2026 will mark the 46th year of the event with another unforgettable festival running from March 26 to April 6 at the Royal Dublin Society.
The Irish Open is the largest and richest poker event in Ireland and is the longest-running No-Limit Texas Hold’em tournament in the world outside of Las Vegas.
As in 2025, many of the tournaments next year will come with huge guarantees, including the €2,500,000 guaranteed Main Event, €1,000,000 guaranteed Mini Irish Open and the €1,000,000 guaranteed Luxon Pay Mystery Bounty, which made its debut this year and instantly became the biggest Mystery Bounty ever held in Ireland.
Run by Paul O’Reilly and JP McCann in collaboration with global poker sites PokerStars and Paddy Power, the Irish Poker Open has won several awards this year including Best Stand-Alone Festival at the Global Poker Awards in February and, more recently, the SiGMA award for Best Live Poker Event in September.
Always more than just a poker tournament, the Irish Open is an annual celebration of fun and festivities that attracts thousands of players from all over the globe. This year’s schedule featured 69 different tournaments, attracting over 25,000 entries and creating an overall prize pool of over €14.5 million.
The record-breaking 2025 Main Event was the richest poker tournament ever held in Ireland, with 4,562 entries generating a €4,447,950 prize pool – nearly €2 million more than the guarantee. The partnership with PokerStars, Paddy Power and the iPoker network enabled more than 1,300 players to win their way into the flagship tournament via online satellites.
Paul O’Reilly said: “The Irish Open has always been about more than just cards and chips – it’s a tradition, a gathering and a massive annual celebration of the game we all love. From the very first hand dealt back in 1980, the Irish Open has always carried the spirit of Irish hospitality, competition, and community. We’ve been breaking records every year and the 2025 festival was just incredible – thousands of entries and some truly amazing nights in The Craic Den. We’ve got lots of plans for 2026 and aim to make next year’s festival even bigger and better than ever before.”
The Irish Open also has a very lively cash game scene with a dedicated cash game area and 50 tables running 24/7. So whether you’re a seasoned pro or an enthusiastic amateur, the Irish Open has something for everyone. The vibrant atmosphere makes the Irish Open wholly unique – every night is a real party, and it’s little wonder that many players consider it their favourite event of the year.
Cedric Billot, Associate Director of Live Events at PokerStars, said, “We are delighted to continue our highly successful collaboration with the Irish Open for a fourth year running. The Irish Open exemplifies the very best of live poker and offers an unforgettable experience. Nothing beats the community spirit at this multi-award-winning festival and we are looking forward to keeping the buzz going for 2026 and welcoming our numerous online qualifiers to next year’s event.”
Click here to view the 2026 Irish Open schedule. Click here to plan your trip to Dublin and book your hotel accommodation.
