PartyPoker has announced the introduction of several land-based qualifying events for the 2009 Irish Poker Championship, PartyPoker’s signature event which will take place next January. The tournament, which has previously congregated some of the biggest names in the world of professional poker including Marcel Luske, Mike Sexton, Marty Smith Jon Kalmar, Robert Williamson III, etc, will begin the first of its eight qualifier events this next weekend at the Eglinton Card Room and Casino in Galway, Ireland. Seven more qualifiers will take place in the next months; with the last qualifying event taking place on December 12th at the Gold Club Casino in Letterkenny, Ireland. The next event on the tour’s calendar will be at Waterford and will award three IPC seats, while the final six stops on the qualifying tour will grant seats to the top five finishers.

Several well known players have already committed to play in the 2009, €2,000-buyin event, the list includes Gray Parkinson, Len Collin, Nicky Power, Ivan Donaghey, Rory Liffey, Mick McClosky, Paul Lecky, 2008 IPC champion Jude Ainsworth and Keith McFadden.