Last night, at 20.47 precisely, a Polish player bought into the 2026 Irish Open Main Event and Europe’s oldest poker tournament made history once again.
At that point, the monster 2026 field had just overtaken the 2025 record of 4,652 entries but, with several hours of Day 1e late registration still to go, the total number went way, WAY higher.
Back in 2016, when Paul O’Reilly and JP McCann took over the Irish Open, they had a dream: to grow the Main Event to 5,000+ entries. Last night, they did it. A total of 5,003 players have entered this year’s €1,150 Main Event creating a record prize pool of €4,852,910.
Making it through such a giant field is no mean feat so well done to all 1,256 players who will be back at the RDS today for Day 2. The returnees include at least six former champions: Ian Simpson (2013), Dan Wilson (2016), Wie Zheng (2019, Steve O’Dwyer (2022), Tero Laurila (2024) and Simon Wilson who won last year’s tournament in spectacular fashion.
The Royal Dublin Society hosted two final Main Event flights yesterday, attracting over 2,700 fresh players to the felt including 2,037 entries in a single flight (Day 1d). The current chip leader is Kristian Svanbom who topped the Day 1d flight with 899,000.
Truly international
Yesterday it was revealed that the Irish Open is taking the craic global with the launch of its first international destinations. So it’s fitting that this year’s Dublin edition has featured players from more than 80 countries including from as far afield as Australia (we’re coming for you, Sydney!!!), Morocco (see you in November, Marrakech!) and gazillions from the USA (we’ll be there in 2027, America!).
Ambassadorial presence for Day 2
Also through to Day are a clutch of patched-up players including Irish Open Ambassador Chris Dowling (214,000) along with Friends of the Irish Open Elizabeth Bennett-Martin (101,000) and Raph Verdugo (53,000). PokerStars will be represented by Team Pros David Lappin (296,000), Rory Jennings (193,000), Julien Brecard (148,000) and Guillermo Sanz (58,000). Paddy Power Ambassador and satellite strategy expert Dara O’Kearney, who won multiple tickets for this year’s event, is also through with 94,000.
Day 9 highlights!
Breakfast of champions
Among the notables who are through to Day 2 are sibling Hendon Mobsters Barny and Ross Boatman. EPT Paris champion Barny has 200,000 while British actor Ross is not far behind with 180,000.
Also still in: EPT Monte Carlo champion 2016 Jan Bendik (226,000), EPT London champion Ian Hamilton (609,000), 2026 double trophy winner Roope Tarmi, Irish Open superfan June Jenkins, Luxon CEO Tom Waters (23rd with 532,000) and his wife Charlie (last year’s Hendon Mob runner-up) plus 2026 Ladies Champion Jen Frankenstein. There are countless more notables still in the running for a humongous first prize. Ireland’s Michael Dwyer, who is captaining Team Jaka in the Battle of the Coaches against Team Simplify Poker, is also through with 138,000.
Pulling away in the cashes leaderboard
Jamie Flynn, already topping the “most Irish Open cashes leaderboard” at the start of the event, has now extended his lead in that race (cashed twice already) and has 304,000 going into Day 2 today.
Live coverage
The live stream will be on air from 12.30pm with a full day of Main Event coverage. Award-winning commentators James Hartigan and Joe Stapleton, plus PokerStars Team Pro Nick Walsh will be joined by 2017 Irish Open Champion Griffin Benger (who bust the Main Event late on Friday) plus – possibly – the newest member of Team Pro David Lappin (although he is still in the Main Event.)
If you’re in the UK or Ireland, you can watch the broadcast on the PokerStars UK YouTube channel; elsewhere, head to the PokerStars global channel. You can also watch on the PokerStars Twitch channel, or via the PokerStars LIVE Facebook page as well as the Irish Open YouTube channel.
PokerNews will also be closely monitoring Day 2 and you can read their updates from noon onwards here on the Irish Open website.
The stats so far are:
Day 1A: 467 entries, 93 through to Day 2
Day 1B: 709 entries, 149 through
Day 1C: 1,065 entries, 253 through
Day 1d: 2,037 entries, 487 through
Day 1e: 725 entries, 255 through
Total entries: 5,003 (4,562 in 2025)
