Next year sees a welcome return for the €250 single re-entry, two-day APAT Championship which is taking place on Friday, March 27. It will be a very special celebration for the popular tour which will be marking its 20th year in 2026.
APAT actually has a long history of visiting Ireland – the tour’s first-ever season included a visit to Dublin’s iconic Fitzwilliam Card Club and APAT players have relished visits to the Emerald Isle ever since.
The timing for next year’s Irish Open APAT Championship has been carefully thought out to allow APAT players to participate in other great tourneys on the schedule. APAT players LOVE mixed games and, to this end, the Irish Open APAT Championship kicks off the day before the Irish Open’s €350 buy-in Mixed 8-Game Championship – the flagship event in a whole bunch of tournaments offering exciting alternatives to standard No Limit Hold’em.
Tom Brady, APAT’s Operations Director for Live Events and Tour, said: “We made our Irish Open debut back in 2023 and what a debut it was!! Feedback from APAT regulars was great – there is an incredible atmosphere surrounding the Irish Open and we can’t wait to come back! The 2026 schedule puts the APAT tournament right smack in the middle of the mixed game tournaments which are a fantastic addition to the Irish Open offering. Mixed games have been a mainstay of APAT events since 2008 when we introduced a whole bunch of non-Hold’em formats at the iconic Victoria Casino in London including Omaha, Razz and Stud.”
As well as its Irish Open appearance in 2026, APAT will be celebrating its 20th anniversary with Major Championship Festivals as well as a series of UK Regional Championship events and APAT will also be in Vegas for player meet-ups from June 22 to July 12 2026.
APAT winners!
APAT has an amazing track record of fostering talent and helping to develop player’s careers. Several APAT regulars have gone on to win EPT, WPT and WSOP titles. In fact, 2010 Irish Open champion James Mitchell cut his teeth on the APAT tour. Brady added: “In our early years, APAT was often the only tour offering competitive events with a low buy-in. Players started with a deep stack on a great structure which encouraged players to play regularly and develop their game; this led them to go on and compete in higher buy-in events.
“Niall Farrell is another great example; he earned his APAT Gold Medal back in 2011 and has, of course, had incredible success since then with over $7m in earnings, and a triple crown of titles. Others like Toby Lewis were regulars in the APAT forum and playing our online leagues. There are just so many other similar stories of APAT regulars forging really successful careers. Our dream would be to see another APAT player crowned Irish Open Champion next year giving us a double celebration for APAT in 2026!”
Dumitrache wins debut Irish Open APAT Championship
The debut Irish Open APAT Championship in 2023 was won by well-known Romanian player Marian Dumitrache. A two-day battle saw Dumitrache outlast a field of 214 players in the no-deals, freezeout event to seize a Gold Medal, the Irish Amateur Poker Championship title and €9,708 cash prize. Dumitrache went into the final table as chip leader with Mark Murphy second in chips, and it was Murphy who Dumitrache had to vanquish heads-up. Ireland’s Murphy won €6,535 and a Silver medal while British player Shawn Morales scooped a Bronze medal and €4,610.
APAT (Amateur Poker Association & Tour) is a global poker organisation that provides affordable, professional-quality live and online tournaments and festivals specifically for amateur and recreational players. Founded in the UK in 2006, APAT offers dealer-dealt, well-structured events with modest buy-ins, aiming to develop poker skills in a fun, competitive environment and serve as a proving ground for new talent.
