Predicting a Vegas-style poker extravaganza: The 2025 Irish Poker Open Main Event
Anticipated Scenario: Amassing a Prize Fund Exceeding €4 Million at the Irish Open Tournament
Bet you a stack, pal. Ten days from now, the Irish Poker Open Main Event kicks off, and it's gonna be Europe's second biggest €1000 ($1097) tournament of 2025, smashing the guarantee out of the park. We're talking about a prizepool over €4m ($4.4m), baby! Players from every corner of Ireland, every European nation, and all across the globe will descend on the Emerald Isle for a poker spectacle never seen before.
Through the years, many venues have struggled to accommodate the event's growing stature and reputation, including the Eccentric Club, Merrion Casino, Ballsbridge Hotel, Burlington Hotel, Citywest Hotel, and even PartyPoker. But after a move to the Royal Dublin Society (RDS), the Irish Poker Open has thrived, leaving those past home bases in the dust.
The tournament first attracted over 100 entrants and a six-figure prizepool back in 2003. Fueled by the poker boom, the prizepool soon hit seven figures, and as the fields multiplied, so did the buy-in price. In 2008, PaddyPower put up an aggressive €3m ($3.3m) guarantee for a €4500 ($4939) buy-in, and Neil Channing took home a record first prize of €801,400 ($879,726). While a record-breaking cheque might never again be seen from the Irish Poker Open, last year's prizepool finally eclipsed that historic amount, with 3,233 entrants competing for a share of €3,152,175 ($3,460,259).
Troubled waters
The Irish Poker Open didn't always sail smoothly. After a period of economic decline in Ireland post-2008, the tournament struggled with diminishing numbers and an identity crisis. The high buy-in, once a hallmark of the event, became a barrier to entry for many players. The Irish Open Main Event seemed to be stuck between a rock and a hard place, neither attracting overseas interest nor appealing to the Irish market.
In 2015, the tournament suffered a lackluster showing and lost its longtime sponsor, PaddyPower. The powerhouse Irish gambling brand had been a strong supporter of the event historically, but it was downsizing its poker team and turning the game into a minimal viable product on its platform. Combined with the passing of its owner Liam Flood, the future of Ireland's iconic poker festival looked grim.
The rebrand
In 2016, veteran poker operators JP McCann and Paul O'Reilly stepped in to save the day. They moved the main event from the Burlington Hotel to the Citywest Hotel and paired it with the successful Norwegian Poker Championships. The Main Event was rebranded as a €1150 ($1262) buy-in unlimited re-entry tournament, a move that risked diluting the event's prestige.
McCann and O'Reilly believed that this was the way to attract big numbers of players. The lower price-point and multi-entry aspects did indeed result in big numbers, but the first-place prize money paled in comparison to previous years. The jury was still out on whether this change of direction was for the better.
In 2017, the Irish Poker Open drew over a thousand entrants for the first time as Canada's Griffin Benger outlasted a field of 1120 to win €200,000 ($219,547). In 2018, the UK's Ryan Mandara took €250,000 ($274,434) for being the last man standing from 1340 entrants. In 2019, Ireland's Weijie Zheng took €300,000 ($329,321) and the title versus a field of 1807.
Proof in the pudding
The pandemic forced the tournament online for two years, but since its return, it has shown no signs of slowing. In 2022, Steve O'Dwyer took home €318,700 ($353,391) after outlasting a field of 2040. In 2023, PaddyPower renewed its support alongside its Flutter-cousin Pokerstars, helping propel the numbers to 2491 in the first RDS version. Scotland's David Docherty eventually took home €365,000 ($404,730). In 2024, Finland's Tero Laurila walked away with €292,685 ($324,544) and the trophy, besting a field of 3232.
There can be no denying now that McCann and O'Reilly's gamble has paid off handsomely. In February, the pair earned the prestigious GPI Global Poker Award for Best Stand Alone Festival Series. (Some say Paul is still in the PokerGo studio, working on his acceptance speech.) The 2025 Irish Poker Open promises to be the event to end all events, with the vibe strong and satellite participation soaring on Pokerstars and PaddyPower. Smart money says we'll see a record-breaking 4200 to 4500 entries this year, a testament to the enduring appeal of this iconic tournament.
Massively surpassing previous years, over 4,000 players are expected to participate in the 2025 Irish Poker Open Main Event, marking a potential new record. Dublin's Royal Dublin Society will once again host the Europe's second largest €1000 ($1097) sports tournament of the year, with the prizepool anticipated to reach an unprecedented €4m ($4.4m). The prognosticator predicts a poker extravaganza in 2025, much like the Vegas-style poker extravaganza of the Main Event.
