It’s almost time. In just two days, the Irish Open will officially make history as we take the Irish Poker Open international for the very first time.
On Monday, August 31, the doors will open at Poker Palace at Club Marconi in Sydney and the first-ever Irish Open Sydney will get underway. From there, we have 15 days of poker, more than 40 tournaments, close to A$2 million in guaranteed prize pools, and, of course, plenty of craic.
Sydney is the first stop on our new international journey, with Marrakech following in November and the United States coming in 2027. But before we start thinking about where we’re heading next, all eyes are set on Australia. And there is quite a lot to look forward to!
The one everyone has been waiting for: A$1 million Main Event
At the spotlight in Sydney is our A$1 million guaranteed Main Event. The A$2,000 buy-in Main Event gets underway on Sunday, September 6, with six starting flights giving players plenty of opportunities to find their way into the tournament.
Two of those flights are turbo formats, while there are also 18 super satellites running at Poker Palace, with a total of 170 Main Event seats guaranteed. And this Main Event already has a little bit of Irish Open history behind it.
Back in April, four players made it through a remote Day 1 in Dublin and secured their place in Sydney Day 2, including Irish Open Ambassador Chris Dowling. So while the festival itself is only two days away, the Main Event story has already begun.
| Player | Chip Count |
|---|---|
| Oliver Hutchins | 602,000 |
| Matthias Shahine Ramdjee | 287,000 |
| Chris Dowling | 275,000 |
| Michal Stipsky | 186,000 |
The Mini is back – and it’s bringing a A$500,000 guarantee
If the A$1 million Main Event is the headline act, the Mini Irish Open is not far behind.
The A$360 buy-in tournament comes with a massive A$500,000 guarantee and features 11 starting flights. The first flight kicks off on the opening day of the festival, Monday, August 31, with the final Day 1 taking place on September 11.
The Mini has become one of the biggest attractions of the Irish Open, and after a record-breaking 7,349 entries in Ireland earlier this year, we’re very interested to see what happens when we bring it to Sydney. One thing is certain: there will be plenty of chances to get involved.
>> Full Tournament Schedule of Irish Open Sydney 2026
Lucky 8s makes its Irish Open debut
There’s a brand-new tournament joining the Irish Open family in Sydney. The Lucky 8s comes with a A$250,000 guarantee, an A$880 buy-in and an 80,000 starting stack.
There are five starting flights, including a turbo Day 1e, with the tournament playing down to a winner on September 6. The number eight has long been considered particularly lucky across Asia, so it feels very fitting that this tournament gets its first Irish Open outing in Sydney.
And yes, we’re hoping it brings plenty of luck with it.
A new Sydney Poker Open
The final two days of the festival will see another first. The inaugural Sydney Poker Open comes with a A$100,000 guarantee and an A$880 buy-in, with two starting flights.
So even as the Irish Open Sydney festival approaches its final weekend, there will still be plenty to play for.
Something for everyone
One of the things we love most about the Irish Open schedule is that it isn’t all about the biggest tournaments. Sydney is no different.
We’ll have a dedicated A$360 Deaf Championship Main Event on Saturday, September 5, following the huge success of the Deaf events at this year’s Dublin festival.
The schedule also features the A$600 Asia-Pacific Cup, which makes its Irish Open debut, along with the return of two formats that proved hugely popular in Dublin: the Sviten Special and Mixed 8 Game High Roller Championship.
There’s also a A$200 Ladies Championship, a two-day A$10,000 Super High Roller and a whole host of A$600 events, including PLO 4/5/6, The Hendon Mob Championship, the Seniors Championship and the 2-7 Triple Draw Championship.
And then there’s the Craic Den…
We could talk about the tournaments all day, but anyone who has played the Irish Open in Dublin will know that poker is only half the story. The Craic Den is coming to Sydney.
The Craic Den has become the beating heart of the Irish Open since its introduction, and the place to head when you have had enough of staring at your hole cards and want to see what’s happening away from the tables.
And we’re bringing the full experience down under. Expect games, contests, live music and plenty of opportunities to meet fellow players, all hosted by the legendary Phil Baker.
Because our philosophy has always been pretty simple: serious poker at the tables, great craic everywhere else. We think Sydney is going to understand that very quickly.
The first chapter starts now
The Irish Open has been running for 46 years. We’ve welcomed players from all over the world to Dublin, built an event that has become known as much for its atmosphere as its poker, and this year’s Dublin event produced another record-breaking turnout with more than 32,000 tournament entries. Now, for the first time, we’re taking that experience somewhere else.
Sydney is the beginning.
It’s the first international Irish Open, the first chance for players in Australia and across the Asia-Pacific region to experience the festival on home soil, and the first chapter in what we hope will be a very exciting new part of the Irish Open story.
The countdown is almost over.
Two days to go.
Sydney, we’ll see you at Poker Palace. And make sure to follow our social media channels for all updates in the coming weeks!
