Big Names Line-Up For The First Major Tournament In Europe In 2009 - Irish Poker Championship.

The first major poker tournament of 2009, the €2,000 buy-in (9% withheld) Party Poker's Irish Poker Championship http://www.partypokeripc.com/, takes place from January 2nd to 5th, 2009 at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Galway, Ireland. There will be 400 players battling it out in front of the TV cameras. Coverage of the main Galway event will be televised on RTE and then distributed internationally. The event is organized by Pokerevents.ie, with the coverage produced by Winmedia Ireland Ltd.

The final round of the IPC Tour takes place in the Red Cow Hotel in Dublin this weekend - Saturday and Sunday (December 13th & 14th). Main event on Saturday has a buy-in of €320+€30, Sunday's Support Event has a buy-in of €200+€20. The events are being run by JP Poker and a big crowd is expected. You can also win your seats at IPC online, at Party Poker.

The Party Poker Irish Poker Championship has attracted a lot of interest and the list of those taking part reads like a who's who of Irish poker. Look out for such players as Noel Furlong, Donnacha O'Dea, Marty Smyth, Padraig Parkinson, Scott Gray, Ciaran O'Leary, Premier League II winner Andy Black, Dave Callaghan, Tony Cascarino, Liam Flood, Rory Liffey and last year's champion Jude Ainsworth. There will also be a big international contingent heading to Galway in search of victory including "Ambassador of Poker" Mike Sexton, Kenna James, Dave "Devilfish" Ulliott, Benjamin Kang, Surinder Sunar, Mad "Marty" Wilson, Mickey Wernick, Alan Vinson and 2008 Irish Open champion Neil Channing. France will be represented by Claude Cohen and Veronique Gourdon, while Spain's challenge is led by Leo Margets and Party Poker Women's World Open II star May Maceiras.

Last year's champion was Galway's Jude Ainsworth who took home a cool €180,000 first prize, with the runner-up Mick McCool from Nottingham in the UK. In addition to the main event there are a number of good value side events (support and charity events) and satellites taking place like Thursday's January 1st MEGA Satellite €300+€30 at Eglinton Casino at 8PM where 12 seats are guaranteed.

The craic and hospitality of the event is well known and a player party is being thrown on New Years Day at 6pm, where a full bar, food and entertainment is the order of the day. On Sunday 4th January at 9pm there will be a special charity event ‘Poker for the Homeless,' where a percentage from each buy-in goes to worthy charities in Dublin and Galway.

Winmedia Ireland Ltd is an industry leader in producing this kind of tournament coverage and this year they have created a specially designed Irish pub set that will host the televised table and 2 feeder tables.

Ian Langstaff of Winmedia Ireland Ltd said: "We are delighted to be producing and transmitting coverage of the Party Poker Irish Poker Championship on RTE again this year. The fact that RTE are transmitting eight episodes of coverage rather than the six they did last year shows the popularity of the IPC."

Online qualifiers for the main event have been running on Party Poker since December 1st. The IPC package is worth $5,000, including the $2,800 buy-in, $1,000 spending money and accommodation in a luxury hotel. The main $250+$25 online satellite takes place at 14.15 ET every Sunday where for every 20 players a package will be rewarded. Last weekend 6 packages were given away.

There is also one date left on the successful PartyPoker Irish Poker Championship Tour, with a stop at Red Cow Hotel, Dublin on Saturday 13th December. Among those who have committed to take part include Scott Gray, Don Fagan, Mick McCloskey, Len Collin and recent EPT Barcelona runner-up Fintan Gavin. The race for the Party Poker Irish Poker Championship Tour leaderboard bonuses goes on with first receiving €5,000, second €2,000 and third €1,000. Meath's Jay Renehan looks favourite to take first place in a battle with online professional Michael Graydon and Galway based cash game specialist Christy Morkan but everything could change on the last stop of the Tour!

Also in the running is Cork-based Martin Noonan, popular blogger Len Collin and Letterkenny casino owner Joe McAvoy. Another casino owner, EPT Barcelona runner-up Fintan Gavin, is also in with a shout. 100 players have already registered for this event and the top 5 are guaranteed seats to the Party Poker IPC Main Event. For more information and for further ways to qualify through land based satellites over the festive period visit IPC Promotions page on the Party Poker website.

Party Poker Irish Poker Championship 2008, Radisson SAS, Galway, Ireland - Main Event - 4th-6th January 2008. The 298 runners built a prize pool of €542,500. And here are results:

1. Jude Ainsworth (Galway) €180,000
2. Michael McCool (Nottingham, UK) €100,000
3. Tommy Watson (Athlone) €60,000
4. Trevor Dineen (Cork) €35,000
5. Michael Moran (London) €25,000
6. Keith McFadden (Donegal) €18,000
7. Glen McCabe (Lurgan) €15,000
8. Bernard Brady (Galway) €12,000

Final table chip stacks:
1. Keith McFadden (Donegal) - 698,000
2. Jude Ainsworth (Galway) - 527,000
3. Trevor Dineen (Cork) - 385,000
4. Tommy Watson (Athlone) - 300,000
5. Bernard Brady (Galway) - 300,000
6. Michael Moran (London) - 296,000
7. Michael McCool (Enniskillen) - 249,500
8. Glen McCabe (Lurgan) - 150,000