Level 32: 200,000/400,000/400,000
Entries: 1/1,067
Prize Pool: €320,847
An emotional Martin Byrne has emerged as the last player standing in the €350 Hendon Mob Championship, the Scotsman breaking a run of 19 consecutive defeats in tournament heads-up contests to take the trophy and €44,950, after a three-way deal with Koen Van Venrooij of the Netherlands (€30,970) and Cameron Sinclair (€35,420) of the United Kingdom.
The event was a record breaker for the hugely popular tournament at the Irish Open, as 1,067 entrants created a huge €320,847 prize pool, topping the €268,398 shared in the 2025 edition.
Byrne paid tribute to his family, in particular his Uncle James, who he credits with teaching him the game at the age of five. The deal represents career-best scores for all the participants, while Sinclair has also had a festival to remember, this result following his fourth-place finish in the €1,150 Luxon Mystery Bounty earlier in the week.
€350 Hendon Mob Championship Final Table Results
| Position | Player | Country | Prize |
| 1 | Martin Byrne | United Kingdom | €44,950* |
| 2 | Koen Van Venrooij | Netherlands | €30,970* |
| 3 | Cameron Sinclair | United Kingdom | €35,420* |
| 4 | Ed Fogarty | Ireland | € 18,420 |
| 5 | Guillermo Gordo | Spain | € 14,170 |
| 6 | Sia Browne | Ireland | € 10,090 |
| 7 | Adam Early | Ireland | € 8,380 |
| 8 | Manfred Gunther | Canada | € 6,457 |
| 9 | Szymon Koper | Poland | € 4,960 |
(*Denotes three-way deal)
Winner’s Reaction
“It’s been eight years coming since I won a trophy, and I get slagged off by my friends because my heads-up record is terrible! Last year I lost 19 heads-up in a row. I’m glad we made the deal, because it changes everything, the money is secure, you’re just playing for the trophy really. They played very well. Just can’t believe I’ve won the trophy. I came into the final table with 20 bigs and I was looking at the ladders thinking I’ll try to get five figures, and somehow I’ve ended up winning it.”
“We’ll be in the Craic Den tonight! Shout out to my friends and family. I want to give a shout to my Uncle, his name is James Young, he basically taught me when I was five years old, so this one’s for him.”
Roland Boothby of the The Hendon Mob was delighted to crown Byrne the winner, commenting “The Hendon Mob Championship at the Irish Open has truly become a beast. From 238 runners in the 2019 edition to an incredible 1,067 this year, it’s been an epic journey and a testament to the growth of the Irish Open, as well as Hendon Mob events worldwide. I already can’t wait to what next year can bring. We’ve also crowned a great young UK champion in Martin Byrne, who I’m sure will remember this victory for a long time!”
You can see the full interview with Byrne below:-
Final Day Recap
There were 78 runners for the final day, with Sinclair at the top of the counts, and the action was frantic as over half the field was gone by the first break. Daniel Spragg was among those to suffer that fate, and PokerStars ambassador David Lappin followed shortly after, with Van Venrooij in pole position at the interval.
Van Venrooij dusted Michael Healy with kings once the field was reduced to three tables, and Sia Browne moved towards the top of the standings when she won a flip to crack Luca Zapatero. A flurry of bust-outs followed, with Sinclair finding a set against Oliver Boyce, and Byrne disposing of Nan Min.
Sinclair found a good call versus a river jam from Guillermo Gordo to retake the lead, and the tournament was down to two tables when Francesco Caramazza busted. Gordo got lucky to spike the river to survive against Byrne, and while the Scotsman was visibly frustrated by the outcome, he would also rely on his fair share of luck, both immediately and further down the line.
Byrne was in a three-way all-in and at risk against Zexuan Huang, who had Byrne pipped with a better ace. However Byrne hit the front on the flop, and rivered two pair, leading to a passionate celebration.
Huang exited shortly after, along with Gerry McArdle. Ed Fogarty got in on the action when he eliminated Florian Bernigaud, and the final table was set when Sinclair accounted for James Gibbons, and Browne busted Bradley Lowry.
Browne started with the lead, while Byrne was fifth. Szymon Koper was the first to exit to Browne, while Byrne again got lucky with a dominated ace to mark the end of the road for Manfred Gunther. Sinclair woke up with rockets to bust short-stack Adam Early in seventh, and Browne was denied being the first female winner of the event when Sinclair found a set to overcome Browne’s overpair.
Sinclair now had a big lead, but Van Venrooij closed the gap when he knocked out Gordo. Byrne got lucky for the third time with an inferior ace, this time against Sinclair, to bring him into the chip lead.
Ed Fogarty’s tilt at the title came to an end when he cold-four bet jammed the big blind with pocket sixes, but ran into Byrne’s kings in the small blind, extending Byrne’s lead. The players immediately stopped for deal discussions, and matters were relatively quickly agreed.
The players battled on for the trophy, the final €4,500 of the prize pool and a package to THMC Cape Town later in the year. Sinclair finished in third when he ran deuces into Byrne’s pocket nines, giving him a huge lead over Van Venrooij heads-up.
While Van Venrooij tried to extend the battle, he could hold on no longer when Byrne found two pair versus the Dutchman’s short-stack jam. Byrne celebrated with his rail and was left to savor what was clearly a significant and impactful moment in his poker career.
