Irish Poker star Eoghan O'Dea has qualified for the final table at the Main Event of the WSOP.
Let's say that again, Eoghan O'Dea is one of this year's November Nine.
WOW
Not only that, Eoghan lies in seond place in chips and is really well placed to become Poker Champion of the World. At the moment he is guaranteed a minimum of $782,115 and each of the top 8 finishers will win over $1million.
Eoghan's father is, of course, Donnacha O'Dea, a former Olympic swimmer who for many years was considered the best poker player in Europe. Remarkably, Donnacha reached the final of the WSOP Main Event in 1983 and is a side event Bracelet winner, winning the 1998 PLO with rebuys event beating Johnny Chan in the Heads Up. What a family achievement.
Donnacha's mother was Galway reared, international acting star, Siobhan McKenna who has a road named after her in Westside, if Eoghan wins there will have to be a road named after him in his native Dalkey. Donnacha's father was actor Denis O'Dea who played poker in a famous long running game with then Taoiseach Sean Lemass in the Gresham Hotel. This was where Donnacha was taken to watch and learn poker and in turn Eoghan was taken as a young teenager to watch his father play.
It seems Eoghan was born for this and between November 5th and 7th later this year in the Rio Casino poker immortality beckons for this likeable, quietly spoken and modest superstar.