The D4 EDSPC is now in it’s 8th year. This type of live tournament, with 1,000 big blind starting stacks, presents a myriad of singularly unique theoretical poker concepts and situations, which we treat herein.
While we have attempted to keep advanced mathematical concepts and equations to a minimum, we advise at least a base level of Leaving Certificate Honours Mathematics, and ideally you will also have done the Applied Maths at lunchtimes, or in the evening as an additional subject. Also please refrain from sharing this advanced knowledge with other players – especially ze Germans [they are too good already].
4, 5, 6, and 7 Betting
It is essential you keep a balanced 4, 5, 6, and 7 betting range in these tournaments, so your skilled continental opponent will have no idea what you are doing. From personal experience I find this works best if I have no idea what I am doing either.
So let’s study the classic and often misunderstood 7-bet in a bit more detail. Now, not a lot of people know this, but the real definition of the 7-bet is when every time the button is on the 7-seat, you decide you are going to win the pot [irrespective of hole cards], by betting and raising on every street. So a 3-bet pre, with a double check raise on the flop and turn would get the job done. About 7 bets, right! Now this move is not for the beginner, or the faint hearted, but with registration fee at 70 bob, it’s important you have a bit of craic, and get value for your money and a bit of entertainment on the day.
Equity
Brag equity. The concept of brag equity is cherished by Irish players, with the gift of the gab. Needling is for beginners. Brag equity is more of an advanced play, and has greater positive expected value in the long run.
In simple terms, it’s when you call with any two cards pre-flop, when you are not being offered the correct direct pot odds, or implied odds. The aim is to earn bragging rights over your opponent, and indeed other players, which may result in you realising equity in future hands or even future tournaments, as your opponents fail to play perfectly against you.
An example of a good needle is when you crack a Belgian’s AA with the old 85 double suited, for the full double up. Ads they walk away from the table, head hung in shame, you might use a needle like:
“Welcome to Ireland.”
But the brag equity is worth more to you in the long term, as you tell people how you cracked aces with 85 double suited, and you get paid off with your sets for the rest of the tournament. You now also have the story to regale your friends with all weekend long.
Position
Poker is all about position. I recommend getting a seat positioned close to the bar, or close to the cash tables, so you can keep an eye out for juicy cash games. It’s often also nice to get seated in front of a projector screen so you can tell what the blind level is without craning your neck around.
Doing Your Dough
Over a 4 day event, with blinds up to ninety minutes, it’s important to get the nutritional aspect right. Here is a recipe for traditional Irish Brown Bread. I recommend not doing your dough the night before, as it’s best to focus on sleep instead.
Take 400 gm coarse brown flour, a table spoon of mixed seeds, a table spoon of porridge, a pinch of salt, a pinch of baking soda, a cup of buttermilk, a spoon of honey, and a couple of knobs of butter.
Mix it all up, and cook in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 35 minutes. Some people struggle with timing, textures, and different lines to take, but there are plenty of training videos out there, along with books and other resources.
A Classic Race Situation
Ireland is world renowned as the land of the thousand welcomes. I would not like to think of myself as a racist, or that I use stereo-types. BUT, the fact of the matter is, most of the overseas visitors will be better looking, better groomed, better dressed, and better at poker than us [and that’s just the men!]. Remember a lot of our visitors are here for a good time/holiday alongside the poker. Act accordingly!
The Vikings are Coming
There will be a Smörgåsbord of Swedes coming to play the event, alongside the Danes, Norsemen and the Finns. Hopefully over the tournament, at least one Irish man or woman, will rake in a pot against these great poker nations, so we can claim the last victory over these poker wizards since Clontarf 1014.
THE FIRM
Poker is all about crazy all-ins and audacious bluffs. However there is a consistently winning group of Irish-based players, who bring things to a new level. THE FIRM, is when you have a live read, that is rock solid, aka FIRM, so you can rake chips in by calling instead of bluffing. This may seem counter-intuitive to many beginning players, however if you develop a FIRM live reading ability, THE FIRM is a technique you can use to call down live players, and rake in chips for many years to come.
Please feel free to add your own helpful theory and advice to this thread.
While we have attempted to keep advanced mathematical concepts and equations to a minimum, we advise at least a base level of Leaving Certificate Honours Mathematics, and ideally you will also have done the Applied Maths at lunchtimes, or in the evening as an additional subject. Also please refrain from sharing this advanced knowledge with other players – especially ze Germans [they are too good already].
4, 5, 6, and 7 Betting
It is essential you keep a balanced 4, 5, 6, and 7 betting range in these tournaments, so your skilled continental opponent will have no idea what you are doing. From personal experience I find this works best if I have no idea what I am doing either.
So let’s study the classic and often misunderstood 7-bet in a bit more detail. Now, not a lot of people know this, but the real definition of the 7-bet is when every time the button is on the 7-seat, you decide you are going to win the pot [irrespective of hole cards], by betting and raising on every street. So a 3-bet pre, with a double check raise on the flop and turn would get the job done. About 7 bets, right! Now this move is not for the beginner, or the faint hearted, but with registration fee at 70 bob, it’s important you have a bit of craic, and get value for your money and a bit of entertainment on the day.
Equity
Brag equity. The concept of brag equity is cherished by Irish players, with the gift of the gab. Needling is for beginners. Brag equity is more of an advanced play, and has greater positive expected value in the long run.
In simple terms, it’s when you call with any two cards pre-flop, when you are not being offered the correct direct pot odds, or implied odds. The aim is to earn bragging rights over your opponent, and indeed other players, which may result in you realising equity in future hands or even future tournaments, as your opponents fail to play perfectly against you.
An example of a good needle is when you crack a Belgian’s AA with the old 85 double suited, for the full double up. Ads they walk away from the table, head hung in shame, you might use a needle like:
“Welcome to Ireland.”
But the brag equity is worth more to you in the long term, as you tell people how you cracked aces with 85 double suited, and you get paid off with your sets for the rest of the tournament. You now also have the story to regale your friends with all weekend long.
Position
Poker is all about position. I recommend getting a seat positioned close to the bar, or close to the cash tables, so you can keep an eye out for juicy cash games. It’s often also nice to get seated in front of a projector screen so you can tell what the blind level is without craning your neck around.
Doing Your Dough
Over a 4 day event, with blinds up to ninety minutes, it’s important to get the nutritional aspect right. Here is a recipe for traditional Irish Brown Bread. I recommend not doing your dough the night before, as it’s best to focus on sleep instead.
Take 400 gm coarse brown flour, a table spoon of mixed seeds, a table spoon of porridge, a pinch of salt, a pinch of baking soda, a cup of buttermilk, a spoon of honey, and a couple of knobs of butter.
Mix it all up, and cook in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 35 minutes. Some people struggle with timing, textures, and different lines to take, but there are plenty of training videos out there, along with books and other resources.
A Classic Race Situation
Ireland is world renowned as the land of the thousand welcomes. I would not like to think of myself as a racist, or that I use stereo-types. BUT, the fact of the matter is, most of the overseas visitors will be better looking, better groomed, better dressed, and better at poker than us [and that’s just the men!]. Remember a lot of our visitors are here for a good time/holiday alongside the poker. Act accordingly!
The Vikings are Coming
There will be a Smörgåsbord of Swedes coming to play the event, alongside the Danes, Norsemen and the Finns. Hopefully over the tournament, at least one Irish man or woman, will rake in a pot against these great poker nations, so we can claim the last victory over these poker wizards since Clontarf 1014.
THE FIRM
Poker is all about crazy all-ins and audacious bluffs. However there is a consistently winning group of Irish-based players, who bring things to a new level. THE FIRM, is when you have a live read, that is rock solid, aka FIRM, so you can rake chips in by calling instead of bluffing. This may seem counter-intuitive to many beginning players, however if you develop a FIRM live reading ability, THE FIRM is a technique you can use to call down live players, and rake in chips for many years to come.
Please feel free to add your own helpful theory and advice to this thread.
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