The Irish Open Marrakech schedule is out, and it is a big one: 36 tournaments across six days at Casino de Marrakech, with a €1,155 Main Event that starts on November 11. After 46 years as a fixture of the Irish poker calendar, the Irish Poker Open has gone international in 2026, and Morocco is one of its most intriguing stops.
The essentials
The festival runs from November 10 to 15, 2026 at Casino de Marrakech, located at the Es Saadi Resort, a short distance from the medina and the Jemaa El-Fnaa square. Buy-ins range from €140 to €3,000 across the 36 events.
The Main Event is €1,155 with four starting flights, Day 1a through Day 1d, beginning on November 11 at noon. Day 1d is a turbo format, which is worth noting for anyone who likes to arrive late with a short attention span and a sharp pre-flop game. Day 2 resumes on November 14 at 1pm, with the final stage on November 15.
Why Irish Open went international
According to PokerNews' reporting from April, the Irish Poker Open announced three international stops for 2026 after 46 years of operating in Ireland. We already covered the first of those in Irish Open Sydney, the first international stop. Marrakech is the next chapter, and it follows a clear strategy: take a trusted festival brand to destinations where players want to travel, and build a recognizable series with a mix of price points.
For the organizers, the appeal is logistical as well as commercial. A shorter flight for European players than Sydney, warm November weather and favorable euro buy-ins make Morocco a rational choice. The festival is aimed at players from Ireland, the UK and continental Europe who want a poker trip combined with a winter holiday.
Side events worth knowing about
The schedule is well rounded. Highlights from the published program include:
- €350 Hendon Mob Championship, billed as the first North African edition
- €350 Mini Irish Open, a cheaper way to chase the festival's identity
- €250 Ladies Championship and a €350 Seniors Championship for players 50 and over
- €2,200 High Roller and €3,000 Super High Roller for the bigger bankrolls
- Several PLO tournaments from €350 to €1,150
- Two debut events: the €350 Africa's Cup and the €550 Marrakech Cup
Ten super satellites will run at the casino to win Main Event entries, which is the cheapest route into the €1,155 flagship if you are already on site.
Understanding the Main Event structure
Multi-flight events like this are common in Europe, and they change how you should plan. With four starting days, you can choose a flight based on your travel schedule and your preferred pace. A few things to consider:
Flight choice. Early flights usually have a slightly different mix of players. Later flights, especially a turbo, tend to be shorter on depth, which can favor aggressive stack-accumulation but punishes passive play.
Re-entry. Check the final tournament rules on re-entry per flight, since formats vary. Whatever the rule, it matters for how loosely you can play early.
Day 2 gap. The main field resumes on November 14, so combined fields from all four flights are merged. Depending on how many players there are, expect a significant jump in competition by Day 2.
If you are new to multi-flight events, our guide to cash games vs tournaments explains why tournament variance is so different, and our poker strategy hub covers how to adjust deep-stack and short-stack play across an event.
Practical tips for traveling to Morocco
The organizers published travel notes that are worth repeating:
- Money: debit and credit cards are widely accepted in hotels and around the city, but you will need cash for taxis and for smaller local vendors. The local currency is the Moroccan Dirham (MAD). Buy-ins are set in euros, but the actual euro amounts can shift slightly with exchange rates.
- Language: French is widely spoken, with English common in the casino and tourist areas.
- Time zone: same as London and Dublin, one hour behind Paris and Madrid.
- Weather: warm, sunny days in November.
Everything else, such as visas, vaccinations and local gambling rules, depends on your passport and should be checked with official government sources before you book. We are not travel advisers, and rules change.
Bankroll and expectations
A trip like this costs more than the buy-ins. Flights, accommodation and food can easily exceed the price of a Main Event entry. A good rule is to budget the entire trip as the cost of the event and set an overall loss limit before you travel. Our bankroll management guide walks through the principles, and the tournament advice applies even more strongly to live events with large variance.
If you want to arrive better prepared, practice the formats you intend to play. Online tournaments are a cheap training ground, and sites listed on our tournaments page offer satellites and low-stakes events that mimic the structures you will face. If you are weighing live against online play for the winter, our online vs live poker comparison lays out the trade-offs.
What this means for players
For European recreational players, Marrakech is a lower-cost, high-experience alternative to the big-name festivals. A €1,155 buy-in is accessible compared with a €5,300 EPT Main Event, and the side-event menu includes plenty of entry points under €500. For serious pros, the high rollers offer a softer environment than the major tours, with fewer stars and potentially more recreational money.
There is also a broader trend. Established festival brands are expanding to new geographies as local live markets rebound. The WSOP Circuit's global footprint and the Irish Open's three-stop international plan are two examples of the same idea. Players benefit when more events are available outside the traditional hubs of Las Vegas and Barcelona.
Bottom line
The Irish Open Marrakech has a clear identity: 36 events, a modest €1,155 Main Event, ten super satellites and a mix of firsts for North Africa. If the schedule fits your calendar, it combines a poker festival with a winter getaway. Check the official Irish Poker Open site for final rules and registration details, plan your bankroll for the whole trip, and arrive with a plan for both the cards and the cash you will need on the ground.