The final table is set in the inaugural Irish Open Sydney Main Event, with Jacob Alha leading the last nine players in the race for a massive A$200,000 first prize.<\/b><\/p>\n
The race for the inaugural Irish Open Sydney Main Event title has reached the final table, with nine players still standing from the 515 who took their seats at Poker Palace, Club Marconi.<\/span><\/p>\n Several starting flights saw 515 players take their shot at Irish Open Sydney glory, all battling for a share of the A$1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool. <\/span>After three consecutive eliminations brought the field down to the final nine this evening, the stage is now set for what promises to be a fascinating finale.<\/span><\/p>\n It is Jacob Alha who will return with the chip lead, having accumulated an impressive 5.22 million.<\/span><\/p>\n Alha is no stranger to these surroundings. A Poker Palace regular, he will have the added advantage of playing for one of the biggest titles of his career on familiar turf. Now he finds himself in pole position to become the first-ever Irish Open Sydney Main Event champion. <\/span>He has some breathing room at the top, but certainly won’t have things all his own way. Jiajun Yang sits close behind with 4.86 million, while Jarod Cunningham rounds out the top three with 3.74 million.<\/span><\/p>\n Cunningham is followed by Xiangxi Zheng with 3.22 million, while German poker star Martin Finger remains firmly in contention with 2.69 million. <\/span>Finger is one of the most accomplished players among the final nine, with more than US$8.9 million in recorded live tournament earnings according to <\/span>The Hendon Mob<\/span><\/a>. The German brings a wealth of big-stage experience to the final table and will be looking to add an Irish Open Sydney title to an already impressive poker r\u00e9sum\u00e9.<\/span> There is another strong local story among the final nine in Aaron George, a familiar face at CSI Marconi.<\/span><\/p>\n George is a regular in the club’s A$25 league game and previously won his way into the Australian Poker Open (APO) through the club. He went on to enjoy an impressive run in the Australian Poker Open earlier this year, finishing third.<\/span><\/p>\n George is also one of three players at the final table who qualified through Poker Palace satellites, underlining the strength of the local poker community and the opportunities created throughout the inaugural Irish Open Sydney festival.<\/span><\/p>\n George will return with 1.33 million, making him the shortest stack at the final table, but he has already guaranteed himself A$16,900 and a place in the final nine of the first international Irish Open Main Event.<\/span><\/p>\nAlha Leads the Way on Home Turf<\/b><\/h2>\n
\n<\/span><\/p>\nLocal Favourite George Chasing a Fairytale Finish<\/b><\/h2>\n