With a record-setting crowd and an exciting finish in Dublin, the 2026 Irish Open Main Event will go down in poker history.
5,004 people entered the €1,150 no-limit hold'em event, breaking the previous record of 4,562 set just a year earlier and establishing a new record.
The €1,150 no-limit hold’em event received an astonishing 5,004 live player entries, setting a new record for the largest number of participants ever in the Irish series.
This tournament was successful beyond all expectations and created a total prize pool of €4,852,910, which is almost double the initial guarantee of €2.5 million.
A Record-Breaking Irish Open
Since its start, the Irish Open has seen continuous growth and is one of Europe’s biggest and most prestigious live poker tournaments.
In 2026, the event reached new heights as players from around the globe flocked to Dublin for five separate starting flights, filling the tournament's host venue with players.
The numbers speak for themselves; on Day 1A of the Irish Open, 467 players entered the tournament. By Day 1D, over 2,000 players were registered to play.
When the registration period closed, there were a total of 5,004 entries, making this year’s Irish Open the biggest Main Event in history.
In a field of this size, making the money would be extremely challenging.
Of the 5,000+ entries received, only 735 players earned a payout by the start of Day 3, and only 122 players remained from the original field.
As a result, the stakes rise and the competition intensifies.
The tournament saw multiple top-name poker players make long runs, creating excitement throughout.
As the tournament neared the final table, over 90% of the field had been eliminated, and the remaining players were chasing a life-changing score.
The Road to the Final Table
Players who reached the final table (Image Courtesy of Irish Poker Open)
After Jarkko Suokas had problems early on the last day, the final table was set.
His K-Q couldn't beat Donnini's pocket queens, which ended his run and set the official nine-handed final table.
After that, things got even more tense. Each decision was important, and every hand could mean the difference between a big win and going home.
The first player to go out at the final table was Edward Dunphy.
His second pair wasn't strong enough to beat Vasyl Palandiuk's top pair; Dunphy tournament life came to an end in ninth place.
Matthew Twomey had a painful exit not long after.
He had 
against Palandiuk's 
and was looking to double up after flopping three jacks on 
.
The turn, on the other hand, brought the 
, giving Palandiuk a full house and entirely changing the hand.
The river didn't help, and Twomey was eliminated in eighth place.
Nedelcu started to gain momentum as the field got smaller.
A big double-up with pocket jacks against pocket nines gave him an opportunity to compete with bigger stacks.
A Deal Changes the Game
Once the tournament was down to the last five players, the pace slowed considerably.
The remaining players, having not eliminated anyone for hours and with their stacks closely sized, agreed to make a deal.
Using the Independent Chip Model, they all agreed to distribute the rest of the prize pool money.
Each player would earn a substantial payout, but the winner would still be able to grab $80,761 and the trophy.
The chip leader was Oliver Gayko, who had a guaranteed payout of the largest amount of money ($80,761).
After the deal, the action became fast-paced.
There was an unbelievable three-way all-in shortly thereafter, which entirely changed the tournament.
Daryl McAleenan went all in with 
Gayko, who called with 
, and Nedelcu held 
.
The board showed 
, keeping Nedelcu's queens ahead.
McAleenan and Gayko were both knocked out in the same hand, which put Nedelcu in a strong position.
Only 5 players left at the #IrishPokerOpen Main Event 🇮🇪 and the Italian Danilo Donnini 🇮🇹 holds half the chips in play with 119,800,000. 🚀
— PokerStars LIVE (@PokerStarsLIVE) April 6, 2026
Watch the action live ➡️ https://t.co/SB357usSaR or https://t.co/hRFaQAqWdk pic.twitter.com/3kOR8SOmIO
Nedelcu Seals a Historic Victory
Nedelcu didn't slow down, and things appeared to go his way.
He quickly eliminated Palandiuk in third place after his pocket tens beat ace-five.
That led to a heads-up duel between Nedelcu and Donnini.
Nedelcu had a big chip lead, with more than twice as many chips as his opponent.
The last hand came up quickly.
Donnini went all-in with 
, hoping to double his stack and get back in the game.
Nedelcu called with 
.
The board showed 
, which didn't help Donnini at all.
Donnini came in second place and earned his biggest career payday. Nevertheless, Narcis Nedelcu was the star of the show.
The Romanian player won the title and took home $387,318 in cash.
Although he received slightly less in prize money due to the deal made with his opponent, he believes that the importance of winning far outweighs any amount of money.
Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Winnings |
| 1 | Narcis-Gabriel Nedelcu | $387,318 |
| 2 | Danilo Donnini | $296,311 |
| 3 | Vasyl Palandiuk | $293,466 |
| 4 | Daryl McAleenan | $288,067 |
| 5 | Oliver Gayko | $328,186 |
| 6 | Francesco Gisolfi | $120,831 |
| 7 | Isaac Barker | $92,920 |
| 8 | Matthew Twomey | $71,496 |
| 9 | Edward Dunphy | $54,970 |
Bluffaces
