The Irish Open is shaping up for a huge 2026 edition, and much of that momentum is being driven by a record-breaking online qualifier campaign, led by Playtech’s iPoker network.

Alongside strong efforts from PokerStars and Paddy Power, iPoker’s satellite campaign has been equally important in driving players to Dublin this year.

According to figures shared with Poker Industry PRO, iPoker is on track to send over 1,000 players to the €1,150 Main Event when combined with entries from Paddy Power. That alone would represent one of the largest single-network contributions to the Irish Open field.

“[Our] Irish Open campaign is smashing all records and we are realistically looking to send more than 1,000 players to the Main Event with iPoker+PaddyPower entries combined,” an iPoker spokesperson told Poker Industry PRO.

Record-Breaking Satellite Campaign for iPoker

The scale of iPoker’s campaign this year has been hard to miss. The network began running qualifiers earlier than usual, kicking things off in November, well ahead of its typical January campaign.

“We kicked off the 2026 campaign earlier this time, starting network qualifiers in November 2025 instead [of] the usual January 2026,” the spokesperson told PRO.

That early start, combined with strong support from skins across the network, has paid off in a big way.

A total of 29 brands took part in the campaign, initially guaranteeing 200 packages and 150 Main Event seats. By the time qualifiers wrapped up, those numbers had been comfortably beaten.

In total, iPoker awarded 429 packages, more than double the original guarantee, along with 309 Main Event seats. Altogether, that translates to 738 entries into the Main Event, contributing at least €738,000 to the prize pool.

The network also ran satellites for the Mini Irish Open, generating an additional 153 entries.

Compared to last year, the growth is striking. In 2025, iPoker qualified 376 players to the Main Event, meaning this year’s campaign has effectively doubled its output.

iPoker also revealed that total buy-ins across all satellite steps are expected to exceed €2 million, putting this among the largest online satellite campaigns ever run on the dot-com market, second only to GGPoker’s WSOP qualifiers.

Beyond the Network

Importantly, these figures only reflect iPoker’s network-wide campaign. Individual operators have also been running their own promotions, adding even more players to the field.

Flutter brand Paddy Power, for example, has already generated over 150 additional entries through private satellites, with that number expected to grow further during the series.

Another interesting takeaway is the global reach of the campaign. More than 60% of buy-ins came from markets outside the UK and Ireland, though online poker in Ireland still saw notable participation, alongside strong contributions from operators such as Bet365, BetSafe, Coolbet, Fortuna, Boyle, Grosvenor, Holland Casino, Paddy Power, and Sky Poker.

PokerStars Still a Major Force

While iPoker has taken the spotlight this year, PokerStars remains a major contributor to the Irish Open field.

The operator is once again running a large-scale satellite campaign, though exact numbers have not yet been disclosed. Last year, PokerStars sent more than 800 players to the Main Event, and a similar, if not larger, figure is expected in 2026.

When combined with iPoker and Paddy Power, the total number of online qualifiers for this year’s Irish Open could exceed 1,600 players.

That would mark another record for the historic festival, underlining just how important online satellites have become in building some of poker’s biggest live events.

46th Annual Irish Open Kicks Off

Irish Open 2026 is now underway, featuring a schedule anchored by its traditional headline events. These include the €1,150 Main Event with a €2.5 million guarantee, a €1 million guaranteed Luxon Pay Mystery Bounty at the same buy-in level, and the €1 million guaranteed Mini Irish Open with a €250 buy-in.

This year’s edition also stands out for the addition of more than a dozen new events, many of which are debuting in Ireland. The schedule spans a wide range of formats, including a Mixed 8-Game Championship High Roller, a new Ladies High Roller, a five-card PLO event, and the return of the popular APAT Championship.

In 2025, the festival proved a major success, awarding more than €14.7 million in prize money and drawing over 26,000 entries across around 70 events. The €1,150 Main Event set a new record, attracting 4,562 entries and generating close to €4.5 million in prize money.