Narcis Nedelcu Wins Irish Open Poker Tournament Main Event

^{Online qualifier Narcis Nedelcu celebrates winning the 2026 Irish Open poker tournament main event. (Photo: Martin O'Brien / IrishOpenPoker.com)}

Narcis Nedelcu is the latest Irish Open main event champion and €336,798 richer after beating a record-breaking field at the Royal Dublin Society on Monday.

A total of 5,003 entries were collected for this year’s €1,150 Irish Open Main Event, which took the final prize pool to €4,852,910. Nedelcu, however, didn’t pay that much to play. The Romanian pro won his seat via a satellite on PokerStars, just before winning a SCOOP event on the same site.

Online Qualifier Turns Ticket into Irish Open Title

Nedelcu didn’t start the final day with the chip lead. That honour went to Italy’s Danilo Donnini, but he quickly hit his stride. After watching Vasyl Palandiuk strike early and eliminate two players, Edward Murphy and Matthew Twomey, Nedelcu started his assault on the chip leaders.

A set of jacks against the pocket nines of Isaac Barker turned into a full house by the river. That hand pushed Nedelcu into third, and just a few million chips off Palandiuk and the leader, Donnini.

The momentum began to shift at this point, as Nedelcu began to attack almost every pot. That triggered a major turning point on the final table as Nedelcu put a dent in the previously untouchable Donnini.

Nedelcu’s pressure eventually took its toll on Isaac Barker. The Brit took a stand with A♦ 4♦ but couldn’t get lucky against Nedelcu’s A♣ 10♣. With six remaining, the online qualifier took the lead, and it wouldn’t be long before a deal was struck.

Play continued for just over an hour after Francesco Gisolfi fell in sixth at the hands of Donnini. Nedelcu told the media after winning that the remaining five sensed an impending crapshoot.

Nedelcu Seals the Deal with Impressive Finish

With short stacks winning all-ins and the blinds increasing quickly, an ICM deal was quickly agreed. a negotiated prize agreement based on chip counts Oliver Gayko, the chip leader at the time, locked up €285,379, which was the lion’s share of the money.

Nedelcu banked €266,571, and no one went home with less than €250,000. That left an additional €70,000 and the Irish Open main event trophy to play for. With the levels halved to 12 hands each, the eliminations came thick and fast.

Nedelcu chipped up and eliminated Gayko and Daryl McAleenan in the same hand with pocket queens. Palandiuk was the next to fall at the hands of Nedelcu, before Donnini finally wilted under the pressure.

The Italian was forced to move all-in with K♦ 6♣. Nedelcu made an easy call with A♦ 2♦ and scooped the final pot after both players missed the board. With that, the Romanian secured his first Irish Open title and an extra €70,000 for a total win worth €336,798.

Irish Open Main Event Final Table Result

*Denotes a deal.

Speaking to the media after more than doubling his previous biggest poker win, Nedelcu said it was the best victory of his career.

‘It’s unbelievable. It’s something so, so special that I can’t describe it,’ said Nedelcu.

It was a sentiment shared by the crowd at the Royal Dublin Society, where the number of entries this year made this one of the largest Irish Opens in history.

More to Celebrate At this Year’s Irish Open

As Nedelcu celebrated winning the biggest Irish Open main event in history, the organisers also had something to shout about. Buoyed by the recent resurgence of interest in the series, co-owners Paul O'Reilly and JP McCann made a surprise announcement.

The Irish Open is going out on the road with three international events:

·       Sept. 6-15 – The Sydney International Irish Open. This ten-day festival at the Poker Palace will feature a $1 million guaranteed $2,000 main event.

·       Nov. 10-15 - The Marrakech International Irish Open at Casino de Marrakech will have a variety of tournaments, including a €1,150 main event boasting a €500,000 guarantee.

·       Dates TBD - The US International Irish Open USA. The details are yet to be revealed, but the famous Irish craic will be heading to the US at some point in 2027.

Although the new events in Australia, Morocco, and the US put the name Irish Open to the test, they’re a testament to the pulling power of Europe’s longest-running poker event.