Welcome to the PaddyPokerPoker.com Irish Open, Mr. Channing. We Hope You Enjoy Your Stay...

The PaddyPowerPoker.com Irish Open came of age in 2007 when it attracted the largest field in European history, but in 2008, it truly established itself as one of the biggest, brightest, and most enjoyable poker tournaments in the world. The €3 million-guaranteed prize pool attracted the best of the best from across the globe, and with 667 players vying for the much coveted Terry Rogers trophy, PaddyPowerPoker.com added a generous €200,000 to the prize pool.

Past, Present, Future
Citywest Hotel in Dublin played host to the event and provided the perfect home for an international poker tournament of this calibre. The huge tournament room, dressed immaculately in the sponsor's colours, looked straight out of Vegas, and with nearly 100 tables for the main event and side events simultaneously, the sound of riffled chips was almost deafening. Outside the tournament area, however, the sounds were of live music, robotic animals, and a packed and lively bar. Dave "Devil Fish" Ulliott played some bluegrass with the band, and Andy Black hung on for dear life as he was thrown from side to side by the bucking bronco; this was truly a poker extravaganza, and everyone was there to party.

The real star of the show -- pre-tournament, at least -- was "Texas Dolly" himself, Doyle Brunson. The living legend had returned to Ireland in a bid to win the Irish Open trophy, named in honour of one of his great friends. "The Irish Open was started by Terry Rogers, who became a very special friend before he passed, so that gives me extra incentive," said Brunson before the tournament. It was evident from his play that he meant it, too, as he was one of the chip leaders when the remaining players from the two day ones returned for the start of play on day two.

Another player with a special affinity for the Irish Open is Padraig Parkinson. Parkinson has been a mainstay of the tournament for years, but the trophy has always eluded him; this year, however, the home crowd really got behind him as he made an impressive assault on the title he most desires.

Reigning champion Marty Smyth was eliminated early on day two, and fans and players alike excitedly tried to predict who would replace him. One man was extremely confident of his own chances and put his money where his mouth was. Neil Channing, as much offended as pleased to see himself quoted by Paddy Power at 100/1, decided he was good enough for a £500 outright-winner bet. The bookmaker and 666 competitors would soon learn not to bet against the man known as "Bad Beat."

Rebel on a Roller-Coaster Ride
As the field consolidated and the wheat was separated from the chaff, a few key players emerged as serious contenders, amongst them Brunson, Parkinson, Channing, young Irishman Donal Norton, and 2007 third-place finisher Sorel Mizzi. Brunson, who claimed to be playing his best poker in years, was soon out, however, having received no love from the poker gods. In a pot that would have given him the chip lead, he got it all in when ahead with top two pair on an 8-7-2 flop against Abel Meijberg's pocket queens. A cruel deuce on the turn counterfeited the great man's hand, and with his giant Stetson rising from the table, he was met with a genuine round of applause from the entire room.

Brunson made many friends in Dublin with his charm, grace, and generosity of time, which included a two-hour book signing the night before the main event. Speaking of Ireland in his CardPlayer.com blog, Brunson said, "I never met so many nice people. They are really proud of their country and they don't mind telling you that. The tournament was very well run and I am going back to the Irish Open next year if they want me." I'm sure they will.

While others were going to church or eating chocolate eggs, 52 hopeful players took their seats on Easter Sunday for day three. With Brunson gone, most of the attention fell on the most popular player in the room. To say that the home crowd was rooting for Padraig Parkinson would be the understatement of the year. There was genuine emotion as Parkinson waded his way through the enormous field, a feeling that was amplified by the fact that the Galway native wears his heart very much on his sleeve. During a hand, he is one of the most unreadable players in the game. Between hands, it was plain as day that he wanted this title more than anything, and as the money bubble burst and Parkinson continued to amass chips, it looked very much like this could be his year.



However, sometimes your greatest enemy in poker can be a bad player, and things turned sour for Parkinson during one key hand when his opponent pushed all in over the top of his substantial raise with K-Q. It was a needless play, as Parkinson was committed to call, and he was, of course, ahead when he flipped over his tens. A king on the flop halved his stack, and so began a roller-coaster ride of all ins and coin flips, which eventually saw his run end in 26th place, for €18,000.

"I got so caught up in the buzz around the place that I tried to bury a few ghosts," lamented Parkinson. "If I'd thought of burying 25 live guys, as well, it would've worked out perfectly!"

Mistimed Moves
Sorel Mizzi, who had been so dominant all week, was also gone. With Roland De Wolfe and Brian "The Fox" O'Keeffe eliminated, the Canadian online superstar had been the final player left with a chance of back-to-back final tables. In the money, he had bullied his way toward the chip lead, but eventually fell afoul of his own aggressiveness. On a Q-J-7 flop, Mizzi check-raised all in with K-J, only to receive a reluctant call from William Martin with A-Q. No king meant that Mizzi was crippled, and he left the building shortly afterward in 34th place, for €13,000.

The longest-lasting PaddyPowerPoker.com online qualifier, Emmett Davis, exited on day three, too, finishing 42nd, for €9,000, but at least he earned the added bonus of free entry into the 2009 Irish Open to comfort him, as part of the site's Paddy First promotion.

Many of the regulars from Terry Rogers' "Eccentric Club" days had been in attendance this year, including Scott Gray, Sean Fagan, Don Fagan, and World Series of Poker Champion and three-time Irish Open winner Noel Furlong. The last of this old guard to fall was Surinder Sunar, who finished 17th, for €24,000, and with last year's seventh-place finisher Thomas Finneran exiting next in 16th, it was clear that the winner of the 2008 Irish Open was going to be a new addition to the lore of this grand old tournament.

And if eccentricity and folklore go hand in hand with the Irish Open, what about this for a new chapter? The day that he checked in to Citywest Hotel, some weird technical hitch resulted in the following message appearing on all of the TVs in the lobby and bar -- "Welcome, Mr. Neil Channing. We hope you enjoy your stay at the Citywest Hotel."

Message in the Lobby
The message was supposed to appear only on the TV in his room, but perhaps the poker gods were preparing the masses for what would be a skillful, aggressive, and domineering final-table performance from one of the great characters on the poker circuit.



The final six players took their seats at the television feature table to a standing ovation. Channing had most of the chips, but he faced stiff competition from Tipperary man Donal Norton, who had replaced the previous day's intimidating blue hoodie and headphones with a red T-shirt to match Channing's. Perhaps this was a statement of intent to do bloody battle to keep the title on home soil. Joining them were Dutchman Edwin Tournier, Norwegian Danilo Paulsen, along with Englishmen Tim Blake and Thomas Dunwoodie.

Channing, a professional poker player, author, and former bookie from London, held an impressive chip lead, the result of three hard days of calculated and creative play, and he had no intention of letting it go. He started the final table with 2.8 million in chips, more than double that of his nearest competitor Norton, who had 1.2 million.

Three hands in, however, Norton eliminated short stack Tournier to claw back some of the gap. But Channing proceeded to knock out Paulsen, Blake, and Dunwoodie, and he began heads-up play with 4.4 million in chips to Norton's 2.2 million. As is often the case in these situations, a potential coin flip arose for the leader to take the title, and Channing is not one to back down. Norton pushed from the small blind with pocket fives and Channing took his shot with A-9. An ace on the flop sealed the deal, and the Irish Open has a proud new champion. Despite the huge home support for Norton, Channing proved a deserving and popular champion. Norton, in his early 20s, picked up a life-changing €420,000, while Channing not only walked away with the €801,400 first prize, but also picked up £50,000 for his bet on himself to win.



"I think it is great what Paddy Power has done for the Irish Open," said a delighted Channing after lifting the Terry Rogers Memorial Trophy. "They ran a great event, added €200,000 to the prize pool, and offered a really good book on the tournament. They went a lot further than many other bookmakers would go."

More than any other tournament, the Irish Open is about tradition, and it was fitting that the champion was crowned in front of a guard of honour that included some of the names that have made the tournament over the years, such as Liam Flood, Padraig Parkinson, Ciaran O'Leary, and Jesse May. The party continued well into the night in the hotel bar, and there were a few bleary eyes to be found in the lobby the following morning. As Channing checked out, it was clear to all that he had most certainly enjoyed his stay.