Irish Open Poker Tour-How Did it Start?

Not that long ago jackpotcity, one of the well-known casino brands, has published a story about how Irish Open Poker Tour appeared. We have found this story interesting and decided to share it with our readers, at least in a brief form. Enjoy!

With a nickname like the “Red Menace” Terry Rogers had to be quite the character. A world famous bookmaker, Rogers deserves all the credit for acquainting Europe with Texas Hold’Em poker. The Irishman, who had the luck to be next in line in a family that loved to pull in cash off betting, decided after attending the 1979 World Series of Poker it was time to involve his nation in the game.

Rogers established the Irish Open Poker Tour that same year and the event is now the second largest of its kind in the world, behind only the World Series of Poker. It is normally contested over the Easter holiday and is now known as the paddypower.com Irish Open because it is now a sponsored event.

A Little Bit of Background

Until 1999 when Rogers met his maker, the hands of poker were hosted by the Eccentric Club in Dublin. Liam Flood, no poker novice himself, grabbed the reins shortly before Rogers’ death at his behest and transferred the action to the Merrion Casino. In 2005, paddypower decided to come on board and the following year the crowd was so large, it was determined the event needed another venue in order to accommodate the volume of players. Since then the Open has bounced around between two hotels in Dublin, of course.

How Did This Happen?

Rogers had been holding his own tournaments at the Eccentric Club throughout the 1970’s but really got a bee in his bonnet after observing the 1979 World Series of Poker. Rogers organized the initial Irish Open under the auspices of a charity event and in fact, coined it as a vehicle to raise money for charity. Obviously the players weren’t knocking down the doors, but he did receive a decent local crowd. The Red Menace, however, who just happening to sport flaming red locks was not non-plussed.  He already had his eye on a bigger pie and knew the beginning was just a means to an end.

For years Rogers had traveled to Las Vegas regularly to attend the World Series of Poker. Through his associations he developed relationships with many of the top players in the world. When he began his own tournament, they began reciprocating or gracing him with the presence and that is what made the Irish Open take off. It included the best poker players in the world.