The Irish Poker Tour Makes Its International Debut in London From May 26
Aspers Casino Westfield Stratford in London will be packed to the rafters with poker players from May 26 through May 29 because the Irish Poker Tour is in town. The Irish Poker Tour, as its name suggests, has limited its events to towns and cities in Ireland but is going international for the first time on May 26 when it drops anchor in London.
Tournaments and satellites with buy-ins from £50 to £750 adorn the bustling schedule. They include a £250 buy-in Pot-Limit Omaha tournament, a £750 buy-in High Roller, and the eagerly anticipated £300 buy-in Irish Poker Tour Main Event.
The Irish Poker Tour London Main Event may have an affordable £300 buy-in but it comes with a generous £100,000 guarantee on its prize pool. Each Day 1 player sits down armed with 30,000 chips and plays to a 30-minute clock (15-minutes for the turbo-structured Day 1D) where the blinds start at 100/100. A big blind ante comes into play during the third level, and each Day 1 concludes after the 16th level.
Satellites for the Main Event and High Roller will be available at Aspers Casino Westfield during the festival.
Fintan Gavin, the Irish Poker Tour and player representative, cannot wait for the London festival to start. He revealed he definitely will not be the only Irish player at Aspers this weekend.
"It's a perfect location for a poker festival, and over 100 Irish are coming to play everything. Main Event, Omaha, High Roller, you name it we will play it! Aspers is the perfect fit for this special event as they can readily accommodate the expected large field and out friends at Paddy Power Poker have made it even more special by qualifying a whole bunch of players and by digging deep and adding extra value to the prize pools."
Full Irish Poker Tour London Schedule
| Date | Time | Tournament | Guarantee | Buy-in | Clock | Type | Late Reg. | Stack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 26th May | 1:00 p.m. | Satellite to Irish Poker Tour Main Event | 10 x Seats | £40 + £10 | 20 mins | 1 x Re-Entry | 6 Levels | 10,000 |
| 5:00 p.m. | Irish Poker Tour Main Event Day 1A | £100,000 | £265 + £35 | 30 mins | 1 x Re-Entry | 8 Levels | 30,000 | |
| 8:00 p.m. | NLH | £10,000 | £130 + £20 | 20 mins | 1 x Re-Entry | 6 Levels | 20,000 | |
| Fri 27th May | 12:00 p.m. | Irish Poker Tour Main Event Day 1B | £100,000 | £265 + £35 | 30 mins | 1 x Re-Entry | 8 Levels | 30,000 |
| 3:00 p.m. | Turbo Satellite to Irish Poker Tour Main Event | 10 x Seats | £40 + £10 | 15 mins | 1 x Re-Entry | 6 Levels | 10,000 | |
| 5:00 p.m. | Irish Poker Tour Main Event Day 1C | £100,000 | £265 + £35 | 30 mins | 1 x Re-Entry | 8 Levels | 30,000 | |
| 8:00 p.m. | PLO 4 Cards | £1,000 | £225 + £25 | 20 mins | 1 x Re-Entry | 6 Levels | 20,000 | |
| 9:00 p.m. | Irish Poker Tour High Roller Satellite | 7 x Seats | £100 + £15 | 20 mins | 1 x Re-Entry | 6 Levels | 15,000 | |
| Sat 28th May | 12:00 p.m. | Irish Poker Tour Main Event Day 1D Turbo | £100,000 | £265 + £35 | 15 mins | 1 x Re-Entry | 8 Levels | 30,000 |
| 4:00 p.m. | Irish Poker Tour Main Event Day 2 | £100,000 | - | 40 Mins | - | Closed | - | |
| 5:00 p.m. | Irish Poker Tour High Roller | £35,000 | £700 + £50 | 30 mins | 1 x Re-Entry | 6 Levels | 30,000 | |
| 8:00 p.m. | Satellite to Killarney IPT Festival Satellite (£1000 Package Added) | £5,000 (+£1,000) | £130+ £20 | 20 mins | 1 x Re-Entry | 6 Levels | 15,000 | |
| Sun 29th May | 1:00 p.m. | Irish Poker Tour Main Event Final Day | £100,000 | - | 20 mins | - | Closed | - |
| 4:00 p.m. | NLH | £5000 | £130 + £20 | 20 mins | 1 x Re-Entry | 6 Levels | 20,000 | |
| 7:00 p.m. | Progressive Bounty | £5000 | £200 + £25 | 20 mins | 1 x Re-Entry | 6 Levels | 20,000 |
A Fantastic Start to the Irish Poker Tour
The Irish Poker Tour has got off to a fantastic start since its launch with seven stops already completed in addition to a Grand Final that awarded some impressive prizes. Those seven stops guaranteed a combined €95,000 for the €150 buy-in Main Events but paid out €232,500 in total. Live poker is most certainly alive and well in the Emerald Isle.
The Irish Poker Championship was the Main Event of the Irish Poker Tour Final in Limerick in late February. It came with a €300 buy-in and a €150,000 guarantee, but 836 entrants created a €221,540 prize pool, much more than the advertised guarantee.
Brian Slattery emerged victorious from this event and took home €58,000 for his €300 investment. The other players who finished in the top five each walked away with five-figure sums. Kevin Malone (€36,000), Ken Murray (€23,000), John McDonnell (€15,000), and Dave Pollock (€10,800) being those players; the latter won his seat online at Paddy Power Poker.
