Dara O'Kearney, born June 17, 1965 in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland, is a professional poker player, respected poker strategy author, and co-host of The Chip Race podcast.
Prior to his career on the felt, O'Kearney was an accomplished long distance runner – often competing in ultra marathon races around the world. His achievements in the field include a win in the 2005 Tresco marathon, the 2006 New York Road Runners 60K Ultra Marathon, and the 2007 Schinnen 50K. In 2007, he was the Irish 24-hour running champion. O'Kearney has noted that the lifetime of competition and resiliency allowed him to seamlessly transition to the aggressive world of tournament poker.
In 2008, O'Kearney won the European Deepstack Poker Championship, triumphing over a field replete with established professionals. In the years since, he has amassed over $1.5 million in live tournament earnings. While his skills on the felt are undeniable, his true realm of dominance is in the online poker arena. O'Kearney's millions in online cashes distinguish him as one of the most accomplished online players, but his mastery of the satellite format is what truly sets him apart from his peers.
As a writer, O'Kearney has co-authored several notable poker strategy tomes alongside Barry Carter – including Poker Satellite Strategy, PKO Poker Strategy, GTO Poker Simplified, and Beyond GTO. O'Kearney's contributions as an author and teacher represent years of study and experience and are an invaluable addition to the poker community.
O'Kearney and fellow Irishman David Lappin co-host The Chip Race podcast where they cover relevant poker news and interview key figures in the community.
O'Kearney currently represents Paddy Power Poker as an ambassador.
