Poker aces hoping to get flush at high stakes challenge

THE chips will be down as nine poker players battle it out for €500,000 in Dublin tomorrow.

Irish-born Andrew Black, Europe's top earner after grossing a reported €1.6 million last year, is among the favourites for a big pay day as poker professionals gather from around the world.

Up to 350 people qualified for the opening rounds. They were joined by keen poker players and celebrities such as snooker professionals Alex Higgins who was dumped in the preliminaries last night.

Ken Doherty, Steve Davis and comedian Tommy Tiernan were among other personalities preparing to try their hands.

Qualifying competitions for the Boylepoker.com Irish Poker Championship commenced in September last, and included online winners, with the lucky entrants contesting this weekend's final in the Citywest Hotel.

The prize pot will be one of the biggest on offer in Europe this year, said competition organiser Fintan Gavin.

"This event is a showcase for the talents of Ireland's top players," said Mr Walsh.

"It's a record breaker in many ways, being the biggest-ever poker tournament in this country."

He emphasised: "The finals have attracted professionals from all over the world, including the USA, the Faroe Islands, Germany and Scandinavia, along with a London-based contingent called the Hendon Mob."

Mr Walsh said the event took 18 months to plan. "Two years ago, we held the first Texas Hold'Em tournament here but, 25 years ago, Dublin was hosting major poker events.

"It's my intention to put Ireland on the international poker map as a host country of big events. We have the history and we have the players."

In six regional qualifying events in Limerick, Galway, Athlone, Sligo, Dublin and Cavan, some of the 350 finalists shared pots totalling €300,000.