves of any kind.

Then since I won in Drogheda with a suit, I felt the suit was somehow responsible and I was lumbered with it.

I also like the idea of not looking like everyone else. If everyone else wore a suit, I'd probably wear a manky T shirt, some torn jeans, and some dirty trainers.

YULETIRED

Thanks Dara, I expect this well will be visited by the fitness forum members also.

Cheers for taking this up Dara. I'll ask some serious Qs first and later some more lightheared ones. (over the weekend sometime) ]

1. I've done some Marathons (4) in my time (obviously not recently..fat and despite training I have always found 'the wall' ie the 35k mark and after to be such a mental struggle ,the overwhelming desire to just stop running.....How do you overcome the mental side to it Is it just pure focus?
2. Do you consider 3.10 to be a good time for a Marathon
3. Da bruther.....does he post? What's his alias? Is he a runner or sports man...
4. when in training a certain high is experienced, if you are out injured for a period of time do you get any major come down...cold turkey...etc
5. What running shoes do you recommend for road running (price range, type etc)
6. Do you think that some TD just appear to have an attitude towards players that leaves you cold, whilst others make you feel more than respected. Why do you think this is?
7. I'm a fimr believr than as runners get older they reach a peak between speed capabilities and stamina capabilities, after the speed peak is reached I think the stamina comes into it then more in your 30s, so seen as you are in that bracket (I think) and also an ultra runner , are your best runs ahead or behind? (make sense?) .
8. Have you ever heard of fartleg training .
9. what was the better movie....Marathon man or Chariots of fire.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

AKQJ10 wrote: »

Good luck in the Well, just one question for me,

Why did you have Kings when i had AK in Drogheda

Sure we all knew he had KK Marc we just forgot to tell you:D

Few Quick Q's

1. Highlight of your poker career to date
2. Highlight of your running career to date
3. Biggest bluff you ever pulled
4. And as you have been at so many toughest final table to date

Gl in the well

doke

ditpoker wrote: »

1. Do you ever visit the Marathon/Running forum on boards?

Occasionally. I seem to prefer the company of poker players though.

2. Ever had trouble with your ITB - if so, how did you fix it!?

Big problems a few years ago, and it tends to flare up in the long races. I got it under control by icing it 5 or 6 times a day and doing specific stretches.

3. With regard motivation, starting off a 24hr run, what goes through your mind during hours 1-3?? Equally, in terms of poker, playing the Deepstack game, what was your game plan early on?

Hours 1-3, just try to stay as comfortable as possible, don't get too excited or caught up in the occasion and run too fast, concentrate on staying on pace and looking for any early signs of problems. Also you need to be eating and drinking constantly from start, so it's largely a matter of getting into a routine. You don't really think about anything outside the race and what you're doing right now: your world shrinks to your own body and the race. Nothing else exists at that point.

In the European Deepstack, I'd worked out a plan in advance to play very tight, try to get reads on everyone at my table, avoid marginal situations or difficult decisions as much as possible, and project a table image of a nittish novice which would lead more experienced players to always assume that if I bet it I had it.

Thanks for the questions.

cooker3

Do you think your all round fitness gives you a distinct advantage to your average player who in general are not exactly the fittest bunch of people? If so how much?

Also, what advice would you give to someone who never really kept themselves fit to start off?

doke

ozpoker wrote: »

I'm really looking forward to this well Dara. Thanks for doing it.

1) What do you believe you do better than most tourney players?

I'm not sure there's any one thing I do better than most. I think I'm good at reading people and situations, I have a very good understanding of the math and relevant game theory, and I can keep my composure under trying circumstances. If I had to name one thing, I'd say that where most/a lot of players find it hard to play their best game the deeper they go in a tournament, I find I come alive the deeper I go, my thinking and reads become much clearer, and I definitely do not let nerves or tension get the better of me.

2) What do you do away from the table to improve your game?

I read quite a bit and discuss ideas with other players I respect. The brother in particular has been an enormous help to me from day one: I think he's an absolutely brilliant coach.

3) What are the qualities about yourself that translate to success, both on the felt and on the track?

Patience, discipline, preparation, composure, analytical mind.

In poker, I think the fact that I like most other people is a big help. It's much easier to study and understand something/someone you like.

doke

YULETIRED wrote: »

Thanks Dara, I expect this well will be visited by the fitness forum members also.

Cheers for taking this up Dara. I'll ask some serious Qs first and later some more lightheared ones. (over the weekend sometime) ]

1. I've done some Marathons (4) in my time (obviously not recently..fat and despite training I have always found 'the wall' ie the 35k mark and after to be such a mental struggle ,the overwhelming desire to just stop running.....How do you overcome the mental side to it Is it just pure focus?

The desire to stop running affects everyone pretty much (unless you're jogging it in your comfort zone). It pretty is mental from that point on. There's a couple of things you can do. First is to remind yourself what your goal is, whether it's just to finish, achieve a specific time or position, and how and why it's so important to you. Second is to accept in advance that it's going to happen, that your brain going to demand an explanation as to why you're doing this to yourself and have your answer(s) prepared in advance. Before big races I do visualisation sessions where I visualise myself going through tough patches in a race and coming through them.

In a race, when I hit a tough patch, I try to visualise myself running smoothly and feeling strong again.

2. Do you consider 3.10 to be a good time for a Marathon

No, it's not a good time. It's a very good time. Only 10% of marathoners get below 3 hours at any point in their life, so 3:10 is top 12% or something and as such it's like pocket 5's or KQ in a world full of 72os and 83s.

3. Da bruther.....does he post? What's his alias? Is he a runner or sports man...

He posts occasionally but I'm sworn to secrecy on his alias.

When we were younger, he was much more sporty and a better runner than me but as an adult he's a total couch potato.

4. when in training a certain high is experienced, if you are out injured for a period of time do you get any major come down...cold turkey...etc

Yes. Nobody wants to be around an injued runner, not even other runners. Worst grouches in the world.

5. What running shoes do you recommend for road running (price range, type etc)

ASICS Gel series. I think they're 100-150 Euro. If you go to any road race and look down, you'll see most serious runners wear ASICS. Nike's for guys who want to look like runners.

6. Do you think that some TD just appear to have an attitude towards players that leaves you cold, whilst others make you feel more than respected. Why do you think this is?

LOL. Obviously in any walk of life some people are better than others and we all have individual strengths and weaknesses. Some people are very good on the technical side of their job but have poor people or communication skills, some people might be a bit dodgy on the technicalities but you forgive them because of their charm, a rare few combine efficiency with charm.

7. I'm a fimr believr than as runners get older they reach a peak between speed capabilities and stamina capabilities, after the speed peak is reached I think the stamina comes into it then more in your 30s, so seen as you are in that bracket (I think) and also an ultra runner , are your best runs ahead or behind? (make sense?) .

I'm a firm believer in all that too.

I'm older than you seem to think though (43).

Realistically, my best runs are probably behind me but there's always hope. As a marathon runner I peaked 5 or 6 years ago. Once I realised my best marathons were behind me, I gave ultra running a try. At this stage, I have to accept I don't even have the speed to be a really top class 100K runner any more, so I'm concentrating on 24 hours. Once I'm sure I've done as much as I can at this distance (time), I'll probably move up to 48 hours, then 72, then 6 day races. I intend my last ever race to be that crazy 5000 km race they run in New York every summer.

8. Have you ever heard of fartleg training .

Fartleg or fartlek? I do a bit of fartlek myself (basically interspersing fast bursts with easy running) but would never admit to fartleg.

9. what was the better movie....Marathon man or Chariots of fire.

Marathon Man. I love the reservoir scene so much I feel compelled to run around that reservoir every time I'm in Central Park.

Best thing about Chariots of Fire is the music. One of my favourite moments from Korea was when they played it late on and then when it was finished one of the Americans said "Damn, put it back on. It gave us all an excuse to run in slow motion".

Thanks for the questions and suggesting this Willie. You're a gent and one of the most endearing characters I've encountered on the poker scene.

doke

Donald Petite Fennel wrote: »

Sure we all knew he had KK Marc we just forgot to tell you:D

Few Quick Q's

1. Highlight of your poker career to date

European Deepstack, by a long long way.

2. Highlight of your running career to date

This one is closer, between Cavan - Arva a few years ago (first major race I ever won), Tresco marathon (first and only marathon I ever won), New York ultra (first ultra win) and last year's 24 Hour championships where I became National champion.

On balance, I'll go for New York ultra. That was a great race, my first ever atempt at an ultra, and I stunned myself by actually winning the thing.

3. Biggest bluff you ever pulled

You were there at the time. FT in Drogheda. Joe Beevers raised button, I'm SB. I reraised with AK. From his reaction, I knew he was either calling or shoving but never folding so I put him on a big pocket pair. Eventually he called. Flop came 10 high and I bet over half my stack even though I was almost certain he had an overpair and he'd seen me do a similar thing on the second last table. He stared at me for about 90 seconds and then folded queens. I didn't really expect the bluff to get through but knew that if I surrendered the pot Beevers would have a massive chip lead and be almost unstoppable so felt I had to go for it.

4. And as you have been at so many toughest final table to date

Drogheda was pretty tough obviously but another one that stands out is a SE monthly FT that included godluck2me Joe, Sean Prenderville, Ozzy, Kevin Fitzpatrick and a few other very tasty players.

Thanks for the q's, Fran.

doke

cooker3 wrote: »

Do you think your all round fitness gives you a distinct advantage to your average player who in general are not exactly the fittest bunch of people? If so how much?

I think it's a major advantage. People make bad mistakes when they get tired towards the end of tournaments or long day's play. I've never gone out of a tournament as a result of a mistake that was down to tiredness. It's usually more like a mistake due to general stupidity.

Also, what advice would you give to someone who never really kept themselves fit to start off?

I personally believe running is by far the best exercise. We were designed to run (to hunt prey and escape predators) and I sometimes wonder if it's possible to be truly happy in life unless you run, or at least exercise vigourously.

I took up running relatively late (early 30's), and my first run, around the block in Ranelagh, was about 800 metres at 12 minute mile pace and damn near killed me. 10 years later I ran almost 130 miles in 24 hours in Canada at a faster pace than the first run. It didn't happen overnight: it was a case of very gradual improvement. So my advice to anyone is get out there and run as much or as little as you can, but get started, get into the habit, and get to the point where you can run farther. You obviously don't need to go to the ridiculous compulsive extremes that I did, but recreational running enhances your fitness and overall quality of life enormously.

kakak1

doke wrote: »

I'd probably wear a manky T shirt, some torn jeans, and some dirty trainers.

+ shave my head & look just like Bops

doke

kakak1 wrote: »

+ shave my head & look just like Bops

There's a little bit of Bops in all of us.

True story: first time I saw Bops I thought he was Marty Smyth. In casual wear, obv.

dK1NG

doke wrote: »

I personally believe running is by far the best exercise. We were designed to run (to hunt prey and escape predators) and I sometimes wonder if it's possible to be truly happy in life unless you run, or at least exercise vigourously.

Do you do any resistance training alongside running?

The first marathon you ran - did you have to "walk down stairs backwards" after it?

I done the Dublin marathon two years ago and swore never again. How do you find the passion/ motivation to keep pushing yourself further and further?

doke

dK1NG wrote: »

Do you do any resistance training alongside running?

Weight training, circuits, stage training.

The first marathon you ran - did you have to "walk down stairs backwards" after it?

More like " slide down stairs on bum"

I done the Dublin marathon two years ago and swore never again. How do you find the passion/ motivation to keep pushing yourself further and further?

Being nuts helps.

I'm the ultimate ridiculously competitive compulsive type. If a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing to excess.

nicnicnic

good man for doing this Dara

How the hell do you find the time...run a business...play loads of poker...run like forest...family time.

What poker traits do you think are the most important to your success? (why are you good at poker?)

Coaching is very popular with ring players not so much with tournament players, your thoughts on coaching and training sites ?

Epiphany moments ?

A guy in enniscorty broke the world record for nonstop dancing today, he has been at it since Monday, have you ever thought of having a crack at this record, i think you could do it.

Go on tell the lads about the going to the toilet in those races and the wiff in that part of the circuit.

GL se ya the weekend

extra one, I dont know much about your job but its some kinda of IT consulting I think you told me, did you make a killing out of Y2K

MarkT1234

Hi Dara,

Thanks for taking the time to do this! Some quick questions from me:

1). What particular aspects of your game have you really worked on over the past year?
2). Half way point in a tourney and you've 100bb's, you're on the button with 55 and a similarly stacked UTG +1 LAG raises 3x. What do you do?
3). Same as above, but this time you've got 20bb's?
4). Name any 3 Poker players you really admire and why?
5). Funniest moment at the felt?

Good luck!

doke

nicnicnic wrote: »

good man for doing this Dara

How the hell do you find the time...run a business...play loads of poker...run like forest...family time.

Multitasking and delegation. Business almost runs itself at this point, I probably just get in the way. I've delegated the child battering to herself.

What poker traits do you think are the most important to your success? (why are you good at poker?)

I'm actually crap at poker, but most people haven't figured this out yet thankfully. I'm also lucky as Hell so even the people who have figured it out run the severe risk of being sucked out on.

Coaching is very popular with ring players not so much with tournament players, your thoughts on coaching and training sites ?

I've never even looked at a training site so I can't really comment on them.

I've benefitted a lot from the coaching the brother gave me so I'm a firm believer in coaching. Also peer reviews: going through hands with players you trust and respect.

I actually think tournament players could benefit a lot from coaching. As you know, there's a lot more to being a good tournament player than just being a good poker player. There are certain tournament skills that can be taught, and it's also good to have someone you can talk things through when you're in the middle of a tournament. I gave the brother a whack of my Drogheda win because he really was quite invaluable to me in working out a plan in advance and revising it at the end of each session.

Epiphany moments ?

Had one recently, but it may have been imagined. I was reflecting on the fact that I've been totally pwned by you every time we've been at the same table, you're the one player who seems to scramble my brain and use me as a snot rag. Anyway, I suddenly realised, or thought I did, the way I should play against you.

I imagine I'll find out it was illusory if I do end up at your table this weekend though.

I did have a running epiphany once too. I was haring after an Italian in Central Park in the New York ultra, the first ultra I'd ever run, when my exuberant American friend Shelley suddenly materialised screaming "THIS IS YOUR DAY" in that psycho way that Americans do and I thought why not, let's make it my day instead of just making up the numbers.

A guy in enniscorty broke the world record for nonstop dancing today, he has been at it since Monday, have you ever thought of having a crack at this record, i think you could do it.

Jaysus, there's something in the water in Enniscorthy clearly. I imagine I could do it all right, but it wouldn't be pretty.

Go on tell the lads about the going to the toilet in those races and the wiff in that part of the circuit.

Generally the organisers provide chemical toilets but for a variety of reasons most runners won't use them. The idea instead is to find the part of the course least populated by spectators and just go for it. Runners lose all shame in the circumstance. In Korea, I saw one of the US female runners pissing standing up by the side of the road, unbothered by the attention she was attracting from the passing males. Some runners train themselves to do it on the run, letting it just trickle down the leg.

One runner told me of a Greek runner who made it a precondition of his running a 24 hour track race that his lane be covered in linoleum and he be provided with a poop scooper as he stopped for no man or bodily function.

Last year in Canada, the only part of the course not covered with spectators was a portion we ran along a river, so this became the designated spot to relieve yourself. Also the puke portion - most runners digestive systems break down at some point so there's always a whole lot of puking going on. To make matters worse, this was where the food stations were located, and as the night wore on and the foul stenches got stronger and stronger, it became harder and harder to take the food on board. Essentially it was like trying to eat in a massive public toilet in the middle of a toilet cleaners strike.

TommyGunne

Have you ever tried mountain running? Once I became disenchanted with athletics it was a breath of fresh air (in more ways than one!) Congrats on the ultras though. Seriously sick stuff!

What part of your game do you feel you need to work on most?

doke

nicnicnic wrote: »

extra one, I dont know much about your job but its some kinda of IT consulting I think you told me, did you make a killing out of Y2K

No, unfortunately not. Had I stayed a COBOL programmer I probably would have but by then I'd wandered into technical writing.

doke

MarkT1234 wrote: »

Hi Dara,

Thanks for taking the time to do this! Some quick questions from me:

1). What particular aspects of your game have you really worked on over the past year?

It took me a long time to learn how to fold a hand. Partly because I started playing limit rather than NL, and partly because I played mainly in the Fitz where people just bluffed almost all the time, so calling station tendencies were rewarded.

2). Half way point in a tourney and you've 100bb's, you're on the button with 55 and a similarly stacked UTG +1 LAG raises 3x. What do you do?

Call or raise depending on other factors, like how good he is, what I think he thinks of me, who is in the blinds, how much I've played recently, how easy I find to read him, our history, how fast the structure is.

3). Same as above, but this time you've got 20bb's?

Raise.

4). Name any 3 Poker players you really admire and why?

There are literally dozens I could name but off the top of my head:
Nicky Power - my personal hero, the reason I wanted to start playing, best tourney player in Ireland for my money.
Rob Taylor - best all round holdem player on the Irish scene IMO. Most players have specialisations like online or live cash, live tourneys, online STTs (full or short), MTTs etc. etc. but Rob excels at them all. He's also a great guy to talk poker with and very generous with advice and help
Sean Prenderville/Dave Masters - I'm copping out and naming two LAGs whose games I really admire. Played with both on a number of occasions and they were never less than scintillating

5). Funniest moment at the felt?

All in with KK v AA against an Italian. Flop was something like QJx. 10 on the turn. A on the river and my opponent does a brilliant victory dance thanking baby Jesus for his set before he sees the straight. Never saw a man go so fast from ecstatic to crestfallen, and so expressively.

doke

TommyGunne wrote: »

Have you ever tried mountain running? Once I became disenchanted with athletics it was a breath of fresh air (in more ways than one!)

Have tried it a couple of times and I suck at it big time. Just too big and awkward and terrified off losing my balance.

My friend and international teammate Eoin Keith is a brilliant hill runner.

What part of your game do you feel you need to work on most?

There are a number of post flop issues. I don't always play draws very well. I don't value bet the river enough. I don't always extract maximum value from poor players who will call overbets. In cash, I still call too much.

one ill cat

Herlow Cockroache, ta for doing this!

1. Do you ever listen to music when playing? If so, do you think it helps your game?

2. I saw you playing in the Rio a couple of times in a tshirt and combats, was this purely for climate reasons or were you trying a different image at the table?

3. How do you find having a girl or 2 at the table? Do you think they're easier/harder to play against?

4. Does you wife enjoy going to events with you? Has she ever considered learning the game herself?

5. Which do you think is easier, Live or online?

6. What has been your biggest disappointment in poker?

7. What do your family/friends think of you playing poker?

8. Name your toughest Irish table to be playing against, ie. you plus 9 others, it can be cash or a tourney, your choice.

Thanks!

Requiem4adream

Dara have you ever tried Triathlon? was thinking particularly of Endurance Triathlons for you!

Goodluck2me

doke wrote: »

Drogheda was pretty tough obviously but another one that stands out is a SE monthly FT that included godluck2me Joe, Sean Prenderville, Ozzy, Kevin Fitzpatrick and a few other very tasty players.

Thanks for the q's, Fran.

would i be right in saying that it was also the most fun? Memorable in many ways for me that one.

doke wrote: »

IYou obviously don't need to go to the ridiculous compulsive extremes that I did, but recreational running enhances your fitness and overall quality of life enormously.

Must agree with this, I took back up rugby seriously again this year and it has improved my quality of life immeasurably.
I know of lots of people who have found they have improved from exercise. Mens sana corp sana (sp?)and all that...

YULETIRED

Dara, this is v. interesting stuff. and I've haven't been called endearing since I bought me auntie a bottle of vodka,,,(the ol dipso)

Gl in city west i'll pop up for a side event and to watch you and nicnic heads up. and now for the 'other' type of questions ( you dont have to answer)

1. pick 3 females you'd play strip poker with...
2. If you walked into the wrong hotel room and saw nicnicnic and flipper in a passionate embrace, would you a) shut the door quietly and hope they didnt hear, b) snap it and post it in the bad beat section c) pee down yer leg like an over zealous ultra runner

3. yer gobby English mate, he seem an interesting type but have you ever thought.....SHUT THE FK UP, IM GOING INSANE LISTENING TO YOU, GIVE ME 5 MNUTES TO FKIN THINK ABOUT ANSWERING YER LAST POINT BEFORE YOU HIT ME MORE ...AAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHH.
4. richie kavanagh or daniel o' donnell..
5 give me 5 famous people you admire and why
6. Do you know what a Jade Goody is?
7. fav types of book and fav author, fav wine whilst yer at it (DRINK MAN)
8. Who would win in a fight between you n yer bro, he told me he'd kick yer ass.
9 based on a book release this week....5 words to sum up yer life..(think i know whats coming)


10. when was the last time you fell on the ground laughing

I love Britney, do you? (say no and you'll pay)

doke

one ill cat wrote: »

Herlow Cockroache, ta for doing this!

1. Do you ever listen to music when playing? If so, do you think it helps your game?

Never. Live I want to be able to hear everything, and online I find music distracting.

2. I saw you playing in the Rio a couple of times in a tshirt and combats, was this purely for climate reasons or were you trying a different image at the table?

Climate reasons mostly, with some superstition thrown in. I brought a new suit over to Vegas and after being repeatedly sucked out on in the Main Event got it into my head that the suit was unlucky, plus the tshirt and combats were much more comfortable in that climate.

3. How do you find having a girl or 2 at the table? Do you think they're easier/harder to play against?

I've always preferred the company of girls to the company of boys so from that point of view I like having girls at the table.

As a general rule, I think most girls are easier to play against, but the really good ones like Jen Mason or you are much harder to play against.

4. Does you wife enjoy going to events with you? Has she ever considered learning the game herself?

She enjoys the races but not the poker. She just gets too nervous at the poker, she can't even watch.

She did kind of learn the game and played online for a while with moderate success but didn't really enjoy it. She found the bad beats too hard to recover from. She likes watching it on TV with me though, and she's quite sharp about the game (particularly good at reading body language).

5. Which do you think is easier, Live or online?

Live. More bad players these days, and suits my game more as I rely very heavily on visual reads.

6. What has been your biggest disappointment in poker?

I'm tempted to say this year's WSOP Main Event because given the atrocious standard I felt that given any sort of evasion of bad luck I'd have backed myself to go reasonably deep. However, since I got most of the bad luck early in th tournament and never really got going as such, the end when it came felt more like an inevitable execution than crushing disappointment.

So I'm going to say the GUKPT main event in Newcastle. With 12 or 13 left, I was all in with pocket 9's against 78 and the guy hit a runner runner straight (2 outered on the river by one of my "own" 9's). If that hand had held, I'd have backed myself for a top 3 finish at least and think I'd have had a great chance of winning. In my opinion, there were only 3 other players left in the tournament who were even half decent so it was a very soft final table. The guy who knocked me out barely covered me at that point and went on to win the event so it shows what was possible. Winning another event like that so soon after Drogheda would really have set me up.

7. What do your family/friends think of you playing poker?

Generally very supportive, except my running friends who regard it as total degeneracy and proof of long held suspicions.

Most of my other friends are what I would call risk takers so they have no problem with the idea of someone playing poker. They just imagine it to be a lot more glamourous than it actually is.

8. Name your toughest Irish table to be playing against, ie. you plus 9 others, it can be cash or a tourney, your choice.

Thanks!

Tourney, and off the top of my head, Rob Taylor (with immediate position on me), Marc McDonnell, Brian (The Fox) O'Keeffe, Cat O'Neill (reading my soul), Kevin Fitzpatrick, Dave Masters, The Chief, Nicky Power (nicking my blinds), Sean Prenderville (ditto).

I'm sure I've left someone compelling out and I'm not saying these are necessarily the best players but I've chosen them because off the top of my head I find them the most difficult to play against.

thanks for the questions, scary Cat.

doke

YULETIRED wrote: »

Dara, this is v. interesting stuff. and I've haven't been called endearing since I bought me auntie a bottle of vodka,,,(the ol dipso)

Gl in city west i'll pop up for a side event and to watch you and nicnic heads up. and now for the 'other' type of questions ( you dont have to answer)

1. pick 3 females you'd play strip poker with...

From the poker world, Vicky Coren, Katja Thater and the stripper-turned-player whose name I don't know but who asked me what colour underwear I was wearing when I arrived at her table in the Venetian.

2. If you walked into the wrong hotel room and saw nicnicnic and flipper in a passionate embrace, would you a) shut the door quietly and hope they didnt hear, b) snap it and post it in the bad beat section c) pee down yer leg like an over zealous ultra runner

a. Young love is always so sweet and should be left unbothered.

3. yer gobby English mate, he seem an interesting type but have you ever thought.....SHUT THE FK UP, IM GOING INSANE LISTENING TO YOU, GIVE ME 5 MNUTES TO FKIN THINK ABOUT ANSWERING YER LAST POINT BEFORE YOU HIT ME MORE ...AAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHH.

Only about every 8 seconds I'm in his company.

4. richie kavanagh or daniel o' donnell..

Oh God. Must I? OK, Richie then. Bit of humour at least.

5 give me 5 famous people you admire and why

David Bowie (music and sense of adventure)
Nicky Power (dashing good looks and raw animal charisma)
Cameron Diaz (legs)
Vicky Coren (sense of humour and intellect)
Barack Obama (intellect)

6. Do you know what a Jade Goody is?

I know who she is but not what.

7. fav types of book and fav author, fav wine whilst yer at it (DRINK MAN)

General literature, Samuel Beckett (if I must pick someone living, I'll go with my good friend and international ultra team mate Michael Collins), Bordeaux.

8. Who would win in a fight between you n yer bro, he told me he'd kick yer ass.

I'm a lover not a fighter but I would totally kick his ass.

9 based on a book release this week....5 words to sum up yer life..(think i know whats coming)

With a cast of thousands.

10. when was the last time you fell on the ground laughing

Opening ceremony of last year's World 100K's. We were being marched through a town in Holland and between Michael Collins holding the flag and composing an imaginary blog entry ("As I held the flag aloft, I thought of the thousands, nay, millions who had gone before and my heart swelled with pride. It was just like the Olympics....only it wasn't") and Marty Rea generally taking the piss (like when a Dutch marching band appeared, Marty shouted in his Belfast accent "Orangemen! Reroute them!") it was non stop hilarity.

I love Britney, do you? (say no and you'll pay)

Oh yes. I think she's tremendous, like a female Elvis only way better, but then I've always had a soft spot for obviously ****ed up females.

doke

goodluck2me wrote: »

would i be right in saying that it was also the most fun? Memorable in many ways for me that one.

It was a lot of fun, until some total donkey, I can't remember who, sucked out on me headsup.:D

doke

Requiem4adream wrote: »

Dara have you ever tried Triathlon? was thinking particularly of Endurance Triathlons for you!

No. I can't swim unfortunately.

Triathletes tend be good all rounders rather than very good at any one discipline so I suspect my body type is too specialised.

Ste05

Really great read Doke, when I first read about you doing those mad runs I thought to myself that sounds like an amazing thing to attempt, but thought I was too old by now at 29, I used to love running in school but gave it up to concentrate on the beautiful game until I got injured a couple of years ago and now I don't do any sports and I'm thinking I may go back to running and try a marathon or something.

So, when you started running in your early 30's did you do it just to get in shape, or had you been a sprinter or involved in athletics when you were young?

Also, what did you do from leaving school until taking up running and Poker, i.e. sports wise and money wise?

Finally, I know you were already asked about 5 famous people you admire, but is there 1 person who you see as an inspiration to yourself, alive or dead, famous or not, and why??

P.S. Cheers for doing the well, really good read and added to the "best of" sticky.

con_leche

Thanks for doing this.

1. Sickest training session ever?

2. Recount a hand you played very well.

3. Best live read you ever made?

4. How much weight do you lose in a 24 hour run.

5. What % body fat do you have.

6. What mental routines do you perform to aid concentration/distract your self on long runs?

7. Why is there so much value on the GUKPT?

8. Favourite book?

9. Favourite film?

10. Best place to run?

doke

Ste05 wrote: »

Really great read Doke, when I first read about you doing those mad runs I thought to myself that sounds like an amazing thing to attempt, but thought I was too old by now at 29, I used to love running in school but gave it up to concentrate on the beautiful game until I got injured a couple of years ago and now I don't do any sports and I'm thinking I may go back to running and try a marathon or something.

So, when you started running in your early 30's did you do it just to get in shape, or had you been a sprinter or involved in athletics when you were young?

Thanks for the kind words.

I was never involved in athletics apart from enforced involvement in school sports day. I was literally the slowest kid in the school. Looking back I realise it's just I didn't have the right body type for sprinting (if you're a top class sprinter you can't be a top class ultradistance runner and vice versa) but at the time I just thought I had zero athletic talent. The first inkling that I might have something came when they brought us out and made us run 3 loops around a big field one day. At the start I was about 100 yards behind everyone else but gradually caught up and started passing people and the race finished with the three "real runners" in the school (all national champions!) a distance ahead of me and me a distance ahead of everyone else. Had the race been 103 loops instead of 3, I'd probably have won.

You're definitely not too old for the marathon. Nobody is. There was a guy from Clare (I think) who took it up in his 70s and at 80 he was breaking world records (for the age group).

Also, what did you do from leaving school until taking up running and Poker, i.e. sports wise and money wise?

Sportswise, nothing much. I was a soccer referee for a couple of years.

Professionally, I have a degree in electronic engineering from UCD but never actually worked as an engineer. Instead, I was a computer programmer for a few years and then wandered into technical writing and consultancy. I built up my own company.

Before poker, I used to make quite a bit of money from backgammon, both online and offline. I was also a top class chess player and bridge player, so I seem to have a knack for games.

Finally, I know you were already asked about 5 famous people you admire, but is there 1 person who you see as an inspiration to yourself, alive or dead, famous or not, and why??

George Sheehan's books inspired me to take up running, and Nicky Power's performance and exit interview at the Irish Open 2008 inspired me to take up poker.

doke

con_leche wrote: »

Thanks for doing this.

1. Sickest training session ever?

I ran the Connemara ultra marathon purely as a training run last year (was building up for a 100K) so I suppose that was pretty sick.

Not counting races, in terms of distance, I suppose any one of the 6 hours run I've done, or the 3 long runs in one day.

Personally I find the speed sessions the toughest though. One that stands out was in the runup to last year's World 24's that involved herself blowing a whistle every 30 seconds as I alternated between flat out sprinting and recovery jogging for an hour.

2. Recount a hand you played very well.

Late on in GUKPT Newcastle, I raised under the gun with 10's. One of the blinds chose to defend. I flopped top set. Normally I'd bet a set (make it look like a cbet, particularly one this well disguised) but from his reaction I was pretty sure he'd missed completely so I checked. Turn was a J and I could see it had hit him because his first reaction was to go to bet, then he thought better of it, so I thought he had a J but didn't like his kicker. When he checked, I bet exactly the right amount to get him to make a crying call, at the same time effectively committing him to call the river if a blank fell. I got him to call off the rest of his chips on the river with QJ.

3. Best live read you ever made?

I made a very good one yesterday against an English hyper agro. I basically made a hero call with effectively bottom pair after I reviewed the betting and successfully worked out at the end that he couldn't have any of the hands he was representing and I picked up a foot tell indicating he was weak.

4. How much weight do you lose in a 24 hour run.

Almost none, I think. In theory you'd lose about 3 kilos but you eat about 20,000 calories to compnsate during the run. There would be some loss due to fluid loss but that would come back as soon as you rehydrate.

5. What % body fat do you have.

10%.

6. What mental routines do you perform to aid concentration/distract your self on long runs?

MP3 player.

7. Why is there so much value on the GUKPT?

Online qualifiers mostly, I think.

8. Favourite book?

"Molloy" by Samuel Beckett

9. Favourite film?

Paris Texas.

10. Best place to run?

Phoenix Park.

califano

Hi Dara your a great man.

1.)I ran the Raheny 5 mile road race the year President Mc Elise officially started it. I didnt win it though, some african ringer did but did you run that year and if so where did you come?

2.)Any Dublin athletic club rivalries going on. For instance i notice little or no Clonliffe Harrriers compete in the Raheny races?.

3.) Any stories about giving a jumped up self precieved hotshot bad advice before a race or anything along the lines?.

4.)Did you ever run with weight on your back in any sort of SAS style challenge or anything of the sort?. Ive heard of of some really sh!t runners who have excelled once lumbering weight in their back. Any truth in this?.

5.)Most players have to be some sort of degeneratives to play poker but do you think tournament directors are degens in their own way aswell.?

6.) Do you ever order a beverage whilst playing and if so do you have your tip ready when she comes delivering or do you start rooting for change in your pocket only when she arrives?

7.)Any sports or teams you like to watch outside athletics?.

8.)Bekele in his prime or Gebreselassie in his prime racing eachother over 10,000m on track in moderate conditions who wins?.

Thanks

FeetMagic

Do you ever run the Galway Bay 10?
What do you consider a good time for a 10mile run?
For someone who is only getting into running now (was part of athletics team in school) and plan on using running to get back into shape what distance would you recommend running over the course of a week?
Any luck in the IWF?
Do you make a living from poker?
What stakes do you play online?
What advice would you give to someone who makes decent money off poker but also loses often enough?
Have you ever been bogged down by the poker/gambling world and its depressive nature?

RoundTower

doke wrote: »

Before poker, I used to make quite a bit of money from backgammon, both online and offline. I was also a top class chess player and bridge player, so I seem to have a knack for games.

where did you play chess? I don't recognise your name but you could have been playing before my time.

doke

rounders123 wrote: »

Hi Dara your a great man.

1.)I ran the Raheny 5 mile road race the year President Mc Elise officially started it. I didnt win it though, some african ringer did but did you run that year and if so where did you come?

I don't think I ran it that year, I think myself and the brother were put in charge of recording finishers' numbers in the shoots so I probably shouted your number to him.

I've run it on a number of occasions. 5 miles is way too short for me to be competitive so I generally come in somewhere around 29 or 30 minutes. I was on a medal winning team one year as 4th scorer.

2.)Any Dublin athletic club rivalries going on. For instance i notice little or no Clonliffe Harrriers compete in the Raheny races?.

Raheny-Clonliffe is the big one. The fact that the two clubs are only a mile or two apart and therefore compete for members in the same catchment area, that both see themselves as primarily long distance clubs, and that Dick Hooper and Gerry Kiernan were at their peak together etc. etc. all adds to the pot.

3.) Any stories about giving a jumped up self precieved hotshot bad advice before a race or anything along the lines?.

No, but I did hear Michael Collins winding up a self important American runner to the point where he decided he should no longer talk to his teammates because they didn't deserve him.

4.)Did you ever run with weight on your back in any sort of SAS style challenge or anything of the sort?. Ive heard of of some really sh!t runners who have excelled once lumbering weight in their back. Any truth in this?.

Never tried this, my coach wouldn't let me, as it'd mess my running form. Even a light back pack would.

Wouldn't surprise me if there are bad runners who are good at this as I imagine it's quite a different skill from normal running. I worked with a guy once who was very good at this (he'd been in the army). He was built for rugby.

5.)Most players have to be some sort of degeneratives to play poker but do you think tournament directors are degens in their own way aswell.?

Worse. Poker stars are like the porn actress, tournament directors are like the dirty old man in the mac who owns the "art" cinema.

6.) Do you ever order a beverage whilst playing and if so do you have your tip ready when she comes delivering or do you start rooting for change in your pocket only when she arrives?

Have it ready.

6.)Any sports or teams you like to watch outside athletics?.

I'll watch almost any sport but particular faves would be soccer (Arsenal fan), rugby, boxing, golf, motor sport, women's beach volleyball, snooker, tennis and cricket.

7.)Bekele in his prime or Gebreselassie in his prime racing eachother over 10,000m on track in moderate conditions who wins?.

Bekele in a sprint finish. If the sub 2 hour marathon is to be run in our lifetime, he's the man to do it.

doke

FeetMagic wrote: »

Do you ever run the Galway Bay 10?

Not yet.

What do you consider a good time for a 10mile run?

For me, sub 1 hour (PB is 57 mins).

For a top class runner, sub 50.

For a recreational runner, sub 70.

For someone who is only getting into running now (was part of athletics team in school) and plan on using running to get back into shape what distance would you recommend running over the course of a week?

3-4 miles 3-4 times a week to start.

Any luck in the IWF?

No, sorry, your 2% never got going and finally disappeared down the Swanee shoving AK from the cutoff into AA in the blinds.

Do you make a living from poker?

Kind of. Still have my business, but also making enough from poker at the moment.

What stakes do you play online?

Cash I've never ventured past 5/10.

MTTs - $500 is my biggest buyin.

STTs - 200s.

What advice would you give to someone who makes decent money off poker but also loses often enough?

Everybody loses no matter how good they are, variance etc. If you're a winning player overall, don't worry too much about losing sessions or streaks. However, try to identify if you're losing in part for reasons other than pure variance (like tilt, or specific leaks like over zealous defence of blinds, playing too many marginal hands oop).

Have you ever been bogged down by the poker/gambling world and its depressive nature?

To be honest, yes. I find live cash particularly depressing, as a lot of the "value" comes from people with obvious addictions, be they problem gamblers or drunks. The same is probably true online but at least it's not as obvious. The idea that you're making your money primarily from people with addiction disorders is one I personally find troubling, and perhaps part of the reason I seem to prefer tournaments.

doke

RoundTower wrote: »

where did you play chess? I don't recognise your name but you could have been playing before my time.

I was a member of the Phibsboro club for a while in the mid 80s and played mostly on the Irish scene. I eventually drifted into correspondence chess and played that exclusively until I gave up chess completely in the early 90s.

If you know the chess scene, you probably know Mark Quinn. I actually beat Mark on three occasions (admittedly he was just a kid at the time).

My brother (Sean) was the captain of the UCD team in the late 90s/early 00s so it's more likely you'd have run into him.

The Snapper

doke wrote: »

I made a very good one yesterday against an English hyper agro. I basically made a hero call with effectively bottom pair after I reviewed the betting and successfully worked out at the end that he couldn't have any of the hands he was representing and I picked up a foot tell indicating he was weak.

care to elaborate

cuterob

doke wrote: »

Vicky Coren (sense of humour and intellect)

what? what? what? no no no.. did you see the coverage of the recent monte carlo ept?? she's a headwrecker..she's not funny or clever!!!??!! aaagh!!!

i have no questions for you because i dont know who you are but goodluck in the running+poker etc you seem like a sound guy

doke

The Snapper wrote: »

care to elaborate

Normally, this guy's feet were flat on the ground, relaxed. When he had a hand, they tended to tap the ground (happy feet).

As soon as he realised I was considering calling, he wrapped them around the legs of his chair, which is a classic anxiety response.

bops

how did you get on after yesterday?

doke

bops wrote: »

how did you get on after yesterday?

Nursed a tiny stack to 22nd place for one of those money back cashes I seem to be specialising in right now.

Bops: words of advice. If I'm at the table, you have to fold KK, because someone is always going to suck out on you with QQ.

Seriously though, pretty sick, but I hope you had a good run at the cash tables.

MarkT1234

doke wrote: »

Normally, this guy's feet were flat on the ground, relaxed. When he had a hand, they tended to tap the ground (happy feet).

As soon as he realised I was considering calling, he wrapped them around the legs of his chair, which is a classic anxiety response.

Presumably you were doing push-ups/Phil Laak impression at the time ?