Irish Win CelebPoker Classic

Alan Smufit Scoops Top Prize At £125,000 Poker Tournament!

Alan Smurfit, celebrity Irish businessman, won the Palm Beach Celebpoker Classic No Limit Texas Hold 'Em Tournament last night (Sunday) at the Palm Beach Casino in London's Mayfair.

Smufit, who sold his Dublin-based packaging company for 3.9 billion euros two years ago, has renounced retirement in favour of playing the international poker circuit - with spectacular success. He beat roofing contractor David Clark in an exciting heads-up climax.

The pair had outplayed a strong field of 125 experts and online qualifiers, including snooker celebrities Jimmy White, Mark Williams and Ken Doherty, actor Michael Greco, actor Terrence Maynard, PGA golf pro Sam Torrance, and a host of poker professionals.

Smurfit's first prize was £51,700, presented by www.CelebPoker.com. Clark's second prize was £25,800 and the third prize of £14,000 went to Charalambos Xanthos, better known in the poker world as Bambos.

The key hand occurred when Smurfit was low on chips when the table was four-handed. He went all-in with 6-5 off-suit, and when the board gave him 7-9-8 for a straight, he was back in contention.

"It was a thrill to win, " he said afterwards. "Not so much for the money, but for the excitement of winning!"

POKER FAQ: WHAT'S A LEAK?

A leak is when something is wrong with an opponent's playing technique or strategy. When this weakness becomes apparent, it's a leak!

CARD SCHOOL QUESTION

You're dealt pocket kings close to the money and there's a call and a raise prior to you. You've got nine big blinds left. What do you do? Think through your answer before checking with our suggestion.

CARD SCHOOL ANSWER

You go all-in! There's a good chance an opponent has an ace and if they're going to call and outdraw you, you want them to pay for the honour.

All The Aces daily poker column:
Wednesday August 3rd, 2005:
Irish Win CelebPoker Classic