Save The Dates: The 2026 Irish Open Runs March 26 to April 6
Summary
The 46th Irish Open will be held at the Royal Dublin Society from 26 March to 6 April 2026. The festival returns with major industry partners including PokerStars, Paddy Power Poker and select iPoker sites, and promises large guarantees: a €2.5 million Main Event guarantee (€1,150 buy-in) plus seven-figure guarantees for the €1,150 Luxon Mystery Bounty and the €250 Mini Irish Open. The schedule offers a wide range of buy-ins and formats, a busy 24/7 cash-game area, and recommended nearby hotels for early booking.
Key Points
- Dates: 26 March–6 April 2026 at the Royal Dublin Society (RDS), Dublin.
- Main Event: €1,150 buy-in with a guaranteed €2.5 million prize pool; Day 1a starts noon on 29 March, final day on 6 April.
- Two other events with €1,000,000+ guarantees: the €1,150 Luxon Mystery Bounty and the €250 Mini Irish Open.
- Buy-ins across the festival range from €120 to €5,000; formats include No-Limit Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha, 8-Game Mix and novelty events.
- Cash games: dedicated area with up to 50 tables running around the clock.
- Partners: PokerStars, Paddy Power Poker and select iPoker network sites—online qualifiers helped build the large 2025 field.
- Organisers recommend booking accommodation early (suggested hotels: Clayton Hotel Ballsbridge, Herbert Park Hotel, InterContinental, Sandymount) and provide a schedule PDF link.
Content Summary
The article announces the official 2026 Irish Open schedule and highlights the scale of the festival. It notes the continued collaboration with PokerStars and others — a partnership that produced abundant online qualifiers and helped the 2025 festival set records for entries and prize pools. Key tournament details are given: the Main Event structure and timeline, two additional events with seven-figure guarantees, the variety of buy-ins and game formats, and the festival’s thriving cash-game scene. Practical advice to attendees focuses on booking accommodation early and checking the published schedule PDF.
Context and Relevance
This event is one of Europe’s marquee live-poker festivals; the stepped-up guarantees and large field sizes reflect the continued recovery and growth of live poker after recent years of disruption. For players who travel for festivals, qualifiers and live-event grinders, the posted dates and guarantees are essential for planning bankrolls, travel and satellite play. The involvement of major operator partners also means large online qualification routes and promotional activity in the run-up to the festival.
Why should I read this?
Nice and short: if you play live or fancy a mid‑week trip to Dublin, this tells you when to book flights and where the big money will be. Main Event’s huge €2.5m guarantee and the two million‑plus‑payout events basically make this one of the year’s can’t‑miss festivals for trophy hunters and regular grinders alike — so sort your accommodation and satellites now before prices hike or rooms vanish.