Last year’s International Poker Open event in Dublin took place at the Bonnington Hotel in Dublin, the capital of Ireland. However, with many hotspots in Europe on Lockdown – mainland Ireland currently among them – on lockdown or experiencing restrictions that severely hamper the viability of a live poker tournament, the IPO Dublin has been forced online.
Thankfully for all concerned, the IPO is heading to Unibet Poker, frequent sponsor of the event and one of the most popular player-friendly poker sites, with everyone at Unibet creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for their poker festivals whether that’s happening live or online.
The IPO Dublin Main will take place between the 19th and 26th of this month, and hopes will be high that the event emulates some of the success it enjoyed last year.
In 2019, Luke Boynton won the Main Event, scooping up the top prize of €24,450 after a pretty incredible six-handed deal saw all of the top half-dozen players bank a five-figure sum. Sucked to be 7th placed Shawn Morales, of course, but that’s deals for you.
A hugely popular event with players with limited experience, it’s a great shame that the IPO won’t be heading to Dublin this year, and Guinness makers in the city as well as those stocking the traditional Irish drink won’t be toasting the move, but it’s what every poker brand has to do to survive right now, and hopes are high that many of next year’s events will go ahead.
Having been involved with the IPO for the last three years, Unibet Poker feels like a natural home for the tournament and with over €150,000 in guarantees, it’s going to be a great festival to play. There are super satellites to the Main Event taking place for as little as €25, very reasonable considering the Main Event costs €300 to enter. There are sure to be a legion of satellite players who have bought the popular Irish player Dara O’Kearney’s best-selling book Poker Satellite Strategy (written in collaboration with Barry Carter) and hope to qualify for a lot less than the asking price.
The Main Event itself starts on Saturday 24th October, and lasts two days, so it could be a fun sweat to add into your Sunday majors if you make it to Day 2. With a 25,000 starting stack and €50,000 guaranteed in the Main Event alone, it’s sure to be worth €25 for a satellite ticket in order to battle for the win just a couple of days later.
Unibet have done a great job here and to us, they’ve been one of the best operators in terms of dealing with their player base and fan base, catering to all bankrolls with their online offering while maintaining a fun slot on the schedule to play with. While many poker sites have been pushed back against the wall, Unibet have certainly performed brilliantly when put in any position.
You can read about the full IPO Dublin schedule on the Unibet Poker website, with €500-entry High Roller also on the bill and sporting a €25,000 guarantee. Whichever events you play, we’ll be letting you know who wins the Main Event next week right here on Calvin Ayre.
