Irish players share in poker millions

Six Irish players were among the 621 who shared the prize pool of $60 million in the main event at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

The top prize of $8.25million was won by a 39-year-old psychologist who was born in Laos and now lives in California. Jerry Yang believes his professional training helps him read his opponents' moves.

Yang outlasted a field of 6,358 players over 10 days to take the most sought after title in poker.

He began the final table with the second smallest amount of chips. "The only way I would win this tournament is to be aggressive from the very beginning and that's exactly what I did," he said.

A rank amateur by international poker standards, Yang only started playing two years ago and claimed his seat in the $10,000 entry event by winning a $225 satellite tournament in his home town of Temecula.

About 100 Irish players entered the event, the second largest live poker tournament in history.

Sylvester Geoghegan from Mullingar, Co Westmeath was the top Irish performer, finishing in 122nd place which earned him almost $60,000.

Conor Tate, Donnacha O'Dea, Andrew Grimason, Nicholas Cunnane and Derek Thorpe were the other Irishmen who finished in the money.

The final table of 10 players was an international affair, featuring players from Denmark, England, Russia, Vietnam and the United States.

The finalists ranged in age from 22 to 62.

Yang's victory was the culmination of the 55-event World Series of Poker, which began in early June and generated over $160million of prize-money for participants.

Irishmen Alan Smurfit, the brother of Dr Michael Smurfit, and Ciaran O'Leary, a Cork man now living in Seattle, both won events earlier in the series.