Alan Smurfit (died 13 September 2020, aged 77) was an
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
retiree
A pensioner is a person who receives a pension, most commonly because of retirement from the workforce. This is a term typically used in the United Kingdom (along with OAP, initialism of old-age pensioner), Ireland and Australia where someone of p ...
who won a
World Series of Poker bracelet
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet is considered the most coveted non-monetary prize a poker player can win. Since 1976, a bracelet has been awarded to the winner of every event at the annual WSOP. Even if the victory occurred before 1 ...
in his first ever
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is a series of poker tournaments held annually in Paradise, Nevada and, since 2004, sponsored by Caesars Entertainment. It dates its origins to 1970, when Benny Binion invited seven of the best-known poker p ...
(WSOP) event, the
2007 $1,500
Pot Limit
In the game of poker, the play largely centers on the act of betting, and as such, a protocol has been developed to speed up play, lessen confusion, and increase security while playing. Different games are played using different types of bets, ...
Omaha event.
Although Smurfit was a newcomer to the WSOP, he had been playing
tournament poker for many years, with an early televised appearance in The Gaming Club World Poker Championship in 2004. He also made several money finishes in the
World Poker Tour
The World Poker Tour (WPT) is an internationally televised gaming and entertainment brand. Since 2002, the World Poker Tour has operated a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting playdown and the f ...
, including the TV bubble finish for
season 4's Mirage Poker Showdown, and winning the Palm Beach CelebPoker Classic 2005 event.
When the final table of his WSOP victory began, Smurfit was in last place with only $95,000 in chips. His closest competitor had 10 times that amount. The last table lasted over nine hours, but the heads up play was one of the longest in WSOP history lasting 167 hands.
[Dalla, Nollan]
Alan Smurfit: 2007 WSOP – Event 33 ($1,500 PLO w/Reb) Winner Profile
World Series of Poker. Accessed 2007-07-27.
His brother,
Sir Michael Smurfit, KBE, owned the
K-Club. As of 2008, his live tournament winnings exceed $1,000,000.
World Series of Poker bracelets
References
External links
Hendon Mob tournament results
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smurfit, Alan
Irish poker players
World Series of Poker bracelet winners
1940s births
2020 deaths