Irish Poker Open 2027: Dublin Festival Runs March 18-29 With a €2.5M Main Event Guarantee
Updated on October 24, 2026.
The Irish Poker Open 2027 will run from Thursday, March 18, to Monday, March 29, at the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) in Dublin. The organizers kept the €1,150 Main Event and its €2.5 million guarantee, and online satellites are already running.
Quick summary
- Dates: March 18-29, 2027, at the RDS in Dublin. It will be the festival’s 48th year, according to the organizers.
- Main Event: €1,150 buy-in and a €2.5 million guarantee, unchanged from 2026.
- Two more €1 million guarantees: the €250 Mini Irish Open and the €1,150 Luxon Mystery Bounty.
- 2026 in numbers: more than 32,000 entries and over €15.5 million in prizes. The Main Event drew a record 5,003 entries.
- Online qualifiers: more than 1,600 players won their 2026 Main Event seat online. Satellites for 2027 are already running.
Irish Poker Open 2027 dates and the St. Patrick’s Day start
The organizers announced the dates on Oct. 15. The festival starts the day after St. Patrick’s Day, which falls on Wednesday, March 17. “The world gets one Paddy’s Day but Irish Open players are going to get 13!” co-owner Paul O’Reilly said in the announcement.
The Irish Open calls itself Europe’s longest-running poker festival, and the 2027 edition stays at the RDS in Ballsbridge. PokerNews published the full schedule this week, with 48 events.
Irish Open 2027 schedule: the biggest events
According to the organizers, the Main Event has a Day 1 flight on Sunday, March 21, and more flights from Wednesday, March 24, to Sunday, March 28. PokerNews lists the Main Event as running from March 21 to 29.
The Mini Irish Open opens the festival on March 18 with 14 Day 1 flights, according to PokerNews. The Luxon Mystery Bounty has five Day 1 flights from the same day. In a mystery bounty, each knockout wins you a bounty of random value, and most bounties are small.
Event | Dates | Buy-in | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
Mini Irish Open | March 18-28 | €250 | €1,000,000 |
Luxon Mystery Bounty | March 18-22 | €1,150 | €1,000,000 |
Irish Open Main Event | March 21-29 | €1,150 | €2,500,000 |
NLH Heads-Up Championship (128 players) | March 22-24 | €350 | None |
PLO High Roller 8-Max | March 22-23 | €5,000 | None |
NLH High Roller 8-Max | March 23-24 | €5,000 | None |
Seniors Championship (60+) | March 28-29 | €350 | None |
The schedule also has a Deaf Championship, ladies events, a team event, mixed games such as H.O.R.S.E. and Stud, and the Liam Flood Memorial 6-Max Turbo, according to PokerNews.
What happened in 2026
The 2026 festival ran 89 tournaments, with more than 32,000 entries and over €15.5 million in total prizes, according to the organizers. The Main Event set a record with 5,003 entries and a €4,852,910 prize pool.
Narcis Nedelcu of Romania won it for €336,790. PokerNews reports that he took the title after a five-way deal, in which the final players agreed to split the remaining prize money before playing it out.
Irish Open satellites: how to qualify online
More than 1,600 players qualified for the 2026 Main Event through online satellites, according to the organizers. Their official online partners are PokerStars, Paddy Power and the iPoker network, which lists 26 sites, including Betsson, Betsafe, Guts and RedStar Poker.
On iPoker, RedStar Poker is running 113 seat-only satellites at €50 each, with 115 Main Event seats guaranteed, from Sept. 11, 2026, to March 8, 2027, according to PokerListings. They start at 8:30 p.m. GMT on different days of the week. PokerNews adds that 2027 satellites are expected to start from €1, with more details to come.
A satellite is cheaper than the €1,150 buy-in, but you still need a bankroll that can handle many attempts. Our guide to poker satellites explains how to win a seat and how to adjust your play near the bubble.
What it means for players in Ireland
The Irish Open is a live festival, so you have to travel to Dublin to play the Main Event. Online, you can try to qualify through the sites that run satellites.
Online gambling in Ireland now falls under the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), which licenses operators. Our guide to online poker in Ireland explains the rules to check before you sign up. Make sure any site you use is allowed to serve players where you live. This article is for information only and is not legal advice.
Betsson, Betsafe and RedStar Poker all play on the iPoker network. If you open an account through the button in our Betsafe review and message us on Telegram, you get 40% rakeback, paid monthly, plus Betsafe’s 100% bonus up to €2,000. Betsson also pays 40% through us, and RedStar pays 20% to 35%, depending on your monthly rake. You can compare them in our list of the best online poker sites.
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Frequently asked questions
When is the Irish Poker Open 2027?
The 2027 Irish Poker Open runs from Thursday, March 18, to Monday, March 29, 2027, at the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) in Dublin, according to the organizers.
How much is the Irish Open 2027 Main Event buy-in?
The Main Event costs €1,150 and guarantees €2.5 million, the same as in 2026. Its first Day 1 flight is on Sunday, March 21, according to the organizers.
How can I qualify for the Irish Open online?
The organizers list PokerStars, Paddy Power and the iPoker network as online qualifier partners. On iPoker, RedStar Poker is running €50 satellites for Main Event seats through March 8, 2027, according to PokerListings.
Who won the 2026 Irish Open Main Event?
Narcis Nedelcu of Romania won the 2026 Main Event for €336,790 from a record 5,003-entry field, according to the organizers. PokerNews reports that the title came after a five-way deal.
Sources
- Irish Poker Open: Every day’s St Paddy’s Day! Dates announced for 2027 Irish Open
- PokerNews: Save the dates, 2027 Irish Poker Open runs March 18-29 in Dublin
- Irish Poker Open: Online satellites
- PokerListings: RedStar Poker restarts half a year of Irish Open satellites
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