Player Interview: Patrick Clarke
Professional poker player and 2014 Irish Open Champion Patrick Clarke has been chipping up all day to head into dinner break third in chips.
After starting the day with 260,000, he now has 935,000 with two levels to play in Day 3. PokerNews caught up with Clarke at the beginning of dinner break to find out how he earned his chips and to learn his strategy going into the money bubble.
Clarke: I had been chipping up at small pots until this pot came along. I defended in the big blind. I flopped top two with king-nine. I checked to the original raiser. He bet 6.5k, and I made it 16.5k. He called. Turn is a 
. I bet 22k, and he instantly jammed for about 40k, and I call him off. He shows tens, and I fade the two outs.
Then I continued chipping away at small pots until I got around 500k and another big pot happened.
The under-the-gun opened to 6k, I called 6k, and the big blind also called. Flop comes 
with two hearts. Original raiser bet 7k, and I made it 26k. The big blind jams for 250k. I had pocket threes, so I'm never folding there, and I was just hoping he had 89. He did, and the runout bricked for him.
I won a few other small pots, and that got me where I am right now.
PokerNews: Seems like an ideal situation. I realize you have all the chips, but how has the play at your table been?
Clarke: I'm very happy with my table today. I've had great tables for the last two days but I don't feel like I've been tested that much. I've been very happy with my draws.
PokerNews: What's your strategy as the money bubble approaches?
Clarke: I'm going to keep going the way I'm going.
PokerNews: Are you being a bully?
Clarke: (laughing) A little bit, maybe, but I can afford to be. No one is playing back at me, so I'm just going to keep playing my game.
PokerNews: What experience do you have playing the Main Event?
Clarke: This is my third year playing. The previous two years, I went out set over set. The weird thing is two years ago I went out with a set of threes to pocket eights, so I wasn't too happy on the flop. I sort of thought déjà vu. Luckily, it worked out.