Irish Rule Tournament

12/27/2008		Italian Takes Europe
Home History Games News Dictionary		London's Ladbroke Poker Million, a live tournament for online poker enthusiasts to come play alive game with the big boys, developed into a coincidence that couldn't have scripted better. The final table consisted primarily if a showdown between Irish players, each greenman trying to hold his own against the others to take the title and subsequent $1 million prize money. The final win went Irishman Marty Smyth who won out against his comrades in the Million Dollar tourney. It marked Smyth's third visit to the final table in his last three tournaments played, and that may've been the motivation needed to take home the first place prize of a cool million. Second place was occupied by Internet poker star Eoghan O’Dea. In addition to the slew of Irish that took over the competition, the game play itself was exciting, with Smyth bouncing back from a sure-end low of just $15,000 in his hand. He started the last seating half-way through the pack, and fellow Irishmen Eoghan O'Dea and Ciaran O'Leary in the lead with $339,000 in chips. The rest of the table was filled out by Svein Petter Nielsen, Kevin Allen from Britain and Liam Flood. It came as no surprise that such an exciting competition resulted from the setup. Edward Ihre of Ladbrokes Poker made the following observation before the last round began: "Who knows what happens when you get two 'Poker Million' veterans, a couple of WSOP Bracelet holders, an internet champ who's running hot and a couple of freeroll qualifiers." he said. "This will be a poker game at its most extreme!” After Smyth was able to recover from his 15,000 chip low, it became a co test between him and young Eoghan O'Dea, on whom rested high expectations after his win of the iPoker's European Championship of Online Poker. Smyth held on, taking the mil from O'Dea who had to satisfy himself with the second place $260 000 prize. The winnings brings Smyth's total career winnings to over $4 million. Third place went to O'Leary and fourth to flood, who received $175,000, and $130,000 respectively.

12/27/2008

Italian Takes Europe

London's Ladbroke Poker Million, a live tournament for online poker enthusiasts to come play alive game with the big boys, developed into a coincidence that couldn't have scripted better. The final table consisted primarily if a showdown between Irish players, each greenman trying to hold his own against the others to take the title and subsequent $1 million prize money.

The final win went Irishman Marty Smyth who won out against his comrades in the Million Dollar tourney. It marked Smyth's third visit to the final table in his last three tournaments played, and that may've been the motivation needed to take home the first place prize of a cool million. Second place was occupied by Internet poker star Eoghan O’Dea.

In addition to the slew of Irish that took over the competition, the game play itself was exciting, with Smyth bouncing back from a sure-end low of just $15,000 in his hand. He started the last seating half-way through the pack, and fellow Irishmen Eoghan O'Dea and Ciaran O'Leary in the lead with $339,000 in chips. The rest of the table was filled out by Svein Petter Nielsen, Kevin Allen from Britain and Liam Flood.

It came as no surprise that such an exciting competition resulted from the setup. Edward Ihre of Ladbrokes Poker made the following observation before the last round began:
"Who knows what happens when you get two 'Poker Million' veterans, a couple of WSOP Bracelet holders, an internet champ who's running hot and a couple of freeroll qualifiers." he said. "This will be a poker game at its most extreme!”

After Smyth was able to recover from his 15,000 chip low, it became a co test between him and young Eoghan O'Dea, on whom rested high expectations after his win of the iPoker's European Championship of Online Poker. Smyth held on, taking the mil from O'Dea who had to satisfy himself with the second place $260 000 prize. The winnings brings Smyth's total career winnings to over $4 million.

Third place went to O'Leary and fourth to flood, who received $175,000, and $130,000 respectively.