THE David Beckhams and Roy Keanes of the poker world descended on Galway at the weekend to compete for an estimated prize fund of over €500,000 in the Partypoker.com Irish Poker Championship — but were beaten by a Galway based amateur!

The first major European poker tournament of 2008 attracted 298 professional, intermediate and novice players to the city from across Ireland, the UK, Europe and the US.

Despite the presence of top professional players such as Ciaran O’Connor, Padraig Parkinson, Robert Williamson III, Mike Sexton and Bruno Fitoussi — all instantly recognisable names to poker enthusiasts — local man Jude Ainsworth was the last man standing after a marathon 33 hour long poker session that spanned three days.

“Although Jude is a reasonably successful online poker player he doesn’t really play live poker tournaments so it was a shock win,” according to Brendan Murray, Editor of Card Player magazine and Public Relations Manager for the event.

“It’s gas, he didn’t…..