I spent €11 on poker because I was bored ...now I’m up against best in the world and it’s for mega-bucks!
SHE spent just €11 on an on ine poker match and now Cork woman Teresa Araci will play for millions in The Bahamas. The finance worker for Apple had never even played a card hand in the flesh before the surprise she had won a place on an international tournament. But now, having travelled 4,000 miles with boyfriend, Diego Dad, she is facing the chance of changing her life for good because of one moment of boredom. The 27-year-old said: "I was just fiddling about on my laptop after work and was a bit bored so thought Id play poker. It's not something I do that often but I gave it a go and paid $11. "I can't even remember much about the game because I was just relaxing but suddenly I had won and I had qualified for another game which was worth S500 so I just carried on. if I'm honest I didn't know exactly that I was in another game but I just played on and then the game was over and I thought nothing more about it.
LIFE-CHANGING
"But I got an email form PokerStars congratulating me on the great game and offering me an all-expenses trip to The Bahamas to play in the tournament. I thought it was a joke or a scam and I didn't think much about it. "But then I mentioned it to my boyfriend Diego who looked at the email and he said it was legit. He works as a dealer in a casino in Cork and he much more into cards than I am. "We read the email again and they were offering chance to go to The Bahamas with a $1,000 towards my flights, a five-star hotel room for two and $1,000 spending money for the trip and $10,000 to play poker with. "The total value was $15,850 and ljust couldn't believe it. I thought there was no way I could play in a big proper tour-nament with world class players. "I'd never even played a hand of poker with another human being. So I decided to see if I could cash-in the offer so someone else could have it but it was non-transferable. "Diego of course was very excited about the possibility of coming here to The Bahamas and in the end we booked the flights and here we are for nine days"? Teresa got busy preparing for the trip and visited the Macau Sporting Club in Cork where her boyfriend works to try her hand playing poker face-to-face. She added: "It went OK but it's so different to playing online and I started reading everything about how to tell if people are bluffing about their hand around the table. "Basically I've done a crash course in poker in the hope that this trip will be life-changing in more ways than one. "Whatever happens it's not costing us anything and the experience will be fantastic. But I'm here to win now so I'm just going out to do my best. 1 have been walking around the poker hall and it's vast and packed and all you can hear is the tapping of poker chips which sounds like little insects: Teresa has told her friends back in Cork about her big trip and they have promised to go online to watch her progress. Her mum though, who lives in Calabria, Italy, was a different matter. Teresa said: "She was very worried that if I lose I'll have to pay back all the money
Whatever happens it's not costing us anything & experience will be great TERESA ARACI ON HAVING FUN AT THE POKER EVENT
for the hotel and the flights and everything and I’ll be in debt. But I checked and I was able to assure her that it’s mine and if I win I get more and if I lose, I lose nothing.
“I’m dreaming about buying a car to get around Cork better and maybe, well just maybe, a home of our own.”
Poker players from around the world have gathered in the Caribbean for the high stakes tournament, including a small but determined Irish contingent.
With millions up for grabs and stars like Usain Bolt and comic Kevin Hart taking part, it’s set to deliver huge thrills.
But with an average win of just 17% per player, there will be spills too. The Poker Stars Caribbean Adventure runs until tomorrow in the vast Atlantis Resort, Nassau, and Dundalk man Adrian O’donoghue and Cashel native Larry Ryan are taking their chances too.
DELIGHTED
They both paid into satellite games for $55 and won their tournaments.
And they have joined competitions in 31 tournaments on the schedule – including the return of the $10million main event.
But Adrian’s first match was not successful after he crashed out within an hour.
He said: “Well you win and you lose. I lost this one but I’ll be back tomorrow to go again. I’m calling this my warm-up.”
The 48-year-old, who owns The Pet Centre in Dundalk, travelled with his wife, Julie, to the event after qualifying to play with a competition award of more than $18,000 which has covered all his costs including his match fee.
But his one mistake, he added, has been leaving their two sons, Cian, 17 and 21-year-old Jordan, at home.
He said: “I paid €55 and qualified for a $550 match and I qualified so got the tickets booked and now I’m raging with myself we didn’t bring the boys – absolutely raging.”
Cashel businessman Larry said: “It is gambling and it can be addictive so you need to be sensible. “I played poker for years and at our kitchen table there was always cards being played when I was a child.”
So far Larry has won $3,500, a Playstation and a place at the million dollar main event.
It is gambling and it can be addictive so you do need to be sensible while playing LARRY RYAN ON POTENTIAL DANGERS OF PLAYING POKER