David Shallow Dominates Day Two at WPT Ireland

(Photo: Dave Shallow)

Day Two of the World Poker Tour’s stop in Ireland started with 195 players and ended with one of the most dramatic hands of the day. When the chips were bagged and tagged we had played nearly nine levels and had 36 very happy poker players all heading to the bar to grab a drink topped with white froth. Among them was Dave Shallow who dominated the day’s proceedings, finally ending with 951,000 chips. We didn’t know a lot about Shallow before WPT Ireland begun but the crafty cockney has done his very best to make sure we remember him after this fantastic solo performance.

The action started with a raft of talented poker players all looking for something else to do. WSOP Bracelet winner Vanessa Hellbuyck, everything that poker has to offer winner Jake Cody and WPT Champions Club member & WSOP bracelet winner James Dempsey all getting kicked out as early as the second level of play.

(Photo: Jake Cody)

As the dust began to settle behind that early stampede, it was the form of Shaun Conning that shone through to pinch the lead from under the nose of the Day One chip leader David Callaghan. Conning eliminating Paul O’Reilly in a full house over full house cooler of a hand to become the first man to exceed 200,000 chips.

(Photo: Shaun Conning)

"Mad" Marvin Rettenmaier was the next Titan of poker to leave the green party and the sumptuous Kara Scott followed shortly after. At the other end of the leader board Sam MacDonald, who pummeled the 300k mark for the first time, overtook Shaun Conning. If you were going to draw a picture of a young whippersnapper poker player – to explain the game to a Martian – then it would probably look like the young, cool MacDonald.

(Photo: Sam MacDonald)

Moving into level 12 and former WSOP Champion, Irish Open Champion and Poker Million winner Marty Smyth left the tournament all the poorer with his absence. At the right side of the table, Dave Shallow had broken the 400k hymen without us even seeing him playing a hand!

(Photo: Marty Smyth)

The unlucky level 13 followed and we lost the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic final tablist Vitor Coelho and former WSOP Main Event final tablist Jon Kalmar. Other notable events during the Level 13 period included the legend that is Jesse May, unsuccessful trying to win the Media Event by moving all-in with the worse hand every hand, and Ken Doherty taking multi-tabling to an all new level, by not only hammering everyone on the felt, but also hitting WSOP bracelet winner Matt "Pez" Perrins for six on the pool table.

(Photo: Ken Doherty)

The PKR Team Pro brigade seemed to run out of steam in Level 13, with James Sudworth and Vladimir Geshkenbein both heading for a drink or 12 in the PKR lounge. Sam El Sayed and McLean Karr made sure that this year’s winner would NOT be a repeat WPT Champion. Both WPT Champions Club members leaving the building in and around level 13. McLean Karr had been giving his other half, Tatjana Pasalic lessons in poker, and they seemed to have worked as the beautiful hostess turned poker player outlasted Karr until she eventually lost a flip sending her to the rail.

(Photo: Tatjana Pasalic)

After the dinner break Ken Doherty sent the Day One chip leader David Callaghan packing when he flopped a flush at the same time Callaghan had flopped a set. The board didn’t pair and Callaghan was out in Level 14 whilst Doherty moved into the top five chip spots with 350,000. Also joining Doherty on that 350,000 figure was another Irishman Charles Harvey. Harvey finding a set on a flop against his opponents pocket kings to push him right into contention.

(Photo: Charles Harvey)

Into Level 15 and we lost our WPT Amateur Poker League champion Berten Dragten. Dragten told us that he lost by, "Playing like an amateur." Despite his dour post exit mood the Royal Flush girls managed to find that lost smile by taking him to the bar for a few pints of the black stuff.

(Photo: Violet Dillon, Berten Dragten, Raysa Peres)

Level 15 vanished from everyone’s memories and Level 16 was suddenly en vogue. Jack Ellwood and Leo Margets deciding that level 16 was not for them and they were both scratching for flights back home to Spain and Newcastle respectively. Dave Shallow was the man responsible for eliminating Margets and he was now flying streaks ahead of everyone with 750,000 chips. Andy Black was another cracking character to leave us in level 16 and he was joined by the young Neil Channing protégé Jamie Burland.

(Photo: Leo Margets)

The penultimate level of the evening contained a stick of dynamite of a hand and the two people trying not to get burned were Sam MacDonald and Charles Harvey. In a three-bet pot on a flop of [Qd] [Th] [2h] MacDonald moved all-in over a 50,000 Harvey c-bet whilst holding [Qh] [4h] for top pair and the flush draw. Harvey was sat with [Ah] [Ad] for the backdoor flush draw and over pair and he called instantly. The board bricked off for MacDonald and he was down to 310,000 chips. Harvey on the other hand was thrust into second spot with 600,000.

(Photo: Charles Harvey)

Then as we approached the bubble Steve Watts grabbed our attention. Londoner Watts is very good friends with the former World Boxing Champion David Haye, and Watts was taking a few hints from his boxing buddy by knocking people out left, right and centre. Before you knew it Watts was in second place with 620,000 chips and surrounded by more bodies than a morgue.

(Photo: Steve Watts)

As we crept into the last level of the night, all eyes were on the bubble. There were 38 players left with 36 getting paid and a whole host of short-stacks desperate for a bit of luck. One player who was not considering a bubble exit was Oliver Nilsson. Nilsson was sat on a well above average 400,000 chips but that did not stop him heading to the rail in 37th place! In a hand against Franck Boyer, Nilsson had flopped a straight on a board of [Th] [9h] [7h] and Boyer had flopped middle set. Both players announced they were all-in and a cruel trail of runner-runner deuces handed Boyer 873,000 chips and Nilsson a broken heart. While all eyes were feasting on the drama of that hand, David Prince was waving bye-bye to his short stack as he left us in 37th place signifying an end to the day’s festivities.

So with 36 players left it is time for a few hours sleep before we return at 14.00 (GMT) for Day Three of this fabulous tournament. We will play down to a final table of six players so it is going to be a cracker. Make sure you don’t miss it!