The long wait is over as the 2024 Irish Open enters the busy stages on day 3 of the festival at the Royal Dublin Society in the city centre of Dublin. Nine different tournaments will be taking place today including three €135 Milestone satellites for the 2024 Irish Open €1,150 Main Event with a total of 30 seats guaranteed. The flagship tournament of the entire series is also kicking off as Day 1a kicks off at noon local time.
Let’s have a quick look at the schedule so you pick the favourite right away:
- €350 Irish Open NLH Heads-Up Championship Event Semi Final 12pm / Final 2.30pm
- €1,150 Irish Open Main Event Day 1a 12pm local time
- €135 Milestone Satellite to Irish Open 12pm / 4pm / 8pm
- €5,000 Luxon Pay High Roller Final Day 1pm local time
- €350 America’s Cup – Single Re-Entry – Championship at 2pm local time
- €200 Mini Irish Open Championship Event Day 1c at 6pm local time
- €350 Irish Open PLO 6-Max – Single Re-Entry – Championship at 6pm local time
Four players out of a sold-out 64-entry strong field return in the €350 Irish Open NLH Heads-Up Championship Event with defending Irish Open Main Event champion David Docherty vying for another title here in Ireland, as he takes on Denmark’s Jannik Bengtsen. On the other side of the bracket is PokerStars ambassador Alejandro Romero from Spain, who will have to get past Alexandru Ersen.
They have all locked up a portion of the €19,344 prize pool already and the semi-finalists take home at least €2,460, the runner-up earns €3,860 and the winner takes home the Irish Open trophy as well as €5,925. Levels of 20 minutes each are played with 100 big blinds deep at the start, the semi finals take place at noon local time and the final will follow at 2.30pm local time.
The semi finals are as follows:
| Table | Seat | Player | Country |
| 1 | 1 | Alexandru Ersen | Romania |
| 1 | 2 | Alejandro Romero | Spain |
| 2 | 1 | David Docherty | Scotland |
| 2 | 2 | Jannik Bengtsén | Denmark |
As previously mentioned, the 2024 Irish Open Main Event will be taking the centre stage today as Day 1a kicks off. More than 800 players have won their seats through the sponsoring brands of Paddy Power and PokerStars, give or take ten because Irish poker pro and book author Dara O’Kearney won eleven of them online.
One year ago, Docherty came out on top of a record-breaking field of 2,491 entries to claim the top prize of €365,000, which he followed up with several other deep runs on the UK live poker circuit in 2023. He will certainly be back to try and defend the title.
There are four starting days available for the marquee event with three regular flights and a turbo heat 1d, which features a reduced level duration of 20 minutes each. For all those jumping into the action today, they will have 45-minute levels available throughout with 14 of them scheduled. All players receive 30,000 in chips, good enough for 300 big blinds in the first level. A single re-entry is permitted for those who don’t have lady luck on their side.
What else is happening today? Day 2 of the €5,000 Luxon Pay High Roller recommences at 1pm local time with another two levels of late registration. So far, 48 players out of 80 entries remain with Frederik Thiemer leading the way ahead of Ankit Ahuja and Leo Worthington-Leese.
At 2pm local time, the €350 America’s Cup gets underway with a single re-entry permitted in the first eight 25-minute levels. The structure is the same as the opening 6-Max Event.
As of 6pm local time, the third starting day of the €200 Mini Irish Open Championship Event is scheduled to take place, joined by Day 1 of the €350 Irish Open PLO 6-Max – Single Re-Entry – Championship at the same time.
It can be expected that the poker arena will be buzzing with action and that shall make for a spicy and banter-filled day at the tables with Irish wits taking on international visitors, uniting their bonds with a fresh pint of Guinness. You can follow all the action right here on the Irish Open website and also check out who is doing well on the new Poker Lens app, in case you want to put down your name for one of the cash game tables.