Card Player Poker Tour: 30 Years of Irish Poker – Part IIAfter the inaugural Irish Open, Big Names From Las Vegas Traveled Overseas to Attend |
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The Paddy Power Poker Irish Open is now part of the Card Player Poker Tour. With a colorful history spanning more than three decades, the Irish Open is sure to add additional buzz and excitement to the CPPT.
The longest running tournament in Europe and the second longest running tournament in the world, behind only the World Series of Poker, the Irish Open will crown its newest champion April 18-21 in Dublin, Ireland.
Over the coming weeks Card Player will take a look at the last three decades of Irish poker, beginning with the first Irish Open in 1981.
1981
Terry Rogers’ passion for poker lead to the formal establishment of the Irish Open in 1981 but the main event was not no-limit hold’em at the time: it was 5-Card Stud.
Colette Doherty was the first winner and would go on to win the event a second time in 1991. After her win Doherty used the money, about £22.000, to become the first woman to play in the World Series of Poker main event.
“Terry insisted she call Binion’s in Las Vegas that very night and get her name down for the main event that year,” said famous Irish poker pro Donnacha O’Dea, who played alongside Doherty in the first Irish Open. “He kept back the $10,000 entry fee in case she tried to change her mind.
1982
Rogers annual trips to Las Vegas continued and at the 1982 WSOP main event he had the unfortunate distinction of being the first man out after a mere 15 minutes of play. His friendships with players like Doyle Brunson, Tom McEvoy, Jack Keller, Stu Ungar and Chip Reese and the success of the first Irish Open the year before was enough to bring some of the biggest names in the game at the time back to Ireland for the second annual Irish Open.
It is said Rogers picked up friends up at the Dublin airport in a yellow Rolls Royce. That year Frank Conway would win the Irish Open.
1983
The influx of American players continued through 1983 due to the success of the year before. McEvoy returned for a second year, having just won the WSOP main event, and was joined by Puggy Pearson and Amarillo Slim. Rogers airport antics also continued, this time with Slim riding a white horse out of the Dublin airport.
Jimmy Langan became the third Irish Open winner that year.
1984
Tony Bryne’s year was 1984. The Irishman’s pocket Queens stood up against Noel Furlong’s pocket sixes during the final hand of the 1984 Irish Open. Furlong would go on to win the Irish Open in 1987, 1989 and 1992. He then became a world champion when he took down the 1999 WSOP main event.
1985
Irene Tier became the second female winner of the Irish Open and to date, is one of only three women to win the title, joined by Doherty and Jenny Hegarty, the 2001 champion.
For more information on the CPPT Paddy Power Poker Irish Open, click here.
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