Darren Chow
Canadian Darren Chow will be making his first trip to the Irish Open this year and is really looking forward to the experience. Now 40, Chow is a landscaper by trade but is also an accomplished poker player with more than $17,000 in live tournament cashes to his name.
He first took up poker in 2004 when a labour dispute led to the cancellation entire 2004-2005 National Hockey League season. Like many sports fans in Canada, Chow was looking for an alternative pursuit to get involved with – and found poker!
Chow is Deaf and hopes that his attendance at this year’s Irish Open will encourage other Deaf poker players around the world to get involved. He said: “I am hoping to develop new friendships, learn new skills and be a role model for the rest of the Deaf poker-playing community. Poker is a global community that involves both hearing and Deaf players and I just love being a part of that community and meeting people from all walks of life.
“I love the experience of playing poker in different countries around the world. For me poker creates a pathway to travel more. Whilst I find the format mostly similar in all countries, it’s the atmosphere and the services involved at those different locations that I appreciate experiencing while I play. I’m thrilled to be involved with the Irish Open and very eager to experience the culture and atmosphere of Ireland and its rich history.”
Chow, who hails from Toronto, is a self-taught player but has honed his skills through reading and attending live events. He added: “For over 20 years I’ve been training and developing my strategies however there is no one way to play and I know I still have more to learn.”
Chow’s various poker achievements include winning a C$385 buy-in tournament at Casino Niagara and a final table appearance in the Calgary Spring Super Stack C$340 Deepstack event. He also has several cashes on the Deaf Poker Tour and the 2023 Victorian Deaf Poker Championship.
Fellow Canadians now have a wealth of options to qualify online for Irish Poker Open 2024. PokerStars are offering satellites in Ontario while iPoker sites Bet365, Champion Poker, Coolbet, Guts, Redstar, TitanBet and William Hill are all offering satellites in Canadian states excluding Ontario.
You can follow Darren on Instagram.