While poker players enjoy tournament poker, cash games, and travelling around the world, the poker media is right by their side, trying to let the rest of the world have a glimpse of what’s happening. At PokerListings, we thought it would be a good idea to recap the past week, to make sure you haven’t missed out!

Popular Scams Against Poker Players in 2024

Why are poker players so attractive to scammers? Well, the answer is simple: There is a lot of money involved in the poker/gambling industry. Scammers exist in all shapes and sizes, with phishing being perhaps the most recognized around the world. It also happens that you receive e-mails such as pseudo-newsletters, or a payment platform that asks you to verify your identity without a single reason.

Our dearest writer Vasilisa Zyryanova has prepared a guide for our readers on how to recognize scams, intending to minimize the risks for everyone out there, as still, some things in can never be vanished/avoided completely. Sadly!

Irish Open Main Event Crowns Tero Laurila

The Irish Open Main Event of 2024 has been a massive success with 3,233 entries. It was eventually Finland’s pride Tero Laurila who walked away with the most honorable trophy . After being part of a 3-way deal, he did however not go home with the biggest prize!

JP McCann, co-organizer of the event, mentioned that the dream goal would be to have 5,000 entries at some point. Without a doubt, in 2024 they have made a huge step towards that ambitious number!

WPT Global April Promotion: Rake-Free Tournaments

Rake Free? In today’s poker world, it’s equal to seeing an oasis in the desert. WPT Global, now led by president Alex Scott, promised the entire industry that they would become an operator to take into consideration at all times, and this is exactly what is happening at the moment!

Already having managed to enter the Top 3 in player traffic, it’s just a matter of time before this operator reaches ever higher. When looking back at the last couple of months, online players already had a ‘rake-free’ month in March, as WPT Global organized massive freerolls, and in April they will continue with this pace!

Banco Masters 2024: One of Europe’s Favorite Recreational Championships

From April 8th, it’s been all about the Banco Masters in Bratislava. For the 38th time, this tournament series hosted by Banco Casino, will become the place to be for every recreational and seasoned poker player across Europe.

For a mere buy-in of €170, players who reach the money will be guaranteed to take a piece of the €250,000 prize pool. The previous edition showed us a bit of overlay, but with the summer approaching, Bratislava will enter its peak period. Stay tuned for more information about this event, as we are weekly covering everything that goes down at Banco Casino.

Giveaway Time 💪🚀

The Festival Series will kick off on May 31st at @PokerroomKings in Rozvadov. With @partypoker as your guide for great value online qualifiers, there are plenty of packages to scoop!

Win one of the 10x €11 satellite tickets, if you:
1⃣ Like and Retweet this… pic.twitter.com/raQEWlIQXA

— PokerListings (@PokerListings) April 4, 2024

Three Factors Which Helped ‘abarone68’ to Outreach $1,000,000 Profit in MTTs

Aaron Barone hit a milestone in his poker career by collecting $1M in pure profits! PokerListings dives into his amazing story and shows you what is important when trying to reach such a goal. Volume, game selection, and edge; were Aaron’s key points for accomplishing his quest.

Not only does this article a perfect insight into how things look for Aaron, but he is also streaming everything live on Twitch! Make sure to give him a follow, as for now, he is one of the great prospects coming from online streaming.

Dylan Linde Spent Entire Bankroll to Help His Mother

To become a successful poker player is one, but to then help out your closest family is something that only real poker players can do. Not only did Dylan, better known as ‘ImaLucSac’, win a WPT-title and numerous events online, but he is one of the greater names in today’s high-stakes poker action. 

If you are interested in Mixed Games, we would recommend reading his book called ‘Mastering Mixed Games’. Otherwise, Dylan is also a poker instructor at RunItOnce, so if you want to become more advanced in games with more than two hole cards, here is your calling!

How much support could you give your parents as a poker player? In truth, while most of us try to do our best, only a few have enough money and time for grand gestures. One of these few is high roller Dylan Linde who recently shared his story on the Table 1 Podcast.

Who Is Dylan Linde?

American Dylan Linde is a renowned professional poker player who has won more than $7.6M in live MTTs. He’s also an author of the poker book “Mastering Mixed Games: Winning Strategies for Draw, Stud and Flop Games” published in 2019. Moreover, he’s also acquired a WSOP bracelet for his victory in the $1,5K PLO Hi/Lo / Limit Omaha Hi/Lo / Big – Mixed Games in 2021. 

Dylan has been playing poker since the early 2000’s. He started as a university student but after tasting some poker action suddenly realized that he wanted to be a poker pro. So after seven years of studying, he sacrificed his uncertain academic future to the game. And he didn’t miss.

As of April 2024, The Hendon Mob describes Dylan as a number one player in his home state Idaho having 294s ITM in live poker events with 10 victories among them. 

Top 3 Biggest Wins in Live Tournaments

Tournament	Prize
$10,4K Main Event of WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic 2018	$1,631,468
$10,1K High Roller of WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas 2022	$434,304
$1,675 Main Event of WSOP-C Hammond 2016	$348,260

How Dylan Linde Literally Saved His Mom

When the bank crises struck the USA in 2008, Dylan’s family faced unexpected problems. At this point, Dylan already had enough money to “gamble on his own”. His mother was successful as well — she owned car dealerships across Idaho.

Still, the financial crisis caught them off guard: the dealerships went bankrupt with approximately $2 million in debt. It was then that Dylan decided to help as best as he could — and used all his money to do so. As he tells the Table 1 Podcast’s hosts:

“My mom had personally guaranteed all of her stuff for her business, so they were going to take her house away. So I gave her basically my entire bankroll to stop that and I was basically down to zero again“.

Ultimately, the decision came easily to Dylan because of his immense love for his mom. Luckily, his “poker from zero” period didn’t last long: he was lucky enough to get backed by Chris Moormon, and returned to the grind. Moorman’s backing gave Dylan an opportunity to play his first WPT ever — which turned out to be unforgettable:

“I sat down at my table at LAPC, and Mike Matusow is on my right. I’m like: “Oh my God, Mike Matusow! This is incredible!”. And then an hour in, Phil Helmuth sits two to my left, and I’m just like: “This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me!”.

So I end up busting Mike and he gave me a copy of his book — I still have it in my house — it says: “Dylan go f*ck yourself. Mike.”.  I am friendly with Mike now — it’s like he has no recollection about this whatsoever. But I cherish that book.”

JackPoker, a leading online poker platform, continues to expand its weekly tournament schedule, offering a variety of exciting events for poker enthusiasts worldwide. Among its flagship tournaments is the newly introduced Big Bang Sunday, promising an impressive $30,000 in guaranteed prize money. It’s scheduled for the 7th of April, a tournament you just don’t want to miss out on!

The Big Bang Sunday tournament, set at a reasonable buy-in of $30, is a freezeout event, ensuring a level playing field for all participants. With a stunning prize pool guarantee, players have the opportunity to compete for significant rewards. A whopping 1,112 entries are needed to meet this guarantee, opting for possible overlays almost every time.

To give extra added value and accessibility to this event, JackPoker offers satellites throughout the week (Buy-ins of $3, $5, and $10), allowing players to secure entry to the Big Bang Sunday event at an even lower cost than $30! The satellites run several times a day, giving you enough chances to get yourself qualified. On top of the regular satellites, JackPoker also hosts freeroll satellites.

Register Yourself for JackPoker

The registration process at JackPoker is fairly easy when comparing it to other operators. Today, you can make use of an exclusive offer here at PokerListings, giving you even more value on top of the generosity that JackPoker already provides to its players.

To make use of this offer:

• Deposit at least $30 and up to $49,99: Get a $3 Big Bang Sunday satellite ticket for free
• Deposit at least $50 and up to $99,99: Get a $5 Big Bang Sunday satellite ticket for free
• Deposit at least $100: Get a $10 Big Bang Sunday satellite ticket for free

*The bonus will be available just once per player and is claimed together with the promo that you usually would get (Welcome Lootbox – Deposit Booster).

Social Media Promotion

On the official Instagram page of JackPoker, a giveaway is currently ongoing and ending on April 6th. It’s not the usual giveaway that you are used to, they have been quite innovative this time and will test your reaction speed for a chance to win a $30 Sunday Big Bang ticket!

The 2024 Irish Open Main Event stood as proof of the continuously increasing popularity of poker, drawing a massive field of 3,233 entries to the prestigious Royal Dublin Society venue, where it’s being held for the second consecutive year. This amazing turnout was potentially fueled the most by sponsors PokerStars and Paddy Power Poker, who had sent a staggering amount of qualifiers towards Dublin.

Among this sea of contenders, one player emerged triumphant after four epic days of intense competition. Tero Laurila, born and raised in Finland, grabbed the chip lead on Day 3 after an outstanding performance and also started the final day as leader of the pack. Despite not banking the biggest amount of prize money, he will walk away with all the fame, in addition to a great Main Event trophy and €292,685.

It wouldn’t take much time before people realized to ask themselves the question if the guaranteed prize pool would be met, but with how much more the total prize pool would set a new grand record. The initial guaranteed prize pool was €1,000,000, and with 3,233 entries, it turned out to be €3,152,175 in the end! A great achievement of the event organizers JP McCann and Paul O’Reilly, alongside their 450-headed staff.

The Final Touch – Go Finland!

In the penultimate stage, Laurila faced off against Ninh van Hiep, a stalwart of the Dublin poker scene. Despite Ninh’s initial chip advantage, negotiated during the pivotal deal discussions, Laurila’s strategic moves and terrifying focus propelled him to victory. Mark Johnston, a promising newcomer to the professional poker circuit and with just 21 years of age rounded out the deal, securing a commendable €232,685 for his third-place finish and cementing his reputation in the poker world.

Hailing from Finland, Laurila took a gross of experience with him towards The Irish Poker Open, gained by being present in the poker scene for nearly two decades. Where Omaha cash games might be his favourite poker format, he has proven to be very handy with just two cards as well. Not only does Laurila bank the biggest cash of his career, but he is also the first Finnish champion of the Irish Open, Europe’s oldest poker event. Where the Fins are known for being a great sport when it comes to railing their fellow companions, it wasn’t any different this time around.

The Final table gave us a broad diversity of playing styles, with notable contenders including WSOPC ring winner Georgios Tsouloftas and seasoned Irish poker veteran Oliver Boyce, adding just that bit of extra glance to the final stage of the tournament. The electrifying atmosphere which went through the venue from the first, until the last minute, got backed up by a chance for an Irishman winning the biggest prize in the event.

Big Names Drop Before Entering the Harbour

Day 3 and 4 witnessed a flurry of action as the field narrowed, with memorable eliminations including Irish poker legend Padraig Parkinson, talented and well-running Simon Wilson, Dutchman and world traveler Tobias Peters, and top-notch players such as Kimmo Kurko and Conor Beresford. The tension reached its peak as the final table bubble burst with the exit of Cypriot online qualifier Konstantinos Vatseris, paving the way for the intense three-handed play that would ultimately decide the fate of the remaining contenders.

Where negotiations for a deal ensued among the remaining three players, the prize money was equitably distributed. After that, we would witness a great masterclass of eventual winner Laurila, who finished it off in style by making Quads Queens during the final hand.

With a mix of happiness and disbelief, Laurila’s victory became reality and the poker media jumped right on him to get his first thoughts. As Finnish as he is, his answers were rather short at the beginning, but when he calmed down and got his senses back, he gave a great winner’s interview to the host of The Irish Open, Laura Cornelius.

The Irish Open 2024 – A Great Reflection of Poker at its Finest

The Irish Open 2024 did not disappoint a single moment this year, whether you were at the venue or following everything from home, the great atmosphere could be felt from anywhere in the world. Before the event, we spoke to JP McCann, one of the organizers of the event, and he already had explained that this year would become even more epic than ever before.

With the Ireland vs England challenge (Fintan Hand vs Benjamin Spragg), the Niall ‘Firaldo’ Farrell leaderboard, innovative side events, live music and DJ sets, and the whole Irish magic going through every room and wall, there was no doubt that this event would turn out to become one of the biggest successes in European poker history.

Jp McCann and Paul O’Reilly are sitting on a pot of gold, as the event will keep on growing and growing. Backed up by great sponsors, there is no doubt that rather sooner than later, they might need to add another floor to the venue, to be able to have enough space for the magical 5,000 entries, which McCann previously mentioned to happen shortly.

Congratulations Tero Laurila, you are the 2024 Irish Open Main Event Champion!

Photo Credits: The Irish Open

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Where poker players enjoy tournament poker, cash games, and travelling all over the world, the poker media is right on their side, trying to let the rest of the world have a glimpse of what is happening out there. At PokerListings, we thought it would be a good idea to recap the past week, to make sure you haven’t missed out on anything!

PokerListings has been active in the poker industry for decades now, giving insights into the poker industry and letting people not miss any top news on the scene. In the previous week, several big announcements have been made by the world’s top online operators, and the high roller scene has had a record-breaking event in Jeju!

The Irish Open 2024 Exceeds All Expectations!

A week before the event we spoke to JP McCann, one of the organizers of the event. It’s safe to say that The Irish Open is one of Europe’s key live events for poker players from all around the world, and is going by the title ‘oldest active event’ out there. Not only do poker players enjoy great poker action in Dublin, but the ‘craic’ is what describes The Irish Open at its finest.

JP McCann as a person, might just be a great reflection of what people can expect during the event from all the staff which is making the world the round in Dublin. Professionalism, kindness, and a great person to have some banter with.

In the article, you can find out all about The Irish Open 2024, including their newest addition called ‘PokerLens’, a tool which is made for poker players to let everything just go much more smooth at the event when it comes to registrations, waiting lists, and so on.

This year, the Main Event made previous records look like child’s play, as 3,233 entries were done across five opening flights.

Barny Boatman – New Ambassador of PokerStars

Earlier in March, Barny Boatman was revealed as the latest addition to the PokerStars Team. A great move of PokerStars, adding tons of experience to a young and dynamic team including players like Parket ‘Tonkaaaa’ Talbot, Lex ‘Raszi’ Veldhuis, Benjamin ‘Spraggy’ Spraggs, Fintan ‘EasyWithAces’ Hand, and Sam ‘SamSquid’ Grafton. 

Barny Boatman, the winner of the most recent EPT Main Event in Paris, has been part of the poker industry for an eternity and made a name for himself, alongside his closest poker friends, by introducing The Hendon Mob. A webpage, where people from all over the world initially could follow a group of poker fanatics on their poker journeys.

Raise Your Edge – Benjamin Rolle Explains

In today’s poker industry many players tend to forget that at any given level, poker requires improvements. Raise Your Edge offers learning courses for various types of players and any kind of budget, regardless if you are a beginner or a more advanced grinder.

Within this article, you will get insights into the top 5 important topics to become successful in poker.

Triton Poker Jeju Sets Records

A couple of weeks ago, the Triton Poker Series landed in Jeju, South Korea. The High Stakes community, led by iconic players such as Phil Ivey, Paul Phua, Tom Dwan, Patrik Antonius, and Fedor Holz, set several records in various tournaments. One of them, the $100K Main Event, goes into the history books as the biggest $100K event of all time.

One of the players who always attends high roller events as such is perhaps one of the players who always manages to reach far in tournaments, but somehow always gets stuck when the real money is being divided. He did, however, win a sit ‘n go tournament which was organized for a good cause.

Alexandra Botez- Chess Master and GGPoker Ambassador

Where PokerStars introduces Barny Boatman as their newest addition, it is GGPoker who sets the poker world check-mate by introducing Alexandra Botez as their newest GGPoker team member.

Conquering the chess world is one of her achievements, being an online streamer/influencer is another one, but to become successful in poker takes a lot of working hours! Will she manage to go in the footsteps of fellow team members such as Daniel Negreanu, Fedor Holz, or Kevin Martin?

 Mediterranean Poker Party 2024 – May 2^nd until May 12^th

The MPP/EAPT lands in Cyprus just before the Summer Time, and it’s being promised to be an epic event! Cyprus is making its way up the ladder when it comes to favourite destinations for poker players all across the world.

🎉🌟 GIVEAWAY ALERT 🌟🎉

Get ready to hit the tables at the @eaptpoker Mediterranean Poker Party 2024 in Cyprus! 🃏 We're giving away 3x 125 satellite tickets to qualify at @GGPoker for this epic event! 🏆♠️

To enter:

➡️Follow us
➡️Retweet this tweet
➡️Tag 2 poker buddies… pic.twitter.com/kEufBBkNPE

— PokerListings (@PokerListings) March 19, 2024

PokerListings had the privilege of organizing a great Giveaway promotion, giving players a chance to get their hands on one of the 3x $125 satellite tickets for this event. With over a hundred registrations, it would turn out to be a great chance for everyone!

Cryptocurrencies & Poker Go Hand-In-Hand

For several years it’s now possible to make deposits with cryptocurrencies on various online poker sites. Not all online sites open up to the likes of Bitcoin, so we made a list of the top online operators who do offer BTC as a payment method.               

PokerListings Social Media Platforms

If you would like to stay updated about everything that goes on in the poker industry, then it would be sufficient for you to keep an eye on our Twitter/X page, Facebook, or Instagram pages. Giveaways, exclusive promotions, player insights, you name it and it’s all there!

The PokerListings YouTube channel has become a real hot topic lately, videos are being published about recent happenings in the poker world, alongside highlights of various online streamers!

Happy Easter! 🐰

In March 2024, Jeju island in South Korea hosted its second Triton Poker Super High Roller Series. Here are three noteworthy stories from the series.

Brewer, Dvoress and Vogelsang “Won” Charity Obligations

The community favorite and most unfortunate poker player (according to WSOP 2023 participants) Chris Brewer kicked off his Triton Jeju 2024 with a special victory. He became the winner of the Raise for Change Charity Exhibition Game, the restricted Sit & Go for 7 players.

Each participant paid the entry fee of $5,000 resulting in the total prize pool reaching $35,000.

This victory brought Brewer $10,000 — the organisers doubled this amount to be donated to a charity foundation chosen by Chris. He picked Melanoma Research Alliance — the charity organisation developing methods of prevention and treatment of melanoma (one of the most aggressive forms of cancer), for personal reasons:

“My mom had a melanoma scare this year. She is now having preventative infusions to ensure she remains cancer free. I’m happy to be able to give something to a cause I care about.”

Two other players were “tasked” to pick one foundation each after having their prize money doubled as well:

• Daniel Dvoress — took 2nd place and donated $12,000 to Evergreen whose goal is to improve public spaces.
• Christoph Vogelsang — took 3rd place and sent $8,000 to Mary’s Meals charity organisation that provides meals to chronically hungry children.

Moreover, all top 3 players had their buy-ins refunded.

Andy Wong, Triton Poker Series CEO, thanked players for their contribution to the charity cause and added:

“Poker has the power to bring people together and make a positive impact and we were delighted to see this event succeed.”

By the way, Chris Brewer couldn’t win any other events at Triton Jeju 2024, but made it to two final tables:

• 6th place, $266K — $40K Mystery Bounty;
• 8th place, $543K — $100K Main Event.

These winnings helped him reach over $22M on The Hendon Mob.

Third Bulgarian Is the Charm

Three Bulgarians at once reached the final table of the $40K Mystery Bounty, where 190 entries made a $3.8M prize pool. And one of them ended up winning the event.

The first Bulgarian to leave the final table was Yulian Bogdanov after being busted out by his countryman Alex Kulev. 7th place and 3 bounties brought Yulian $295,000.

Alex Kulev himself was eliminated in 4th place, netting $610,000 including 6 bounties. After that he approached the last remaining Bulgarian Dimitar Danchev and shook his hand wishing luck.

Dimitar Danchev was the last to leave — he won the event and took $1,344,000. After the victory he admitted that money was not as important to him as the trophy — he coveted it since the victory of fellow Bulgarian and his friend Ognyan Dimov in the $30K 7-Handed on Triton Monte Carlo 2023.

Remarkably, Triton Jeju 2024 became a series with almost all Bulgarian Top-5 in live tournaments taking their share of the spotlight. Even excluding payouts in the $40K Mystery Bounty, the Bulgarian players collaterally reached over $3M in prizes.

Player	Event	Winnings
Yulian Bogdanov	$30K NLH 8-Handed, 3rd place	$557,000
Alex Kulev	$150K NLH 8-Handed, 6th place	$983,000
–	$100K Main Event, 9th place	$451,000
–	$20K NLH 8-Handed, 26th place	$39,500
Fahredin Mustafov	$100K Main Event, 6th place	$1,008,000
Dimitar Danchev	$30K NLH 8-Handed, 19th place	$65,500
–	$25K Silver Main, 28th place	$54,000

Mario Mosböck Showed Master-Class in Short Stack Strategy

The unbelievable achievement of getting the trophy, the title and a million dollars without ever exceeding 20bb on the final table — the story of the Austrian football player Mario Mosböck from $25K GGMillion$ Live. The event had 305 entries and accumulated a prize pool of $7,625,000.

Mosbök began the final table with a 4bb stack, and was able to double up several times, but never it let him reach at least 20bb.

With help of patience and luck, he made it to heads-up, where he made a deal with Spaniard Sergio Aido. The game was decided when Mosbök with a pair of Sixes and Aido with AKs went all in.

As a result, Sergio was granted the largest payout of the event — $1,237,804, but Mario became the winner with $1,191,196 and a trophy. He was so shocked by his result that he spent a while holding his head in joyful confusion.

In the post-game interview, Mario shifted focus from his feelings and emotions to the impact of the PokerCode team to his success:

“All the boys are really smart, really driven. They want to compete at the highest level…If it was me alone, I’m not sure I would be playing the Super High Rollers. But you can talk to people about how you feel, your concerns. They can give you feedback. It was a community decision. They said, come on, you’re good enough.”

By the way, besides this victory, Mario managed to reach ITM on Triton Poker Jeju 2024 two more times:

• 14th place in $150K NLH 8-Handed — $281,000;
• 15th place in $100K Main Event — $298,000.

Curiously, calculating the exact amount of Mosbök total prizes in live tournaments is impossible as he is not listed on TheHendonMob and is labelled as an “Unknown Player”.

Kevin Martin, a reality TV star from Canada, known for his winning appearance on the TV show ‘Big Brother Canada’, challenged himself with one of the craziest bankroll challenges ever done. Besides this, Kevin Martin is also a respectable online streamer and is an ambassador for giant GGPoker.

In the past weeks, Kevin Martin has challenged himself to start with a bankroll completely from scratch. This would mean he had to abandon his full current bankroll. To make it all a little bit more exciting, he was going to stream around the clock to let his community feel the sweat alongside him!

How It All Started – Streaming 24/7

Just like almost any other professional poker player, ‘Kmart’ started playing at the micro-stakes online. Building a bankroll from scratch is something which divides the best from the rest, and ten years after the start of his poker career, he wanted to repeat this. All to show the people that you can actually build up a steady bankroll from zero, by showing heart and determination.

To start his quest for glory, he pawned off several items which would give him some roll to start with, eventually hoping to make $5,000, as that was on his balance when he started his professional career. His Twitch community could endorse the whole saga live on his channel, and when he was taking a nap, replays would be aired.

It became really a controversial topic in the poker industry; Why would someone start doing this as a professional poker player? But Kevin Martin is Kevin Martin, he already knows how it feels to have cameras pointed at him 24/7 as he competed in ‘Big Brother Canada’. Besides having his own Twitch Channel for years already, he also attended the successful and award-winning TV show Poker After Dark: Game of Gold.

Many poker professionals tried bankroll challenges as well, and many of them failed to do. Kevin Martin was aware it might turn out to be a failure, but the result might have been more disappointing than he would have imagined in his worst dreams.

Besides the actual poker topic, Martin took his stay in a small apartment, solely for his team being locked up and streaming his challenge. Besides the costs of the apartment, he also has a team around him which doesn’t work for free obviously.

500 Hours of Streaming

After 500 hours of streaming, Martin had profited only $500 during his challenge, while being up a bit more than that throughout the challenge. Not all the hours he spent on playing the micro stakes online, as he also took time to get some sleep, eat, and continue his business together with his team.

Poker from Zero is officially over.

What a ride it was. Thanks everyone for watching, hope we entertained. 💙 pic.twitter.com/yvKkBDZWCT

— KMart (@KevinRobMartin) March 20, 2024

Besides the many people criticizing him openly on social media channels, for not being determined enough, not crushing the stakes and whatnot; Martin realistically concluded the whole challenge had been a failure in terms of poker. ‘’We just didn’t get there. We just didn’t crush. I’ll take responsibility, I could have played better’’, he had mentioned in the media.

Three entire weeks, for the net rate of barely $3 an hour, Martin made it happen to keep the community alive and kicking. Regardless of what people conclude about his challenge, he managed to get a stream up and running for 500 hours straight, 500 hours!

The Final Conduct

When checking in at his stream, he was crushing it in poker tournaments going from $2 to $10 dollars a tournament, sometimes with some action sold as well. The peak of his bankroll went up to $1,300 but then suffered a bit of a rundown immediately after that.

In the end, the mission had failed. But this doesn’t stop Kevin Martin from taking up challenges in the future, we are certain of that. A top entertainer, with wise words as he stated that for most people it’s not even wise to start from scratch. Many players have busted their rolls, but as long as you keep your sanity and value money and take care of it!

Kevin Martin’s Poker Life

Being for a decade in the game of poker, Kevin Martin has had his challenges throughout his career! By starting off streaming in 2015, he rapidly made it happen to strengthen his game and work on his entertaining skills to make his stream channel worthwhile. In 2017, he appeared in Season 5 of ‘Big Brother Canada’ and ended up winning it, after being in the TV show in a previous season already.

After getting some pretty decent results in the live poker scene, in 2019 it became really silent around the person Kevin Martin, he had decided to retire from poker. Later he stated that he felt burnt out, uninspired, out of shape, etc. Not only did he quit poker, but also his social media channels and content production.

2020 can be named the year of Kevin Martin. He signed yet another ambassador deal, and this time with giant GGPoker. In 2021 he got married to his everlasting love Pili, and up until this day, Martin has been crushing it when it comes to content and poker online! His live career earnings to date show us that he has won over $470,000 in his career, of which $72,200 was his biggest live cash.

The Irish Poker Open is about to start on March 25th, and players from all over the world cannot wait to set sail and join fellow poker players in the capital city of Ireland. European oldest, and most entertaining poker tournament on the calendar will expect dozens of notable names to arrive, all chasing that honorable Main Event title.

The 2024 Irish Open boasts 35 exciting events, including 11 Championship trophy tournaments. Notable highlights from the schedule include the €1 Million Guaranteed Main Event (buy-in €1,150) running from March 27 to April 1 with four starting flights and a single re-entry per flight. Additionally, the €500k Guaranteed Mini Irish Open (buy-in €200), spanning from March 25 to April 1, offers nine starting flights with unlimited re-entries.

Other standout events include the €350 Championship Heads-Up tournament on March 26-27 (online registration recommended), the €5k Championship High Roller also on March 26-27, the €250 Championship Ladies Event on March 28, the €3k Championship High Roller on March 30-31, and the €350 Championship Liam Flood Memorial Turbo on April 1.

Catching up With JP McCann

JP McCann is the Tournament Director and Host of The Irish Open, as well as owner of the JP Poker Card Club & Casino. He has been a key figure in the poker community, particularly in Ireland, for many years. JP McCann has served as the Tournament Director for the Irish Poker Open, one of the longest-running and most prestigious poker tournaments in Europe.

Under his direction, the Irish Poker Open has continued to attract players from around the world, maintaining its status as a major event on the international poker calendar. McCann’s expertise and dedication have contributed significantly to the success and reputation of the Irish Poker Open as a must-attend event and surely will keep on increasing over the next years as the ambition of JP McCann is just endless.

McCann: ‘’As one of the oldest events on the European Calendar, the Irish Open has made big steps. Since we took over the concept, we aimed to have 2000 entries within five years, people were laughing about these ambitions. Excluding the Covid period, we have met our expectations, and last year we had a total of 2491 entries, accumulating a prize pool of around 2,5 Million.’’

The Irish Open is not just about poker.  Side activities are equally valued and JP explained they wanted to make the event different from others.

McCann: ‘’Poker is almost a side event if that makes sense. A live event is like a concert almost, with free entertainment for everyone. This year we will add more fun stuff to the schedule such as Horse Racing, a sheep shearing contest, dog races, beer pong, live music and a DJ as well, and shuffleboard. People are coming from all over the world, with Canadian players coming in big numbers this year. I’ve hear a very nice expression about the event: It’s just one big Home Game’’

Things to Consider When Visiting the Irish Open

The Irish Open keeps innovating every single year, all led by intentions of making the event open and achievable for poker players all around the world. When asking JP McCann what things players should be considering this year for The Irish Open, he came up with the following:

McCann: ‘’Last year was the first time in the current location at the Royal Dublin Society. Last year, we had 133 tables altogether, whereas this year we increased that number to around 175 tables. We not only increased in tables but also poker staff, with a total of 450 staff members working on the event this year.

This time, we are making use of the PokerLens software, which is connected to the K-Holdem software we are using for running the event. Players can not only register themselves for tournaments, they can also register for the Cash Games. Not only that, the app will keep notifying you once there is a free seat available, allowing you to enjoy other things in the meantime.’’

To Register for All the Irish Open Tournaments With PokerLens, Follow These Steps

• Download PokerLens:

1. If you have an Apple iOS device, download the app here.
2. If you have an Android device, download the app here.

• Set up your profile: Once downloaded, set up your profile on the PokerLens app. Follow the instructions provided within the mobile app to complete this process.

• Link your profile to KHold’em: Your profile on PokerLens will be linked to the KHold’em registration system. This integration streamlines the registration process.

• Arrive at the event: When you arrive at the RDS (Royal Dublin Society), head to the registration desk.

• Show your unique profile QR code: Present your unique profile QR code from the PokerLens app to the staff at the registration desk.

• Pick up your seat assignment: Once your QR code is scanned, you’ll receive your seat assignment for the tournament.

By following these steps, you’ll be able to register for all the Irish Open tournaments smoothly and efficiently. Additionally, using PokerLens will help reduce waiting times at the registration desk and streamline the process for both players and event organizers.

Other Registration Methods

To register for Irish Open tournaments, Luxon Pay offers a convenient online solution. Simply log into your Luxon Pay account, ensure you have sufficient funds, and navigate to “Shop” where you can select your desired tournament and complete the purchase with a few clicks. Luxon Pay users also gain entry into a daily €100 Luxon Pay Raffle. For re-entries, you can easily repeat the process within the same day.

If you prefer alternative methods, registration is also available via MainEventTravel.com, PokerStars, Paddy Power, or on-site with cash or cards. Luxon Pay streamlines the registration process, making it hassle-free for players.

What Can We Expect From the Irish Open in the Coming Years?

The Irish Open stands for lots of poker action, and endless entertainment to make sure not just poker players will be able to enjoy their ‘time off’, but also travel partners who perhaps are not so much into poker, will be able to enjoy themselves. With the glance of the Irish culture, for sure this is never going to be an issue to keep improving these aspects.

When asking JP McCann about the future of The Irish Open, he had the following to say:

McCann: ‘’Our brand is known for great poker tournaments and cash game action, as well as everything around poker. Despite big numbers turning up every year, we are looking into it to bring the event more towards the people who might not be able to travel to Ireland.

One of these examples was the event in Cyprus beforehand. We are looking for venues outside Europe, in for example Australia or Canada. Will it have the same numbers as our event in Dublin? Probably not, but the plan always has been to make The Irish Open, the biggest event in this buy-in range, so we want to make it more accessible to players from all over the world.’’

Notable Names to Visit Dublin

We are confident enough that many big players from around the globe will make their way to Dublin. Not only in terms of players, but also with staff members such as James Hartigan, Joe Stapleton, and former Main Event Champ Griffin Benger, who will be taking care of the live streams.

Where current hype of the poker scene, and newest member of the PokerStars Ambassador Team, Barny Boatman, unfortunately is not able to make it this year, names such as Vanessa Kade, Steve O’Dwyer, Fintan Hand, and Benjamin Spragg, will be amongst the players attending the event.

>> Find the Official Tournament Schedule of The Irish Open 2024 HERE!

We would like to wish the staff, the players, and everyone else involved, good luck for the event this year!