Jude Ainsworth Joins Team PokerStars Pro

Jude Ainsworth, who is an Irish Poker Championship winner, became the first Irish poker player to join Team PokerStars Pro on November 17th, 2009. Ainsworth will represent PokerStars in the brand new UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT), which will see him participate in a tournament on his home ground of Galway from December 11th, 2009-December 14th, 2009.

Ainsworth said that he is looking forward to participating in the UKIPT and being part of such a fantastic tour. Ainsworth said that the poker event that he is looking forward is returning to his hometown of Galway. Ainsworth catapulted to fame last year when he won the Irish Poker Championship in Galway for 145,000 euros.

This year, Ainsworth, who plays under the name j.thaddeus online, went on to win the 2009 PokerStars Spring Championship of online poker $10,300 main event for $963,338, outwitting 501 poker players and a final table than included Chris "Moorman1" Moorman and Jon "PearlJammer" Turner.

After its debut in Galway, the UKIPT will move on to tour stops in Manchester, Nottingham, Killarney, Brighton, Scotland and Dublin with grand final scheduled to take place in the UK capital. Other well-known poker players to participate in the UKIPT include Team PokerStars Pro Vicky Coren and former English soccer player Teddy Sheringham.

Jeremy Evans