Poker pro Niall Smyth gave new meaning to the phrase “luck of the Irish” in April this year when he turned a Euro 10 bet on Grand National winner Ballabriggs into Euro 650,000 when he won one of Europe’s most prestigious poker tournaments, the Paddy Power Poker.com Irish Open (see previous report), and he was at it again this week, adding another Euro 70 000 to his career winnings by taking down the Ladbrokes Irish Poker Festival.
His continuing good fortune enabled him to enter the Ladbrokes event using winnings from the prior Paddy Power success, where part of his prize for being the last online qualifier standing ? the Sole Survivor – was an additional Euro 100,000 sponsorship package that enabled him to play the tournament in Killarney.
Besting 568 other hopefuls in the Euro 500 buy-in event, Smyth ended the tournament heads up against Eamon Doran, beating him to claim the cash and the glory despite starting the final table third last in chips.
“It’s epic. Just brilliant to win another big event,” said a delighted Smyth. “When my kings held against the A-K I knew I had a real chance. Being the Paddy Power Sole Survivor means I’m free-rolling these events and it just couldn’t be any better.”