The Irish Poker Open Lades Championship promises to be the best yet, as it returns to the Irish Poker Open (IPO) schedule for another year.
The Ladies event takes place April 17 to 18 and has a buy-in of €250. It is a single re-entry tournament, starts at 2pm and features a 25,000 starting stack and a 25-minute clock. Last year the Ladies event attracted 136 entrants, creating a prize pool of €28,509 — a figure organizers will want to build on this year.
For us, it’s about more than just the event — it’s about building community, championing representation at the tables, and creating spaces where women feel empowered, welcomed, and respected
Players on Day 2 will feature front and center on the Irish Open Live Stream, which will mark the start of their livestream coverage. It will be the first time in 10 years that the live stream has focused on any side event — usually it only streams the Main Event. The Ladies Championship will be hosted by Irish Open Ambassador Karen Muir, who will also be in the commentary box during some of the live stream.
“The ladies will be in the spotlight even more this year as the Ladies Championship is the very first event up on the live stream,” Paul O’Reilly, co-organizer of the Irish Open said via press release. “It’s also the first time ever that the live stream has ever covered this event so it’s going to be a very exciting tournament for everyone involved. It also means that friends and family all over the world will be able to follow along and enjoy the action in real time.”
PokerStars has been advocating for inclusive women-in-poker events for many years — notably under the stewardship of Rebecca McAdam-Willetts, who has since left the company — and offering their support to the Irish Poker Open Ladies Championship is no different.
Firstly, PokerStars are headline sponsors of the event, along with Paddy Power and have been running online qualifiers to the IPO Main Event for weeks. They have also been giving away packages to the IPO via their Ticket Machine and Power Path qualification paths.
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In particular Paddy Power has been running weekly, €10 buy-in online satellites for the Ladies Championship with a €250 seat in the event up for grabs. The ladies-only online satellites have run every Saturday evening at 8pm with the final one taking place on April 5.
“We’re incredibly proud to support women’s initiatives in collaboration with the Irish Open and beyond,” Lizzie Wilson of PokerStars told us. “For us, it’s about more than just the event — it’s about building community, championing representation at the tables, and creating spaces where women feel empowered, welcomed, and respected. Safety, inclusivity, and a genuine love of the game are at the heart of everything we do.”
Secondly, Kerryjane Craigie, a PokerStars Ambassador for Women in Poker, has also lent her support to the IPO Ladies Championship by giving away a package to the event via her duties as Director of Poker at the Hippodrome Casino in London. The package included three nights’ accommodation in Dublin, travel allowance and a €250 ticket into the Ladies Championship and was part of International Women’s Day celebrations. Craigie is also expected to be in attendance as well as guest starring on the live stream.
“We’re still seeing a real buzz among women in the poker community following the success of the Women’s Winter Festival in November,“ Wilson went on to say. “There’s a genuine excitement building around the upcoming Ladies Event at the Irish Open, and it’s fantastic to see so many players getting involved again. Satellites and qualifiers have been running through Paddy Power and PokerStars, with PokerStars ambassador for Women in Poker, Kerryjane Craigie, leading the charge at the Hippodrome and bringing a strong English contingent over for a rematch in Dublin.”
Every player who makes the Ladies Championship final table will also receive an Irish-made sterling silver Crystal Illusion Celtic Tree of Life necklace — which celebrates Celtic heritage and is symbol recognized as representing heaven and earth.
The Irish Poker Open takes place April 10 to 21 in Dublin and expected to be the biggest series yet. The tournaments have doubled since last year, overall guarantees are sitting at €4.5 million and attendance records are expected to be broken.
