The 2027 Irish Poker Open will run from March 18 to 29 at the Royal Dublin Society in Dublin, headlined by a €1,150 Main Event with a €2,500,000 guarantee. The festival, which is celebrating its 48th year, will feature 48 numbered events, and it is backed by PokerStars, Paddy Power and the iPoker Network. If you play live tournaments in Europe, this is one of the most accessible big-field festivals on the calendar, and satellites are expected to start from as little as €1.
Here is what we know so far, based on the schedule PokerNews published, along with context on what last year's festival delivered and how to approach a series of this size.
Key Dates and Venue
The festival runs March 18-29, 2027, at the Royal Dublin Society. The Main Event begins on Sunday, March 21 with Day 1a, then continues with Day 2 on March 27, Day 3 on March 28 and the final day on March 29. That structure, with a gap of several days between early flights and later days, is typical of large multi-flight events and gives players who bust early the chance to re-enter other flights or play side events.
The Main Event: €1,150 and €2.5 Million Guaranteed
The Main Event buy-in is €1,150 with a €2,500,000 guarantee. That guarantee is a useful number because last year's results show it is realistic. The 2026 Main Event drew a record 5,003 entries and paid €4,852,910 to finishers, which is almost double this year's guarantee. Romania's Narcis Nedelcu won €336,798 after a five-way deal.
For context, the guarantee is a floor, not a forecast. If the field comes in anywhere near 2026's record, the prize pool will exceed the guarantee by a wide margin. If it falls short, the organisers cover the difference through an overlay, which benefits players. A high guarantee relative to the likely field is one of the best signs of a value tournament, and we explain how to judge that in more detail on our tournaments page.
Other Major Events
The Irish Poker Open is not just a Main Event festival. Two other tournaments carry €1 million guarantees:
- Luxon Mystery Bounty (€1,150): the first event, starting at 12:00 p.m. on March 18. Last year's edition drew 1,175 entries and a €1,139,750 prize pool, with Tudor Lazar winning €110,700 including bounties.
- Mini Irish Open (€250): 14 flights starting at 6:00 p.m. on March 18 and ending March 29. In 2026 it attracted 7,349 entrants and a €1,532,634 prize pool, and Sami Agel of Luxembourg won €150,855 after a heads-up deal with David Penly, who took €117,195.
The remaining schedule includes high rollers with buy-ins between €3,000 and €5,000, in both PLO and NLH 8-Max formats, a heads-up championship with a 128-player cap, and championship events for deaf players, ladies, seniors and super seniors. There is also a Main Event-style Flip and Go and a Kings and Queens team event.
What Happened in 2026
The 2026 festival produced some impressive numbers, according to PokerNews: over 32,000 entries and more than €15.5 million awarded. Those figures put the Irish Poker Open among the biggest live poker festivals in Europe, and they explain why the organisers are comfortable with a €2.5 million Main Event guarantee.
Earlier winners show the breadth of the field. Simon Wilson took €600,000 in 2025, and David Docherty won €365,000 in 2023. The pattern is clear: the Irish Poker Open regularly produces life-changing prizes for players who qualify through relatively cheap satellites.
Satellites: How Players Get In
More than 1,600 players qualified for the 2026 festival through online satellites, according to the report, and satellites for 2027 are expected to start from €1. That is a significant statistic, because it shows how much of the festival's field is built on cheap online qualifiers. Satellites are the cheapest way to take a shot at a seat, but they have high variance, so manage your bankroll accordingly. Our guide to bankroll management explains how much to allocate to satellites.
If you are based in a regulated European market, PokerStars satellites will be your main route. Players in other regions have different options, and our guides to the UK and poker networks explain what is available.
The Wider Irish Open Brand
The Irish Poker Open recently went international, announcing new stops beyond Dublin earlier in 2026, with events in Sydney and Marrakech following. The Dublin festival, though, remains the flagship and the one with the longest history. If you want a feel for how the international stops compare, our other coverage on the site explains the schedule and format of the Sydney and Marrakech editions.
What This Means for Players
There are a few practical lessons for anyone planning a trip to Dublin or a satellite run.
First, think carefully about which event to play. The Main Event is the obvious target, but the €250 Mini Irish Open offers a lower buy-in with a prize pool that exceeded €1.5 million last year, and with 14 flights it provides plenty of chances. If your bankroll is modest, that is arguably the better value.
Second, understand multi-flight structure. In an event with multiple starting days, your decision on which flight to enter affects your field size, your table dynamics and your risk of facing professionals. Early flights are often softer, while final flights have the advantage of knowing the stack sizes of the field.
Third, plan for deals. Both the 2026 Main Event and the 2026 Mini Irish Open ended with deals at the final table, which are common in big-field events. Learn how ICM works so you can evaluate a deal when it is offered rather than accepting whatever number the chip leader suggests.
Fourth, prepare your strategy. A €1,150 Main Event is often a field of recreational players mixed with professionals, which rewards a tight-aggressive approach early and adaptable play later. Our poker strategy hub and texas holdem page cover the fundamentals.
Live vs Online
Many players who qualify online will be new to live poker. The pace, the tells and the table etiquette are all different. Our comparison of online poker vs live poker explains how to adjust, and our guide to poker tells helps you get started with live reads. It is worth practising live play before you travel, especially if you are making the jump from a satellite.
Bottom Line
The 2027 Irish Poker Open promises 12 days of poker, a €2.5 million Main Event guarantee and two other €1 million guaranteed events. Based on last year's record Main Event attendance of 5,003 and over €15.5 million awarded across the festival, the numbers look achievable. For players, the best route in is through a cheap satellite, and the best preparation is a clear bankroll plan, an understanding of deal-making and some practice at the live tables. We will keep following the schedule as more details are confirmed, so check back for updates as March approaches.