Irish Poker Classic

Final individual results:

1. Rob Taylor, €46,000

2. Oliver la Rochelle, € 47,500

3. Ryan O’Donoghue, €38,250

4. Nicky Power, €41,250

5. Jeff Duvall, €15,000

6. Jonathan Butters, €12,500

7. Mick O’Brien, €10,000

8. Ben Blackmore, €7,500

9. Paul Corrway, €5,000

10. Michael McKeever, €4,000

The sixth annual €150,000 guaranteed Irish Poker Festival at the Macau Sporting Club, Cork has been won by Irishman Rob Taylor who collected the €46,000 for his victory in the €1,500 + €100 no limit hold’em freezeout from Aug. 15 to 17, 2008.

The event attracted a record 169 players, up significantly from 114 last year, and included Annette Obrestad, Michael Greco, Ian Woodley, Roy Brindley, Marty Smyth, Jeff Duval, Sylvester Geoghegan, and Mick McCloskey.

After three days play the chip counts going into the final table were:

Jeff Duvall: 455,000

Michael O’Brien: 360,000

Nicky Power: 355,000

Ryan O’Donoghue: 300,000

Mick McKeever: 255,000

Jonathan Butters: 245,000

Olivier la Rochelle: 230,000

Paul Corrway: 160,000

Ben Blackmore: 125,000

Rob Taylor: 90,000

McKeever was ousted in 10th place as O’Donoghue made a full house on a board of Q-7-5-Q-X holding 5-5. McKeever held K-Q, hit top pair on the flop, and after some betting, moved all in. Despite hitting a third queen on the turn, he couldn’t overtake O’Donoghue who was the new chip leader after the pot. McKeever had to be content with €4,000.
Corrway was next to exit, getting his chips all-in pre-flop against Taylor . However his pocket queens ran into Taylor’s pocket aces and Corrway hit the rail with €5,000 for his ninth place finish.

The deciding hand for eighth place saw Blackmore raise to 22,000 in late position with pocket tens. O’Donoghue re-raised to 65,000, and Blackmore went over the top. O’Donoghue thought long and hard and finally called with J-J. The board blanked, O’Donoghue increased his chip lead, and Blackmore hit the cage to collect his €7,500.

Soon after Michael “Sideshow Bob” O’Brien, found 6-6 and moved all in getting a call from Nicky Power with A-7. The coin flip fell in Power’s favour as the board ran out K-K-3-9-9 and “Bob” went home in seventh with €10,000.

A short stacked Jonathan Butters then pushed with K-2 but ran into Taylor’s A-Q and an unlucky A-Q-J flop. Despite a possible straight-draw, Butters hopes melted away as he could hit neither running kings, twos or a single 10 and he was gone in sixth for € 12,500.

The next hand saw Jeff Duvall from London get his chips into the centre of the table on a board of 10-7-3. Power called with 3-3, Duvall turned over A-10 and hit neither the turn nor river. He exited in fifth for €15,000.

The final four then struck a deal for the remaining prize pool and Power got busy again, this time against Taylor, but the runner-runner on the turn and river saw his jack-high flush beaten by Taylor’s ace-high flush.

Taylor’s 4-4 then held strong against O’Donoghue’s A-10, before the Irishman swept away Frenchman la Rochelle heads up.