Huge Numbers at the Killarney Poker Festival

The Killarney Poker Festival held last week at the Gleneagle Hotel and INEC proved to be an overwhelming success with big increases in the fields for every event and a brilliant Irish Poker Cup Main Event winner in world-renowned Irish poker superstar Marc McDonnell taking first prize.

Marc defeated Conor’Hammers’O’Driscoll in the heads up to take home €88,000 when his flopped trip 8s stood up against Conor’s flush draw. Conor was disappointed but still took home €77,000 after the two had agreed to an ICM chop whilst holding back €5,000 and the trophy for the final battle. Conor also picked up the Paddy Power Poker Sole Survivor €10,000 bonus for being the longest lasting online qualifier. Ironically, Conor is also sponsored by Paddy Power Poker as their online Twitch player so it’ll be easy enough for them to pay his prize.

Irish Poker Tour Ambassador, Darren Harbinson put up an outstanding performance to finish third collecting €40,000. The three day nature of the competition and the slow blind structure allowed the cream to rise to the top as the final table also included other star names; Patrick’Clicky’Clarke, Keith Cummins and Seamus Cahill along with well known amateur players Stewart Samuels, Gareth Hamilton and John Hanaphy.

Total prizepools for the Festival topped €1.2 million with most tournaments doubling or even tripling their advertised ambitious guarantees. Players from all over Ireland and much further afield expressed their delight with the whole Festival with many booking their hotel rooms for next September already.