Marty Smyth to appear on Irish Poker Radio this week.

Ireland’s most recent World Series bracelet winner – former irish Open Champion and Poker Million Champion – Marty Smyth is to appear on this week’s Irish Poker Radio.

The show has featured a new guest each week with Padraig Parkinson, Nicky Power and Len Colin to name just a few.

Last Week former European Deepstack Champion Dara “doke” O’Kearney joined the show to talk about his achievements in his surprisingly short poker carear as well his other life-long achievements like being a former chess, bridge and backgammon champion and as a long distance athlete representing Ireland.

Dara was the winner of the 2005 Trasco Marathon and came third in the 2007 New York Ultra Marathon.

If you have an questions for the Boylepoker.com pro, Marty Smyth for this weeks show please email them to studio@irishpokerradio.com.

€570,000 up for grabs on DevilfishPoker.com

Online poker players get their second shot at winning thousands of cash bonus prizes as the World’s Biggest Rake Chase promotion on DevilfishPoker.com starts afresh on August 1, 2009.

Offering more than €1.7 million in prizes throughout the summer, the World’s Biggest Rake Chase is free to enter for players of all levels and bankrolls and takes place over three monthly chase periods — July 1 to 31, August 1 to 31 and September 1 to 30. All real money play counts towards this World’s Biggest Rake Chase including cash games, sit & go tournaments and multi-table tournaments.

July’s Chase was a thrilling affair with many value seekers taking part to earn their slice of the €1.7 million cake. With Aug. 1 heralding a new start for all players — existing and new — the World’s Biggest Rake Chase is expected to ratchet up a gear as players take to the online felt to score free money for simply playing at
DevilfishPoker.com

Online qualifiers underway for Irish Classic Festival at Boylepoker and PaddyPowerPoker.

Online qualifiers for tickets to the seventh annual Irish Classic Poker Festival main event are now in full swing with Boylepoker and PaddyPowerPoker offering seats to the €100,000 guaranteed €1,000 + €100 buy-in main event taking place at the Macau Sporting Club, Cork, Ireland from Aug. 10 to 16, 2009.

Feeder satellites take place on Boylepoker.com on Thursday Jul. 30 and Tuesday Aug. 4 at 9 p.m. BST for $25.00 + $2.50 with one rebuy and one add-on. This will give one seat to the Irish Classic Poker Festival super satellite on Aug. 6 at 9 p.m. (value $100 + $10) for every $110 in the prize pool. Players can also buy in directly to the super satellite on Aug. 6.

paddypowerpoker.com hosts two remaining satellites tonight Jul. 29 and Wed. Aug. 5 at 9.30 p.m. Entry is $100 + $10 with a rebuy and add-on and each satellite has one ticket guaranteed.

WSOP Day 7 Preview

The World Series of Poker Main event is now down to just 8 tables, and one very familiar name sits ominously among the chip-leaders.

Phil Ivey has always been regarded as one of, if not the best poker player in the world.

He has won seven world series bracelets including two this year, but surprisingly has never won a bracelet in a holdem event. What better time to do it than in this years Main Event?

Day 6 was the end of the road for the two remaining former champions, Peter Eastgate and Joe Hachem.

Eastgate was elimiated in an unfortunate hand where he re-raised all-in from the big blind with Ace-Jack and found two callers.

On the turn the board read 6-A-4-J giving the Dane top two pair but the board four flushed on the river and David Kopp’s pocket eights with the eight of hearts brought an end to Eastgate’s reign as defending World Champion.

WSOP Main Event: Day 6 Preview

In 2005 Greg Raymer had what was widely regarded as the best back to back performance of all time in a World Series of Poker Main Event.

Having won the event in 2004 Raymer returned the following year to make the final 3 tables in a field of 5619 runners and was battling for the chip-lead only to have his stack crippled in a painfully unfortunate hand with Aaron Kanter.

2008 champion, Peter Eastgate took home over nine million dollars (four million more than raymer in 2006) and this year the Dane is still on course to complete what could go down as one of the greatest achievements of all time in tournament poker.

Of course it will be far from easy but with just 185 of the 6,494 entrants left it is still anyone’s tournament to win.

Some huge names in Poker including Phil Ivey, ELKY, Antonio Estefandari, David Benyamin and former champion Joe Hachem are also still in the hunt.

WSOP Day 5 preview.

The bubble has finally popped and we are now getting down to the business end of the World Series of Poker Main Event.

There are three Irishmen left (read more to see their respective chip counts and table draws for today)

Andy Black will have a tough day at the office having drawn Rolf Slotboom, “ELKY” and Jeff Schullman all consectuively to his immediate right.

Fergal Nealon from Sligo has maintained a good stack throughout the tournament and both he and Nicky Power will now undoubtedly be looking to change gears in an attempt to finish much deeper in the tournament.

Of the other five Irish who began day four, three made the money.

WSOP Day 3: Eight Irishmen close to the money.

789 players remain in the World series of poker main event and of the fifteen Irish players who began their third day, eight survived.

Overall it wasn’t the best of days for the Irish as some of our bigger stacks and big names were eliminated.

Marty Smyth who had been misreported as OUT due to being named James in the chip-counts failed to make day 4. As did Rory Brennan, Shaun Craig, Stephen “AllinStevie” Devlin, John Magill, Michael O’Sullivan, Anthony Fagan and Jessey O’Sea.

Also, of the survivors, none are in the top 100.

However on the positive side 648 players get paid so we are nearing the bubble and all of the following players are perfectly capable of making a big push on Day 4. 

WSOP Update: G’wan the Irish!

While we’re still waiting on official chip counts from day 2B, we shall give you the run down on all the Irish horses (that we know of) still in the hunt at the World Series of Poker Main event.

Top of the list is Fergal Nealon from Sligo who is happily among the chip leaders on 242,000.

Behind him is Andy Black running well on 215,700.

Other Irish Chip Counts:

Michael O’Sulivan: 140,000, Rory Brenna: 132,000, Michael “BigMickG” Graydon: 132,000, John Magill: 106,000, Nicky Power: 72,000, Albert Kenny: 66,000

Unfortunately Marty Smyth, Padraig Parkinson, Donacha O’Dea and Eoin O’Dea have been eliminated.

Irish Poker Rakings: July Update.

It’s time for our monthly update on the top performers in Irish poker tournaments courtesy of Irish Poker Rankings

Last month Francis McCormack had clung on to the top stop for quite some time despite not having scored any points since March 22nd.

The Vultures have been circling however and it’s Paul Smallwood who has come out on top in June having narrowly missed out on a Vegas package at the Atlantis WSOP super satellite and a 5th place at the Westbuy end of month tournament which has given Paul the majority of his points this year.

Up to second from seventh is Alan Kelleher who made three final table’s in june including a win in the €500 PLO event at the Macau’s short-handed festival.

Despite the attractions of the World Series Main Event there are no less than thirteen ranking events in July.