A YOUNG Irish card player was last night among the frontrunners as hopefuls battled for a spot at the final table of the world’s richest poker competition in Las Vegas in November.
Eoghan O’Dea (26) from Dalkey, south Dublin, was in second place in the main event of the World Series of Poker with more than 19 million chips when the 22 players remaining – out of a starting field of 6,865 – resumed play at the Rio Hotel and Casino. The 22 were to be whittled down to nine last night.
Those left standing will be given time to practise ahead of the prestigious “November Nine” event.
O’Dea, a professional player, is one of the more experienced contenders left in the field having previously finished second in a World Poker Tour event and the Poker Million, winning more than €500,000 in the process.
His most recent efforts have already guaranteed him a payday of at least $302,500 but this would rise to a minimum of $782,115 if he made it into the final nine and $8,711,956 if he won outright.
O’Dea will not find advice about the competition hard to come by as his father, Donnacha, is a well-known professional player who reached the final table of the World Series of Poker main event in 1983 (6th place) and 1991 (9th).
Donnacha, who is back in Ireland after being eliminated from the competition in Las Vegas, said the tournament was much bigger now. “It was a different ball game back then because after the numbers exploded it became like a lottery,” he said.
“I hoped I’d win it myself some time but having your son win would be just as good . . . I won’t be offering much advice . . . I’d just say to him to stay off the beer the night before.”
