Irish Open 2007 winner Marty Smyth wins WSOP $10k Pot-Limit Omaha Championship

Belfast man takes home Ireland’s first bracelet of 2008

Marty Smyth, winner of the paddypowerpoker.com Irish Open 2007, today won the World Series of Poker $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship tournament, becoming the second player after Noel Furlong (Irish Open 1987 and 1989 winner and WSOP 1999 Main Event champion) to have won both the Irish Open and a WSOP Championship event.

Supported by a raucous cheering section, the Belfast man beat out a field of 381 players, including many of the poker world’s top professionals as well as poker beginners, to win his first WSOP bracelet and the $859,549 prize. Fellow Irishman Tom Hanlon also made the final table, but an Irish one-two was not to be as the Dubliner was knocked out in 7th place for $134,302. Smyth’s success follows a string of Irishmen making WSOP final tables this year, including John O’Shea, Chris Rentes and John Conroy; with a sizable Irish contingent planning to play in the Main Event starting July 3rd, there is every chance that 2008 can be the best year yet for the Irish at the WSOP.

“I’d like to thank everyone for the support I received during the tournament, both from the gang here in Las Vegas and from back home in Ireland”, said Marty Smyth. “I’ve been getting texts and voicemails from family, friends and poker players from all over; all the well-wishers must have done me some good!”