Following their recent merger, PokerStars and PaddyPower are now partnering to offer online satellites for the upcoming Irish Poker Tour event in Galway, scheduled for January 2027.
Once the biggest standalone online poker operator in the world, PokerStars has undergone a number of changes. Most recently, Betfair Poker and PaddyPower Poker joined the PokerStars network in an effort to boost its player pool and create a more competitive atmosphere, especially on the tournament side of things.
One of the results of the new partnership is that players across all sites will now get even more opportunities to qualify for live events, with IPT just one of the many tours covered by the network.
Over the coming weeks, players playing on both PokerStars and PaddyPower Poker will have a chance to qualify for the €500 IPT Galway Main Event for as little as €1.1, creating exciting opportunities for Ireland online poker players.
- Deposit $10 or more and get a 100% bonus match up to $600
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A Joint Effort for Maximal Exposure
Live poker tournaments are a massive affair in Ireland, and the IPT has historically been one of the most successful poker series in the country, alongside the Irish Poker Open, with multiple events on the schedule almost every month, covering every corner of the country.
Like other IPT stops, January’s Galway Poker Festival will feature a series of events, starting with €100 live satellites to the €500 Main Event with a massive €250,000 guaranteed prize pool.
Known for its strong presence across Ireland, PaddyPower is set to utilize its powerful Irish-facing branding to promote the festival in cooperation with PokerStars, still one of the leading online poker operators in Europe.
Between them, the two online poker sites should be sending dozens of players to Galway, as ample opportunities to qualify for the event are already listed in both tournament lobbies.
Win Your Seat from €1.10
The best part about online qualifications for IPT Galway hosted across PokerStars and PaddyPower is that every player gets to choose their entry point.
Two main qualification paths are available, each with a series of feeder steps, taking players from tiny buy-ins to IPT seats and packages.
The Sunday Package Satellites play out every Sunday evening with a €109 buy-in, guaranteeing at least one €1,600 IPT package, which includes tournament entry, accommodations, and travel expenses.
To qualify for an IPT package, players can enter €1.10 or €2.20 Step 1 satellites, advance to €11 or €22 Step 2, and win their seats in the Sunday Package Satellite.
For local players who are looking for just the tournament buy-in, qualification is even easier. Seat Satellites are on the schedule for every Tuesday and Thursday, each guaranteeing at least two seats in the Main Event.
Feeder satellites start at €1.10, and winners can qualify for €5.50 or €11 Step 2 satellites, leading directly into the €55 Seat Satellite.
Finally, PaddyPower is throwing a unique event every Sunday, where you can win an IPT Galway seat for just €11. Sunday Doke’s Game is hosted by none other than Dara O’Kearney, one of the best poker players in all of Ireland and a famous master of satellite poker tournaments.
Choose Your Path to IPT Galway
IPT Galway is now just two months away, and players from across Ireland and beyond can start thinking about booking their seats and securing their accommodations.
Thanks to the new partnership between two of the most recognizable names in online poker, players can fight for their IPT Galway seats at both PokerStars and PaddyPower, as a shared tournament lobby guarantees access to both groups.
Whether you choose to play for your seat at PokerStars or PaddyPower is up to you, but signing up for a new account on either site will give you access to a juicy welcome bonus and a range of other perks reserved for new players only, along with satellites for IPT and other poker tours across Europe and beyond.
