Legend Returns Home

A true leg end of Irish poker is returning to his spiritual home of Las Vegas this year during the WSOP main event, Vinny “The longlad” O’Toole had defied all the odds, the critics and even some of the more flexible laws of physics by rolling a €25 chip up into a ticket to Vegas at the roulette table in the Eglinton and boy was it fun to watch. I did miss the beginning of this wonderful journey and Vinny had already gotten as far as €500 and was trying to decide which of the outside bets to put it on, at this stage quite a crowd, that didn’t actually contain our hero, had gathered around the table. The Longlad was pacing the floor as the wheel spun, everyone waiting

“come on Vinny, you running out of time”,

“RED” , roars Vinny from the far end of the club.

“500 on Red” shouts the croupier.

Calls of ‘ get inta bed ya bitch’ and ‘go on, give the guy a break’ came from the crowd.

“3 red”, announces the croupier but Vinny can’t hear it over the cheers of the crowd.

“That’s it, book the flight” says Pat O Callaghan, “that was the deal, if you make the €1000 I book the flight for you”

“Ok, ok, absolutely , but ah wouldn’t a little spending money be nice.”, suggests Vincent.

For the next 15 minutes Vinny is sitting in the far corner chewing on an unlit fag shouting his bets up to the table, and boy what a show it was. Down to €500 five times he actually made it to the €2000 mark and pulled out, all to the cheers and congratulations of the entire club, even though I suspect that Fintan may not have been 100% overjoyed with the result but at least he managed to muster up a smile.

So congrats Vincent and best of luck in Vegas, that town may never be the same after the Longlad gets his claws into it.

As for everyone else, don’t say you weren’t warned. My advice would be to keep a well bankrolled gullible yank close at hand in case of a near Vinny experience.