The Irish Open has come to a close, and as I write this, the hundreds of chairs are being wheeled away, the tables are being collapsed, and a small hubbub of sound is coming from Main Event champion Simon Wilson’s after-party at the cash game bar. But while Wilson was celebrating his victory with a huge throng of friends and fans, the final tournament was taking place.
The €1,150 8-Max Turbo was not one of the marquee events at this twelve-day festival at the Royal Dublin Society, but it has perhaps created the most heart-warming story of the 2025 Irish Poker Open. As the winner, Manchester’s own Endrit Geci will not only be taking home a trophy tomorrow, but he will also be taking home a baby girl.
Geci, who has now amassed over $1,000,000 of live earnings, had a tumultuous start to the Irish Open as he travelled with his pregnant wife, who was due on the 3rd June, showed early signs of labour after checking into his hotel in Dublin.
Geci’s partner was originally scheduled to have a home birth, but those plans went out the window. Geci told me, “We were very blessed that we had one of the best maternity hospitals in Ireland just a short walk away, and on Sunday, I became a father to a baby girl!”
Mother and baby are doing very well, and his wife is recovering very quickly. I asked Geci if this unexpected arrival has put a spanner in the works for any upcoming plans. “Oh, 100%! I won’t be playing any live poker for a while, but I might try a bit online, after all, SCOOP is around the corner!”
The Englishman had a very strong rail backing him to the end, including Brandon Shiels and Leo Worthington-Leese, who Geci knocked out in 7th place in the tournament. I asked how important it was to have their backing “Not only are they my study partners, they are very good friends, and I trust them immensely.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
| 1st | Endrit Geci | United Kingdom | € 56,143 |
| 2nd | Michael Khan | Canada | € 35,350 |
| 3rd | Patrick White | USA | € 25,250 |
| 4th | Dinesh Alt | Switzerland | € 19,400 |
| 5th | Pascal Vos | Netherlands | € 14,950 |
| 6th | Jon Kyte | Norway | € 11,500 |
| 7th | Leo Worthington-Leese | United Kingdom | € 9,500 |
| 8th | Tim Van de Riet | Netherlands | € 7,900 |
The one-day turbo tournament attracted 270 runners, and the action was fast and loose throughout the day. Half of the field was shed by the time late registration closed after the dinner break. American senior Patrick White was among the chip leaders throughout the day.
White was a formidable force on the final table, picking up the scalps of Tim Van de Veit, Jon Kyte and Dinesh Alt. But the pendulum swung in favour of Geci after White shoved with ace-eight and ran into the champion’s pocket aces. Martin Khan finished White off a couple of hands later when the Canadian hit a flush on the river to beat White’s pocket fours.
But Geci wouldn’t be denied. His winning moment came when all the chips went into the middle with Geci behind with ace-five against Khan’s ace-seven. A five on the flop and on the turn proved that the new dad bounce is real and will need to pay for extra baggage for the trophy as well as a new ticket for his brand new bundle of joy in his life.
Everyone at the Irish Open will be raising a glass to the final 2025 Irish Open Champion and wish all of the best to Endrit Geci, his wife and baby daughter.
