In 1981 a larger-than-life bookmaker called Terry Rogers held a no-limit Hold’em poker tournament and called it the Irish Open. The locals hadn’t seen the like of it before, but now, on the eve of its 25th anniversary, it’s the longest running poker tournament outside of the World Series. It’s also responsible for bringing no-limit Texas Hold’em from the vibrant Vegas strip to the stuffy casinos of London and Paris, and into home games across the land.

As you might expect, in the past quarter of a century the Dublin-based tournament has seen more than its fair share of colourful characters, shaggy dog stories and piss-ups.