The largest live Irish Open Main Event in history will crown a winner today. Out of a record-breaking field of 2,491 entries, only 16 players remain to fight for the top prize of €365,000 and the accompanying trophy. Whatever happens, it is sure to be a long and exciting day here at the Royal Dublin Society
Moldova’s Eugeniu Barbaros enters the final tournament day of the 2023 Irish Open €1,150 Main Event as the chip leader with 9,750,000 in chips. The most notable names still left in the two-table field are British poker polymath Benny Glaser (4,525,000), who already has already netted himself one Irish Open trophy this year, and Ireland’s very own Andy Black (5,325,000).
Benny Glaser
Black will have to compete with four of his countrymen who are also aiming to keep the trophy in Eire. Jamie Wynne (4,550,000), Thomas Murphy (2,950,000), Kevin Swayne, and Seamus Cahill (2,200,000) have some work to do as they are all playing under the average.
Also still in contention are David Docherty (3,075,000) and Carl Shaw (5,000,000). The former started Day 2 as chip leader while the latter ended that same day with that title.
Rank
Player
Country
Chip Count
1
Eugeniu Barbaros
Moldova
9,750,000
2
Panagiotis Mavritsakis
Greece
6,375,000
3
Tom Waters
UK
6,300,000
4
Andy Black
Ireland
5,325,000
5
Vincent Sanchez
UK
5,125,000
6
Carl Shaw
UK
5,000,000
7
Jamie Wynne
Ireland
4,550,000
8
Benny Glaser
UK
4,525,000
9
Kevin O'Donnell
USA
4,000,000
10
Steve Watts
UK
3,675,000
Day 4 will commence at 1 p.m. local time with blinds at 100,000/200,000 with a 200,0000 big blind ante. Levels will last 60 minutes until the final three players have been reached, then they will be reduced to 40 minutes. The players will have a redraw at the final nine, when the unofficial final table is reached. Play will not conclude today before a new Irish Main Event Champion is crowned.
PokerNews will of course be live reporting until the very end. Updates will be posted on a 30-minute delay so as to not spoil the live streamed action, courtesy of PokerStars, to our readers.
With a classic Dublin shower going on outside, the final 16 players have trickled into the safe havens of the Royal Dublin Society.
The cards are in the air and action is underway. It is bound to be a fun day with a new Irish Open Champion being crowned at its climax.
Be sure to stay tuned as PokerNews is bringing you all the action of the day. Don't miss the cards-up coverage on PokerStars' Youtube or Twitch either.
On the very first hand of the day, short stack Seamus Cahill moved all in from the cutoff for his last 11 big blinds. The action folded around to Benny Glaser in the big blind and, after getting an exact count, he shrugged and called the 2,200,000.
Seamus Cahill:
Benny Glaser:
The flop brought something for both players: . However, the turn improved Glaser's hand to two pair, while taking away Cahill's pair outs.
The river was a red card with the , and thus Seamus Cahill was the first one to say his goodbyes on Day 4 of the Irish Open Main Event.
Kevin O'Donnell raised to 400,000 and Henri Ojala moved all in. O'Donnell called and two players flipped their cards for a race, with Ojala the player at risk.
Henri Ojala:
Kevin O'Donnell:
The board ran out . The flop brought Ojala a pair of queens and he held for the double up early on the final day.
The action folded to Declan Rice in the small blind, who shoved his last 2,100,000 chips in the middle. Vincent Sanchez was in the big blind with a covering stack and snap called once he looked at his cards.
Declan Rice:
Vincent Sanchez:
Rice was behind and feared for his tournament life, but that all changed when the flop came , granting rice top pair. Sanchez still had outs to a better pair, as well as a gutshot to Broadway, but neither came in on the runout.
Rice and Sanchez almost exactly swapped stacks as play continues.
In another blind-on-blind situation, Declan Rice open-shoved from the small blind, putting big blind's Vincent Sanchez's 2,000,000 stack at risk. Sanchez quickly called and the cards were flipped over.
Vincent Sanchez:
Declan Rice:
Sanchez needed a queen or a nine to not have his dreams of being an Irish Open Main Event Champion shattered, but the remained free of them, spelling his end. He shook hands around the feature table and took his leave in 15th place.
One hand prior, Rice had doubled up Thomas Murphy when Rice's could not beat the of Murphy on . He has now regained those chips and some more by eliminating Sanchez.
Kevin O'Donnell had been shoving his short stack regularly to avoid getting eaten up by the blinds. This time, he shoved for around 2,800,000 from early position. Action folded to Carl Shaw, who shoved from the small blind. The two players flipped their cards, with O'Donnell at risk.
Kevin O'Donnell:
Carl Shaw:
The board ran out . The flop did bring O'Donnell a pair of tens but it wasn't enough. Shaw had a pocket pair of kings and held to scoop the pot.
O'Donnell was eliminated in 14th place for €18,000.
Players got up to hug and shake hands with O'Donnell and Shaw said, "Good game mate" as O'Donnell left the table.
. However, the 
turn improved Glaser's hand to two pair, while taking away Cahill's pair outs.
, and thus Seamus Cahill was the first one to say his goodbyes on Day 4 of the Irish Open Main Event.
. The flop brought Ojala a pair of queens and he held for the double up early on the final day.
runout. 
remained free of them, spelling his end. He shook hands around the feature table and took his leave in 15th place.
of Murphy on 
. The flop did bring O'Donnell a pair of tens but it wasn't enough. Shaw had a pocket pair of kings and held to scoop the pot. 
