Road to The Kingdom – Killarney 2026 Preview
Two stops, one runaway Leaderboard and thirty-three days until Killarney 2026.
The children are back at school, the evenings are closing in and the good people of Kerry are quietly moving the furniture out of the Gleneagle Arena again. The Killarney Poker Festival runs from Tuesday October 13th to Sunday October 18th and, for once, the hype is justified by the arithmetic. Last year 3,100 entries walked through the doors and €1,122,010 walked back out in prize money. This year the Festival guarantee stands at €750,000+ and the whole thing has shifted three weeks later into October, which means slightly worse weather, slightly cheaper flights and exactly the same amount of sleep, which is none.
First, Two Detours
Nobody gets to Killarney without passing through the Midlands and the North West.
The Tullamore €30K In A Day is on September 18th and 19th at the Midlands Card Club, a new stop on the Tour and, not by coincidence, the home club of Ray and Robbie Bryant. Playing the Bryants in Tullamore is roughly the equivalent of playing Kerry in Killarney. It can be done. Bring a big stack and a thick skin.
A week later the Donegal Poker Festival takes over the Radisson in Letterkenny from September 25th to 27th, with a €300 Main Event and €90,000+ guaranteed across the weekend. The last chance to pick up Leaderboard points before the Festival, and a fine excuse to see the top of the country before the clocks change.
The Leaderboard, Such As It Is
Robbie Bryant sits on 7,900 points after Limerick and there is a growing suspicion that the only thing capable of catching him is a puncture on the N52. Killian Farrell is second and still fighting, picking up €2,210 and another 500 points for the Saturday NLH in Limerick. Darren Harbinson is third having played a fraction of the events, which is either very efficient or very annoying depending on who you ask. Ray Bryant is fourth on 3,845 and Charlie Porter, newly crowned Limerick champion after finishing second in Sligo, second in Athlone and finally getting the better of Robbie in a heads-up deal worth €12,245, is fifth on 3,830. Fifteen points between them. One Omaha side event would sort it.
Below the top five is where it gets interesting. The top 16 after Portlaoise in December go through to the Playoff Freeroll with €30,000++ on the table, and Killarney is the one week of the year where a player can move from twentieth to tenth without doing anything particularly clever. Eighteen trophies in six days. Points everywhere you look.
What You Are Playing For
All prices below are what you hand over at the desk. No small print.
The Festival Opener kicks off at 4pm on Tuesday, €200 for a €15,000 guarantee that was beaten by eight thousand last year. Wednesday belongs to the Mystery Bounty, €500 with two flights at 2pm and 7pm, €60,000 guaranteed, and a Thursday evening final where the envelopes do the talking. Thursday also brings the Omaha Championship, €1,650 for €40,000 guaranteed, plus the first outing of the TORSE at €300. The HORSE in Dublin this summer went down well enough that mixed games were promised for Killarney, and here they are. Limit poker at four in the afternoon. Bring patience and a calculator.
Friday is the busiest card of the week. The €1K One Dayer at 1pm for €40,000 guaranteed, the Women’s Championship at 2pm for €250 and €10,000 guaranteed, the Omaha Progressive Bounty at 5pm for €250, and the nightly €20K NLH at €200, which also runs Wednesday and Thursday for anyone who wants a trophy shot without committing a weekend to it.
Saturday has the Killarney 300, €300 for €60,000 guaranteed, one of the best-value tournaments on the entire Irish calendar and last year’s home of one of the great underdog stories. PLO Masters at €300 and a €200 Turbo Freezeout fill the evening. Sunday closes with the Killarney Poker Cup at €400 for €40,000 guaranteed, a €200 Monsterstack with 75,000 chips, €200 Omaha 5 Card / Hi-Lo and a €150 Last Chance Turbo at 8pm for anyone who has decided they are not driving home empty-handed.
The Main Event
€700, 40,000 chips, 40-minute levels, two re-entries, €400,000 guaranteed.
Seven flights. Thursday at noon and 6pm, Friday at noon, 4pm and 8pm, Saturday at 10.30am, and a Saturday 2.30pm Hyper with 15-minute levels for the late arrivals, the recently busted and the optimists. Day 2 starts at 5pm on Saturday. The Final plays from 1pm on Sunday in front of the loudest rail in Irish poker.
Last year 899 entries produced a €535,085 prize pool. Ninety were paid, Gerard “Sugar” Ward burst the bubble in 91st with ace-king against a flopped straight and Finland’s Samuel Saariaho beat Tommy O’Rourke heads-up for €100,000. Tommy, as he was reminded afterwards by one of the Tour’s Lithuanian regulars, should have kept the money at home. Killarney has a way of adopting people.
Get Somebody Else to Pay for It
The best way to play Killarney is on a package, in the Gleneagle, for as close to nothing as you can manage.
On land: Doyle’s in Limerick runs a €700 seat satellite every Thursday at 7.30pm on September 10th, 17th and October 1st. The Eglinton in Galway has five packages guaranteed on Wednesday September 16th at 7pm. Once the Festival opens, seat satellites for the Main Event, the Omaha Championship and the €1K One Dayer run daily in the arena, and the usual €20 Last Longers in the big events pay out every cent taken in. The house keeps nothing.
Online: Paddy Power Poker and the iPoker network are running the full ladder to the €1,800 package, which covers the Main Event seat, four nights for two in the Gleneagle and travel expenses on top. €100 Day 1s run every night at 7.30pm, 9.45pm and 11pm into a Sunday final at 8.30pm with two packages guaranteed. €50 seat-only satellites run Tuesday and Friday nights. Step satellites start at €0.50, and on Sundays at 8.30pm there is Doke’s €10 satellite with a €700 seat guaranteed. Full details in the usual place at irishpokertour.com/qualify-online.
For everyone who prefers to pay their own way, Susie has the best hotel rates on the Muckross Road and is on WhatsApp at 087 262 5430. She will not have them in October.
Elsewhere in Irish Poker
Dublin’s Michael Dwyer, a retired businessman who describes himself as an amateur, finished fifth in the €5,300 EPT Barcelona Main Event for €362,500. He called tournament poker “a thing of absolute beauty”, which is easy to say with that number in your pocket but hard to disagree with. Meanwhile the Irish Open is in Sydney for the first time in its long history, with an A$1 million guaranteed Main Event at Club Marconi and Chris Dowling flying the flag after qualifying in Dublin back in April. Long way to go for a game of cards. Killarney is closer.
The Important Bit
Killarney Poker Festival 2026. Tuesday October 13th to Sunday October 18th. The Gleneagle Arena, Killarney, Co. Kerry. €750,000+ guaranteed.
Book the room, win the seat, tell the boss you have a funeral. See you all there.
Live updates, chip counts and the Live Clock on LPU all week.
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Limerick Shakes Up the IPT Leaderboard
Limerick’s €30K in a Day was the focus this weekend, and once again the numbers came pouring in. The guarantee was smashed early, with 386 entries eventually taking their shot at the Main Event.
There were characters everywhere. Pat Fitz had the room in stitches while David “Panda” Fitzpatrick was flying the Limerick flag as usual. Both were actually sitting at my first-ever IPT table, alongside others from Doyle’s Poker Club in Limerick. I remember it being tough enough concentrating on the poker while everyone within earshot tried to hide their laughter behind their cards.
Paul “Hangman” Roper bagged a monster 763,000 from 1A, but when the final table was set, attention turned towards the IPT leaderboard. Robbie Bryant went in as chip leader, brother Ray Bryant was third in chips, with Charlie Porter sitting right between them.
And Charlie finally got his moment.
Second in Sligo to Robbie in July. Second again in Athlone. Then Limerick came around and, fittingly, it was Robbie standing between him and the trophy once again.
A heads-up deal saw Robbie collect €10,000, while Charlie took €12,245 and the trophy. Crossbar specialist no more.
Robbie remains miles clear at the top of the IPT leaderboard on 7,900 points, while Killian Farrell strengthened his second-place position by winning Saturday’s NLH for €2,210 and another 500 points.
Ray sits fourth on 3,845, with the newly crowned Limerick champion Charlie just 15 points behind him on 3,830.
And that brings us nicely to Killarney, now only three stops away.
The €30Ks offer one big opportunity to collect leaderboard points. Killarney is a completely different animal. A major festival, numerous tournaments and repeated opportunities to score points could see the leaderboard change considerably.
Robbie has built what is beginning to look like an uncatchable lead. Killian is chasing, Darren Harbinson remains third, while Ray and Charlie are separated by virtually nothing.
Before Killarney, the IPT heads to Tullamore €30K In A Day, September 18–19 at the Midlands Card Club, followed by the Donegal Poker Festival, September 25–27 at the Radisson Hotel, Letterkenny.
Then comes the big one.
The Killarney Poker Festival 2026.
And with that many tournaments, that many points and the leaderboard getting tighter everywhere behind Robbie, Killarney could be where this thing gets very interesting.
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Limerick €30K in a day recap
Be proud Limerick. Be proud.
In a similar vein to Athlone’s 30K in a day just a few short weeks ago, the numbers for this stop poured in. 150 by level 3 of the opening flight of the Main Event as I glanced at the Live clock while making my way to the Castletroy Hotel to cover this one. The first notable difference with this one in comparison to Athlone is the Guarantee was already smashed before we began our media coverage of Limericks 30K in a day. By level 4 it was in the bag and the sound of riffling chips was only topped by the local characters who added that layer of poker romance in what was sure to be a beautiful payday on the other end for someone.
The Byrants were in early and all leaderboard eyes would be on them. But they would have competition and a minefield to go through. This was never going to be easy. You had some local and hometown hero’s such as IPT pro Paul Carr and David Panda Fitzpatrick who were gung ho on having their say. And then you had Pat Fitzgerald (Pat Fitz as he likes to be known) who had the whole room in stitches as he let it be known to all with his colourful flair and table talk when the pot was his. This was limerick and it was better than ever.
Limerick €30k in a Day 1A: The “Hangman” Roper Bagged a Massive Chip Lead as 47 Advanced
Paul Roper stormed to the top of the counts in Day 1A of the Limerick €30k in a Day Main event when he surpassed the 100k chip mark . When Paul approached the media desk halfway through the opening flight requesting his image be taken as he was the chipleader he had a determined look in his eye. The look of a man who wanted more than to make up the numbers.
And from that point he never took a back step and ended by bagging a tournament-leading 763,000 chips after nearly eight hours of action. Tarka Roche (487,000) and Killian Farrell (421,000) rounded out the top three, while a host of familiar local names also advanced with healthy counts. Stephen Brookes (399,000), David “Panda” Fitzpatrick who was carrying the flag of Limerick proudly on his back as he always does, bagged 358,000. Other notables included Mark Barry (322,000), Tommy O’Loughlin (291,000), Tony Harte (286,000) and Ian Collins (273,000), with Matt Bell, Cyril Doherty, Pat Flanagan and Ray Bryant also progressing comfortably.
We were also joined by great friend of the Irish Poker Tour Mr Dara O’Kearney who was fresh off of live success at The PartyPoker Tour – Glasgow where he took down the 7-max high roller, but it was not to be for Doke in 1A as he failed to get a bag through.
1A Top stacks
Paul Roper – 763,000
Tarka Roche – 487,000
Killian Farrell – 421,000
Stephen Brookes – 399,000
David Fitzpatrick – 358,000
Mark Barry – 322,000
Tommy O’Loughlin – 291,000
Tony Harte – 286,000
Ian Collins – 273,000
Limerick €30k in a Day 1B: O’Grady Lead as 21 Advanced in a fast and furious flight
One last chance saloon for players to get their names on the ticket for the Main Event Final. It was the turn of Charlie Porter and Robbie Bryant who had faltered in 1A to get a stack through but both made it happen with solid bags. Robbie going through with 140,000 and Mr Porter with 180,000
Michael O’Grady topped the counts on the hyper 1B flight bagging 357,000 chips after just over two hours of play. It drew 85 entries and created a €13,872 prize pool. A total of 21 players found bags, with O’Grady well clear at the top of 1B.
Gerard A. Fitzgerald (236,000) and Dinny Quinn (234,000) sit close behind in second and third, while Stephen Dwyer (223,000), Marcus McHale (202,000) and Joey Pyne (198,000) also advanced with strong stacks. Mossie Fitzgerald(73,000), Norbert Golebiowski(133,000) and Helen Goberville (52,000) rounded out the top end of the counts. Shout out to Patrice Goberville also who busted at the same time as his wife Helen in the Hyper flight only for both to return to their previous seats in opposite order!
It’s time. The Main Event Final
In the Smoke and the Silence of Limerick…
They came from every corner of the island and beyond. Three hundred and eighty-six entries, the players each carrying the same quiet hunger. Two grueling flights of war. Two flights of attrition. And when the final table lights finally cut through the haze on a Saturday night in September, only one name would be left standing.
Charlie Porter.
The man who walked into the Limerick €30k in a Day was not just another face in the crowd. Charlie had hit the crossbar more than once. Sligo and Athlone to name two “It was time I took one of those infamous trophies”
Robbie Bryant, the other half of the Bryant brothers’ charge, went deep and deeper still. Both him and Ray made their way onto the same table once we reached the final 16 redraw. “ If I take him out I take him out” was the phrase from Robbie. There wasn’t a player left that didn’t believe him. Including his brother Ray. And his brother was more than willing to go toe to toe.
The Final 9
Final Table Chip Counts
- Robbie Bryant – 2,390,000
- Charlie Porter – 2,295,000
- Ray Bryant – 1,650,000
- Michael O’Grady – 1,380,000
- Paul Roper – 1,355,000
- Matt Bell – 975,000
- Stephen Brookes – 595,000
- Bogdan Chetrariu – 485,000
- Kevin Shanks – 465,000
At the final table sat a who’s who of the weekend’s survivors, but one man carried a different kind of weight. Bogdan Chetrariu is the real deal , a quality player who doesn’t need theatrics or to make his presence felt. Cold, precise, and deeply dangerous, he moved through the late stages with the quiet confidence of someone who has been here before and expects to be here again. Chetrariu simply applied pressure and the Romanian picked his spots.
One of the pivotal moments of the final 9 came when Charlie Porter went all in against Ray Bryant.
Ray looked down at pocket Jacks and made his move.
He shoved.
Charlie Porter sat with A♠6♠… and made the call.
The money was in.
Ray was ahead and the flop came clean.
The turn stayed quiet. Then the river… an Ace.
Just like that. Charlie’s A6 had spiked the one card that mattered.
Ray’s Jacks, once so proud, now worthless on the felt.
Three times Ray had gone all-in ahead on the final table and three times the deck had answered with cruelty. This one, against the eventual champion, was perhaps the deepest cut of all. Then to Bogdan Chetrariu who shoved his 33 leaving Charlie Porter with a decision. He made the call with 66 and the board stayed clean leaving him with third place and €5,300 but the table knew the truth: this was no fluke. Bogdan Chetrariu belongs at the sharp end of any field he enters.
Once the battle reached heads up it was Robbie Bryant and Charlie. A short break and a discussion saw the 2 return to agree a heads up deal.
Robbie took €10,000 and the knowledge that he had been the last man between Porter and the crown. Charlie walked out with the title and €12,245 after the 2 players shook hands. The crossbar specialist no more. Charlie Porter is your €30K in a day Main Event Champion.
Some nights the cards just decide.
Some nights a man decides them.
This was one of those nights.
Charlie Porter, Main Event Champion.
Killian Keeps the Pressure Up at the Top of the Leaderboard Race
Killian Farrell is keeping the pressure firmly on at the top of the leaderboard race, adding another strong result to his points tally at the Limerick €30K in a Day.
Farrell came out on top of Saturday night’s NLH, navigating a field of 56 entries to take down the €6,720 prize pool and collect €2,210 along with 500 IPT points.
Farrell had to overcome Kul Prasad Ghale heads-up, with Ghale taking €1,380 for second, while Marius Tersanszki finished third for €980.
With another 500 points now added to his tally, Farrell has once again underlined his consistency on the tour .The message is clear: Killian Farrell isn’t giving up his position at the top without a fight.
Another bumper event comes to a close and next up we have Tullamore’s €30K in a day, which has now been extended to include an extra Main Event Flight. It runs from Friday, September 18 to Saturday September 19th at the Midlands Card Club.
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James “Mad Dog” O’Donnell has won our €8K in a day for €3,010 after a heads up deal with Michael J Ryan.
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We have our first winner of the festival. PLO 8 MAX
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€8K IN A DAY – TOP 10 CHIP COUNTS
**€11,760 prize pool**
**€3,610 up top**
**10 places paid**Follow @LivePokerUpdates here on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
PLO Final table
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Welcome to Summer in Galway
We have arrived in Galway Poker fans! Live from The Eglinton Card room here in Galway City.
Action is underway with the €8K in a day and the PLO 8 Max
WE ARE LIVE for day 1
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Beyond the Felt – Irish and World Poker – Sport & Stories over the last few weeks….
With the start of August upon us and the grass finally getting watered, thoughts shift to what is on the horizon in the Poker World.
Players turning momentum into results has been the pattern of this year, with Irish players putting in shifts all across the globe. Can they continue to hone their skills on home soil, sharpening their skills for the international stage?
The Irish Poker Tour, has given players the opportunity to come together on a regular basis and compete in big fields for large amounts in an environment that is tough to describe but hard to forget. There showstopper at the Gleneagle Arena, Killarney is less than ten weeks away. Satellites are running for the big one – The Killarney Festival 2026
Satellite Schedule:
Packages
Day 1 Daily @ 7:30PM, 9:45PM & 11PM €100 Entry
Survivors advance to Day 2 Final on Sunday
Day 2 Final Sunday @ 8:30PM €100 Entry
2 x €1800 Packages GTD Day 2
Seat Only
Tuesday @ 8:30PM €50 Entry
2 x €700 Seats GTD
Friday @ 8:30PM €50 Entry
2 x €700 Seats GTD
Doke’s €10 Killarney Satellite (Paddy Power Poker Only)
Sunday @ 8:30PM €10 Entry
1 x €700 Seat GTD
Later this month…
The Irish Poker Tour is in the Eglinton Casino, Galway, 13th –16th August for the Galway Summer Festival. To get your accommodation specifically tailored to the players needs contact Suzie on WhatsApp – +353 87 262 5430.
One of the stand out features of the IPT is their focus on the player experience, making it smooth and easy so they can enjoy the cards. Suzie is on hand to help with and book accomodation for what ever your party needs.
Galway Summer Festival – €50,000 Guaranteed Main Event
Next stop in the centre of Ireland
Another stop has been added to the Irish Poker Tours schedule in September – The Midlands Card Club, Offaly for the Tullamore €30K In A Day
Top of the Irish Poker Tour’s leaderboard Robbie Bryant runs the MCC with his brother. He has had an incredible start to the year bagging The Monster Main Event at the Green Isle the same night his brother took down the Monsterstack tournament.
As well as three other live trophies this year. Players from the club are continually bagging trophies to proudly display in the ever expanding trophy cabinet. He sits in first place on the leaderboard with 6,560 points with Darren Harbinson behind on 3,900 points.
I asked Robbie what it meant for him and the guys at the MCC for an event to be coming to their local.
“Tullamore has never seen a GTD that big, and for us to be involved is brilliant.” “We have grown with the IPT, from them bringing us on as ambassadors, and now helping to run an event with them it really means a lot to us.”
The venue is right in the centre of town, making it easy for players to find food, accommodation and nightlife.
Players have plenty of dining options within a two-minute walk, including Chinese restaurants, chip shops, sandwich shops and McDonald’s.
WPT Global
WPT has shifted into top gear with WPT Asia Series: Overdrive, their 43-day online festival that is still running until the 30th of August. Built around speed and volume, the series boasts ¥200 million in guaranteed prize money (almost $30 million).
Whether you’re chasing a coveted WPT Ring or grinding for leaderboard points, there’s meaningful action every day, making Overdrive one of the biggest online poker festivals of the summer.
World Poker
AI Reads Poker Tells… or Does It?
One of the biggest talking points from the 2026 WSOP wasn’t a hand—it was ESPN’s introduction of an AI-powered tell detector. The system analysed eye movement, posture, chip handling and other physical cues to estimate whether players were bluffing or holding strong hands. While it divided opinion among viewers, many professionals dismissed it, arguing that live poker tells are too nuanced and context-dependent for current AI to read reliably.
WSOP Takes Action Against Tanking
For the first time in Main Event history, WSOP organisers introduced a 20-second shot clock during the closing stages of the tournament after repeated complaints about excessive tanking. Players received six 30-second time extensions, with the move sparking plenty of debate over whether it improved the game or unfairly changed the conditions deep into poker’s biggest event.
Another Seven-Figure Champion Crowned
The WSOP Main Event once again attracted more than 9,200 entries, with the final nine players each locking up at least $1 million before returning to Las Vegas this week to battle for poker’s most prestigious title and the $10 million first prize.
Summer Grind Rolls On
The action didn’t stop after the World Series. The WSOP Circuit at Horseshoe Las Vegas immediately followed, where Matthew Blagg captured his first Circuit ring and a career-best $238,470, highlighting how the live poker calendar barely pauses after the summer festival ends.
Beyond the Felt
Golf
Rory McIlroy is taking a short break following the end of the men’s major season before returning for the FedEx Cup Playoffs. The Masters champion has also continued to speak candidly about the state of professional golf and the ongoing PGA Tour–LIV Golf divide.
Scottie Scheffler remains the benchmark in men’s golf, while attention is beginning to shift towards the FedEx Cup Playoffs as the PGA Tour season reaches its climax.
The FedExCup Playoffs begin next week, immediately after the Wyndham Championship concludes the PGA Tour regular season.
Current Format
7–10 August – Wyndham Championship (last regular-season event)
13–16 August – FedEx St. Jude Championship (Top 70)
20–23 August – BMW Championship (Top 50)
26–30 August – TOUR Championship at East Lake, Atlanta (Top 30)
Current FedExCup Top 10
- Scottie Scheffler
- Rory McIlroy
- Cameron Young
- Wyndham Clark
- Robert MacIntyre
- Justin Thomas
- Viktor Hovland
- Tommy Fleetwood
- Ludvig Åberg
- Xander Schauffele
Darts
Luke Littler continues to dominate headlines after successfully defending the World Matchplay title. His run included a tournament average that broke Phil Taylor’s long-standing record, underlining why many already regard him as one of the sport’s generational talents.
Premier League Football
The transfer market is entering its busiest month before the 1 September deadline.
Some of the biggest confirmed deals include:
Morgan Rogers → Chelsea (£117m)
Elliot Anderson → Manchester City (£116m)
Sandro Tonali → Tottenham (£100m)
Mateus Fernandes → Tottenham (£85m)
Andrey Santos → Manchester United (£50m)
Irish interest:
Troy Parrott is attracting strong interest after an outstanding season with AZ Alkmaar, with clubs including Fulham, West Ham, Ajax and Real Betis linked.
GAA
With the All-Ireland championships concluded, attention is shifting towards:
Club championships beginning around the country.
County squads preparing for autumn competitions and planning for 2027.
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Donal’s Corner – Darren Harbinson Takes Summer in Dublin Crown
Blows Open the Leaderboard Race
The Irish Poker Tour’s favourite Glentoran supporter Darren Harbinson added the Summer in Dublin’s Main Event winner’s trophy to his growing collection late last Sunday night when the last five players remaining bashed out an ICM deal.
Darren, as chip leader, pocketed €36,125 to go with the glory. Conal Prendergast rolled all the way up from Kilkenny to claim second prize of just under €32k. Mahmood Rasheed (€26,749), Thang Van Nguyen (€23k), and Neeraj Chhantyal (€20.5k) completed a truly international group of undefeateds.
Mr. Harbinson, as he prefers to be referred to, has jumped into second place on the annual Leaderboard race after only playing six tournaments; including victories in Friday’s Omaha 300 and the IPT Final ME in January. Robbie Bryant’s almost unbelievable run of successes at IPT events had seen him race into a huge lead but Darren has vowed to give him a run for his money; possibly starting in Galway next month.
Now That’s a HORSE of a Different Colour
My personal highlight of the Festival was playing in my first ever HORSE tournament. Like most of the players taking part, it took me a while to get used to the different games and the Limit betting structure but I enjoyed the game immensely. All the other players seemed to love the experience so we will look to introduce more Mixed Games into our tournament schedule starting in Killarney in October.
Galway up Next
This week is Raceweek in Galway which is always a gentle and relaxing interlude for the poker players of the West but they will need to recover quickly as the Galway Summer Poker Festival follows just days later running from the 13th to the 16th of August in the legendary Eglinton Casino. Loose action and fast talking is guaranteed and I’m not only talking about Paul Carr.
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Final Day Wrap Summer in Dublin
Dublin was teeming with excitement, with the fate of Sam Maguire on everyone’s lips. Could Mayo break the 75-year curse and finally bring the trophy home? Thankfully, there was a schedule packed with poker to keep people occupied until the final was decided. With cheers and applause ringing out from the bar as Mayo’s victory was confirmed, it was time to get down to the business end of the festival.
Starting off the day of poker was the Summer in Dublin Main Event Day 1H Hyper, which attracted a further 88 entries, pushing the Main Event prize pool to a staggering €276,050. From this flight, 21 players made it through, with Michael Breen bagging the biggest stack of 405,000.
The stage was set for the Summer in Dublin Main Event Final. From a field of 1,106 entries, 164 players took their seats. Play began in a jovial and excited fashion, but as players started to fall by the wayside, things became serious. That all-too-bittersweet moment of any festival was upon us. It was Christine Egstad who departed on the bubble, leaving empty-handed, while the rest of the field could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
While the Main Event progressed, the Summer 400 got underway. A total of 158 players signed up, pushing the prize pool to €54,605. It was another fantastic turnout and another opportunity for players to walk away with a trophy. As the field thinned, play stretched into the early hours. In the end, Killian Farrell finished third for €6,200, Ray Wheatley claimed second for €9,000, while Luke Walsh took the title and €15,205.
The Omaha 4/5 Cards also got underway, attracting 33 players and creating a prize pool of €4,125. As is usually the case at the end of a festival, these final tournaments are a bit more laid-back. Once play reached the final five, the players agreed to pay the bubble before continuing. Patrick Cantwell rounded out the top five with €300, Jorrit Baars finished fourth for €500, John White claimed third place and €700, Daniel Smith took second for €1,000, while Cristian Bianchi emerged victorious, pocketing €1,625.
Last to kick off was the Festival Closer, which attracted 49 players and generated a prize pool of €5,880. With one eye on the progress of the Main Event, players battled for one final opportunity to lift a trophy. Neil Higgins claimed third place and €1,030, Aaron Shaw finished runner-up for €1,250, while Jaunius Kavalciukas took the title and €2,000.
Back in the Main Event, play continued until the final table was reached, before eventually being whittled down to the final five. An ICM deal was agreed, meaning Neeraj Chhantyal finished fifth for €20,541, Thang Van Nguyen took fourth for €23,000, Mahmood Rasheed claimed third place and €26,749, Conal Prendergast secured second for €31,985, while Darren Harbinson captured the title and a career-best €36,125.
What started as a good year for Darren has turned into something far greater. He won the Irish Poker Tour Final 2025 Main Event in January (€36,000), The Hendon Mob Championship in Nottingham (£26,750), as well as the Omaha event here on Friday night (€4,250).
Not to mention that during the Battle of Malta Main Event last November, Darren was the chip leader going into the final day before disaster struck. He was hospitalised with suspected salmonella food poisoning. He was never actually eliminated from the tournament. Instead, his stack was blinded away, eventually leaving him with a 28th-place finish worth €6,900.
Having always worked to provide for his family, his growing confidence in his game, coupled with the results to back it up, has inspired him to seriously consider pursuing poker professionally.
“Fate is a word used by those too afraid to forge their own destiny.” Darren Harbinson plays poker without fear, and poker at the highest level is his destiny.
Well, that’s it for another fantastic few days of poker.
Until the next time….
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Winner of the Summer in Dublin Main Event Final after a 5-way ICM deal – Darren Harbinson – €36,125
Darren Harbinson does it yet again. What started out as a good year has turned into something far more. Darren won the Irish Poker Tour Final 2025 Main Event in January (€36,000), The Hendon Mob Championship in Nottingham (£26,750), as well as the Omaha event here on Friday night (€4,250).
Not to mention that during the Battle of Malta Main Event last November, Darren was the chip leader going into the final day before disaster struck. He was hospitalised with suspected salmonella food poisoning. He was never actually eliminated from the tournament. Instead, his stack was blinded away, eventually leaving him with a 28th-place finish worth €6,900.
Having always worked to provide for his family, his growing confidence in his game, coupled with the results to back it up, has inspired him to seriously consider pursuing poker professionally.
“Fate is a word used by those too afraid to forge their own destiny.” Darren Harbinson plays poker without fear, and poker at the highest level is his destiny.
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Winner of the Summer 400 – Luke Walsh – €15,205
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Winner of the Festival Closer – Jaunius Kavalciukas – €2,000
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