Irish Open 2026 Set for Record Field as 1,600+ Online Qualifiers Expected

The 2026 edition of the Irish Open is shaping up to be one of the largest in its history, driven by a sharp increase in online qualifiers across multiple operators.

Running through April 6 at the Royal Dublin Society, this year’s festival arrives with strong momentum, as satellite campaigns from iPoker, PokerStars, and Paddy Power significantly expand the player pool.

While official figures are still pending, early indicators suggest that the number of online qualifiers will comfortably exceed last year’s total of 1,300. Projections point toward more than 1,600 players earning their seats via satellites.

The iPoker network is leading this growth. Its campaign alone is expected to send over 1,000 players to the Main Event when combined with Paddy Power entries. The network also reported more than €2 million in cumulative satellite buy-ins, highlighting the scale of the push.

A key factor behind the increase was the earlier start of qualifiers, which began in November—significantly ahead of the usual January launch. In total, 29 partner brands participated, awarding hundreds of packages and seats.

iPoker’s contribution has grown sharply year-on-year. The network has already generated:

• 738 Main Event entries
• 429 full packages (€2,250 value)
• 309 standalone €1,150 seats

This effectively doubles last year’s output and contributes at least €738,000 directly to the prize pool. Additional entries have also been created for side events, including the Mini Main Event.

Importantly, a large share of satellite traffic came from outside the UK and Ireland, underlining the event’s increasingly international reach.

Operating independently, PokerStars is once again running a large-scale satellite campaign. While exact figures are not yet confirmed, expectations are that it will match or exceed last year’s contribution of over 800 qualifiers.

Together, these efforts are set to create one of the most satellite-driven fields in live poker.

Beyond participation numbers, the 2026 schedule introduces a broader mix of formats and new events.

Key highlights include:

• €1,150 Main Event (€2.5M GTD)
• €1M GTD Mystery Bounty
• €250 Mini Irish Open (€1M GTD)

The festival also adds several new formats, such as mixed games, five-card PLO, and themed events inspired by formats seen at the World Series of Poker.

Among the more notable additions are:

• Gender-split “Kings and Queens” event
• Age-based “Old Dogs vs Young Pups” tournament
• Return of events for Deaf players
• Fast-paced Flip & Go format

Last year’s Irish Open set new benchmarks, with more than 26,000 total entries and €14.7 million in prize money awarded. The Main Event alone attracted 4,562 entries.

With stronger satellite campaigns and an expanded schedule, the 2026 edition is well positioned to surpass those numbers.