For a small island, Ireland has a lot to offer when it comes to the story of poker. After all, it was the Irish who were credited with bringing poker to Europe.
Ireland has had card clubs since the 1970s as well as poker festivals in hotels, pubs and even purpose-built tents ever since.
The Emerald Isle is also home to the world famous Irish Open, the longest running poker festival in Europe. It’s also the second longest running poker festival in the world after the World Series of Poker.
Along the way, Ireland has also produced a lot of very fine poker players too. Bracelet winners, TV tournament winners, sponsored pros, commentators, columnists and plenty of big online winners as well.
Below, we take a look at some of the top poker players Ireland has given us over the years. Andy Black
Most famous for almost winning the 2005 World Series of Poker main event, Black held over one third of the chips in play at the final table before ultimately finishing in fifth place. But it was this near-miss, broadcast to a massive poker audience on ESPN, that launched Andy Black’s poker career.
A coveted sponsorship deal quickly followed for the Belfast native and with it came the opportunity to travel the globe and play at the world’s most prestigious poker tournaments.
Since then, Black has become Ireland’s most successful poker player having amassed nearly $5,000,000 in tournament earnings.
A victory in the star-studded made-for-TV Premier League Poker tournament in 2008 earned Black $250,000 and the most significant title of his career.Other titles won include the Amateur Championship of Poker (ACOP), as well as a victory at a pot limit Omaha event at the Irish Open.Interestingly, Black is also known as the Monk, having spent five years in a Buddhist environment. Marty Smyth Marty Smyth currently sits in second place when it comes to lifetime earnings at poker tournaments by Irish players and it’s no surprise with some of the big titles he’s won during his career.Winner of the Poker Million, the Irish Open, a World Series of Poker championship bracelet and a World […]
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