Records Might Be Shattered as Second Starting Flight of Irish Open Main Event Begins at Noon
The 2024 Irish Open €1,150 Main Event, sponsored by PokerStars and Paddy Power Poker, boasts a €1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool, but if history is anything to go by, that number might be eclipsed today on Day 1b, which kicks off at the Royal Dublin Society at noon local time.
Last year, 644 entries were made during the second of four starting flights, and the expectation is that this year there will be even more of them. Eventual champion David Docherty took a pivotal step in that flight, securing the chip lead on his way to victory.
Whoever ends up with the most chips this time around will have to surpass Day 1a chipleader Pascal Baumgartner, who ended up with 329,500 chips, to grab the overall chip lead. Meanwhile, Irish grinder Simon Wilson (303,500) and UKIPT London High Roller champion Jorge Ramella (259,000) also found themselves in the top ten chip counts after the first starting flight had whittled its 379 entries down to just 72.
End of Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Day 2 Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pascal Baumgartner | Switzerland | 329,500 | 82 |
| 2 | Niclas Thumm | Germany | 322,500 | 81 |
| 3 | Ville Jantunen | Finland | 305,500 | 76 |
| 4 | Simon Wilson | Ireland | 303,500 | 76 |
| 5 | Max Deveson | United Kingdom | 302,000 | 76 |
| 6 | Patrick Larkin | Ireland | 301,500 | 75 |
| 7 | Sebestyen Csoti | Hungary | 283,000 | 71 |
| 8 | Jorge Ramella | Uruguay | 259,000 | 65 |
| 9 | April Wiggins | United States | 257,500 | 64 |
| 10 | Nadja Sutter | Switzerland | 256,000 | 64 |
Docherty also made an appearance on the first starting flight but fell shortly before the day ended. The expectation is that he will return today for Day 1b, as will many other faces from yesterday, alongside heaps of new names.
Day 1b will play 14 levels of 45 minutes each, with a break after every three of them. Every registrant will receive 30,000 chips, worth 300 big blinds at the start of play and just under 19 of them when late registration closes at the end of Level 10.
One reentry is allowed per starting flight, and those who use up both bullets today still have Day 1c and the turbo flight of Day 1d to look forward to, both taking place tomorrow, Friday, March 29.
Irish Open Main Event Day 1b Structure
| Level | Small Blind | Big Blind | Big Blind Ante | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 | 100 | 45 min. | |
| 2 | 100 | 200 | 45 min. | |
| 3 | 100 | 200 | 200 | 45 min. |
| Break | 20 min. | |||
| 4 | 100 | 300 | 300 | 45 min. |
| 5 | 200 | 400 | 400 | 45 min. |
| 6 | 200 | 500 | 500 | 45 min. |
| Break | 20 min. | |||
| 7 | 300 | 600 | 600 | 45 min. |
| 8 | 400 | 800 | 800 | 45 min. |
| 9 | 500 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 45 min. |
| Dinner Break | 60 min. | |||
| 10 | 600 | 1,200 | 1,200 | 45 min. |
| 11 | 800 | 1,600 | 1,600 | 45 min. |
| 12 | 1,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 45 min. |
| Break | 20 min. | |||
| 13 | 1,000 | 2,500 | 2,500 | 45 min. |
| 14 | 1,500 | 3,000 | 3,000 | 45 min. |
Stay tuned as PokerNews will provide all of the Day 1b action from the tournament floor in Dublin, from the deep-stacked beginning to the thrilling and volatile conclusion.