Battle of Malta 2026 Spring Edition: Schedule & Qualifiers
17 Apr 2026
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Irish Poker Open Goes Beyond the Boarder: 2026-2027 Tour Dates Revealed
- Irish Poker Open expands to Sydney, Marrakech, and USA by 2027.
- Major event attractions: $1M GTD Main Event in Sydney, €500k GTD in Marrakech.
- Aims to boost Dublin participation and become world's largest by 2030.
https://youtu.be/Sk4wwC8r47k?si=7VD_-3_g-0aWID4t
During Level 8 of the 2026 Main Event, a room usually focused on silent chip-stacking and calculated aggression was blindsided by a different kind of reveal. The organizers of the award-winning Irish Poker Open announced that the legendary "craic" is officially going global.
With a schedule spanning Sydney, Marrakech, and the United States across 2026 and 2027, the world’s oldest No Limit Hold’em festival outside of Las Vegas is evolving from a Dublin tradition into a worldwide franchise. Here is what that will look like.
The 2026 Schedule: Sydney and Marrakech
The international rollout begins this September in Australia, followed by a winter stop in North Africa. Unlike satellite events, these two stops are both designed as full-scale festivals featuring standalone trophies.
- Sydney, Australia (Sept 6–15, 2026): Hosted at The Poker Palace at Club Marconi, the 10-day festival features a $2,000 buy-in Main Event with a $1,000,000 guarantee.
- Marrakech, Morocco (Nov 10–15, 2026): The tour moves to the Casino de Marrakech for a six-day series. The Main Event matches the Dublin flagship’s €1,150 buy-in and carries a €500,000 guarantee.
A 2027 stop in the United States is confirmed, though the specific venue remains under wraps. Organizers have indicated a partnership with a "premier" North American venue is in the works.
Here is an overview of what to expect in the 2026/27 season:
| Destination | Venue | Date | Key Highlight |
| Sydney, Australia | The Poker Palace | September 2026 | 10-day festival; $1M GTD Main Event |
| Marrakech, Morocco | Casino de Marrakech | November 2026 | 6-day festival; €500k GTD Main Event |
| USA | To Be Announced | 2027 | The first-ever Irish Open on American soil |
Exporting the "Craic" Strategy
The expansion is built on the festival's reputation for hospitality, centered around the "Craic Den" player lounge. Co-owner Paul O’Reilly noted that while technical excellence is a given, the social atmosphere is the primary export.
I know that, for many players, the off-the-felt fun in the Craic Den is the reason they keep coming back. We’re very excited that we can now introduce that experience to new audiences.
The Road to the 50th Anniversary (2030)
The long-term goal for co-owners JP McCann and Paul O’Reilly is to leverage these international stops to fuel the flagship Dublin event. The strategy includes global "Day 1s" that will allow players to qualify locally in Sydney or Marrakech and feed directly into the Dublin Main Event.
McCann said:
Paul and I took over this event over 10 years ago, and from day one the vision was clear—grow the Irish Open and take it global. Ultimately, our ambition is simple: to make the Irish Poker Open the biggest tournament in the world by its 50th anniversary.
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