Irish Open PokerThe Irish Open was the brainchild of the late Terry Rogers, a well known Irish bookmaker. The tournament is Ireland's largest and a firm fixture on the European poker tour. It is traditionally held over Easter weekend each year and attracts the games' greats. Since Terry Rogers death in 1999 the tournament, originally held in Dublin's Eccentric Club, has been hosted by tournament director and poker player Liam Flood and the Merrion Casino. By 2006 the event, with 339 players, had outgrown the Merrion Casino and was held in Jurys Ballsbridge Hotel. This year's event will take place in the Burlington Hotel, Dublin. The Irish Poker Open 2007 has a guaranteed prize pool of €2 milliontwice the €1 million guarantee of 2006 - and will host up to 800 players from across the globe. Irish Open HistoryIn the late 1970's Terry started to hold poker tournaments for charity under the auspices of the Eccentric Club. According to Liam Flood, a fellow bookmaker and friend of Terry's the games would get anywhere between 100 and 300 players playing 5-card draw for £100 to £200 per game. That was a lot of people for that kind of money at the time. Every year Terry would go to America on business. In May 1979 he had a few days off and went to Las Vegas. He saw this high stakes poker game going on and met Benny Binion and the rest is history." Always one to spot an opportunity Rogers cemented his relationship with Binion and his band of high-rolling players by taking bets from them on the outcome of the games, offering the type of long odds the Americans had never seen before. "Guys like Benny Binion, Doyle Brunson and Chip Reese really held Terry in high esteem," states World Series of Poker bracelet winner and former Irish Olympic swimmer Donnacha O'Dea. "He'd give them great odds, better than any American bookie would give, but he still made sure he had a 20% over-round." After the 1979 World Series Terry returned to Ireland enthusing about what he'd seen. Stud and draw were the poker variants of choice in Ireland but the new variation he'd seen in Vegas, no-limit hold'em, beat them all for excitement and skill. The Irish Open was organised under the auspices of the charity fundraising organisation started by Terry called the Eccentric Club. It attracted mainly local players but Rogers already had is eye on expanding the event. Donnacha O'Dea remembers the stunts Rogers pulled to generate interest in the Irish Open. "He'd publicise betting on the tournament in the Racing Post along with an event such as the Super Bowl so he could get around the law on advertising such events. He'd install an outsider such as 'Suitcase' Johnny as favourite. Poker players would then see these odds and think to themselves, 'Well I'm much better than this guy who's favourite' and immediately want to take part in the tournament." Terry's annual trips to Las Vegas and the success of the first Irish Open led to the US players he had befriended at the World Series of Poker repaying their debt of gratitude for his generous bookmaking services by making a rare excursion from their home soil to play in Ireland in 1982 and 1983. Donnacha and Liam remember the American invasions with glee. "One year Terry got them a yellow Rolls Royce for when they arrived at the airport. Another year he arrived with a white horse which Amarillo Slim, who was a real horseman, rode out of the airport. "Those years he had Tom McEvoy, Jack Keller, Stu Ungar, Doyle Brunson, Chip Reese, and Perry Green from Alaska. It was funny to see them try to pay for goods in Killiney village with chips from Terry's poker tournament, something they were used to doing in Vegas." One magazine report of the 1983 event describes how Stu Ungar "stalked from the room, his whole body rigid with fury" after being knocked out of the main event early. His fellow players gently mocked him as he skulked away. Later in the evening the reporter spotted Ungar and Puggy Pearson (1973 World Series main event winner) throwing $50 chips on the floor of the hotel, betting on whose would get nearer a crack in the carpet! The Irish Open has been sponsored by www.paddypowerpoker.com since 2004. Irish Poker Open 2006 and 2007The $1 million guaranteed Irish Poker Open 2006 attracted its largest ever turnout of 339 players over Easter Weekend. The final table of the event was broadcast across Europe on Sky Sports and was won by Dublin accountant and businessman Vincent Melinn. Vincent collected a cheque for €350,000 by beating Ian Woodley and won a further €47,000 by placing a €250 each way bet on himself at 150-1 with Paddy Power bookmakers. The Irish Poker Open 2007, again held over Easter weekend at the Burlington Hotel, will have a guaranteed prizepool of $2 millon and will attract up to 800 players. It will also be filmed for broadcast. Past Winners
Qualify for the Irish Open today. Click for the Irish Open Qualifying Schedule. Back to December 2006 NewsBack to Poker News Index |
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