Keown earns victory in Ireland

Winter has arrived and with it the annual PaddyPowerPoker.com Irish Winter Festival of poker. This year’s €1,000 + €100 main event saw a 395-strong field taking to the baize at Dublin’s famous Burlington Hotel. After three long and grueling days of play, the two players left battling it out for top honours were two Irishman, John Keown from the North and Noel O’Brien from the south. 

Going into heads-up play, O’Brien held a slender chip lead and it took over an hour before the most decisive hand of the session took place. Keown bet 500k into a flop of 4s-5h-3s only for O’Brien to push all-in with his 8d-3h. Keown thought long and hard before eventually calling and showing Qs-7s for a gut-shot straight, two overlords and flush draw making him the slight favourite. A nine of spades on the turn completed Keown’s flush draw and left O’Brien on the verge of defeat.

The man from the south didn’t give up though, two successive double-ups gave him a glimmer of hope, but that was to be the last of O’Brien’s lucky streak. The very next hand O’Brien’s Kc-6c ran into Keown’s Ad-5d when the board missed both players, Keown’s Ace high was good for the title and with it a cheque for €100,000.

Keown also received a Sole Survivor bonus of €20,000 for lasting the longest of any PaddyPowerPoker qualifier with the prize money consisting of 50 per cent cash and 50 per cent tournament buy-ins.

Here’s how the final table finished up:

1. John Keown €100,000
2. Noel O’Brien €57,950
3. Chris Dowling €35,750
4. Matej Kokalj €28,750
5. Michael Mazilu €22,750
6. Brian Warren €18,550
7. Damien Quinlivan €14,400
8. Ville Salmi €11,750
9. Colm Hayes €8,700