We’re already into the money on Day 2 of the €200 Irish Open 2025 Deaf Championships, with Brandon Van Niekerk having picked up €460 and Ueli Andres Munoz €560. This leaves these five competitors vying for the trophy:
Yen-Jung Chen (Canada): 254,500
Starny Hoang (Switzerland): 198,000
Sabahudin Jusic (Croatia): 192,000
Ueli Andres Munoz: 167,000
Darren Chow (Canada): 112,500
Though short-stacked, Chow, an Irish Open Ambassador, has been instrumental in getting the event together, to promote poker both to and for Deaf players – and the live game itself generally, with the travel and experiences that come with it.
Before the event, he’d said, “I love the experience of playing poker in different countries around the world. For me poker creates a pathway to travel more. Whilst I find the format mostly similar in all countries, it’s the atmosphere and the services involved at those different locations that I appreciate experiencing while I play. I’m thrilled to be involved with the Irish Open and very eager to experience the culture and atmosphere of Ireland and its rich history.”
He, along with Hoang, Jusic, Del Olmo and Chen, will have to wait a while to get into the exploration of Dublin, as there’s a tough final table to be overcome. Play kicks off with blinds at 1,500/3,000/3,000, giving chip leader Chen a comfortable 84 big blind stack.
The prizes still to be won:
1 – €1,825
2 – €1,180
3 – €780
4 – €560
5 – €460
