Neil Channing wins in Dublin

Neil Channing managed an impressive performance at the Irish Open, keeping his chip lead during the entire final table to finish first.

He defeated Donal Norton in the heads-up to win the €801,400 first prize. Channing entered the final table as an overwhelming chip leader. With almost 3 million in chips he had about three times as much as the second place in the chipcount, Thomas Dunwoodie.

Channing kept his lead and always put pressure on his opponents, finally entering the heads-up with a 2:1 chip lead.

Again, he continued with his aggression, stealing a lot of blinds. The final hand saw Channing bust Norton with A9 against pocket fives. The flop brought an ace and the later streets were of no help to the second place finisher.

The event attracted 667 players, a few less than last year. There was, as last year, an overlay in the prize pool to meet the €3,000,000 guarantee, so the difference was paid for by the sponsor.