Record Breaking Irish Open Main Event Sees Five-Way Deal in Dublin

The 2026 Irish Open attracted a record 5,003 entries over the course of several days in Dublin as the Royal Dublin Society played host to a stunning event. The Irish Open Main Event was in direct conflict with the WSOP Europe Main Event in Prague but while many worried that attendances would be affected negatively, the opposite was true, with both events posting record attendances.

* After five-way ICM deal

Record Breakers in Irish Capital

This year’s Irish Open not only thrilled poker players and fans, it filled seats like never before. With 5,003 total entries, the number of unique players to put up at least one buy-in of €1,150 ($1,330) was an astonishing 2,643 as players flooded into the Royal Dublin Society despite the WSOP Europe Main Event setting records 903 miles east in Prague, Czech Republic.

By the time the nine-handed final table was reached, 736 players had been rewarded with a money finish in the event and half a million euros was the top prize. For a $1,330 buy-in, that was life-changing money and with twin sponsors PaddyPower and PokerStars having put up a guarantee of €2.5 million, an incredible prize pool of €4.85 million nearly doubled that amount.

As the final kicked off, it was the Italian player Danilo Donnini who had the chip lead with 65.1 million chips (47 big blinds), his closest rival being the German player Oliver Gayko on 37.2 million chips. British player Isaac Barker was threatening on 33.8 million, but the eventual winner Nedelcu only had a pile of 31.2 million.

Irish Eyes are Crying

There is a famous Irish-American song by Ernest Ball that is called ‘When Irish Eyes Are Smiling’, but over a century on from the creation of that tune, the opposite was true after the final began. Ireland had two of its sons included in the final nine but lost them both to kick off the eliminations.

First, Edward Dunphy busted for $55,290 after he committed his stack with jack-nine on a flop of K-J-5 only to run into Vasyl Palandiuk’s king-ten, never catching up despite Irish pleas for the turn and river to save him. Then the double elimination was completed, Matthew Twomey going the same way as his countryman when ace-jack couldn’t beat Palandiuk’s pocket eights. The flop came with two jacks, giving the home crowd a lot of hope but the Italian found a two-outer eight on the turn to give himself a full house and take out Twomey in eighth place for $71,910.

Soon, the English player Isaac Barker joined the two Irishman at the bar… ahem, on the rail. All-in with ace-four, he was dominated to defeat by the Romanian Narcis Nedelcu as the champion-in-waiting started his march to the title. That hand left Barker on the outside looking in with $93,450, as just six remained in the hunt for the Irish Open victory.

A Big Deal

“I just can’t describe it right now. I’m now fifth on the Romanian all-time money list.”

Down to six players, one of three Italians at the final table was felted. He went at the expense of another, too, as Danilo Donnini took out Francesco Gisolfi for $121,530. Gisolfi was all-in with the best of it holding ace-jack, but once again, the hand seemed cursed, this time overtaken by Donnini’s king-queen as a board of K-8-7-8-Q played out to give the player with paint all the chips.

With five players left, there was a period of play where the chips levelled up and that deemed it fit for all to discuss the possibility of a deal. The five remaining players agreed to an ICM chop and each man took home over $250,000, with over $75,000 put to one side for the eventual winner.

Unsurprisingly, the deal changed everything and with nothing more to be won by anyone other than the winner, play became ever more attacking. Nedelcu won a massive pit with five left to take out both the German player Oliver Gayko (5^th for $330,100) and the Northern Irishman Daryl McAleenan (4^th for $289,740). Gayko’s ace-six was able to stay ahead of Daryl McAleenan’s king-ten but neither hand was a match for Nedelcu’s pocket queens and the Romanian scooped a huge pot as Gayko and McAleenan went to the rail together.

Two Italians remained but neither could stop Nedelcu from winning the title. Palandiuk went in third for $295,170, losing with ace-five to the Romanian’s pocket tens before Donnini attempted to reverse a heads-up deficit of 3:1 when he shoved with king-six. Nedelcu quickly called with ace-deuce and a jack-high board proclaimed him the champion.

For Donnini it was defeat, but a runner-up score of $298,025. Nedelcu, the champion, won a massive $389,350 as he held aloft the Irish Open Main Event trophy.

“I feel amazing. It’s something so, so special,” Nedelcu told PokerNews reporters in the wake of his win. “I just can’t describe it right now. I’m now fifth on the Romanian all-time money list and fourth online.” ,

After four cashes during the Irish Open festival, Narcis Nedelcu earned a piece of history in Dublin and said that he might now find the live grind more enjoyable.

“I used to prefer online poker, but nowadays I prefer live poker, so you’ll definitely see me in Monte Carlo!”

All photography courtesy of Danny Maxwell for PokerNews, the home of the Irish Open in 2026.