Major Upcoming Live Events Worldwide

Irish Poker Open March 26th – April 6th

Europe’s longest-running poker event will return to the Royal Dublin Society in just a few days, with the PokerStars and PaddyPower-sponsored Irish Poker Open. One of the most prestigious and history-steeped events in the poker calendar, the stage is set for plenty of action, massive guarantees, and a whole lot of Guinness! Here is a look at some of the highlights and newcomers to the schedule.

€1,100 Irish Open Main Event €2.5M GTD

Boasting a whopping €2,500,000 guarantee, the €1,100 Irish Open Main Event is set to attract a massive field to the RDS over the course of the event’s 11-day stint. Last year saw records fall and local lad Simon Wilson take down the coveted Shard trophy and a career-best score of €600,000. The then 22-year-old Wilson, who hails from the town of Ashbourne, which is no more than a 30-minute drive north of the centre of Dublin, bested a huge field of 4,562 players en route to Main Event success, scooping the lion’s share of the €4,447,950 prize pool.

This year, expectations for another huge turnout are high, and it would be no surprise to see last year’s record field come under threat this time around. There will be five flights to the Main Event, four standard flights, and one turbo flight. Players are allowed one re-entry per flight, but may play as many flights as they like, as it is a stack-choice tournament. If a player bags in two different flights, their largest stack goes forward to Day 2. Day 1’s play 15 levels, and the survivors will proceed to Day 2. Registration closes at 8.20 p.m. for the standard flights and midnight for the turbo flight. Players will receive a stack of 50,000 chips to start their pursuit of Main Event glory.

€250 Mini Irish Open €1M GTD

For those on smaller bankrolls but looking for a hefty guarantee, the €250 Mini Irish Open €1M GTD. With half the alphabet accounted for in starting flights, players will have plenty of chances to qualify for Day 2 of what will be a huge event. Levels run for 20 minutes in each flight, and offer the same stack choice format for players as the Main Event. There are a variety of different start times as well across the nine days worth of Day 1’s, meaning it is easy for players to work around their busy schedules to hop into as much action as possible. Approximately 15% of the field will be in each Day 1, and play will continue until 5% of the field remains, with the survivors proceeding to Day 2 in the money. This offers the best value for players across the schedule, and the guarantee is bound to be smashed. Below is the schedule.

€350 Sviten Special

Mixed Game players will have plenty of choices. As well as a €350 8-Game, a €350 HORSE, and a €350 Open Face Chinese, Sviten Special will be gracing the felts in a one-day Championship event for the first time. Sviten Special has been soaring in popularity over the last couple of years, and Anders “Bengan” Bengtsson’s baby will be played in the Emerald Isle in Europe’s marquee standalone poker series. Expect Mixed Game players from across the world to be in attendance in one of the most interesting upcoming variants in poker. The game is a split-pot game, but instead of it being decided on high and low hands, it’s on PLO and 5-card draw hands. The game also features a postflop discard phase before the first round of postflop betting. If a player chooses to discard one, they receive one card face up, which they can take or decline. If they decline, they get one more face down.

Levels run for 30 minutes, and registration will close when level nine begins. The tournament kicks off at 2 p.m. local time on Friday, 27th March. Players will have the option for unlimited re-entries, which Martin “Franke” von Zweigbergk will be making the most of come the end of the week.

SiGMA Poker Tour Sao Paulo April 3 – April 6

SiGMA Poker Tour will be visiting the home of poker in South America next month. The SPT São Paulo will be held at the Monte Carlo Poker Club for four days. Despite the short duration, there will be plenty of action. Here is what to look forward to.

R$2,500 SPT Main Event

The Main Event comes with a R$1,000,000 (£140,000, €163,000, $150,000) guarantee for a small buy-in, equating to around €400, $470 US or £350. There will be four starting flights, then two days of further action to decide on a champion. Flights 1A and 1C will feature unlimited re-entries, a starting stack of 40,000 chips and 10 levels of late registration. Blind levels will run for 40 minutes.

Flights 1B and 1D will be turbo flights, and the only difference will be the faster 20-minute levels. Players will have access to unlimited re-entries and the same number of levels for late registration, albeit it will be a shorter time frame.

To check out the schedule in full, click here. There are also satellite opportunities for players looking to qualify at a discount. For more information on that, check out this article here.

WSOPC Aix-en-Provence April 10 – April 21

The WSOPC circuit is coming to the picturesque city of Aix-en-Provence in Southern France. Running from April 10 to April 21, prestigious jewelry will be up for grabs across a range of events and buy-ins. There is plenty to get involved with for players of all bankrolls across the 11-day stint at the plush Pasino Grand Casino. Below is the list of the events that will have a ring up top, plus a healthy payout.

Malta Poker Festival April 19 – April 27

Malta has become a hub for poker in Europe. With top-class venues, great weather and a buzzing atmosphere, it is clear why it has become a go-to destination for poker players globally. The Spring Edition will run from April 19 to April 27 at the luxurious Portomaso Casino, which has been given a newer and grander lease of life through a recent refurbishment to the tournament area. Here are the picks of the upcoming schedule.

No Limit Hold’em – MPF Main Event €500K GTD

The buy-in has not been included in the title as the MPF Main Event has a few different buy-ins to incentivize early entrants looking to bag a stack to the festival’s marquee Hold’em tournament. A couple of the flights come in at €300, and they are turbo flights. Players will receive 30,000 instead of 60,000 chips from the off, and 7.5% of the field will progress to Day 2, instead of 15% in the full price flights.

The tournament comes with a tasty €500,000 guarantee, and with the option for a discounted buy-in, it is well worth a bullet or two. Blind levels run for 20 minutes in the discounted turbo flights, and for 40 minutes in the full-priced flights. Late registration will be open for 12 levels in the turbo flights, and for 8 levels in the standard flights. For those seeking even more of a discount, there will be €70 satellites to the Day 1 flights of the Main Event. Below is the full flight lineup.

What’s Next?

The action is only just getting started this year, and there is much more to come across Europe and the world. It won’t be long until the WSOP is quickly upon us come the end of May, and there is still the SiGMA Poker Tour Sao Paolo, 888 Events to come in Madrid and Barcelona, EPT Monte Carlo, APT Taipei, and much more!

That’s all for now, folks. Until next time.