Marty Smyth Wins Ladbrokes Poker Million VII Title

Ladbrokes Poker Million VII, Europe’s richest televised poker tournament, came to an exciting end last night when Belfast man Marty Smyth came back from a very short stack to take the title and the $1 million first prize.

The tournament, which was held in London and televised on Sky Sports, was dominated by Irish pro players who took the top 4 spots. Holding the lead at the final table was Paddy Power Poker pro's Ciaran O'Leary (2007 WSOP Bracelet Winner) and ECOOP champion Eoghan O'Dea.

WSOP Bracelet holder Smyth, who also made the final table on 3 previous occasions, fought hard to come back from having the lowest chip count to winning the title. "I can't quite believe it still," said Smyth. "I thought I was gone when I lost most of my chips early in the tournament. To come back and win $1 million is probably the highlight of my career. It just shows it's never over until it's over."

O'Dea ended up taking a second place worth $260,000, while third placed Ciaran O'Leary collected a check for $175,000.

Ladbrokes Poker Million VII Results
1 Marty Smyth - $1,000,000
2 Eoghan O'Dea - $250,000
3 Ciaran O'Leary - $175,000
4 Liam Flood - $130,000
5 Kevin Allen - $100,000
6 Svein Petter Nielsen - $75,000