Following the success of this year’s inaugural Irish Open Deaf Championship at the Irish Open, we are massively increasing the number of dedicated tournaments for Deaf players to create a “festival within a festival” at the start of next year’s event.
In addition to the two-day €200 buy-in NLHE Main Event, the 2026 schedule also includes a €120 buy-in PLO Championship, €120 buy-in NLHE Championship, a €350 High Roller and a €150 Mystery Bounty.
The schedule has been devised with the help of Friend of the Irish Open Darren Chow and Deaf Poker Ireland Chief Coordinator Mark McLaughlin who canvassed the opinion of Deaf poker players around the world to prepare the 2026 line-up.
At present, there are dedicated events for Deaf poker players in some 16 countries worldwide however these are typically standalone events for Deaf players only. The Irish Open will give Deaf players a rare chance to participate in tournaments at a huge and prestigious mainstream festival while also enjoying their own dedicated tournaments.
McLaughlin said: “Darren and I did a poll on the ‘World Deaf PokerNews’ Facebook page and got a hugely enthusiastic response. Over 100 players got in touch with us directly, all wanting more information. Our aim is to give Deaf players a wide choice of games at next year’s Irish Open and we’re very excited about the schedule we’ve put together.
“We’re delighted to be joining forces with a festival as well-known and popular as the Irish Open and our goal is to get at least 200 Deaf players competing at next year’s festival. Having dedicated tournaments makes it easier for Deaf players to communicate by signing with each other, and it’s also a great opportunity to make friends with other Deaf poker players from around the world. But we want Deaf players to also have the chance to compete in mainstream events at the same festival.
“Darren went out to Vegas for the DeafNation World Expo and met a lot of Deaf players as well as numerous Deaf influencers who are helping to spread the word. It’s clear our Irish Open initiative has a lot of support. We will also be at the International Poker Tournament for Deaf People at Casino Barcelona in November and helping to promote the Irish Open there. I truly believe that 2026 is going to be best year ever for Deaf poker players.”
Fun in the Craic Den with Deaf comedian John Smith
Off-the-felt, there will also be fun in store with a debut performance at the Irish Open by Deaf comedian John Smith. John, who lost his hearing when he was three, is a passionate BSL Teacher and Deaf rights activist who has performed for deaf and hearing audiences all over the world. He’ll be taking to the stage at 10pm on Saturday March 28.
At this year’s Irish Open Deaf Championship Switzerland’s Starny Hoang was a worthy winner when he defeated a field of nearly 30 players for a first prize of €1,825. Spearheaded by Friend of the Irish Open Darren Chow from Canada, the 2025 tournament featured two starting flights with a single re-entry allowed per flight.
The International Week of Deaf People has been taking place all this week organised by the World Federation of the Deaf. This year the event is focusing is on Deaf people’s human rights to use Sign Language. The World Federation of the Deaf was founded in 1951 and is one of the oldest international organisations of persons with disabilities in the world.
