The first day of the Irish Open Main Event is a red-letter day in the European poker calendar, and the wait is almost over with Day 1A of the 2026 edition set to kick off today at noon.
The 46th iteration of the oldest poker tournament in Europe, sponsored by PokerStars, features a €1,150 buy-in and sports a record €2,500,000 guarantee, with Day 1A being the first of five starting flights.
Records were smashed last year, and Irish eyes were smiling, as Simon Wilson secured a famous victory on home soil, sending the crowd into ecstasy after beating Italian Umberto Ruggeri heads-up in scenes more akin to a football match than a poker tournament.
Wilson overcame the record 4,562 runner field to bag the first-place prize of €600,000, representing the lion’s share of the huge €4,447,950 prize pool, and he will surely return to attempt to defend his title.
2025 Irish Open Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
| 1 | Simon Wilson | Ireland | €600,000 |
| 2 | Umberto Ruggeri | Italy | €316,000 |
| 3 | Ignotas Kirsis | Lithuania | €225,000 |
| 4 | Georgios Skarparis | Cyprus | €170,000 |
| 5 | Michel Karim | Sweden | €130,000 |
| 6 | Brandon Harris | United Kingdom | €100,000 |
| 7 | Panteleimon Pontos | Greece | €77,500 |
| 8 | Joe O’Donaill | Ireland | €59,030 |
| 9 | Marius Gicovanu | Romania | €45,800 |
Players will sit down with a 50,000 starting stack, with blinds commencing at 100/100, with a 100 big blind ante. Players are permitted a single re-entry per starting flight, with late registration open until the start of Level 11 in each flight.
Players may play multiple starting flights, with their largest stack being carried forward. The clock will be set to 40-minute levels on all starting flights, with the exception of Day 1E, which is a 20-minute turbo flight.
Players will have to navigate 15 levels in Day 1 to bag and tag, with Days 2-4 scheduled for 4-6 April. The clock will be increased to 60-minute levels from Day 2 onwards.
We will be on the floor from cards in the air until the flight’s conclusion, so stay tuned as we see who can put themselves in prime position for a tilt at one of the most prestigious titles in poker.
