The first-ever Irish Poker Open (IPO) sponsored by PokerStars (in cooperation with Paddy Power) turned out to be the largest one in the long history of this popular tournament. When the registration closed, the tournament clock showed 2491 entries, resulting in a massive €2,428,475 prize pool.
It took a total of six days of play to find the winner. The final eight players came back yesterday to play down to the champion, and eventually, David Docherty outlasted the formidable competition to be the last man standing.
For his efforts, Docherty took home €365,000, an impressive result for an €1100 event. However, the champion won his Main Event seat for a fraction of that price, taking down a €109 online satellite at PokerStars, making the win much sweeter.
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An Event for Poker History Books
The Irish Poker Open is one of the longest-standing poker tournaments, and it has been attracting players from all over Europe for years. However, the 2023 edition was extra special, as PokerStars decided to team up with Paddy Power, which traditionally sponsors the event, to make the tournament even bigger and better.
That plan was executed perfectly, as this year’s Main Event was the biggest one by far, attracting just shy of 2500 entries and generating a prize pool of over €2.4 million, comfortably breaking the €1M guarantee. Those numbers made the tournament the largest-ever live event in the country’s poker history.
The player field consisted of hardened professionals and recreational players, many of whom got their seats via PokerStars satellites, which certainly helped make this year’s IPO a great success.
- Online Qualifiers now running, including Freerolls
- PokerStars’ first-ever EPT stop in Cyprus!
- EPT Main Event October 16 – 22
- Includes Mystery Bounty, High & Super High Roller Events
Big Win for David Docherty
It may have been the Irish Poker Open, but the winner’s trophy went to Scotland this time around. David Docherty has played poker professionally for 14 years, but his string of good results started in 2021, with a GUKPT win, followed by an EPT final table in 2022.
The triumph in Dublin, however, is by far his largest score to date, and it represents a significant boost to his bankroll and confidence. Not only did Docherty outlast a massive field, but he managed to navigate a very tough final table, which included Irish poker legend, Andy Black.
Before adding the prestigious title to his resume, he had to face off against another Irish pro, Declan Rice. Docherty started the heads-up skirmish as a chip leader, and it took him just under one hour to break Rice’s defenses and take the last of his chips.
He did not try to hide his excitement after the final river was dealt, stating for the PokerStars blog:
“I’ve put half of my life into the game, and it’s only been the past couple of years that I’ve started to get huge results. Now I feel like they’re coming one after the other.”
Docherty’s lifetime winnings now stand at over $700,000, and he is in the 9th place on Scotland’s All-Time Money List. Considering the current form he’s been in, we will likely see that number venture into seven figures before the year’s end.
Want to take your own shot at PokerStars Live glory? Check out our complete guide for all the details on upcoming tours, stops, qualifiers, and more.
Irish Poker Open 2023 Final Results
| Player | Prize | Country |
|---|---|---|
| David Docherty | €365,000 | UK |
| Declan Rice | €228,700 | Ireland |
| Panagiotis Mavritsakis | €161,500 | Greece |
| Tom Waters | €124,500 | UK |
| Andy Black | €95,500 | Ireland |
| Eugeniu Barbaros | €73,500 | Moldova |
| Carl Shaw | €56,500 | UK |
| Henri Ojala | €43,500 | Finland |
