The Magic 5,000 Entry Mark Reached in the Main Event
Dublin witnessed an unprecedented influx of players over five starting flights (1a to 1e), with flight 1d alone seeing 2,037 entries flood the Royal Dublin Society. With a total of 5,003 entries, this year’s edition has decisively surpassed last year’s record of 4,562 entries, marking it as the largest in the tournament’s 46-year history.
Thanks to enormous interest, the original €2,500,000 guarantee almost doubled. Players are now contending for shares of a massive €4,852,910 prizepool.
A total of 1,238 players secured their spot in the second day of play. Sweden's Lars Svanbom emerged as the chipleader after landing a 'miraculous river' in a 3-way all-in during the final stages of flight 1d, amassing 899,000 chips (150 BB).
Close behind are Lawrence Penfold (796,000), Massimiliano Cordeschi (773,000), and Jiří Kocáb (731,000). Notable names among those advancing include William Kassouf, defending champion Simon Wilson, and recent two-time High Roller winner Roope Tarmi.
Current Interim Top 10 Stacks of the Main Event before Day 2:
|
Rank |
Player |
Country |
Stack |
|
1. |
Lars Svanbom |
Sweden |
899,000 |
|
2. |
Lawrence Penfold |
United Kingdom |
796,000 |
|
3. |
Massimiliano Cordeschi |
Italy |
773,000 |
|
4. |
Alexander Rizvi |
United Kingdom |
748,000 |
|
5. |
Alex Todd |
United Kingdom |
746,000 |
|
6. |
Glenn Cochrane |
United Kingdom |
740,000 |
|
7. |
Jiří Kocáb |
Czech Republic |
731,000 |
|
8. |
Abel Pruchon |
France |
666,000 |
|
9. |
Fraser Bellamy |
United Kingdom |
665,000 |
|
10. |
Florian Bock |
Germany |
655,000 |
A Historic Milestone: 'The Craic' Goes Global
On Friday evening, amidst the ongoing Main Event, organizers dropped a bombshell: for the first time in history, the Irish Poker Open will expand beyond Ireland. After 46 successful years in Dublin, the IPO brand has decided to export its unique atmosphere, famously known as 'craic', to three global destinations in 2026 and 2027.
According to owners Paul O'Reilly and JP McCann, the goal is to make the Irish Open the biggest tournament in the world by its 50th anniversary in 2030. The world can look forward to these three stops:
-
Sydney, Australia (September 6-15, 2026): The first international stop will be at the prestigious Poker Palace. A 10-day festival will culminate in a Main Event with a $2,000 buy-in and a $1,000,000 guarantee.
-
Marrakech, Morocco (November 10-15, 2026): The second destination will be the exotic Casino de Marrakech. Players will compete in the main event for a guaranteed €500,000 with a €1,150 buy-in.
-
United States (2027): A debut on American soil is planned for 2027 at one of North America's most prestigious casinos, with the exact location still under wraps.
As Paul O'Reilly stated, poker may originate in America, but its European tradition in Dublin is so strong that global expansion is the logical next step. The new international events will also feature the legendary Craic Den, further strengthening ties to its Irish roots.
Source: Irish Poker Open, PokerNews, YouTube
