Donegal Poker Festival Day 1 Wrap

The IPT is back in the north-west and, as the cold winds of winter begin to creep in, the poker at the Radisson Hotel, Letterkenny is sure to get the blood flowing and smiles glowing.

With friends reuniting, the first day of any IPT festival is always full of energy and laughter. Stories and tales are traded with those not seen since the last event, but eventually the catching up dissipates and it is time to play some cards.

With Flight 1A kicking off proceedings, there were 134 entries trying to snatch a bag ready for Sunday’s final. From this flight, a total of 22 players made it through to the next stage.

Among the biggest stacks was Fergal Heena, who finished with 418,000, while Tony Warren bagged up 446,000. But it was Kevin Kelly who ended the night on top, securing the Flight 1A chip lead with 563,000.

The first trophy of the festival was also to be settled in the form of the Friday NLH, which saw 86 entries build a prize pool of €10,320.

As the night continued and the drinks were flowing, the atmosphere around the tables remained jovial. But as the field got smaller, it was down to business.

Eventually we were left with a final table where local Leon McDaid made it through after being left with one chip at a stage. When it got down to three players a deal was done. In the end, David McGeoghan finished third for €2000, before Brendan Ruane collected €2000 for second place.

That left Warren Myles Sr as the first champion of the weekend, taking home the trophy and €2,620.

With well over a third of the Main Event guarantee already reached from just one flight, this is shaping up to be one to remember.

And with only a few months remaining until the culmination of the IPT leaderboard, every point counts.

Who will make this stop in the “Forgotten County” one to remember?