Full house expected as Poker Open pot hits €4m

THE RICHEST sporting event of 2008 in Ireland will play out this weekend. But instead of golf clubs or rugby gear it is more likely to involve stetson-wearing, cigar-chomping, coffee-swigging men and women who pride themselves on never breaking a sweat while “playing”.

Originally started in 1980 by bookmaker Terry Rogers to fill the social gap left by the closure of pubs on Good Friday, sponsorship of the Irish Poker Open has since been taken over by Paddy Power and this year prize money of up to €4 million will be on offer over the course of the bank holiday weekend.

A record total of about 900 punters are expected to shoehorn themselves into the Citywest Hotel in Dublin for the Paddy Power Irish Poker Open. Some are paying €4,500 for the privilege of taking part, others have won their way through via various satellite tournaments and online qualifiers.