Did you know that the Emerald Isle is home to some incredibly successful poker players? Read on to find out all about them!
Gambling in Ireland has been popular for a very long time. However, it seems that one game is more popular than others: poker.
Poker is a strategy-based game, and it is not for everyone. Luck is only one factor that determines the winner. People need to learn how to bluff, recognize the bluff, raise their bets at the right moment, and give up when there is no chance they can win.
Of course, with the advanced technology, becoming better at poker (and having fun with this game) has become a lot easier.
If you want to try your luck on online poker in Ireland, you can check some great Irish online casinos on this page www.online-casinos.com/ireland/poker/ and learn more about the opportunities.
However, do you have the chance to become a pro? That only depends on you! Many players from Ireland have managed to achieve huge success in the poker industry. However, five of them have managed to split from the mass of others and defeat the competition.
In this article, we are revealing the top five most famous Irish poker players. So, let’s go!
5. Andrew Black ‒ one of the game’s biggest earners
The mainstream media often call him Andy, and he is the king of this game with a very interesting biography.
He gave up on poker for a couple of years and decided to work on his spiritual side and personal improvement. That is the reason why he decided to become a Buddhist.
According to him, meditation helped him realize who he is, what he wants, and which mistakes he needs to improve. These tools helped him finish in fifth place at the 2005 WSOP Main Event, where he lost a game against Steve Dannenmann.
He may not be the most successful at this game. However, his earnings are the highest! Believe it or not, their value is around 4.7 million dollars. No one from Ireland has managed to break that record!
4. Marc MacDonnell ‒ one of the most famous Irish poker players
Marc MacDonnell had the status of the rising star only four years ago. Over time, he truly managed to achieve certain successes.
For example, he ended up in fourth place at the 2017 WSOP Millionaire Maker. Apart from that, he was also the fourth player on the list at WPT L.A. Poker Classic.
Anyway, there is something even more interesting about his career. He is a stubborn person and hard worker, which only confirms that he truly is Irish.
He used his knowledge to enjoy gambling online. According to our research, he managed to earn nearly 1.3 million dollars there.
That certainly is the piece of information that confirms he has to be on this list of most famous Irish poker players.
3. Dermot Blain ‒ a well-known name worldwide
When we talk about the all-time live tournament list, Dermont Blain is in fourth place. Whether he will manage to get to the top is something we are yet to see.
However, something worth mentioning is that he earned around 2.3 million dollars from this lovely activity.
The biggest achievement of all in his career happened in 2009. He managed to win one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world: Asia Pacific Poker Tour Macau.
The Dublin native’s success is mostly connected with Texas Hold’em Poker. But he is also a good player in Omaha.
Apart from everything we just said, he has always been interesting to people worldwide because of his fiery red hair. Also, people love him because he is extremely friendly and cool.
2. Dara O’Kearney ‒ focusing on the local industry
Dara O’Kearney is popular among Irish people for a bit different reason than other players from this list. He invested a lot of energy in improving the poker business field within the country.
However, that also doesn’t mean he was unsuccessful during his active involvement in poker tournaments. According to the information that we have, he managed to earn around 900,000 dollars from poker.
His biggest achievement was becoming a runner-up at Event #45: $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em. That happened at the 2015 WSOP when he managed to earn around 260,000 dollars.
1. Donnacha O’Dea ‒ a hugely successful player
If you are a younger person or simply someone who follows poker tournaments for a short period, then Eoghan O’Dea will probably sound more familiar to you.
However, we give ourselves the right to say that he is not the most popular poker player in the family. Donnacha O’Dea reached the WSOP Main Event final table two times, in 1983 and 1991.
However, the biggest success of this poker veteran happened in 1998. That year, he won one of the four pieces of WSOP gold that had come to Ireland.
Donnacha beat Johnny Chan and earned nearly 155 thousand dollars, cementing his place as one of the most famous Irish poker players.
Generally speaking, he was more popular as an Olympic swimmer. Even today, he is the holder of the Irish national record.
But that doesn’t mean his poker career should be underestimated. He truly did participate in a huge number of prestigious tournaments.
Conclusion ‒ our rundown of the most famous Irish poker players
As you see, the most popular poker players from Ireland all have some interesting stories. Some of them are holders of national records, and others became Buddhists.
If you want to experience even one piece of success they achieved, we suggest you start your journey online with small steps. That way, you will figure out whether this game is for you or not.
