Nedelcu wins PokerStars Irish Open Main Event

(PRESS RELEASE) -- The Irish Open, sponsored by PokerStars and Paddy Power, has concluded its 46th edition in spectacular fashion, with record-breaking participation, smashed guarantees, and the unmissable Irish ‘craic’ reinforcing its status as Europe’s longest-running and most fun poker festival.

Taking place at the Royal Dublin Society from 26 March to 6 April, poker players from all over the world descended on Dublin for one of the most beloved stops on the global poker calendar. Headlining the 86-event schedule was the €2.5 million guaranteed Main Event which broke its entry record set last year, attracting a massive 5,003 entries from players from more than 60 countries and almost doubling its guarantee to generate a total prize pool of €4,852,910.

Romania’s Narcis Nedelcu took down the Main Event for €336,790 after a five-way deal to join the exalted ranks of the Irish Open Main Event champions. The 35-year-old, who has been a force on the live circuit since 2012 and has accrued over $2 million in cashes, said after his win: “It’s amazing. It’s something so, so special that I can’t describe it.”

IRISH OPEN MAIN EVENT FINAL TABLE PAYOUTS
1. Narcis Nedelcu, Romania (PokerStars Qualifier) – €336,790
2. Danilo Donnini, Italy – €257,660
3. Vasyl Palandiuk, Ukraine – €255,190
4. Daryl McAleenan, Ireland – €250,500
5. Oliver Gayko, Germany – €285,380
6. Francesco Gisolfi, Italy (PokerStars Qualifier) – €105,070
7. Isaac Barker, United Kingdom (PokerStars Qualifier) – €80,800
8. Matthew Twomey, Ireland – €62,170
9. Edward Dunphy, Ireland (Online Qualifier) – €47,800
10. Jarkko Suokas, Finland (PokerStars Qualifier) – €39,840

“It’s amazing to see the Irish Open continuing to go from strength to strength,” said Cédric Billot, Associate Director of Live Events Operations at PokerStars. “This year’s festival showcased not only the scale and prestige of the event, but also the incredible community that surrounds it. There’s an atmosphere at the Irish Open that you don’t find anywhere else. The mix of competition, entertainment, and craic is what keeps players coming back year after year. It’s that energy that defines the Irish Poker Open and makes it stand out on the global stage.”

NEDELCU, ABREU, AND ROITER LEAD THE POKERSTARS LIVE LEAGUE
Nedelcu’s Main Event win has helped secure him the top-spot in the Low PokerStars Live League Leaderboard, followed by Danilo Donnini from Italy. EPT Paris Main Event winner Jorge Abreu is in first place in the Medium Leaderboard, followed by Roope Tarmi from Finland, and in the High Leaderboard Klemens Roiter is continuing to lead the charge, followed by Brandon Wilson from the USA. PokerStars players will battle it out over the year to earn valuable points from playing in PokerStars European live events, with the chance to win PokerStars LIVE credit. A total of €157,500 in PokerStars LIVE credit will be awarded across the top three finishers in the High, Medium, and Low leaderboards.

THE CRAIC CONTINUES ONLINE FOR THE IRISH OPEN AFTERPARTY
Even though the live action has wrapped up, the Irish Open action doesn’t stop there. The event is bringing its unmistakable ‘craic’ to the online PokerStars tables for the ‘Irish Open Afterparty’, giving players the chance to experience the festival’s famous atmosphere from wherever they are. Running from April 12 to 20, the Irish Open Afterparty will feature more than $3 million guaranteed prizepools across the 69-event schedule with buy-ins ranging from $5.50 to $530. Players can expect to take their seats in events inspired by classic Irish symbols and folklore, such as the Paddy Stack, Four Leaf Clover, The Blarney Bluff, The Leprechaun, and The Celtic Fortune Main Event. PokerStars Ambassador Spraggy will also host two of his very own events on the opening day of the series. Players can qualify for the Irish Open Afterparty through satellites running now in the PokerStars client from just $0.55.