We’re getting ready to Ctrl-C-Ctrl-V the phrase “record-breaking” when writing about Irish Open side events this year. From the enormous €350 6-Max (801 entries, won by Daniel Jackson for €44,600) to the Mini Irish Open that has a €1,000,000 guarantee for a €250 buy-in, 2025 has put the sideys in the spotlight as never before.
The Hendon Mob Championship events have proven a hit worldwide, with affordable buy-ins, attractive structures and ever-increasing player numbers. The boost is real for the Irish Open’s version, too: last year there were 599 entries, which seemed a healthy total – until registration closed today and 888 players had registered. And that with just one re-entry allowed and a buy-in increase to €350.
A field this size has a prize pool to match: €268,398. The winner on Wednesday will have more than 136x-ed their money when they walk away with €47,748. That’s more than twice the amount the 2024 THMC champ Mario Niciforo received along with his trophy.
Leading after 18 levels of play on Day 1 is David Ballestero Alvarez who, with just over a million chips (70BB), lies slightly in front of nearest rivals Christoph Huber, Andreas Blaskov, and Lisa Roberts.
A double bubble split the first mincash payout (€550) between James O’Sullivan and Catherine Schneider, and around half of the remaining 126 players followed them to the rail before the rustle of plastic bags signified the overnight pause.
Follow the action on Day 2 with live updates, chip counts and payouts on the blog here (or click the yellow LIVE UPDATES button on the top right of your screen and select any event for its info).
