The opening event of the Party Poker Irish Poker Championship Tour kicked off this Friday, August 1.  The event took place at the Eglinton Card Room and Casino and was the first of eight scheduled to take place across the island.  The tour has attracted 298 partipants so far, this despite a snowstorm that engulfed the island, making it extremely difficult for many to get to Galway.

The tournament appears to be on the way up as there are tournaments all over the “Emerald Isle” and Party Poker will be running satellites to help players qualify.  Participants are expected from all over the world for the events.  Tournament winners and a set number of runners up from each stop get an invite to the first major UK tournament of 2009, the 2009 Irish Poker Championships.

Ireland has started on its way to becoming a hotbed of poker and poker players most recently with Marty Smyth winning himself a 2008 WSOP bracelet. The 2008 Irish Poker Championships attracted many players of note to the event including ‘Ambassador of Poker’ Mike Sexton, ‘Flying Dutchman’ Marcel Luske, Robert Williamson III, Jon Kalmar, and many more.  Most of these players are expected to also be involved in the 2009 event, which is a testament to the success of this year’s event.