Irish Poker Open

Irish Poker Open Logo
Neil Channing, 2008 Irish Open Champion, headsup at the final table with Donal Norton (right)

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.

First organised in 1980 by Terry Rogers, a well known Irish bookmaker,[1] the event now attracts thousands of players every year and has become a major fixture on the international poker calendar. It is traditionally held over the Easter weekend and prides itself on its friendly atmosphere, wide range of different poker tournaments and the chance for players to have fun, enjoy the craic and sample some of Dublin's legendary hospitality.

After Terry Rogers' death in 1999 the tournament, originally held in Dublin's Eccentric Club, was subsequently hosted by tournament director and poker player Liam Flood and the Merrion Casino.[2] Paddy Power Poker began sponsorship of the event in 2005 and oversaw a period of huge growth. By 2006 the event, with 339 players, had outgrown the Merrion Casino and was held in Jury's Ballsbridge Hotel in Dublin. In 2007 the venue was changed to the Burlington Hotel, Dublin to accommodate the bigger fields, while in 2008 and 2009 the Irish Open venue was Citywest Hotel, Dublin. In 2010 the tournament returned to the Burlington Hotel but numbers were declining, in line with trends and decline in the online poker industry. Liam Flood died in 2014; The Liam Flood Memorial tournament was launched in 2015 and is held in his memory every year.

In 2016, Paul O’Reilly and JP McCann – who both had extensive experience in running major poker tournaments - took over the organisation of the Irish Poker Open. They took the event back to the Citywest Hotel for a week-long festival from March 21 to 28 culminating in a €1,150 buy-in Main Event with a €500k guaranteed prize pool. Their vision for the event was a true festival of poker that would appeal to players of all kinds. Their vision was realised; the first event smashed the €500k guarantee and attracted 802 players, generating a prize pool of over €800k. Dan Wilson won the Main Event for €150,000.

The event was held online for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic but was back as a live event in 2022 and attracted a huge field of 2,040 entries. American-born professional poker player Steve O’Dwyer, who had been living in Dublin for ten years, won the first prize of €318,700 in a stunning display of poker acumen. O’Dwyer bulldozed his way to victory and single-handedly eliminated all eight of his final table opponents. O'Dwyer is immensely proud of his Irish roots and, despite 30 major tournament victories and more than $33 million in live tournament winnings to his name, he said that winning the Irish Open meant more to him than any other tournament.

The 2023 event was won by PokerStars qualifier David Docherty for €365,000 after he outlasted a record field of 2,491 players. The event, sponsored by PokerStars and Paddy Power, was held at the Royal Dublin Society from April 3–10 [3] with more than 622 players winning their entry online.

The 2024 Irish Poker Open took place at the Royal Dublin Society in Dublin between March 25 and April 1. The 2024 Irish Open was far and away the most spectacular poker festival Ireland has ever known. The Main Event broke its own record to become the richest poker tournament ever held in Ireland with 3,233 entries and a €3,152,175 prize pool, while the €500,000 guaranteed Mini Irish Open attracted 5,320 entries to become Ireland’s largest ever tournament. The record-breaking Main Event was won by Finland's Tero Laurila for €292,685. [4]

The 2025 Irish Poker Open festival will be taking place from April 10 to April 21 at the Royal Dublin Society and includes an extra four days added to the schedule. A total of €5,000,000 is on offer in guaranteed prize pools with a €2,500,000 guarantee for the Main Event and a €1,000,000 guarantee for the Mini Irish Open. In 2024, the Mini Irish Open became the biggest poker tournament ever held in Ireland in 2024 with 5,000+ entries. There will also be a brand new €1,000,000 guaranteed Mystery Bounty event and a new €500,000 guaranteed Super High Roller tournament.

  1. ^ Irish Times reporters (9 November 1999). "Terry Rogers dies in Gran Canaria". Irish Times. Archived from the original on 21 July 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Terry Rogers' profile on The Hendon Mob". The Hendon Mob Poker Database. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Harper, Mad (2 April 2024). "Laurila wins epic 2024 Irish Open". Irish Poker Open. Retrieved 12 November 2024.