Smyth wins in Dublin

Martin Smyth of Belfast is the new Paddy Power Poker Irish Open champion after he beat Roland de Wolfe after two hours of heads up play in Dublin on Monday 9 April evening.

Smyth took the title when his K-9h made a bigger flush against de Wolfe’s 10-3.

It was a mighty heads-up battle, lasting over two hours, with Smyth taking home €650,000, and de Wolfe €325,000 for their troubles.

De Wolfe set the early pace with his typically aggressive game, and was among the chip leaders throughout the tournament. However he was unable to claim another top flight title to add to his WPT and EPT wins.

Waterford boys, Nicky Power and Brian O’Keeffe went out 6th and 5th, earning €100,000 and €125,000 respectively. Mayo man Daniel McHugh picked up €175,000 for his fourth place finish. 19 year-old Canadian Sorel Mizzi lifted €210,000 in 2nd.

Tom Finneran from Galway came 7th and also won the ‘Paddy Last’ competition, beating over 70 players to win a €12,500 trip to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

This year’s event, broadcast on RTE Two and Challenge TV (late April), was the biggest tournament ever held in Europe with 708 players and a €2.4 million prize pool (Ireland’s richest ever sporting event; €3,500 buy-in).

Some of poker’s most influential and well known stars from the US and across Europe played in the 26th Irish Poker Open held at the Burlington Hotel, Dublin over Easter weekend, 6-9 April 2007.