The first major poker tournament of the new year has been played out at the Radisson Hotel in Galway, Ireland with the PartyPoker Irish Poker Championship.  A field of 255 players entered the main event including the likes of Mike Sexton, Marty Smith and defending champion Jude Ainsworth.  However, it was Rory Rees Brennan who prevailed to claim the 2000 euro buy-in 2009 Irish Poker Championship Main Event title.

This was Brennan’s biggest tournament victory and cash as he was rewarded with 160,000 euros for his win.  The Irishman had had a good 2008 as he finished 51st at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and won a pot-Limit Omaha event at the European Deep Stack Championship now he has made an even better start to 2009.

Brennan was joined at the final table with local Galway lads David Curtis and Derek Murray together with fellow Irishmen Chris Dowling, Rory Liffey, Peter Murphy as well as Krzysztof Gwszko of Poland with Britain’s David Poole and Ben Vinson completing the line-up.

Ben Vinson showed some good form leading up to the final table as he played his part in knocking out many players and was the chip leader as the final table began. 
Local Galway residents David Curtis and Derek Murray had support from the crowd but it wasn’t going to be their names on the 2009 Irish Poker Championship trophy.  Murray was out in eighth place and Murray did better to finish fifth.
Down to three-handed play, the players left were Brennan, Chris Dowling and Ben Vinson.  Despite his early form it wasn’t to be Vinson’s year and he was out in 3rd place collecting a reward of 55,000 euros. 

So the heads-up was an all-Ireland affair as Brennan took on Dowling.  It was a long battle of two and a half hours with Brennan ending it by hitting an ace to clinch the 2009 Irish Poker Championship.

It was a good event for the BoylePoker team as they were represented in the final table by Rory Rees Brennan, Peter Murphy and Rory Liffey.

Here is how the final table finished in full with the players’ prize money:

Rory Rees Brennan – 160,000 euros
Chris Dowling – 90,000 euros
Ben Vinson – 55,000 euros
David Poole – 30,000 euros
David Curtis – 20,000 euros
Krzysztof Gwszko – 15,000 euros
Peter Murphy – 12,500 euros
Derek Murray – 10,000 euros
Rory Liffey – 8,000 euros

Print version