PartyPoker.com Irish Poker Championship returns

The €2,000 (9 percent withheld) buy-in is expected to attract 400 players from across Ireland, the UK, Europe and the United States and will be recorded for six hour-long broadcasts on RTÉ, Ireland's national broadcaster, and will be distributed internationally. Amongst the players who have indicated at this very early stage that they expect to attend include recent WSOP bracelet winner Ciaran O'Leary, Padraig Parkinson, Robert Williamson III and Bruno Fitoussi.

Pokerevents.ie, organisers of the three-year-old festival said, "This great value festival of poker attracts all levels of player from professional, to intermediate, to novice. It offers a deep-stacked, slow-structure game as well as an array of attractive side events. It is great to have a big sponsor on board."

"The venue is great, overlooking Galway Bay, and is sure to make for a fantastic weekend of quality poker and fun in a unique Irish atmosphere. Galway is easily accessible by road, rail, and air and has a unique culture of arts, music, literature, history and 'craic' and is perfectly suited as a location for Europe's most alluring boutique poker festival."

A PartyPoker.com spokesman said, "We're very pleased to sponsor this well established, highly regarded tournament and Ireland is a great country for poker with an amazing pedigree."

Over 500 qualifying satellites are being held in pubs and clubs across Ireland with dozens more starting from the sponsors in the near future online at partypoker.com.