Online Poker

The Paddy Power Irish Poker Open is the longest running No Limit Texas hold 'em poker tournament in Europe and second longest in the world after the World Series of Poker.

The Irish Poker Open was started by a well known Irish Bookmaker Terry Rogers in 1981. The Tournament is Europe's largest fixture on the International Poker calendar and is traditionally held over the Easter weekend each year.

The Irish Poker Open has seen huge growth in the past three years, in 2006 the even with 339 players had outgrown the Merrion Casino location and was held in Jury's Ballsbridge Hotel in Dublin. In 2007 the event was changed to the Burlington Hotel Dublin to make room for more players.

In 2007 the Irish Poker Open Main Event had a guaranteed prize pool of €2 million, twice the size of the guaranteed prize in 2006 but with a European record 708 players the prize pool was increased to more than €2.3 Million.

The final table of six was made up of four Irishmen, an Englishman and a Canadian. The winner, Marty Smyth took home the €650,000 first prize after a two hour heads up battle against World Poker Tour and European Poker Tour winner Roland de Wolfe. Successful online player Sorel 'Imper1um' Mizzi from Toronto finished third ahead of Irishmen Danny McHugh (4th), Brian O'Keeffe (5th) and Nicky Power (6th).