5starpool in the well

[ionapaul]

A long-time fixture of Dublin's live poker scene, online grump, Liverpool FC fanatic and all-around nice guy 5starpool is the latest IPBer who has agreed to be lowered into the well to both enlighten and entertain us.

Here's some questions to kick things off:

- When did you start playing poker and how did you get into it?
- You used to played quite a lot in the Fitz, it seemed like you were there most nights I was back in the day. Do you still play, and if so, how often? If not, why?
- Favourite live poker story?
- I believe you're from Sligo - town or county? When did you leave Sligo, when did you get to Dublin (if at different times) and how did you find life in the big smoke in comparison to home?
- Favourite parts of Dublin and why?
- What is the ugliest town in Ireland in your opinion? The most beautiful? (These questions are currently being discussed in After Hours on boards)
- Speaking of the other place, are you as active there - outside of the Poker forum obviously - as you were before IPB came into existence? Do you still poker, follow threads and just browse as much as previously?

Thanks!

[6starpool]

This'll be the most boring well ever imo, but I'll answer questions anyhow.

[AndyFatBastard]

Kenny Dalglish's 2nd term in charge - success, failure, somewhere in between?

[Icarus152]

Thanks for doing this, Tom, finally a well that I'd read.

[LuckyLloyd]

The amount of time you've put into IPB over the years has not been insignificant, following on from a rake load of work getting the Live Tournament forum in the auld place sorted. Aside from all the dough we make doing it and the IO entries, why? Half a decade on, do you reckon it's safe to say it's been an unqualified success?

Will we see another half decade?

Brief synopsis of your career? What would your ideal job be? What would it have been 10 years ago?

I'd have strong opinions on the differences between poker players good enough to make a long term living from the game and half decent live muckers like ourselves. What would you see as the differences? If you'd been good enough to make it a full time thing would it ever have appealed to you?

Best Liverpool moment you witnessed live?

What do you think of Liverpool itself? What would be your view on the controversy regarding houses around Anfield?

[JamieCarra]

- What was the first game you went to?
- Are you on the season ticket waiting list?
- If so for how long / what position are you on the list?
- Best game you've been to?
- Have you been to many away games? If so what's your favourite away ground?
- Will we ever see a better player than Suarez at Anfield?
- Knochesky or Poulsen?

[careca]

Would you see yourself eventually moving back to Sligo to live?
Do you follow the GAA (Sligo in particular)?
Do you remember telling me to go home from the Fitz one night - cos I was hammered and throwing cash away? - Nice gesture by the way.
Good story from the Fitz?
Highest amount won/lost in any single hand and the details?

[davepoke/her]

Is it Tomas or Thomas?

[coillcam]

Whats the biggest IT meltdown you've been part of?
Biggest waste of money in IT?
What is the most bullshit thing management/directors have said regarding IT in your career?
What are the most common misconceptions of IT by other departments?
How many IO entries did Paddy Power give you as a mod over in the other place?
When will Liverpool win the league?
How much time do you dedicate to modding the site?
How much time does it take you to manage the back end of the site?
Who is the @trueirishballer?
Which poster annoys you the most?
Which poster do you enjoy the most?
Will you ever get an iPhone?
What devices do you use on a regular basis?
Ideal holiday destination?
Your fave tipple?

[KevIRL]

How much have you grown to dislike blogging poker?
Estimation for how long the site has left?
Will poker ever make any sort of decent comeback on here?
Biggest waste of space of a forum on here?
Is there any one (or more) thing(s) you would have done differently re Boards?
How much do I annoy you in general?
Do you miss DBC?
Will the real 'incident' between you and Ste ever get the public airing it deserves

Thanks for doing this

[CHDad]

What do you think when Lloyd says ''my site''?
What do you think when Kev gets drunk and bans people and stuff?
What happens if Pinocchio says 'my nose is going to grow now'?
Do you think any kind of afterlife exists?
Would you kill an innocent person if you thought it might mean saving a dozen other people?
What turns you on?
Do you think any kind of afterlife exists?
Would you kill an innocent person if you thought it might mean saving a dozen other people?
How many fish can you name?

[Wesley Harms]

I think it's generally accepted Dom is the real boss around here, Lloyd is a bit of a cartoon character and Kevin is a monkey.

No questions, keep up the good work

[Pat Mustard]

Favourite movie, book (fiction and non), band/artist? Also if you died and you had to come back as an animal, what would you come back as?

[Jam-Fly]

Estimation for how long the site has left?

Will we see another half decade?

Jesus guys, nice to see there's confidence in the longevity of IPB

[KevIRL]

Jesus guys, nice to see there's confidence in the longevity of IPB

Its something of a surprise its lasted this long to be honest.

[LuckyLloyd]

I think it's generally accepted Dom is the real boss around here, Lloyd is a bit of a cartoon character and Kevin is a monkey

That Danny fellah is alright imo.

[JP Poker]

The amount of time you've put into IPB over the years has not been insignificant, following on from a rake load of work getting the Live Tournament forum in the auld place sorted. Aside from all the dough we make doing it and the IO entries, why? Half a decade on, do you reckon it's safe to say it's been an unqualified success?

Will we see another half decade?

Brief synopsis of your career? What would your ideal job be? What would it have been 10 years ago?

I'd have strong opinions on the differences between poker players good enough to make a long term living from the game and half decent live muckers like ourselves. What would you see as the differences? If you'd been good enough to make it a full time thing would it ever have appealed to you?

Best Liverpool moment you witnessed live?
What do you think of Liverpool itself? What would be your view on the controversy regarding houses around Anfield?

Surely has to Champions league comeback against AC Milan in 2005

[6starpool]

A long-time fixture of Dublin's live poker scene, online grump, Liverpool FC fanatic and all-around nice guy 5starpool is the latest IPBer who has agreed to be lowered into the well to both enlighten and entertain us.

I'll try, but I doubt my life story will be serialised ahead of a book deal.

Here's some questions to kick things off:

- When did you start playing poker and how did you get into it?

I started playing in September 2003. I had played bits and bobs here and there as a kid with matchsticks and so on with family, but no more than that really, but in September 2003 I got invited to a home game in work and that became a regular thing that I enjoyed and a few months later the lad that organised it was going to the Fitz on a Wednesday as he had a few times before, and I started going regularly pretty soon after that.

- You used to played quite a lot in the Fitz, it seemed like you were there most nights I was back in the day. Do you still play, and if so, how often? If not, why?

I was in there a lot, about 4 days a week on average for a few years in fact. I lived in the city then so it was very easy for someone with no real social life (such as yours truly) to get drawn in to that. In the last 22 months or so I think I've played live poker twice, and online around the same amount of time, so you couldn't say I still play, no. I just stopped enjoying it. It also co-incided a bit with meeting my girlfriend (about 3 years ago now) but it is not because of that as I had been slowing down a bit anyhow for a few months. I used to really enjoy the regular 1/2 Omaha game in the Fitz that ran every night, but around 2010 that stopped being a regular thing as the people who made the game relative value stopped playing. The gf thing was definitely a disincentive to getting back to being a regular player, but as I said, I had generally stopped enjoying playing and wasn't as patient and smart as I had been, hence my results suffered and I enjoyed it even less, etc, etc.

- Favourite live poker story?

I can't really think of any, but the first time I heard Frank Hunt telling the story of him bringing Steve Davis to the airport and dropping his kid to school on the way and then stopping to chat to a neighbour was hilarious when told by Frank. You had to be there I guess. Other stories that come to mind aren't poker related, but just involving some of the characters around the scene (some now gone) such as the time old Alex Ryan told us that he gave Rufina €50 to let him see her breasts round the back of the Fitz. That's asight that would blind me even to think about it, but the manner of the conversation and how it was dropped in at the time was brilliant.

- I believe you're from Sligo - town or county? When did you leave Sligo, when did you get to Dublin (if at different times) and how did you find life in the big smoke in comparison to home?

From the county, near a town called Ballymote. I left to go to college in Limerick just when I turned 18 and I lived there for around 7 years all told including working there for a time, then after travel and a spell working in Mayo (jobs were scarce enough in 2002, I nearly moved to London), I came to Dublin in 2003. I love living here in general, and while I'm glad I grew up in the country (not at the time though) I wouldn't want to live in rural Ireland now.

- Favourite parts of Dublin and why?

I've always lived on the Northside since I've been up here (3 years only about 50m north, but still counts), so I know this side much better than the south side. I don't really have any favourite areas as I do almost all my socialising in the city centre, but I do like living in Ashtown, being handy for the city, and close to the Phoenix Park too.

- What is the ugliest town in Ireland in your opinion? The most beautiful? (These questions are currently being discussed in After Hours on boards)

I've always thought Claremorris was particularly horrible. I had to go through that when I was in Limerick and going to/from Sligo, and the road through it in the 90's or early 00's was the bumpiest, pothole filled piece of crap ever, and the town just looked very ugly too, which wasn't helped by the fact that it was wet and dark most of the time I went through there, or so it seemed.

Most beautiful is a more difficult one. I was in Roundstone in West Galway a few years back on a lovely summers day, and it was a spectacular looking place I think. Kinsale is also a great looking town on a lovely summers day.

- Speaking of the other place, are you as active there - outside of the Poker forum obviously - as you were before IPB came into existence? Do you still poker, follow threads and just browse as much as previously?

Ya, I still post there a good bit, mostly in the soccer forum, which although it annoys me in a lot of ways in terms of moderation and posters is still somewhere I like to read and post, although I'm not sure why. I also read and post in a lot of the smaller ones such as the android forum, TV, game of thrones, walking dead and even ones like the broadband or tech forums now and then, but rarely post there.

Thanks!

You're welcome.

[6starpool]

Kenny Dalglish's 2nd term in charge - success, failure, somewhere in between?

Somewhere in between I think. I really wanted him to succeed, and it started off pretty well for the first 2 half seasons, but then fell apart sadly. I would have given him another season, but it's worked out ok since thankfully. It was such a contrast going from Hodgson to him though, and while I'm still gutted it didn't work out for him, I'm glad he got the chance again.

Thanks for doing this, Tom, finally a well that I'd read.

Welcome.

[mdoug]

Would you rather see united getting relegated, or winning the champions league?

How would you like to die?

would you rather pay €7.50 for a pint of heineken or €2.50 for a pack of tayto's?

would you rather be 4'5 or 7'7?

If you had to give mod privileges to one of these people who would it be. Me, Rasta, Chd, Finkle or Rigger

[KevIRL]

CHD or Micknail?
Berthuiel or Beasty?
Finkle or mdwexford?
Lepruchaun or BigSlick?
Lloyd or Ste?
GAB or RDIII
AJ or DP?
SatNav or MrsFD?
Zuroph or Zuutroy?
Keane or SP?
Nuri or SOTS?

[KevIRL]

Will you reserve the name '7starpool' on IPB just like you did with 6starpool when the inevitable happens later next season?

[Dice75]

World Peace or €5m on the Lotto?

One United player you would have taken to Liverpool over the years?

Favourite pub in Dublin?

Weekend bender with HH or MDoug & your worst result of a long session?

Do you gamble outside of Poker?

If so biggest win/loss?

[6starpool]

The amount of time you've put into IPB over the years has not been insignificant, following on from a rake load of work getting the Live Tournament forum in the auld place sorted. Aside from all the dough we make doing it and the IO entries, why? Half a decade on, do you reckon it's safe to say it's been an unqualified success?

When this place started I was unsure as to whether it would take off, but I figured that it was more than likely to, all things considered. There was a lot of stuff that needed doing in terms of the initial setup, plus the hosting issues we had over the years, and the ads stuff as well, but in general I don't mind doing a lot of it. I've possibly balanced that out a little by doing less actual modding over the years though I reckon than some. There have been times that I've seen a drama or reported post about something that some people (not me) feel very strongly about and I've just closed my laptop and ignored it for a while hoping someone else would deal with it. I doubt I'm the only one to do that though.

Will we see another half decade?

I think IPB will probably still be going, but as to who will still be posting or what the traffic will be like is a different matter.

Brief synopsis of your career? What would your ideal job be? What would it have been 10 years ago?

Did a Computing degree back in the 90's in UL, then started working as a COBOL developer (real old school stuff) for a few years. After travel I worked in a software testing company for a while, then started working for a big bank as a developer as well which was a mix of unix, mainframe, and some pl/sql stuff, although as the years went by my job got less technical to the point that when the place got shut down I took an option to try out being a business analyst for a year to extend my job before redundancy. Since then I've worked in a few different places on contract as a BA in the financial services world.

My ideal job would be not having to work. Bit of a cop out, but I don't envisage getting a job in my lifetime that I like. A job I can tolerate is the peak of my realistic ambitions, and I have no intention of changing career at this point really as starting something else on much lower pay, even if I enjoyed it more wouldn't be something that I want to do. I don't bring my job home, and try not to work long hours unless I have to, and my current place is handy travel wise and very regular hours which suits me fine.

When I was at school I would have liked to be an architect, but I knew I couldn't be bothered to actually study enough to get the required points, so I based my LC choices on roughly how many points I was going to get. Not necessarily an approach I'd recommend, but it's the way it happened.

I'd have strong opinions on the differences between poker players good enough to make a long term living from the game and half decent live muckers like ourselves. What would you see as the differences? If you'd been good enough to make it a full time thing would it ever have appealed to you?

I briefly toyed with the prospect, but when I realised my only motivation was to not have to work a regular job, I dismissed the idea. I was able to make a few quid, but never enough to come close to a decent hourly rate or to cover living expenses. I kept detailed records for about 5 years, and while I only had 1 losing year out of them all I knew I was never destined for riches unless I binked in a big tournament, which I came close to a few times, but couldn't get to the real money in them.

I think the main difference from what I can see between the top guys and the middle ground is the dedication to learning and improving they have, plus the fearlessness you need to be able to make isolated decisions which are correct in the situation given the info to hand rather than be overly concerned with the money aspect of it all.

Best Liverpool moment you witnessed live?

I've never seen them win a trophy (I was t the 2007 CL final though ) but I was at Kenny Dalglish's first game back in charge at Anfield (2-2 draw vs Everton). That was a special game, but I also really enjoyed the first game I was at vs Utd which was the one where Torres scored the opener despite not being fully fit, and then N'gog scored the last minute breakaway second to win 2-0. Dub13 actually give me his ticket for that game as he couldn't go late on, and it was a fantastic atmosphere that at the time left things wide open in the league, although fairly early on I think.

What do you think of Liverpool itself? What would be your view on the controversy regarding houses around Anfield?

I like Liverpool city centre, and enjoy going out there a hell of a lot, but the Anfield area is very run down. I'm hoping this regeneration project will benefit the community and area as much as the club, but in general I'm not happy with the way the club have gone about things in the last 20 years or so regarding the buying and boarding up of houses, almost forcing residents out by their tactics and allowing the area to descend into crap. The last couple of years the streets around Anfield resembled Hamsterdam in The Wire more than anything, but thankfully now it's underway at last. There are some nice suburbs as well, but Liverpool does have it's fair share of dodgy areas, but having lived in Limerick for years I'm no stranger to that.

[6starpool]

- What was the first game you went to?

I think it was a 4-1 win vs Leicester in 1999 or so. It might have been a bit later, but it was something like that. You'd think I'd remember, wouldn't you?

- Are you on the season ticket waiting list?

Nope. I considered it years back but having heard how long the list was, and considered the likelyhood I'd use it enough I didn't bother ever applying. I didn't know then that you could just resell the games you weren't going to.

- If so for how long / what position are you on the list?

- Best game you've been to?

Answered above I think. The 3-2 win vs Spurs 2 seasons ago was a real edge of the seat affair as well that I think we were lucky to win in the end.

- Have you been to many away games? If so what's your favourite away ground?

Never been to an away game at all I'm afraid. I'm sure I'd manage to get a ticket occasionally if I wanted to via others, but considering how difficult it is to get tickets for yourself I've just been content to go to home games. I didn't manage to get any tickets for games this season so far though due to circumstances so might have to look into a few options if I don't get any in the returns sales for games.

- Will we ever see a better player than Suarez at Anfield?

I hope so, but in terms of talent and will to win I doubt it, at least in the medium term.

t
- Knochesky or Poulsen?

That's like asking Ebola or Necrotising Fasciatis! At a stretch Poulsen as his face irritated me less.

[6starpool]

Would you see yourself eventually moving back to Sligo to live?

Not likely. The thoughts of living in rural Ireland now gives me the shivers.

Do you follow the GAA (Sligo in particular)?

I've a passing interest in it. I'd watch the championship games if I'm not doing anything else, but wouldn't alter plans to allow me to watch GAA, and I'd watch premier league games over most GAA matches.

Do you remember telling me to go home from the Fitz one night - cos I was hammered and throwing cash away? - Nice gesture by the way.

I don't, although I've tried doing that to a few people over the years, but they rarely listen. I almost never played drunk myself (a few exceptions) and I hated taking money off people I liked when they were clearly drunk and tilting or just playing like an idiot. I never refused it though if they didn't take the hint

Good story from the Fitz?

I have a terrible memory for those things. I remember having lots of really good laughs in there and hearing some great stories that I pretty much don't remember at all. If someone mentions a 'do you remember this thing' to me though I will definitely remember it then. Sorry.

Highest amount won/lost in any single hand and the details?

The biggest single cash game pot I lost was around €3500. It was against an awful Omaha player who was great for the game called Pat (looked like postman Pat, was probably 60 something). He was tilting very badly and it was a very deep game (I had about 2k at the start of the hand in a 1/2 game) and I flopped top set and the nut flush draw and we got it all in on the flop where he had only middle set and a worse flush draw. Someone else told me they had his 1 out, but that didn't stop him hitting a poxy runner runner straight to scoop. I was so gutted.

The most I won in a hand was a little over 2k vs Jimmy Wan when I essentially called him down with 2 pair in Omaha when he kept potting it and I was almost certain he was just steaming from a hand earlier. He was certainly steaming after that hand!

[6starpool]

Is it Tomas or Thomas?

My parents are huge fans of nuclear power, so they actually called me Atomic, or Tom for short. I did better than my siblings Fission and Waste.

[Raoul Duke III]

What was it like having to step into the shoes of a giant in your previous contract role?

Tell us a story about The General (RIP).

Are you getting married in Ireland? Have you been to a wedding fair and would you refuse to attend one on pain of dis-engagement? What is your primary emotion towards Franc? (he of 'Brides of...')

Did you ever do any turf-cuttin' back in the day? Do you agree that west of Ireland people display an affection towards sods of turf that they rarely display towards fellow members of the human race?

Which member of IPB that you have never met IRL would you like to meet most and why?

Have you ever won a hand against me? (pretty sure you haven't )

If you had to forcibly convert to another religion, which one would it be and why?

Suarez. How silly do Lollerpool fans feel now for defending that psycho through all his shenanigans?

'Horsehead elite'. I think you coined that one. Give us an alternative phrase please.

thanks for doing this

[eamonhonda]

Does Ballymote have internet yet?

Did you used to get the bus into the big metropolis of Sligo town for a big night out in equinox/zannadoos/older name again, of a Saturday night?

[Icarus152]

Is she you're first girlfriend? If not, when did you first realise that you preferred women?

[Lord Sir Banter]

You're hosting a dinner party, you can have any six guests (living, dead or fictional), who do you invite?

At the end of the night, you'll take one of them to bed (you don't have to tell us which one ) and you'll end up in a fist fight with one of them, who would that most likely be?

What do you serve for tea?

---------------------------------------

If there was a movie made of your life, who would you like to play you? Who do you think would end up playing you?

If you were thrown down an actual well with any IPB'er of your choice who would you pick?

Can you remember the name of the first girl you shifted (no, first or first & last? Not asking you to actually name her)?

Does the Tom stuff grate on you to any degree? Same question re: 5starpoo?

Did you think I was dave? What are ye mods on?

What is the most culchie thing you enjoy?

What is the girlfriend like?

What do you think is the greatest invention ever?


Thanks for doing the well.

[KevIRL]

What would it take for you to play a game of werewolf?

[6starpool]

Whats the biggest IT meltdown you've been part of?

I had left RBS before the high profile system meltdowns, but the biggest fuck up I personally made was when implementing a fairly routine change I made I forgot to change a parameter in a unix script so something was pointing to a test server instead of a production server. It caused a bank wide outage of the mortgage platform in the branches and mortgage centre and a criticality 1 incident (the highest level). Despite the fact that I had the fix identified within 2 minutes of knowing about the problem, between the red tape and the governance needed to put in the emergency production fix, it was about 3 hours later before it was actually fixed. That was a bad day to be me.

Biggest waste of money in IT?

I've worked with plenty of incompetent people who were a total waste of money, but that's besides the point.

The main thing I've experienced that leads to big cost over runs is bad planning and engagement with the right people early on. Probably not what you were getting at, but I'm going to stick with my answer.

What is the most bullshit thing management/directors have said regarding IT in your career?

In an annual review I was told that while my work was very good and there have been no issues at all, I was getting a lower rating as my review documentation wasn't as good as others. That made me very angry at the time. You have to play the game though I guess, so it was a lesson learned in the end.

What are the most common misconceptions of IT by other departments?

I've heard the phrase "but all we want is this simple change" so many times. Business users have no idea of the complexity involved in making a lot of those so called minor changes, never mind the time that needs to be spent in various testing phases and the governance involved.

How many IO entries did Paddy Power give you as a mod over in the other place?

I played it 4 times, so you can figure it out from there. Remarkable generosity all told.

When will Liverpool win the league?

When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east. When the rivers run dry, and the mountains blow in the wind like leaves.

That's what it feels like anyhow. I can't see it happening in the next few years as things stand, and unfortunately I really do think that last year was the best opportunity that they'll have for some time.

How much time do you dedicate to modding the site?

Hard to quantify really. Most of my IPB related stuff comes from non modding activities as apart from the occasional blow up it takes care of itself. When there are problems with hosting or db problems, or things to do on the ads side of things it takes a lot more of my time though. If I'm just at home though I don't mind it at all for the most part.

How much time does it take you to manage the back end of the site?

See above.

Who is the @trueirishballer?

Absolutely no idea. Someone who doesn't like IPB anyhow I think, but unless someone posts any of his stuff here I never see it.

Which poster annoys you the most?

It varies really. It wouldn't be right to name names, but while some posters can annoy me at times, most of the time I think those same ones are fine. I've no big problems with anyone really.

Which poster do you enjoy the most?

I really enjoy the occasionally random and usually brilliant contributions by BobSloane from his country retreat.

Will you ever get an iPhone?

Unlikely. Never say never, but it won't be soon if it happens. It's always a possibility I'd have to get one via work at some point, but that's a different matter I think.

What devices do you use on a regular basis?

Nexus 5 and 10. I used to use my kindle a good bit, but less so now as I just use my phone more so if I'm reading an ebook. I bought a chromecast recently when I was in the States as well, and use that a bit now as well.

Ideal holiday destination?

t
I really love long holidays driving from town to town and winging it, staying longer if you like a place and less time if you hate it and so on, and I've done a few holidays like that in the states and Australia as well and loved them. I don't think I'd enjoy a couple of weeks in a resort or too long in a hotel in the one city, so for my honeymoon next year what I want to do it about 25 days in parts of either Australia or the states/Canada that I haven't been to before.

Your fave tipple?

I'm fairly easy when it comes to this. I've spent years just blindly ordering Heineken in pubs, and I'm still fine with that, but more and more I'll look for an IPA or maybe a craft red ale in pubs.

[6starpool]

I'll do more of these tomorrow. It's far more of a timesink than I had thought it would be, despite seeing others say the same thing.

[SatNav]

Live in Gaza for one month or Moyross for 12 months?
Eat Fast food solid for one month or Vegan?
Indecent proposal , would you shag a decent woman ( partner will never find out) for 250k?
Would you shag an ugly yoke for 1 milion , partner will know?
Has there ever been a moment on IPB when you thought "fuck this , I cant do it anymore" if so when?
Has there ever been an absolutely shock horror unbelievable deleted post? ( leaving out mine obv) spill??? without naming?
Have you ever dabbled in narcotics , if so when was the last time?
Ever pissed yourself locked drunk?

TY

[AndyFatBastard]

Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?

[TheImprover]

Good reading, no questions really, just happy to read on.

[Wesley Harms]

250k to ride a decent bird and nobody would find out about it? That's like asking would he take 250k to have his hair back

[The Situation]

250k to ride a decent bird and nobody would find out about it? That's like asking would he take 250k to have his hair back

It's also an irritatingly stupid question to ask on a public forum, along with half the questions she asked.

[poprock]

It's also an irritatingly stupid question to ask on a public forum, along with half the questions she asked.

[Denny Crane]

Other stories that come to mind aren't poker related, but just involving some of the characters around the scene (some now gone) such as the time old Alex Ryan told us that he gave Rufina €50 to let him see her breasts round the back of the Fitz. That's asight that would blind me even to think about it, but the manner of the conversation and how it was dropped in at the time was brilliant.

Jesus, I'm glad I missed out on that kind of stuff!

[oleras]

Subscribed.

[Guest]

Were more or less neighbours ever have pints in the half way house?
Still hitting the gym not seen you for a while there.
What do you think remember of my pokering skills
Fav table of 8 other players from when you used to play for value and fun.
Can i have a name change to Sickpuppy please.

[6starpool]

How much have you grown to dislike blogging poker?

A lot mostly, although there are elemnts to it I like, such as wandering around the tournament area with a few tables left when I know someone still in.

Estimation for how long the site has left?

Until I die, so about 7 years probably.

Will poker ever make any sort of decent comeback on here?

Unlikely to ever be as enthusiastically discussed as 5+ years ago unless there is another big boom in it again, but even in that case this place might be too old fashioned a discussion format for the teenagers of today.

Biggest waste of space of a forum on here?

The old discussion group one was awful, but the tournaments forum is mostly obsolete now I reckon, although some organisers still religiously post there, but with less and less forum user interaction.

Is there any one (or more) thing(s) you would have done differently re Boards?

Not become a poker mod in the first place

How much do I annoy you in general?

Not at all most of the time, intensely at other times.

Do you miss DBC?

I'm a bit of a soft touch (although not as much as Ste was) so if it was purely up to me I'd probably have allowed him more posting time, although so many of the posters here were against him there was always going to be too much bad feeling for it to realistically work.

Will the real 'incident' between you and Ste ever get the public airing it deserves

Not until he apologises publicly.

Thanks for doing this

Welcome.

[6starpool]

What do you think when Lloyd says ''my site''?

Meh, it's his as much as mine.

What do you think when Kev gets drunk and bans people and stuff?

That does annoy me a bit, and I have given out to Kev plenty of times over it, not that it does a lot of good.

What happens if Pinocchio says 'my nose is going to grow now'?

His face would explode.

Do you think any kind of afterlife exists?

No. It's all a load of crap people thousands of ears ago dreamed up and over the years people figured out that they could use these beliefs to make a lot of money and wield a lot of power.

Would you kill an innocent person if you thought it might mean saving a dozen other people?

It might mean saving them? Would it or not. It depends who the people involved are and whether I'd get life in prison (or similar) for killing the 1 person.

What turns you on?

Lots of things.

Do you think any kind of afterlife exists?

Still no.

Would you kill an innocent person if you thought it might mean saving a dozen other people?

I haven't changed my mind on this either.

How many fish can you name?

More than I want to. I hate the smell and taste of fish.

[6starpool]

Favourite movie, book (fiction and non), band/artist? Also if you died and you had to come back as an animal, what would you come back as?

Favourite movie would be probably one of 12 Monkeys or O Brother Where Art Thou. There are lots of ones I love watching such as It's a Wonderful Life at Christmas, but it would probably be one of the first two mentioned.

I'm not into music at all. I was big into Oasis in the mid 90's, but that's as close as I've come to being big into music. I only listen to music now if I'm in the car and turn on the radio, or else occasionally in work or wherever to block out noise.

If you could come back as an animal I'd choose to be a Tiger. They are pretty cool animals.

[6starpool]

Would you rather see united getting relegated, or winning the champions league?

I'm assuming you mean Liverpool to win the CL? If so obviously I'd prefer that as Liverpool are my main concern, despite my dislike for utd. If you meant utd for both then relegated of course.

How would you like to die?

Peacefully in my sleep as an old person having never been seriously ill in my life.

would you rather pay €7.50 for a pint of heineken or €2.50 for a pack of tayto's?

The pint, although I'd not be very impressed with either of course.

would you rather be 4'5 or 7'7?

4'5 probably. I wouldn't like either, but being short would be less of a disadvantage in general than being freakishly tall.

If you had to give mod privileges to one of these people who would it be. Me, Rasta, Chd, Finkle or Rigger

Rigger all the way.

[6starpool]

CHD or Micknail?

CHD

Berthuiel or Beasty?

Beasty

Finkle or mdwexford?

Finkle

Lepruchaun or BigSlick?

Leprechaun

Lloyd or Ste?

Lloyd - Ste needs to apologise as noted above.

GAB or RDIII

RDIII

AJ or DP?

DP for socialising, AJ for post reading.

SatNav or MrsFD?

Emmmm, toughest one. MrsFD.

Zuroph or Zuutroy?

Zuutroy

Keane or SP?

Keane

Nuri or SOTS?

Nuri

[6starpool]

Will you reserve the name '7starpool' on IPB just like you did with 6starpool when the inevitable happens later next season?

Obviously, not that I really need to here. goodlucktome registered it on boards when I mentioned in the old bbv in 2007 before the CL final that I hoped I was going to be changing my name soon. The bollox.

[6starpool]

World Peace or €5m on the Lotto?

5m for me please and thanks.

One United player you would have taken to Liverpool over the years?

I'd have loved Keane in his prime. Paul Scholes is another player I'd have loved to see in a different shade of red.

Favourite pub in Dublin?

I don't go there as often as I should, but Bowe's on Fleet Street is a lovely fairly hidden spot in the city centre with great pints on tap.

Weekend bender with HH or MDoug & your worst result of a long session?

I'm not sure what you mean by this? Are you asking if I'd go on a bender with them? If so then I really would not be able to handle the pace any more. 10 years ago maybe.

I've had some really bad hangovers that have left me unable to do anything except sleep and sweat for 24 hours after finishing drinking. I've never experienced what people call 'the fear' though.

Do you gamble outside of Poker?

No, almost never. I used to have the occasional accumulator bet of football years ago, but haven't done that in ages. Just before I was 18 I put on a £2 bet at the start of the 94/95 season that Blackburn would win the PL, Middlesborough the 1st div, Birmingham the 2nd div (as they were then) and Rangers the SPL. I forgot about it but found the betting slip around March and realised it had a chance. Watching Liverpool beat Blackburn that day on the last day of the season was the most conflicted I've ever been I think watching Liverpool. The odds were 388/1, so my £2 bet resulted in a great win for a student, and it remains my biggest non poker win by a long distance.

If so biggest win/loss?

Biggest win above, biggest loss is probably only something like 50 quid on a single bet, although I did lose a couple of hundred one time at the races over several races when I was on a work outing in Leopardstown and I was a bit drunk, plus fairly flush with poker winnings in the wallet at the time. Nothing too dramatic then as you can see.

[6starpool]

What was it like having to step into the shoes of a giant in your previous contract role?

It was crazy that I was essentially replacing you given how vastly different our work backgrounds were. I certainly didn't bring any treasury knowledge to the table, but the phase the main project was moving into was more up my alley alright.

Our beloved American former boss has gone back to the states to continue his climb up that particular corporate ladder.

Tell us a story about The General (RIP).

Despite not wanting to sit too near him too often due to the mood swings and the smell, I had a lot of time for the general (relatively speaking). Nothing immediately springs to mind, but I remember him going absolutely ballistic at one of the young new dealers who folded his cards by accident when scooping in others when the general was all in. The thing is that no one, even the general noticed until the hand had played out (there were 2 other live players) and he would have won. He was standing a bit away from the table and came back to triumphantly turn over his cards after seeing that other guys turn theirs over as he would have won, but his cards were nowhere to be seen. Luke (it was that long ago) had to be called and it took about 10 mins to calm him down.

A lot of people didn't know at the time that Dave Hall used to pay him into all the tournaments at presumably a significant loss, and also paid for his accommodation for the last few years of his life as Hussein was homeless before that, although I'm not sure for how long.

Are you getting married in Ireland? Have you been to a wedding fair and would you refuse to attend one on pain of dis-engagement? What is your primary emotion towards Franc? (he of 'Brides of...')

Yes, in Galway. We went to a wedding fair in June which considering there was nothing else on sportswise that weekend (although it turned out to be the weekend of the first SCOOP6 mania on here) I didn't hugely object to. We only stayed a couple of hours thankfully and it was pretty hellish. Funnily enough, it featured a 'fashion show' of wedding clobber that had something to do with this Franc lad, but I wasn't paying attention really. I have no real emotion towards him as I've never seen him in anything. I'd imagine he is a twat though.

Did you ever do any turf-cuttin' back in the day? Do you agree that west of Ireland people display an affection towards sods of turf that they rarely display towards fellow members of the human race?

We never had turf cut by hand when I was growing up, although there was an old tool used for that lying around somewhere back home when I was a kid. We did have turf cut every year though, and still do, although every year my parents swear that it'll be their last as they are too old for it. I was actually on the bog this year for about 6 hours one day only and I was like a cripple for days afterwards.

Which member of IPB that you have never met IRL would you like to meet most and why?

ArmaniJeans is someone I'd like to see turn up at an IPB drinks, as well as BobSloane who is a man who can tell a great story. I've met a hell of a lot of people from here over the years though.

Have you ever won a hand against me? (pretty sure you haven't )

Not that I can remember. You seemed to run really well vs me, even when not looking at your cards.

If you had to forcibly convert to another religion, which one would it be and why?

Another religion? While I'm technically a catholic I don't believe in any of that stuff. Something where attending a regular mass type event wasn't considered a pre-requisite. I'd say buddhist but I lack the knack for zen I reckon.

Suarez. How silly do Lollerpool fans feel now for defending that psycho through all his shenanigans?

Not at all I'd say. He is a phenomenal footballer whose talents allowed a lot of leeway in his behaviour at times as the performances kept coming. His suspensions though were mounting up and became an increasing black mark in terms of future availability.

'Horsehead elite'. I think you coined that one. Give us an alternative phrase please.

Hmm, something like the bourgeois brigade, although that's probably not as catchy.

thanks for doing this

You're welcome.

[6starpool]

Does Ballymote have internet yet?

Yes, even fibre now I believe, although you'd struggle to get 0.5mb speeds where my parents house is.

Did you used to get the bus into the big metropolis of Sligo town for a big night out in equinox/zannadoos/older name again, of a Saturday night?

No, never got those buses. When I was in secondary school (15-17) the big thing to do was to got to Ballaghadereen as they would let anyone in really, but I only went there once I think. I went into Sligo a bit when I was home from college in to Equinox or Toffs. Fun times.

[6starpool]

Is she you're first girlfriend? If not, when did you first realise that you preferred women?

No.

Sometime between the ages of 12 and 35.

[SatNav]

It's also an irritatingly stupid question to ask on a public forum, along with half the questions she asked.

The Well . ask what you want!

would you ever GTFO with your seriousness ya sad fuck!

[6starpool]

You're hosting a dinner party, you can have any six guests (living, dead or fictional), who do you invite?

I hate these questions. I think no matter who I pick it'd be a let down.

Off the top of my head I'd go for a lineup like Bill Shankly, Nicola Tesla, Richard Prior, Bill Bryson, Audrey Hepburn and George RR Martin so I could find out how the GoT books would finish before he dies.

At the end of the night, you'll take one of them to bed (you don't have to tell us which one ) and you'll end up in a fist fight with one of them, who would that most likely be?

Bed would be Audrey Hepburn, fight would be George RR Martin I reckon.

What do you serve for tea?

For the dinner party? I do a mean chicken and chorizo jambalaya, so I'd pick that I guess.

If there was a movie made of your life, who would you like to play you? Who do you think would end up playing you?

Danny deVito for both.

If you were thrown down an actual well with any IPB'er of your choice who would you pick?

Probably zuutroy as he is quite tall so I can try and stand on him to try and get out if it's not too deep, or failing that he is pretty clever and sciencey so he might be able to figure out a clever way of getting out. He is also thin so wouldn't take up a lot of room in a confined space.

Can you remember the name of the first girl you shifted (no, first or first & last? Not asking you to actually name her)?

first and last, but it probably wasn't a proper shift really, but it was close enough to count I guess, especially at that age. They were few and far between though until I went to college.

Does the Tom stuff grate on you to any degree? Same question re: 5starpoo?

No, doesn't bother me at all. The 5starpoo thing is the type of thing to make me shake my head in pity nearly at annoying someone that much, especially considering I never actually banned him.

Did you think I was dave? What are ye mods on?

I didn't but some of the others did for sure.

What is the most culchie thing you enjoy?

Bacon and cabbage probably.

What is the girlfriend like?

Pretty easy going with the mandatory sliver of 'bitches be crazy' occasionally thrown in. She laughs at my farts which is a big plus I have to say.

What do you think is the greatest invention ever?

The car.

Thanks for doing the well.

You're welcome. Hardest questions yet to answer I think.

[6starpool]

What would it take for you to play a game of werewolf?

A real werewolf forcing me.

[6starpool]

More tomorrow if I can although I'm going to the sticks for a couple of days so might not answer much. Not a lot left to anyhow.

[LuckyLloyd]

I particularly enjoyed the run of answers there that were classic gruff Dom!

My mam is from Keash just down the road from Ballymote. Jack and Joseph Breheny were my Uncle and Cousin respectively, though you may not know people that far down.

[Ste05]

I'm a bit of a soft touch (although not as much as Ste was) so if it was purely up to me I'd probably have allowed him more posting time, although so many of the posters here were against him there was always going to be too much bad feeling for it to realistically work.

Ah the good old days! You's were all just big meanies though!!

Great well Dom, great to see these back!

Not until he apologises publicly.

[6starpool]

I particularly enjoyed the run of answers there that were classic gruff Dom!

My mam is from Keash just down the road from Ballymote. Jack and Joseph Breheny were my Uncle and Cousin respectively, though you may not know people that far down.

There was a girl called Phillippa Breheny from there in my class. Cousin of yours?