The third Irish Poker Championship, hosted by Pokerevents.ie, has been scheduled for 3 - 6 January 2008 and is promising a a prize pool of €800,000.

With a €2,000 buy-in this will be Europe’s first major tournament of the year and it is expected to attract 400 players from around the world. Well known poker players Bruno Fitoussi, Ciaran O’Leary, Padraig Parkinson and Robert Williamson III are among the big names anticipated to attend.

Organisers Pokerevents.ie said: “This great value festival of poker attracts all levels of player from professional, to intermediate, to novice. It offers a deep-stacked, slow-structure game as well as an array of attractive side events.”

Sponsoring the Irish Championship will be Patypoker.com. “We’re very pleased to sponsor this well established, highly regarded tournament and Ireland is a great country for poker with an amazing pedigree,“ a spokesperson for the company said.

The tournament, which will be held at the Radisson Hotel and Spa in Galway, will be recorded for six one-hour long programmes to be broadcasted internationally by RTE – Ireland’s national broadcaster.

“The venue is great, overlooking Galway Bay, and is sure to make for a fantastic weekend of quality poker and fun in a unique Irish atmosphere. Galway is easily accessible by road, rail, and air and has a unique culture of arts, music, literature, history, and ‘craic’ and is perfectly suited as a location for Europe’s most alluring boutique poker festival,” said a spokesperson for Pokerevents.ie.

Players can win entry into the tournament the by playing in any of the hundreds of satellite tournaments held in pubs and clubs across Ireland, or in games on partypoker.com.

The schedule for the Irish Poker Championship is:

Thursday 3rd January 2008 • Super Satellite - €200 + €20

Friday 4th January 2008 • Main Event Day 1 - €2,000 (9 percent withheld) No Limit Hold'em Freezeout

Saturday 5th January 2008 • Main Event Day 2 - €2,000 • Supporting Event - €800 + €80 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout

Sunday 6th January 2008 • Main Event Day 3 - €2,000 • Supporting Event - €400 + €40 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout