Irish Poker Open Tournaments Have Gone Down Well with Brits
All eyes are on the destination of the Irish Poker Open Main Event’s €600,000 top prize, but big money has already gone around the globe.
American Michelle Skinner took the Ladies Championship at the Irish Poker Open. © EvelynRom/IrishPokerOpen
Key Facts:
- Four thousand five hundred sixty-two entries have made the 2025 Irish Poker Open the largest in history.
- All guaranteed Irish Poker Open tournaments have easily made their money.
- Players from multiple countries have taken titles, but the Brits have done best.
The 2025 Irish Poker Open has entered its home straight. Much attention is now focused on the Irish Open Main Event and its colossal €4,447,950 prize pool. The marathon 12-day poker fest has been a truly cosmopolitan affair, with players from far and wide and winners representing numerous countries.
All guaranteed tournaments have easily surpassed their thresholds, and several records have been broken. Here is our recap of the mid-week action from the Irish Poker Open’s tournaments, where many new champions have been crowned.
A Ukrainian Fares Best in a UN Trio of Tournaments
Ukraine was the eleventh country to claim an event at the 2025 Irish Poker Open when Yurii Zabrodotskyi landed the €1,150 Pot Limit Omaha 8 Max competition. Its 171 entries and 99 re-entries created a €276,413 prize pool of which he received €56,213.
With 78 players (plus 40 re-entries), the €350 Open Face Chinese Championship was one of the smaller events of the week. It fell to Finland’s Riku Koivurinne, who collected €8,265. Nine nations were represented at this competition’s final table. Koivurinne’s victory gave Finland its second title of the week.
Finishing 11th, Jason Blodgett was the best-placed American in the €350 entry ‘America’s Cup’. Despite the event’s name, it was open to all nationalities and fell to Dutch player Bart Timmer. His success ahead of 535 rival entries earned him €38,340.
Super Result for High Rolling Toan
Understandably, there was a small but select field for the €10,000 No Limit Hold’em – Super High Roller. Twenty-seven players – 13 of which took a re-buy – generated a €503,900 purse. The lion’s share, €163,800, went to Ronnie Toan, meaning the prize stayed on home soil.
There was a success for the Brits in the €350 Pot Limit Omaha – 6 Handed Championship when Bradley Harwood claimed the third trophy of his relatively short ‘live game’ poker playing career. He is better known as an online grinder that plays the UK’s best-licenced poker sites.
Five Americans finished within the top 18 of the €250 No Limit Hold’em – Ladies Championship. Amongst those was the winner, Michelle Skinner, who collected, as part of some dealmaking with runner-up Lydia Cugudda, €6,700.
Congratulations to Michelle Skinner on taking down the @Irish_PokerOpen Ladies Championship.
She walks away with €6,700 and the trophy! 🏆👏 pic.twitter.com/pxGSDJDgLh
— PokerStars UK & IRE (@PokerStarsUK) April 18, 2025
Postman Delivered for Winning Swede in Mystery Event
It was Sweden’s turn to enter the winner’s enclosure in the €550 NLH Mystery Bounty, where Alexander Norden won handsomely courtesy of his €26,500 equal first prize and an additional €42,900 in bounties – including the top envelope containing €33,000!
Norden’s victory was part of an equal chop with Norway’s Steven Arsnes, but his bounty prizes were considerably lower, meaning he ‘only’ earned €34,500 from the 710-entry competition. This was the second Irish Open 2025 tournament to boast impressive mystery prizes.
The UK claimed its seventh tournament victory of the week when Simeon Sharr took the Seniors High Roller Championship. The victor aced his previous career best cash, winning €35,700 for his efforts in a 150-entry field (126 entries, 24 re-buys).
Once again, American players made a bold showing, claiming four of the top 10 places in this 50-plus competition. However, Canada’s Albert Aiello took second (for €22.500) and Ireland’s Allen McLean (€16,000) finished third.
McLean has the distinction of being part of a father, son (Stephen), and grandfather (Leslie) combination, who all contested the World Series of Poker Main Event during the same year during the 2010s.
