Online Qualifier Wong Triumphs in the Irish Poker Tour Lunasa Main Event
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Wai Hang Wong is on cloud nine today after becoming the latest player to take down an Irish Poker Tour Main Event. Wong had no previous results on his Hendon Mob profile but now boasts of the Irish Poker Tour Lunasa Lunacy Main Event title and €20,430 in winnings. Wong's score was even more impressive when you consider he won his seat via an online satellite at Paddy Power Poker and also received a package to the upcoming Irish Poker Tour Killarney Main Event.
The €250 buy-in Main Event attracted 635 entrants, resulting in a €129,670 prize pool, far exceeding the €100,000 guarantee. Sixty-three players share that impressive sum, and the tournament eventually settled in a three-handed deal.
Irish Poker Tour Lunasa Lunacy Main Event Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wai Hang Wong | Ireland | €20,430* |
| 2 | Nerijus Andriuska | Ireland | €19,345* |
| 3 | Con Collins | Ireland | €15,385* |
| 4 | Joe O'Neill | Ireland | €9,000 |
| 5 | Oleksii Bekh | Ukraine | €7,100 |
| 6 | Douglas Culligan | Ireland | €5,760 |
| 7 | Sean Jones | Ireland | €4,600 |
| 8 | Niall Phelan | Ireland | €3,650 |
| 9 | Ben Cole | Ireland | €2,800 |
*reflects a three-way deal
Ben Cole was the first of the nine finalists who fell by the wayside. Niall Phelan joined the list of busted players, again finishing eight in an Irish Poker Tour event. Phelan finished eighth in the Westport Poker Cup in February 2023 and in the Galway Poker Festival's Claddagh Poker Cup.
Seventh place and a career-best €4,600 went to Sean Jones, with Douglas Culligan banking €5,760 for his sixth-place exit. Ukraine's Oleksii Bekh finished fifth for €7,100 while seasoned grinder Joe O'Neill fell in fourth for €9,000. O'Neill now has over $250,000 in live earnings.
The final three players opted to discuss an ICM-based deal, which is unsurprising considering it would lock in career-high scores for all three. Those discussions bore fruit, with the trio agreeing to a chop. The deal meant Con Collins finished third for €15,385, Lithuania's Nerijus Andriuska was the runner-up with a €19,345 score, and Wong collected €20,430, the winner's trophy, and the title of Lunasa Lunacy Main Event champion.
Irish Poker Tour Lunasa Results
Aside from the Main Event, Steven Bartley claimed the stop's largest single haul after taking down the €250 Paddy Power Mystery Bounty. With bounties included, Bartley turned his €250 investments into a cool €10,800.
Irish Poker Tour ambassador Darren Harbinson also won, outlasting 66 opponents in the €400 Lunasa 400, a result worth €6,750 to the Irishman.
*includes bounties
Next Up On The Irish Poker Tour
Only three more stops remain on the 2024 Irish Poker Tour, with the next running from September 13-15. Those are the dates for the Donegal Poker Festival, which includes a €300 buy-in Main Event that has €75,000 guaranteed.
The Killarney Festival is scheduled for September 24-29. It boasts a bustling schedule, including a massive €400,000 guaranteed Irish Poker Cup, which costs €700 to enter. Last year's Main Event paid out over €440,000, with Jamie Flynn scooping a €70,000 top prize.
Lastly is the Siege of Clonmel 2 from October 18-20.
Check out Paddy Power Poker for satellites into these must-play events.
