Irish Poker Open Returns 26 March With Four New Tournaments and Record Prize Pool Ambitions

_{Irish Poker Open welcomes women players. (Image: Mickey May/Irish Poker)}

by Daniel Smyth

The 2026 Irish Poker Open begins in Dublin on 26 March with its most ambitious schedule to date, featuring four new tournaments, an expanded programme for deaf and women players, and a €2.5 million guaranteed main event that organisers expect to exceed.

The event, which has run annually since 1980, has grown substantially since co-owners Paul O'Reilly and JP McCann took over in 2016. Main event entries have risen from just over 1,100 to a record 4,562 in 2025, when the prize pool surpassed €4.4 million and Simon Wilson claimed the title and €600,000 first prize. Both owners say they expect 2026 to surpass those figures.

The expanded schedule reflects a broader strategy to attract recreational players alongside established tournament regulars. Four new events have been added this year, broadening the appeal of a series that already draws players from 69 countries.

Four New Tournaments Added for 2026

_{The impressive poker area. (Image: Mickey May/ Irish Poker)}

The most prominent addition is Kings & Queens, a €250 event structured as a mixed competition in which women play Day 1 first. The number of female entrants determines how many men can enter, with Day 2 beginning with equal numbers from each side.

A companion event, Old Dogs and Young Pups, uses the same format but pits players aged 50 and over against those aged 18 to 30, at a €250 buy-in. The Cuatro format introduces a bounty structure with a delayed trigger: bounties, valued at the equivalent of the buy-in, only activate once 25% of the field remains. Three Flip & Go tournaments round out the new additions, placing every player all-in at the start of Day 1, with survivors advancing to a conventional freezeout from Day 2.

O'Reilly has previously said the goal is to give recreational players the opportunity to 'experience a large event for an affordable buy-in'. The new formats are consistent with that aim, with three of the four new events priced at €250 or below.

Expanded Programmes for Deaf and Women Players

_{Players can take advantage of the 'Craic Den'. (Image: Mickey May/Irish Poker)}

The 2026 schedule also extends a commitment to inclusivity that began last year. Following the inaugural €200 Irish Poker Open Deaf Championship in 2025, four additional tournaments for deaf players have been added, including a €120 PLO Championship and a €300 high roller. Staff at these events receive training in sign language, coordinated with the help of Darren Chow and Deaf Poker Ireland. Organisers expect at least 200 deaf players to participate this year.

Women's events have also been strengthened. A €1,150 ladies' high roller has been added to the schedule, building on the 163 entries recorded at last year's €250 Irish Poker Open Ladies event.

Satellites to the main event are available through PokerStars, Paddy Power, and sites on the iPoker Network. The series concludes on 6 April, with live coverage available on the Irish Poker Open website and its YouTube channel.