After a breakneck Day 2 at the Irish Open, and the bubble long burst, Michael Conaty leads the way for Day 3 on 1,040,000. Conaty was runner-up last year but faces a tough ride if he wants to take the top spot this time.
The remaining field includes former Irish Open champ Marty Smyth (141,000), top of Ireland’s all-time money list Andy Black (251,000), 2016 WSOP finalist Griffin Benger (248,000), Will Kassouf (291,000) and Jude Ainsworth (108,000). Just 113 players remain, all of them with their hearts set firmly on the Irish Poker Open trophy and €200k first place prize. Ireland still continues to dominate the event; of the 113 Day 3 players, 56 are Irish.
There were 570 players for Day 2 including some 35 late buy-ins. This meant that the oldest NL poker tournament in Europe has broken another record with the biggest prize pool in the event’s illustrious 26-year history. With 1,129 total entries, this generated a €1,128,294 prize pool, more than doubling the guarantee, with 135 places paying out.
Last year Irish player Dan Wilson took down the Main Event for €150,000 after beating a field of 802 players generating a €801,500 prize pool.
A €500,000 guarantee, legendary atmosphere – including Beer Pong and Shuffleboard – make this a really unmissable event. The Irish Open is and one of the world’s most prestigious and lively poker festivals.