Online Poker Sites Host Qualifiers For Irish Festival

Poker players have the chance to win a seat at the Irish Poker Classic.

A number of online poker portals have announced satellite tournaments for the Irish Classic Poker Festival, which gets underway in Cork next month.

Irish gambling firms such as Boylesports and Paddy Power are offering the chance to qualify for the €100,000 (£85,200) main event on their poker sites, while a number of live satellite events are also scheduled for casinos across Ireland.

Poker players can also book their place in the €1,000 buy-in main event through online qualifying tournaments operated by Ladbrokes and Betfair.

The Irish Classic Poker Festival takes place from August 10th to 16th at Ireland's largest casino complex, the Macau Sporting Club.

Opened in 2001, the venue is situated on the Cork waterfront and boasts a 13,000 sq ft gaming floor.

Last year's Irish Classic was won by 'Lucky' Rob Taylor, who outlasted a field of 169 players including Michael Greco, Roy Brindley and Annette Obrestad to take home the €46,000 first prize.