Dublin Player Wins Poker Prize in Galway

Big win for Irish poker player Brennan.

Rory Rees Brennan emerged as the first major poker tournament winner of 2009 after taking down the PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship (IPC) in Galway last week.

The 23-year-old Dubliner, who became a poker pro after leaving university in 2006, beat 30-year-old electrician Chris Dowling in heads-up play to pocket the first prize of €160,000 (£144,350).

Dowling took home €90,000 for second place, while Essex-based player Ben Vinson left Ireland with €55,000 after being eliminated from the final table in third.

Brennan later described his victory, which came after a heads-up session with Dowling lasting two and a half hours, as "unbelievable".

"I went on to the final table as chip leader but at times I thought I was down and out. I am proud of how I played and, in particular, how I changed gears at key times," the Irishman said.

Last year, the IPC Tour saw poker tournaments take place across Ireland in locations such as Galway, Waterford, Cork, Limerick and Dublin.