Paddy Power is one of the more innovative poker providers out there, with a good record in value-based qualifiers, and ability to link their betting operations into live poker tournaments, and an eye for the spectacular.

After the recent fleshfest that was the largest game of strip poker, which broke a Guinness World Record and garnered massive media coverage, Paddy Power has two new developments, the opening of betting for the Irish Open and the return of the ‘Paddy Last’ promotion.

The Irish Open is Europe’s oldest live poker tournament, boasting a rich tradition, and it always attracts the cream of European professionals.

The 2006 event was televised live on Sky Sports in the UK and won by Dubliner Vincent Melinn who pocketed the €350,000 first prize.

This 2007 incarnation is slated for Easter weekend with a €2 million guaranteed prize pool and a capacity for 800 players paying a €3,300 (+€200 reg) buy-in to play against the best players in the world.

Paddy Power has opened betting on the event with some interesting markets and prices.

The ‘outright winner’ market is the first of many markets on which punters can back themselves, a friend or simply their fancy. Other markets over the coming months will include ‘to make final table’, ‘group betting’, ‘match betting’, ‘female to make finale table’, ‘age of winner’, ‘nationality of winner’ and many more.

Paddy Power, spokesman for the Irish bookmaker, said, ‘We paid out €47,000 to the winner Vincent Melinn last year who had €250 each way on himself at 150-1 and he gave most of it away to another player. I wish he’d given some back to us!”

The early market, which can be found at www.paddypower.com, includes:

Mel Judah 80 – 1
Ram Vaswani 80 – 1
Dave Colclough 100 – 1
Barny Boatman 100 – 1
Padraig Parkinson 100 – 1
Ross Boatman 100 – 1
Joe Beevers 100 – 1
Roy Brindley 100 - 1
Andy Black 100 – 1
Donnacha O'Dea 125 – 1
Noel Furlong 150 - 1
Vincent Melinn 200 – 1

Not only that, the Irish Open will see the return of the ‘Paddy Last’ promotion, where the last qualifier from Paddy Power Poker left in the tournament will win a 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event package. Nice touch.

Last year’s winner Sligo man Pat O’Callaghan scooped the €12,500 package to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas by outlasting over 48 other online qualifiers, coming 19th and winning an additional €6,000 in prize money.

Players can qualify for the Irish Open in the following ways:

• Win a Grand Final seat daily at 2 pm & 10 pm - buy-in $12 + $0.60 (rebuy)
• Buy in directly to a Grand Final for $198 + $9.90 every Sunday at 9 p.m. (rebuy)
• Win one of our $1 (10c registration fee) Shootout Tournaments on the 1st Monday of every month at 8pm.