One of the oldest regularly occurring poker festivals on the planet, the Irish Poker Open, will have new corporate sponsorship in place for its 2023 edition, in the form of both PokerStars and Paddy Power Poker. The two brands, both a part of Flutter Entertainment, will jointly back Ireland's famed poker series when it's hosted in Dublin April 3 -10, 2023.
The Stars-Paddy Power team-up takes over for PartyPoker in the primary sponsorship role. Party had sponsored the series for several years beginning in 2016, and had actually replaced Paddy Power as the lead sponsor, following Paddy's 12-year sponsorship run beginning in 1995.
Online qualifiers to 2023 Irish Poker Open events, including the just-announced IPO main event with a €1 million guarantee, will be available on both the PokerStars and Paddy Power Poker platforms. PokerStars will also run an online-only Irish Poker Open series in advance of the live series in Dublin, though a schedule and other details have yet to be released.
Irish Poker Open co-CEOs Paul O’Reilly and JP McCann said, "We are very proud to announce PokerStars and Paddy Power as the official sponsors of The Irish Poker Open and we are looking forward to bringing our players another epic Irish Open Poker Festival, whilst welcoming new players from around the globe! We have exciting plans in place for the growth of The Irish Poker Open, Europe’s longest running poker festival, and we believe, with PokerStars and Paddy Power as the new sponsors this aligns perfectly with our vision for the growth of The Irish Poker Open over the coming years. This can only be a great thing for players."
Oldest recurring European poker festival
The Irish Poker Open offers a storied history in the game, dating all the way back to 1979, when Terry Rogers founded the series after visiting Las Vegas and seeing the first signs of the game's tournament growth. Rogers hosted the first Irish Open in April 1980, and in 1984, he was able to convince many top American players to travel to Ireland to play.
Rogers was able to run the series only occasionally in the 1990s due to familial issues, and eventually, long-time friend and business partner Liam Flood resurrected the series. Since reestablishing itself as an annual destination festival, and with the backing of its several corporate sponsors, the Irish Poker Open has secured its place in poker history. The 2020 and 2021 editions were forced online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but after a three-year hiatus, the IPO again ran live. American Steve O'Dwyer topped a 2,040-entry field in April to win the 2022 IPO main event and its €318,700 (US $345,822) first-place payday.
Featured image source: Irish Poker Open
