€1,150 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2024 Irish Open
€1,150 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
2024 Irish Open
Buy-in
€1,150
Prize Pool
€3,152,175
Entries
3,233
Level
42
Blinds
1,000,000 / 2,000,000
Ante
2,000,000
Entries
379
Players Left
72
PokerStars' Fintan Hand Among 72 Survivors of Day 1a of Irish Open Main Event
Level 14
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
A busy Day 1a of the €1,150 Irish Open Main Event, sponsored by PokerStars and Paddy Power Poker, saw 379 entries being made at the Royal Dublin Society, a step up from the 324 the event knew on Day 1a in 2023. After more than 12 hours of play, only 72 of them remained and they all bagged and tagged for Day 2, which will take place on Saturday, March 30.
Among the players who had chips remaining at the end of play was PokerStars Ambassador Fintan Hand, who experienced a late-night surge to end up with an above-average stack of 252,000 chips, good for 63 big blinds at the start of Day 2. However, Hand is still some ways away from chipleader Pascal Baumgartner, who managed to bag 329,500 at the end of the night.
Baumgartner finished third in the 2018 Irish Open Main Event for €100,000, his largest-ever live cash, and has made good strides for another deep run in Dublin. Following Baumgartner closely is Niclas Thumm with 322,500 chips, while Ville Jantunen rounds out the top three with a stack of 305,500. Meanwhile, Simon Wilson was the best-performing Irishman on Day 1, securing fourth place with 303,500 chips in his bag.
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 |
Also making it through on Day 1a were the likes of podcaster Adam McKola (229,500), Irish pride Marc Macdonnell (80,000), and bracelet winners Benny Glaser (205,000), Tobias Peters (193,000), Juha Helppi (192,000), Marius Kudzmanas (161,500), and Jessica Marks (129,000).
Among the less lucky ones were Irish all-time money leader Andy Black, poker couple Benjamin Spragg and Marle Spragg, and defending champion David Docherty who all fired one or two unsuccessful bullets throughout the day.
However, they need not fret as they can try again tomorrow, Thursday, March 28, when Day 1b kicks off at noon local time. Just like on Day 1a, 14 levels of 45 minutes will be played, with a single reentry being available to the players during the late registration period of ten levels.
The guaranteed prize pool of €1,000,000 is already well on its way to being shattered and Day 1b is expected to make significant progress to that magic seven-figure number, so check back in to PokerNews tomorrow for another thrilling starting flight of the €1,150 Irish Open Main Event.
End of Day 1a Chip Counts (full)
Level 14
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
329,500
9,500
|
9,500 |
|
||
|
322,500
94,500
|
94,500 |
|
305,500
305,500
|
305,500 |
|
303,500
164,900
|
164,900 |
|
302,000
-36,000
|
-36,000 |
|
301,500
91,500
|
91,500 |
|
283,000
207,000
|
207,000 |
|
259,000
39,000
|
39,000 |
|
257,500
52,500
|
52,500 |
|
|
256,000
43,500
|
43,500 |
|
255,000
176,800
|
176,800 |
|
||
|
252,000
-126,000
|
-126,000 |
|
||
|
249,000
249,000
|
249,000 |
|
246,000
110,000
|
110,000 |
|
|
234,500
234,500
|
234,500 |
|
233,000
-14,000
|
-14,000 |
|
231,500
181,500
|
181,500 |
|
229,500
141,500
|
141,500 |
|
|
226,000
226,000
|
226,000 |
|
|
216,500
216,500
|
216,500 |
|
210,000
210,000
|
210,000 |
|
205,500
175,500
|
175,500 |
|
205,000
-30,000
|
-30,000 |
|
||
|
193,000
113,000
|
113,000 |
|
||
|
192,000
44,000
|
44,000 |
|
||
Day 1a Concludes
Level 14
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
All tables are bagging and tagging, and 72 players have made it through to Day 2.
Stay tuned for full chip counts and a recap of the day.
Fere Doubles Up During Final Few Hands
Level 14
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Gavin Quinn opened to 7,000 from the cutoff before Aleksi Naski made it 24,000 to go from the small blind. Mallory Frere then pushed in 44,500 chips for an all-in bet, which forced Quinn out of the pot.
Naski stuck in a quick call and the cards were revealed.
Mallory Frere: A♠6♠ 
Aleksi Naski: Q♠10♦
The J♥5♠K♣ flop gave Naski some extra outs, but they did not appear on the 3♦ turn or 3♣ river, securing the double-up for Frere.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
141,000 | |
|
|
100,000
-20,000
|
-20,000 |
|
96,000 |
Six More Hands to Be Played
Level 14
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
The floor has announced that six more hands will be played before Day 1a concludes.
Glaser Doubles Up Thumm
Level 14
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Benny Glaser and Niclas Thumm were heads up on a board of K♦J♣3♣6♦. With 76,000 chips in the middle, Glaser checked from middle position to Thumm in the hijack. Thumm then jammed all in for a pot-sized bet, and Glaser made the call after weighing his options for a bit.
Niclas Thumm: A♥K♣
Benny Glaser: J♦10♦
Glaser bricked his outs on the 5♠ river and Thumm captured a very late double-up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
235,000
-15,000
|
-15,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
228,000 | |
Hand Hero Calls Parkinson to Grab Lead
Level 14
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Padraig Parkinson open-raised to 10,000 from the hijack and Fintan Hand called on the button. On the 10♣J♠3♥ flop, Parkinson made a huge all-in over-bet of 85,500 chips, sending Hand into the tank.
Eventually, he flicked in a call and the cards were tabled.
Padraig Parkinson: A♠2♠
Fintan Hand: Q♥J♦
Hand's top pair was in the lead against the ace-high of Parkinson. Parkinson's ballsy move did not get rewarded as the 6♥J♥ runout upgraded Hand to trips.
Parkinson could only compliment Hand's hand while he left the tournament area, while the PokerStars Ambassador ended up with the most chips in the room.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
378,000
168,000
|
168,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level: 14
Blinds: 1,500/3,000
Ante: 3,000
Late-Night Eliminations
Level 13
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |