A veritable army of PokerStars Ambassadors are turning up for this year’s Irish Open including award-winning streamer Ben “Spraggy” Spragg and his wife Marle (of award-winning Marlztv fame), live stream presenters James Hartigan and Joe Stapleton plus The Club football pundits Rory Jennings and Adam McKola.
Also coming are new Ambassador David Lappin, Twitch streamers Nick Walsh and Sebastian Huber, PokerStars Ambassador for Women in Poker Kerryjane “KJ” Craigie, plus French pros Benjamin “Benny” Bruneteaux, Julien “Yu” Brecard and Julien ‘JBZZ’ Dupre.
Felix “xlixx” Scheiders from Team GRND (which is sponsored by PokerStars) – will also be at the event, hot on the heels of his spectacular runner-up finish in the EPT Paris Main Event. Felix snagged the biggest live score of his career in France with a huge €717,350 prize for second place. He’s a regular at the Irish Open and an enthusiastic participant in Craic Den frolics!
He said: “We love the Irish Open because we love cards, the community and the international camaraderie. And, of course, we love the Craic Den … because what would it be without the Craic Street Boys?”
Spraggy Quid Games and Mystery Bounty
Spraggy will be literally all over this year’s Irish Open as the host of two unmissable live events: Spraggy’s Quid Games takes place in the Craic Den on April 1 and the following day, Spraggy hosts his very own €550 Mystery Bounty tournament. For more on that, see our Spraggy story.
Live streamers
James Hartigan and Joe Stapleton host the Irish Open live stream but also like to dabble in a bit of poker while they’re at the RDS. James has yet to cash at the festival but Joe achieved the second-best live result of his poker career in 2024 when he made the final of a NLH six-max tournament, finishing fourth for €7,980.
The live stream is taking place on the final four days of this year’s festival – from April 3-6. James and Joe will be joined by fellow Ambassador Nick Walsh & 2017 Irish Open champion Griffin Benger. The broadcast will be available on the PokerStars YouTube channel, the PokerStars Twitch channel, the PokerStars LIVE Facebook page and the Irish Open YouTube channel.
Championing the Ladies
KJ Craigie, PokerStars Ambassador for Women in Poker, has a full Ladies schedule planned for her trip to Dublin. She’s aiming to enter both Ladies events – the Ladies Championship and the new Ladies High Roller – as well as the Young Pups v Old Dogs tourney.
KJ has been attending the Irish Open since 2009 and reckons this will be her fifth visit. She said: “Ladies’ High Rollers give women a valuable platform for growth and comfort; it’s the chance for them to elevate their game to the next level and a great stepping stone for progressing and playing higher stakes in mixed arenas.”
The prestigious two-day Irish Open Ladies Championship is kicking off on Thursday, April 2 with a two-day, €250 buy-in, single re-entry tournament. The two-day, single-re-entry €1,150 Ladies High Roller gets underway on the penultimate day of the festival, April 5.
The new Kings and Queens tourney starting on March 29 will also give female players a chance to flaunt their skills – pitting them up against the men in a unique format. The tourney – a true battle of poker royalty – will feature equal numbers of men and women taking part both on Day 1 and on Day 2. The Ladies’ flight will take place first and the number of female entrants will determine how many can enter the subsequent Men’s flight. See our Kings and Queens story for full details.
“New boy” David Lappin
David Lappin will be sporting the coveted Red Spade at the Irish Open for the very first time. The Irish pro, who co-hosts the award-winning Chip Race podcast with Dara O’Kearney, became a PokerStars Ambassador at the end of February after finishing in the top ten of last year’s PokerStars Live League and then successfully winning the audition stage to become an Ambassador.
He said: “The Irish Open has and will always have a unique place in my heart. It is a singular poker event, a once a year celebration of what makes poker players a community. I have played the event 14 times and commentated on it 11 of those years but I feel like this year will be special because Dara and I are both now Ambassadors for the two brands that are sponsoring the event.
“PokerStars and PaddyPower are pumping out the online satellites, ensuring it will be another record-breaker. It would be brilliant to get a deep run, like we both did in 2023, but if that doesn’t happen, you’ll find me in The Craic Den!”
In the Club
Adam McKola and Rory Jennings – hosts of the popular football podcast and YouTube channel The Club – are fast becoming Irish Open regulars. The pair have been coming to the Irish Open since 2023. McKola cashed in the Main that year and then secured one of the best results of his career the following year when he finished 91st for €5,460.
Bienvenue to the French Ambassadors
French pros Benjamin “Benny” Bruneteaux, Julien “Yu” Brecard and Julien ‘JBZZ’ Dupre are all attending this year’s event. Benny and Yu have both cashed at the festival in the past – Yu in the 2024 Mini and Benny in the Mini, Main and Mystery Bounty. Brecard said: “We’re always excited to go to the Irish Open; it’s the best live event atmosphere of the year!’ The trio will be streaming the last two days of the Main Event – in French.
