Multitabling in the multimedia

I constantly go backwards and forwards on the question of whether I see myself as a predominantly live player who also plays online, or an online player who also plays live. I played online before I ventured out live, and my good pal John O'Shea once told me he saw me as an Internet kid disguised as an old guy live player. John was extremely drunk at the time, but unlike most people severe inebriation doesn't seem to inhibit his insight or capacity for
straight talking.

I've undoubtedly had a bigger impact as a live player, even if I've actually made more money online. But I haven't had the kind of major eye-catching score that John or Eoghan O'Dea or Jude Ainsworth have had online: most of my profit has been ground out in low key sit n gos and unglamourous cashes in minor online MTTs. Maybe it comes down to whether I'm running better live or online at any given moment. When live is going bad, it's always reassuring to be grinding away successfully online, and conversely when going bad online a live score is a major consolation. However, when Liam Flood asked me in Nottingham recently how I was going and I said well live bad online but I'd prefer the other way around, so maybe it's really online deep down. Then again, it probably doesn't have to be one or the other: I find that if I don't play 2 days (or rather nights) live in a week I feel a little antsy and want to get out of the house, but if I play more than that I start wondering why I ever leave the house.

Last night saw the dichotomy between the two reach a surreal conclusion in the Eglinton as I played both live and online at the same time bringing a new dimension to multitabling. Never need much of an excuse to visit Galway in general and the Eglinton in particular and with nothing major on in Dublin this week I decided instead of spending the night grinding online, I'd grind on the train to Galway, play the tourney for however long I lasted, then grind on the 5 am train that would get me home around the time I'd normally be going to bed.

As it happened, it was a pretty good night's work: I chopped the IPR ranking tournament in the Eglinton while simultaneously winning the online tournament on Bruce. Some funny looks early on as I played live with my laptop literally on my lap. Played even tighter than normal in the online game so I wouldn't have to give it too much attention. At the start of the headsup, I had a slight chiplead which rapidly became a 3:1 deficit before I decided it was time to stop playing automatically and give it more attention, so I withdrew from the live game until I'd won the headsup online. Came back to a short stack but a few double ups later was in a commanding situation and hit the final table second in chips behind Derek Murray. Highlight hand was sucking out on Siobhan Blaney much to her disgust (she hung around for the rest of the tournament glaring at me and telling anyone in earshot what a fecking eejit I was). It started with her raising utg to 2K at 400/800 with a 100 ante. I had Q9s in the BB and decided that if someone else called it would give me the implied odds, or at least an excuse, to do likewise. Flop came a rather lovely 998 and I check raised all in after she overbet the flop with her obvious overpair (QQ as it happened). Obviously I was running very well for once: throughout the night any time it got to the stage where it looked like I might have to force a move I picked up or flopped a monster in the nick of time.

Derek played brilliantly as ever and had a real rollercoaster. As ever the blinds got so big the hands played themselves and when he shoved from the button for 5 bigs and I looked down at KJ it was an autocall. He had Q9s and I held. Lost a massive first pot of the headsup after which I agreed to a deal which gave me second officially (but more money than second obviously). Kevin McCarthy, fresh from his final table in a Barcelona side event, was a most deserving winner.

Obviously happy to notch up another result and feel I'm really in the groove live at the moment. Great night as ever in the Eglinton where Manus, Dave and Fintan always make me feel most welcome. A great room, a great crowd and wifi: what more could you want in a casino?

On the train home I listened to Mick McCool on Boyle's Poker show. I must admit I find the poker show hard going at times, like finding yourself trapped in a bedsit with two guys you don't really know who are very close friends sharing all sorts of in joke hilarity that you don't really get, but Mick is always quality entertainment and insight and once again did not disappoint. Mick has that rare quality of being able to talk sensibly and with principle but be entertaining and not totally up himself at the same time.

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