Ladbrokes Poker launches qualifiers for 2009 Irish Poker Festival

The 2009 Ladbrokes.com Irish Poker Festival will be held at the Irish National Events Centre (INEC) in Killarney, Co Kerry, Ireland. The INEC is one of the best poker venues in Europe and at the center of an exciting hotel and vacation complex, which also includes the famous Thai Angsana Spa. Ladbrokes online package winners will be staying at the Gleneagle Hotel which is located next to the INEC.

Ladbrokes.com has again guaranteed a €250,000 prize pool, but due the high volume of entries registered on last year’s event, organizers are expecting to raise at least €400,000 and a first prize of €100,000. 2009 Ladbrokes.com Irish Poker Festival will also include two side tournaments, a two day €270+30 tournament held on Saturday, October 3^rd and a one day €150+20 tournament scheduled to take place on Sunday, October 4^th. Attendees and participants will also have exclusive access to Ladbrokes hospitality facilities, which include a games room with pool, darts and other activities, available in between all the poker action.

"We've created a tournament that offers players a €5,000 structure for a €500 buy-in, allowing all players irrespective of bankroll to show their Deep Stack skills. We feel that we've ticked all of the boxes taking into account key factors such as price, duration and location” said Nigel Blower, Ladbrokes Head of Events and Promotions.

Last year every event was a sell-out, with a European record 832 players competing in the Main Event. After three days action, local lad Jimmy McSweeney walked away with a €100,000 first prize. Packs for the Irish Poker Festival are available exclusively through Ladbrokes Poker. For more information visit Poker.Ladbrokes.com.