Continuing its tradition as the oldest and one of the most prestigious poker championships in Europe, PaddyPowerPoker.com announced on Tuesday the dates for the 2009 Irish Open.
In addition to announcing the tournament’s run, slated for April 9th-13th, Paddy Power Poker will start a promotion for all players that qualify for the 2009 event.
In announcing the €100,000 Sole Survivor online tournament, Paddy Power Poker should be able to top 2008’s field of 667 players (there is an 800 player cap on the field for 2009). All players who qualify through the site’s satellite events, which start on October 26th, will be eligible to play in the Sole Survivor tournament. The player who survives the online war will walk off with an astounding prize package worth €100,000.
“We always try to offer our own qualifiers something special for outlasting their peers and this year certainly won’t disappoint,” Paddy Power, Communications Manager for paddypowerpoker.com, told Poker News Daily. “The €100,000 package will be in addition to whatever prize money they win at the event, so it will be a real windfall for whichever qualifier stays in the game long enough to become our Sole Survivor!”
The Irish Open has been contested since 2006 and has been a top attraction for many of today’s top professionals. Even with such players as former World Champions Doyle Brunson, Dan Harrington and Noel Furlong and other professionals such as Mel Judah and World Poker Tour commentator Mike Sexton in the mix, a player from the United Kingdom has won the tournament each year.
In its inaugural year, Irishman Vincent Melinn outlasted the 339 player field and Englishman Ian Woodley to keep the Irish Open crown on the Emerald Isle. 2007 saw a significant increase in players as a 708 runner crowd gathered for the event, with Ireland’s “Mad” Marty Smyth conquering online superstar Sorel Mizzi and Full Tilt Poker’s Roland De Wolfe to take the championship. Seven months ago, England’s Neil “Bad Beat” Channing decimated the final table on his way to taking his largest payday – and the largest payday ever at the Irish Open – of €801,400.
With the field capped at 800 players, there will be a sizeable first place prize awaiting the 2009 victor. The 2009 Irish Open has a buy in of €3,200 + €300 (down from last year’s €4,500) and a Super Satellite tournament will kick off play on April 9th. If the cap is hit, it will create a €2,560,000 prize pool and Paddy Power Poker normally adds to that amount.
While the 2008 tournament poker season has yet to wrap, it isn’t too early to start to take a look at 2009. With the added incentive of the Sole Survivor challenge, the 2009 Irish Open promises to be one of the most lucrative and combative championships to be contested in Europe. For more details on the 2009 Irish Open, visit irishpokeropen.com and to learn the details behind the €100,000 Sole Survivor promotion celebrating the 2009 Irish Open, head over to paddypowerpoker.com.
