Karl Hutson, Paddy Power Poker’s operations boffin, defeated Mr. Blue Square James Dempsey in a ‘Battle of Tribeca network’ heads up grudge match at the first International Charity Heads Up Council (ICHUC) tournament recently in the Fitzwilliam Card Club, Dublin for the benefit of the Poker 4 Charity and OnePercentPledge charities. The event raised almost €2,000.

Karl’s victory however was not enough to stop the Great Britain team romp to an 8-3 victory in the 22 person event.

Eleven players from each team competed, mano-a-mano, over a variety of games designed to test the strength-in-depth of each country’s skills: eight games of no-limit hold em, one pot limit Omaha game, one pot limit Omaha high-lo game, one pot limit seven card stud game.

The Irish team was sponsored by paddypowerpoker.com and the Great British team by bluesqpoker.com – making this a deadly dual to be crowned the King of Tribeca tables.

The tournament was played in an atmosphere of competitive revelry and Karl was giddy with glee recalling his superior skills which enable him to send Mr. Blue Square back to Britain broke.

‘The was a 5000 starting stack with 10 minute blinds’, he explained. ‘I got a 2000 lead after the first level but ran AQ into AK allin preflop. His AK stood up and I was down to the felt but grinded it back up over a couple of levels until I reversed standings with about 8000 vs his 2000. I got him all in preflop with AK vs his K10 and he hit a 10 on the flop. A raggy turn but a beautiful Ace on the river finished it.’

Karl was as magnanimous in victory, as he was gracious about the Irish team’s defeat. ‘James was a great lad but he should obviously give up playing poker. My team were mostly deranged, probably from going to the pub before the game. If I was managing this team I’d sack them all. Except me of course. And maybe Marq O’Neill.’

Marq was probably the most unlucky man in Christendom on that Ill-fated Saturday.

‘The tides turned when Marq O’Neill, our Pot limit Omaha Hi/Lo expert got it all in against Jen Mason from Blonde Poker having flopped the nut straight and bottom set of 8s!!!’ exclaimed Karl. ‘She got a runner runner flush avoiding Marq’s numerous redraws to cripple him. Even the best poker brains in the building couldn’t work out exactly how far he was ahead.’

A return match is scheduled for 29 September in Newcastle, England.