"A Festival That Can’t Be Missed": Lappin’s Irish Open Preview
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It’s no surprise which live event is David Lappin’s favourite.
The newest PokerStars Ambassador is looking forward to the Irish Open, and is looking forward to seeing who picks up early points in the 2026 PokerStars Live League.
Ready for the Emerald Isle
“It’s always been my favourite,” Lappin told PokerNews. “Obviously, it’s special for an Irish person, but I actually think that the beauty of it is it's special for every poker player who ever goes to it. They're sort of immediately turned into an Irish person.”
The event is the latest on the 2026 PokerStars Live League, with Lappin looking forward to seeing who will pick up valuable pints in the pursuit of a seat in the €100,000 freeroll.
“Some people will chase the Live League from the beginning, and some people will go to Paris or the Irish Open and perform well. Then they’ll find themselves in fourth place and think ‘We should keep going to these things!’”
"I think it just makes it a festival that can’t be missed. The moment you walk through the doors"
The main appeal of the Irish Open, according to Lappin, is the infectiousness of the atmosphere.
“I think it just makes it a festival that can’t be missed. The moment you walk through the doors…Poker players have a lot of serious poker to be played through the year and you go off and you play your high rollers or your EPTs and you go to the Irish Open it's an opportunity to blow off some steam.
“I think it's going to go from strength to strength over the next few years.”
Lappin credits the growth in the event to PokerStars, growing from 1,880 entries in 2021 to 4,562 in 2025.
“Watch this space, it’s going to be a 9,000 or 10,000-runner field by the end of the decade.”
If recent years are anything to go by, Lappin may have a point. PokerStars first partnered with the event in 2023, sending 350 players, with eventual winner David Docherty, winning his ticket online on PokerStars for €109.
Irish Open Winners 2021-25
| Year | Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool | Champion | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | €1,150 | 4,562 | €4,447,950 | Simon Wilson | Ireland | €600,000 |
| 2024 | €1,150 | 3,233 | €3,152,175 | Tero Laurila | Finland | €292,685 |
| 2023 | €1,150 | 2,491 | €2,428,725 | David Docherty | Scotland | €365,000 |
| 2022 | €1,150 | 2,040 | €1,989,000 | Steve O'Dwyer | Ireland | €318,700 |
| 2021* | €1,100 | 1,880 | €1,880,000 | Pavel Veksler | Ukraine | €265,999 |
* denotes event held online
This year, Lappin says he’s been “gobsmacked” by the number of qualifiers.
“I think it’s on course for around 1,500 qualifiers. I know that's not just through PokerStars, but the number is through the roof. I think it's going to be the most qualified online qualified tournament of all time.”
All Patched Up
The festival will also be one of the first where Lappin proudly wears the PokerStars patch as ambassador.
“The patch is incredibly important, but it runs a very close second to the players. I think of myself as an ambassador for the players first. I hope I’ll bring an all-round quality to the team as an ambassador.
“I care about the players who pay their money to be part of this industry, whether it's online or live. I want the products that they get to enjoy to be as good for them as possible."
Lappin says his priority is for PokerStars to be “fair and trustworthy”, and says he’s got the support of the entire PokerStars team behind him.
“But the players will always be my North Star, just to think of what the players would want first. And I hope by being that way, I serve PokerStars the best that I can.”
