The current year is rapidly drawing to a close, which means time is running out to enjoy a big score from a live poker tournament. Fear not, though, because the partypoker LIVE tour has an affordable yet value-packed event heading to Ireland in December.
partypoker LIVE Grand Prix Cork takes place from December 7-10 at the fantastic Macau Sporting Club on the banks of the River Lee in Cork. One of Ireland’s premier live poker destinations, the Macau Sporting Club will host the Grand Prix Cork Main Event, which commands a buy-in of only €120 yet features a guaranteed prize pool weighing in at €50,000.
partypoker LIVE Grand Prix Cork Schedule
| Date | Time (GMT) | Tournament | Clock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 3 Dec | 20:00 | Grand Prix Cork Online Day 1A | 12-mins |
| Wed 6 Dec | 21:00 | Grand Prix Cork Online Day 1B | 12- mins |
| Thu 7 Dec | 17:00 | Grand Prix Cork Live Day 1b | 30-mins |
| Fri 8 Dec | 17:00 | Grand Prix Cork Live Day 1c | 30-mins |
| Sat 9 Dec | 13:00 | Grand Prix Cork Live Day 1d | 30-mins |
| Sat 9 Dec | 18:00 | Grand Prix Cork Live Day 1e | 30-mins |
| Sun 10 Dec | 10:00 | Grand Prix Cork Live Day 1f (Turbo) | 15-mins |
| Sun 10 Dec | 14:00 | Grand Prix Cork Final Day | 30-mins |
Two online Day 1s are available to play at partypoker costing $145 to enter. These take place at 8:00 p.m. GMT on Sunday 3 December and at 9:00 p.m. GMT on Wednesday 6 December. Both online Day 1s see you sit down with 25,000 chips and play to a blind structure that increases every 12-minutes.
Play in the online Day 1s ends after the 16th level is complete. If you have chips in front of you after the completion of the 16th level you make it through to Day 2 at the Macau Sporting Club in Cork.
Three live Day 1s take place at the Macau Sporting Club and cost €120 each, or $145 if you enter via your partypoker account. Like the online Day 1s, everyone sits with 25,000 chips and plays for 16 levels, but the levels are 30-minutes in length to account for the slower dealing speed in the live poker world.
As a special promotion for those players choosing to start their quest for Grand Prix glory online at partypoker, if you make it through to Day 2 from an online Day 1 and then go on to reach the final table of the partypoker LIVE Grand Prix Cork event, you’ll be rewarded with a €2,000 package to the 2018 Irish Open.
The package consists of:
- €1,150 Irish Open buy-in
- €120 Grand Prix Ireland buy-in
- €730 expenses
How to Get There
Players travelling to Cork from outside of Ireland will find flying into Cork International Airport the best option. This airport is the busiest airport in the south of Ireland and serves more than 50 destinations.
A great feature of Cork International Airport is it is served by several budget airlines, such as Ryanair, so finding a cheap flight should not be a problem at all. Plus, the casino is only a 15-minute drive from Cork airport.
If you’re willing to travel further to get to the venue, flights to Shannon and Dublin may be another option for you to look at.
Cork also has a ferry port that the likes of Stena Line, Irish Ferries and P&O Ferries run services to. Be aware, however, that Rossalare port and Dublin port are located approximately three hours’ drive away from Cork city.
If you’re already in Ireland, why not check out the train services to Cork city’s railway hib and access point to the national rail network at Kent Station. Located on Lower Glanmire Road, Kent Station is only a 10-minute walk from the city centre.
Where to Stay
Cork is a busy and vibrant city so you will have no difficulty in finding somewhere to rest your weary head at the close of play. Some of the hotels that are more local to the Macau Sporting Club include:
- The Metropole Hotel – two-minute walk away
- Hotel Isaacs – two-minute walk away
- Jurys Inn – five-minute walk away
- Clayton Hotel – five-minute walk away
- The Imperial Hotel – 10-minute walk away
Get Ready for Some Craic!
Everyone who played in the previous edition of Grand Prix Cork said that they thoroughly enjoyed the experience and loved how friendly their opponents were; the Irish sure know how to make people feel welcome.
If you’re heading to partypoker LIVE Grand Prix Cork, prepare for some of the famous Irish craic which spills over into the cash games and, of course, the bar!
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