The Irish Poker Open is one of the few live events in Europe that genuinely feels bigger every year without losing its identity. For UK players, it remains one of the most attractive stops on the calendar: close to home, easy to travel to, rich in history and large enough to deliver proper festival scale without feeling out of reach. And the infamous craic den...
Irish Poker Open Facts
The 2026 edition ran from 26 March to 6 April at the Royal Dublin Society, and the Main Event set another new record with 5,003 entries and a €4,852,910 prize pool.
That combination is what makes the Irish Open such a strong fit for PokerGods. It is not just a famous old tournament.
It is a modern, growing, UK-relevant festival with big fields, realistic satellite routes and a long record of British and Irish interest at the tables.
The official site describes it as the largest and richest poker event in Ireland, while its history page says the 2025 Main Event was already the richest poker tournament ever held in the country before 2026 pushed the event even further.
It is a modern, growing, UK-relevant festival with big fields, realistic satellite routes and a long record of British and Irish interest at the tables.
The official site describes it as the largest and richest poker event in Ireland, while its history page says the 2025 Main Event was already the richest poker tournament ever held in the country before 2026 pushed the event even further.
Why Play in the Irish Poker Open?
The Irish Poker Open is a long-running annual live poker festival in Dublin and one of the most established brands on the European live calendar. The official site says 2026 marked the 46th year of the event and describes it as the longest-running No-Limit Texas Hold’em tournament in the world outside Las Vegas.
For a UK-facing audience, the appeal is obvious. Dublin is straightforward to reach, the festival is familiar, and the Main Event sits at a buy-in that ambitious recreational players can still target.
Online qualification routes also matter here: the official guide says players could win seats through PokerStars, Paddy Power and the iPoker network, and the site says
in 2025.
Online qualification routes also matter here: the official guide says players could win seats through PokerStars, Paddy Power and the iPoker network, and the site says
more than 1,300 players qualified online
in 2025.
The British angle is strong too. UK players have a genuine track record at the festival, from Neil Channing’s 2008 Main Event title to David Docherty’s 2023 win for Scotland, and more recent British deep runs such as Isaac Barker’s seventh-place finish in the 2026 Main Event for €80,800.
One of the greatest selling points of this amazing event is obviously the infamous Craic Den. A player lounge offering an insane tempo and happenings around the clock.
The energy is off the roof. You have to experience this at least once in your lifetime. Pure bucket list stuff.
One of the greatest selling points of this amazing event is obviously the infamous Craic Den. A player lounge offering an insane tempo and happenings around the clock.
The energy is off the roof. You have to experience this at least once in your lifetime. Pure bucket list stuff.
Irish Poker Open Schedule 2026
The official site announced the 2026 Irish Open for 26 March to 6 April 2026 at the Royal Dublin Society in Dublin.
The live schedule page confirms the festival ran across those dates, while the official communication says there were 24 live satellites, including 17 for the Main Event.
The live schedule page confirms the festival ran across those dates, while the official communication says there were 24 live satellites, including 17 for the Main Event.
How To Qualify for the Irish Poker Open
Qualification is one of the biggest reasons this festival stays so relevant.
The official guide says players can qualify through PokerStars, Paddy Power and the iPoker network, while the Paddy Power satellites page says feeders run daily and the satellite set up details a route including €50 seat-only qualifiers and a package path built around €2,250 packages.
The official guide says players can qualify through PokerStars, Paddy Power and the iPoker network, while the Paddy Power satellites page says feeders run daily and the satellite set up details a route including €50 seat-only qualifiers and a package path built around €2,250 packages.
Notable UK results in Irish Poker Open History
Neil Channing’s 2008 win for €801,400 is still cited as the biggest first-place prize in Irish Open history. David Docherty then added another UK triumph in 2023, while Tom Waters and Carl Shaw also made that same final table. Oliver Boyce went deep in 2024, Mark Johnston and Stephen Groom both final-tabled in 2025, and Isaac Barker made the 2026 final table.
* three way deal
| Year | Event | UK player | Result | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Irish Open Main Event | Neil Channing | Winner | €801,400 |
| 2023 | Irish Open Main Event | David Docherty | Winner | €365,000 |
| 2023 | Irish Open Main Event | Tom Waters | 4th | €124,500 |
| 2023 | Irish Open Main Event | Carl Shaw | 7th | €56,500 |
| 2024 | Irish Open Main Event | Oliver Boyce | 5th | €109,820 |
| 2025 | Irish Open Main Event | Mark Johnston | 3rd | €232,685* |
| 2025 | Irish Open Main Event | Stephen Groom | 6th | €84,480 |
| 2026 | Irish Open Main Event | Isaac Barker | 7th | €80,800 |
Irish Poker Open Main Event winners
| Year | Winner | Nationality | Prize Pool | Winner’s Payout | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Narcis Nedelcu | Romania | €4,852,910 | €336,790 | Danilo Donnini |
| 2025 | Simon Wilson | Ireland | €4,447,950 | €600,000 | Umberto Ruggeri |
| 2024 | Tero Laurila | Finland | €3,152,175 | €292,685* | Hiep Ninh |
| 2023 | David Docherty | United Kingdom | €2,428,725 | €365,000 | Declan Rice |
| 2022 | Steve O’Dwyer | Ireland | €1,989,000 | €318,700 | Kyle Maguire |
| 2021** | Pavel Veksler | Ukraine | €1,880,000 | €266,000 | - |
| 2020** | Pablo Silva | Brazil | €2,945,000 | €462,100 | - |
| 2019 | Weijie Zheng | China | €1,805,870 | €300,000 | Marc MacDonnell |
| 2018 | Ryan Mandara | England | €1,347,164 | €250,000 | Louis Nyberg |
| 2017 | Griffin Benger | Canada | €1,128,295 | €200,000 | Michael Mazilu |
| 2016 | Dan Wilson | England | €801,500 | €150,000 | Sebastian Saffari |
**2020, 2021 were online version of the Irish Poker Open due to Covid
Irish Poker Open FAQ
What is the Irish Poker Open?
The Irish Poker Open is a long-running annual poker festival in Dublin. The official site says 2026 marked the 46th year of the event and describes it as the longest-running No-Limit Texas Hold’em tournament in the world outside Las Vegas.
When is the Irish Poker Open held?
The 2026 edition ran from 26 March to 6 April 2026. Future editions are usually announced through the official site well in advance and the festival is held, always, around Easter.
Can players qualify online for the Irish Poker Open?
Yes. The official guide says players can qualify through PokerStars, Paddy Power and the iPoker network.
Have UK players done well at the Irish Poker Open?
Yes. Neil Channing won the Main Event in 2008, David Docherty won in 2023 for Scotland, and Isaac Barker made the 2026 Main Event final table.
