The Super Seniors proved that they have staying power on this opening day of the Irish Poker Open, 2026. David Smith dusted off his last opponent a little after 4 am, having started the tournament a gruelling 13 hours previously.
The lightweight youngsters had been safely tucked up in bed for a couple of hours by the time Smith knocked out Paul Murnin, in the final hand of this tournament. The veteran gladiators had the entire RDS to themselves as the event drew to a close, but it was only once we got heads up that the idea of a deal was countenanced.
Smith had been in contention for the top spots throughout the day, and he never looked back after winning a massive pot against Joseph Moloney, shortly before the final table.
The early levels saw many of the usual suspects at the felt: Andy Black, Padraig Parkinson and John Duthie all played their part.
Actors Douglas Henshall and Anders Beckman joined the congregation, and last year’s winner Pip Arthur put up a spirited defence of his title, outlasting 75% of the field and eventually falling in 50th place.
Final Table Result:
1st: David Smith — €7,900
2nd: Paul Murnin — €7,500
3rd: Edward O’Reilly — €4,250
4th: Tim Silman — €3,270
5th: Stuart Kerridge — €2,520
6th: Xuanyu Zheng — €1,970
7th: Michael Fohs — €1,647
8th: Metin Aslan — €1,370
9th: Joseph Moloney — €1,190
