ANGRYBOY234 took down this morning’s Brekkie Roll Freeroll - proof of the power of agression! The Jimi Hendrix-inspired VoodooChilli couldn’t make the music needed to soothe the savage breast of the eventual winner, while taipingbang wasn’t explosive enough to finish better than 3rd. Still, free money is free money and I’ve always said that anger management courses were rubbish…in fact, I’m making myself mad just thinking about them…I think a ten-minute time out in the padded cell we have here on the poker floor of Paddy Tower is needed before I go on an Incredible Hulk-style rampage - you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry…!

Results of this morning’s 6am PPP Brekkie Roll Freeroll
$50 freeroll. 119 players.

1. ANGRYBOY234
2. VoodooChilli
3. taipingbang
4. Celticghost
5. acehighlooser
6. 69chris69
7. momo68B
8. andy49
9. Adminguest
10. hen88

It goes without saying by those who attended or participated in the Irish Open that the six days of Poker enjoyed in Citywest, Dublin was a great success. Not only for Neil Channing, Donal Norton and all others who cashed in the main event or any of the side events, but for those of us who could not play but were on the rails (during our break, of course!) or just there to soak up the unique Irish Open atmosphere. I don’t think the Prison Love (our resident bluegrass band) take on Motorhead’s classic Ace Of Spades will be forgotten anytime soon!

So what’s next on the calendar for Paddy Power Poker? Well, in addition to exclusive online promotions we run on a regular basis for our players, we are proud to announce the paddypowerpoker.com Irish Winter Festival, scheduled for October Bank Holiday weekend (October 25th-27th). Online qualifiers to this exciting event will kick off on April 13th and players can participate in weekly Grand Final satellites. The festival will take place at Citywest, Dublin and is highlighted by a €1,500 + €150 main event that will feature an estimated €1,000,000 prize pool!

Neil Channing topped the tree and took the plaudits, but his was just the best of 72 great performances.  Congratulations to all who cashed in the paddypowerpoker.com Irish Open main event!

Results of the 2008 Irish Open

1 Neil Channing €801,400.00
2 Donal Norton €420,000.00
3 Thomas Dunwoodie €275,000.00
4 Tim Blake €220,000.00
5 Danilo Paulsen €175,000.00
6 Edwin Tournier €135,000.00
7 Carsten Joh €100,000.00
8 Eric Larcheveque €75,000.00
9 John Keown €50,000.00
10 Mark Spellman €32,500.00
11 Peter Linton €32,500.00
12 Hassan Mohammed €32,500.00
13 Andrew Grimason €24,000.00
14 William Martin €24,000.00
15 Thomas Dempsey €24,000.00
16 Thomas Finneran €24,000.00
17 Surinder Sunar €24,000.00
18 Philip Starrs €24,000.00
19 John Kabbaj €18,000.00
20 William Haughey €18,000.00
21 Frederic Levy €18,000.00
22 Tony Salmon €18,000.00
23 Thomas Fourgeron €18,000.00
24 Conor Tate €18,000.00
25 Anthony Fagan €18,000.00
26 Padraig Parkinson €18,000.00
27 Nick Goodall €18,000.00
28 Bill O’Keefe €13,000.00
29 Mazhar Nawab €13,000.00
30 Charlie Harvey €13,000.00
31 Iam Van Trinh €13,000.00
32 Knut Rysstad €13,000.00
33 Julian Thew €13,000.00
34 Sorel Mizzi €13,000.00
35 Lars Hougaard €13,000.00
36 John Moran €13,000.00
37 Kiko Lacasa €9,000.00
38 Belkacem Laouar €9,000.00
39 Kristoffer Nyberg €9,000.00
40 Tominari Kobayashi €9,000.00
41 Kenneth Greaney €9,000.00
42 Emmett Davis €9,000.00
43 Nariman Faramarzi-Rad €9,000.00
44 Kieran Small €9,000.00
45 James Daly €9,000.00
46 John Conroy €6,500.00
47 David Dean €6,500.00
48 Willie Clynes €6,500.00
49 Jaka Faraz Quddus €6,500.00
50 Brian Antoniotti €6,500.00
51 Sebastien Caleechurn €6,500.00
52 Dominic Heaver €6,500.00
53 Alexander Fitzgerald €6,500.00
54 Magnus Hulden €6,500.00
55 John Paul Fox €5,500.00
56 Simon Hennessey €5,500.00
57 Dave Masters €5,500.00
58 Rumit Somaiya €5,500.00
59 Michael Finn €5,500.00
60 Andrew Cowan €5,500.00
61 Timothy Barany €5,500.00
62 Keith Littlewood €5,500.00
63 Daniel Walley €5,500.00
64 James Honeybone €4,500.00
65 Annette O’Carroll €4,500.00
66 Colin King €4,500.00
67 Abel Meijberg €4,500.00
68 Thomas Nyberg €4,500.00
69 David Albertsson €4,500.00
70 Gavin Moir €4,500.00
71 Michael Nolan €4,500.00
72 Anthony Wetherall €4,500.00

Congratulations to Neil on a fantastic performance against a field of 667 players including many of the best players in the world. He will be a more than worthy champion!

Congratulations to Neil Channing who has won the 2008 Irish Open and a prize of €801,400. Donal Norton finishes runner-up for €420,000.

In the deciding hand Norton moved all-in from the small blind and Channing called. Channing turns over A9 and Norton flips 55. The flop was a decisive Q/A/10 giving Channing the lead in a tournament deciding pot. The turn K and river A means that Channing’s A9 wins the race and makes Neil Channing the champion.

We’re not many hands into our heads-up battle but Neil Channing has asserted his chip lead for those which have been played. Norton’s raises are getting snapped off both pre/flop and on the flop by Channing. The one pot that went to show down saw Channing land a 1,200,000 pot with trip aces.

Thomas Dunwoodie has been eliminated from the tournament in 3rd place collecting €275,000. Neil Channing moved all-in with A7 and Thomas Dunwoodie called with A8. The board came a dramatic 4/Q/3/9/7 meaning Dunwoodie loses the lead on the river and has been knocked out.

Latest stacks:

Neil Channing 4,436,000

Donal Norton 2,234,000

Short-stacked Thomas Dunwoodie moved all-in and Donal Norton calls. Dunwoodie shows 9/7 and Norton flips 8/5. The board comes 2/Q/Q/6/4 meaning the nine high plays and Dunwodie wins an 800,000 pot. 

Latest (estimate) counts from the paddypowerpoker.com Irish Open.

Neil Channing 3,800,000

Donal Norton 2,100,00

Thomas Dunwoodie 850,000

Thomas Dunwoodie moves all-in from the small blind for 256,000. Donal Norton calls. Norton shows A5 and Dunwoodie has A4. Tha excitement is short lived however as the board comes 8/10/J/6/Q meaning its a split.

Latest chip counts from our final three players:

Neil Channing 3,790,000

Donal Norton 2,434,000

Thomas Dunwoodie 422,000

We are currently on blind level 30,000-60,000 with a running ante of 4,000. The average stack in the tournament is 2,223,300.