Bookmaker Invites President Barack Obama to 2010 Irish Poker Open

To celebrate the anniversary of the inauguration of President Barack Obama, Ireland's bookmaker has invited the President to take part in the 2010 Paddy Power Poker Irish Open which this year will be held in the Burlington Hotel in Dublin over Easter weekend.

To help twist the Presidents arm to take part in Europe's longest running poker tournament the bookie enlisted the help of sexy cheerleaders Pipa O'Connor and Sara Kavanagh as well as pledging to add $1,000,000 to the tournament prize fund should President Obama accept the invitation.

A spokesperson of the bookmaker said: "With a name like O’Bama there has to be a strong Irish connection so we’re hoping that if the President has business on this side of the Atlantic at the start of April he may just stop by and try his luck."

President Obama, a self-confessed Texas Hold'em player, has already expressed an interest in visiting Ireland and has Irish roots that can be traced as far back as the 1850's.

The Irish Poker Open is the longest running No Limit Texas Hold'em poker tournament in Europe and second longest in the world after the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.