The award-winning Irish Open – the longest-running poker tournament in the world outside of Vegas – is spreading its wings and heading overseas for the very first time.
At this year’s Irish Open festival, taking place at the Royal Dublin Society from March 26 to April 6, organisers unveiled the next chapter in the award-winning festival’s extraordinary story with the announcement of three international Irish Poker Open destinations set to debut across 2026–2027.
The announcement was revealed on giant screens at the start of Level 8 of the Main Event Day 1d on Friday, April 3, with a 90-second teaser celebrating the tournament’s rich history and unveiling the first international stops.
The teaser forms the opening act of a longer documentary which will be released shortly after this year’s Irish Open festival.
You can watch the teaser here:
The Irish Open, which is celebrating its 46th anniversary this year, already has huge international appeal. At the 2025 event in Dublin, players from more than 80 countries turned up to compete – including more than 200 players from North America. The new destinations will expand the festival’s global reach even further with events scheduled in three of the world’s most exciting poker destinations: Australia, Marrakech and the United States.
- Sydney gets the first international Irish Open with a 10-day festival at the Poker Palace in September featuring numerous tournaments and a $1 million guaranteed Main Event.
- Marrakech will host the second overseas stop in November with a six-day event at the glamorous Casino de Marrakech featuring a €500,000 guaranteed Main Event.
- USA – the third stop will be the Irish Poker Open’s first American festival in 2027. The destination is still under wraps—but trust us, it’ll be worth the wait.
Come for the poker, and stay for the “craic”
For international players who have yet to attend the Irish Open in Dublin, one of the biggest attractions is certain to be the festival’s legendary Craic Den player lounge. This is the beating heart of the Irish Open and takes the concept of ‘off-the-felt fun’ to a whole new level. Every night The Craic Den hosts a frenetic roster of games, contests and live music – all creating the legendary “craic” that Ireland is known for.
Irish Poker Open co-owner Paul O’Reilly said: “The Irish Open is widely recognised as one of the best-run festivals in the world – professionally structured tournaments, smooth logistics, and outstanding event management – and we’ve won numerous Awards that recognise this.
“But equally important is the Irish Open’s unique atmosphere – the friendliness, warmth and fun which is the hallmark of Irish hospitality. I know that, for many players, the off-the-felt fun in the Craic Den is the reason they keep coming back year after year! So we’re very excited that we can now introduce that experience to new audiences across the globe.
“The Irish Open has been held in Dublin since 1980 – it’s the oldest No Limit Hold’em event in Europe. But the game itself came from America – introduced by Terry Rogers after he met Benny Binion in Vegas – so being “international” is in our DNA. We are also passionate about innovation so exporting the brand – taking the Irish Open global – is a very logical next step.”
JP McCann added: “Paul and I took over this event over 10 years ago, and from day one the vision was clear – grow the Irish Open and take it global.
“The Irish Open Internationals is something I’ve been developing for several years, and with our 50th anniversary on the horizon in 2030, the plan is to expand worldwide – delivering incredible standalone events in top-tier venues, alongside multiple international Day 1s feeding into our flagship Dublin festival. This is just the beginning of something special.
“Ultimately, our ambition is simple: to make the Irish Open the biggest tournament in the world by its 50th anniversary.”
Going global
Sydney – Australia
Venue: Poker Palace
Dates: 6-15 September, 2026
Duration: 10 days
Main Event Buy-in: $2,000
Main Event Guaranteed Prize Pool: $1,000,000
The very first international Irish Poker Open is taking place at the Poker Palace in SydneyAustralia this September. With a seven-figure Main Event prize pool guarantee, the 10-day festival promises to deliver the Irish Open experience to a whole new audience down under. The Poker Palace – located at the prestigious Club Marconi – is one of Australia’s top poker venues and a long-established host of major poker events including the Australia Poker Open.
Marrakech – Morocco
Venue: Casino de Marrakech
Dates: 10–15 November 2026
Duration: 6 days
Main Event Buy-in: €1,150
Main Event Guaranteed Prize Pool: €500,000
Casino de Marrakech has been a leading destination for poker players for decades and has a long history of hosting major international tournaments. Set against the vibrant backdrop of one of Morocco’s most enchanting cities, the six-day Irish Poker Open Marrakech will feature dozens of events and a guaranteed prize pool of €500,000.
United States
Planned for one of North America’s most prestigious poker venues, the Irish Open’s United States debut is set for 2027, with full details to be announced soon.
For more information, please email info@irishpokeropen.com or visit the Irish Open website: www.irishpokeropen.com
About the Irish Open
The Irish Open is the longest-running poker tournament in the world outside of Vegas. 2026 will mark the 46th year of the Irish Open with an expanded schedule of 86 tournaments and €4.5 million in prize pool guarantees, taking place from March 26 to April 6 at the Royal Dublin Society.
The Irish Open is an annual celebration of fun and festivities that attracts thousands of players from all over the globe. The Irish Poker Open is owned by Paul O’Reilly & JP McCann, with the Dublin edition sponsored by global poker sites PokerStars and Paddy Power. As well as the legendary Craic Den player lounge – hosting a hectic roster of games, competitions and live music – the Irish Open also offers a lively cash game scene with a dedicated cash game area and some 50+ tables running 24/7.
