Irish Open’s Global Expansion Starts This Week In Sydney

For the first time in its 46 years, the world’s biggest standalone poker festival is getting an international leg, as Irish Open Sydney kicks off on August 31.

The Irish Open first announced a few months ago that it would be offering a poker festival in Sydney, and with just days to go until its start, the full schedule and all other details are now in place.

The Sydney festival will run for two weeks, feature 40 events, and pay out over A$2,000,000 in prize money, with the Main Event alone guaranteeing at least A$1,000,000 in payouts.

Apart from the A$2k Main Event, the festival will also bring a host of smaller buy-in NLH and mixed game events, as well as a small selection of high roller tournaments, a Ladies Event, and a Seniors Event, covering all the bases that a serious poker series should.

For all the poker players in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, the festival will be a great opportunity to experience the thrills of the Irish Open without having to travel thousands of miles, as one of the world’s most popular poker brands begins its international expansion.

Irish Open Is Going Global

The Irish Open, a staple of poker in Ireland, has been around since 1980, making it one of the longest-running poker tournaments in the world. Not only has the Irish Open been here since well before the Poker Boom, but it has thrived through it, becoming bigger and better with each passing year, in partnership with major online poker operators like PaddyPower and PokerStars.

This year, the Irish Poker Open celebrates its 46th anniversary, and for the first time ever, it’s introducing new stops beyond the popular festival in Dublin.

The idea of taking the Irish Open beyond Ireland has been around for some years, but it took a while to develop into a workable model. Now, the plan is finally coming to fruition, with three international Irish Open festivals scheduled for the coming months.

The three festivals in question are:

• Sydney (Australia) – August 31 to September 14 at the Poker Palace
• Marrakech (Morocco) – November 10 to 15 at Casino de Marrakech
• United States – Early 2027 at an undisclosed location

The Irish Open’s international adventure starts with the Sydney festival in just a few days, where players from all over the region and beyond are expected to join Irish Poker legends for two weeks of well-run poker action and exciting off-the-felt activities.

As is always the case at Irish Open, the main attraction away from the felt will be the famous Craic Den, where players can come to unwind after a long day of grinding at the tables.

The Craic Den is the beating heart of every Irish Open festival in Dublin, and the organizers have made it clear, they will continue this tradition at the international festivals as well, with games, contests, live music, and free-flowing beer and whiskey offered long into the night for all the players and their guests.

The international roster of Irish Open festivals will continue in Marrakech later this year, just as the days get shorter and gloomier in Ireland and the rest of Europe.

Finally, the Irish Open will be making its historic first visit to the United States in early 2027, although the exact dates and venue have not been disclosed just yet and are probably still in the works.

Despite multiple festivals already announced for the next six months, it appears that the Irish Open will continue operating on a standalone tournament model instead of building out a tour with cross-festival leaderboards, keeping up with its 46-year tradition.

A Look at the Irish Open Sydney Schedule

The first-ever international leg of the Irish Open starts on August 31 with the A$360 Mini Irish Open, and continues over two weeks of non-stop action.

Along with the regular tournaments, the Poker Palace in Sydney will also run a series of A$250 satellites for the Main Event, each guaranteeing at least 5 seats in the biggest tournament of the festival.

For everyone considering jumping into the Irish Open events in Sydney, here is a quick look at the day-by-day schedule: