Marty Smyth (left), 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, 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!”
There have been a number of strong performances from British players of late, yet many have fallen just short of snatching that gold bracelet. In event #36's $1,500 No Limit Hold'Em Freezeout, John Shipley (right) notched up another WSOP final table appearance with a ninth place finish. Meanwhile, fellow Brits Praz Bansi, Martin Green and Chris Moorman also cashed. The eventual winner of this event was Jesper Hougaard of Copenhagen, Denmark.Even in the less frequented $10,000 Omaha Hi-Low event, Ram Vaswani managed to final in seventh for $88,360. On a tough final table that also featured David Chiu and Mike Matusow, it was David Benyamine who rose highest to lap up what was to be his first ever gold bracelet. A former tennis player from Paris, France, Benyamine is regarded as one of the games most fearsome players, and is renowned for his mammoth sessions online. Now residing in Las Vegas, Nevada with his girlfriend and fellow pro Erica Schoenberg, Benyamine was asked who is toughest opponent was at the final table. "Myself and the deck," he replied.
As well as Ben Roberts and Michael Greco finalling Event 38's $2,000 Pot Limit Hold'Em, eventually won by Davidi Kitai after a lengthy heads up, and Marty Wilson's impressive performance in the seniors' event, Britain can also boast a final table showing in the form of Nottingham's Sam Trickett. A running buddy of Pete Linton, Trickett is well know around the East Midlands area where he can be found playing in his local Gala Casino and, more recently, Dusk Till Dawn. Although Trickett didn't quite bring home the bacon this time around, he did finish a highly creditable fourth position, taking home $245,927 for his efforts. Top honours, however, went to Joe Commisso of Las Vegas, Nevada. Winning a mouth-watering $911,855 for his bracelet winning performance, Commisso is predominantly a cash game player and confessed, "I don't even like playing in poker tournaments, this is only the fifth live event I've ever entered."
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