"It's Something So, So Special": Narcis Nedelcu Crowned Champion in Record-Breaking Irish Open Main Event
For the past week, the halls of the Royal Dublin Society have been filled to the brim with poker players from around the world. The annual Irish Open, one of the longest-running tournaments in the world, once again cemented its status as one of the premier stops on the yearly calendar, attracting a record-breaking field of 5,003 entries, hailing from 60 different countries, for its prestigious €1,150 Main Event.
After an exciting final day, Romanian regular Narcis Nedelcu was awarded the prestigious Irish Open trophy when he defeated start-of-day chipleader Danilo Donnini in a short heads up battle. Nedelcu secured his largest-ever live haul of €336,798, marking his second six-figure score in just a few weeks as he is coming fresh off a big online win during PokerStars' SCOOP festival.
"I feel amazing. It's something so, so special," Nedelcu shared with PokerNews after his victory. "I just can't describe it right now. I'm now fifth on the Romanian all-time money list, I think. And also fourth online, so yeah, I'm okay," he proudly stated regarding his recent success.
Aside from the money and the prestige, Nedelcu earned a bunch of points for the PokerStars Live Leaderboard, something he is now ambitious to chase for the rest of the year.
"I used to prefer online poker, but nowadays I prefer live poker, so you'll definitely see me in Monte Carlo."
The €2,500,000 guarantee put up by the organizers and event sponsors PokerStars and Paddy Power Poker was absolutely smashed as the final prize pool came to a staggering total of €4,852,910. The original top prize amounted to €517,100, but after the final five players had battled for hours and the chip stacks all became relatively even, they decided to reach a deal, leaving €70,227 aside for the eventual winner. Next to Nedelcu and Donnini, Vasyl Palandiuk, Oliver Gayko, and highest-placing Irishman Daryl McAleenan were part of the five-way ICM chop, each taking home a minimum of €250,493.
2026 Irish Open Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Narcis Nedelcu | Romania | €336,798* |
| 2 | Danilo Donnini | Italy | €257,662* |
| 3 | Vasyl Palandiuk | Italy | €255,188* |
| 4 | Daryl McAleenan | Ireland | €250,493* |
| 5 | Oliver Gayko | Germany | €285,379* |
| 6 | Francesco Gisolfi | Italy | €105,070 |
| 7 | Isaac Barker | United Kingdom | €80,800 |
| 8 | Matthew Twomey | Ireland | €62,170 |
| 9 | Edward Dunphy | Ireland | €47,800 |
* denotes five-way ICM deal
Nedelcu Navigates Early Stages
The final day started with ten players returning, meaning they were one elimination away from making the final table. After a rough start, Finnish player Jarkko Suokas became the unfortunate final table bubble, with Donnini taking the last of his chips. Nedelcu came into the final table in the same position as he started the day, right in the middle of the pack.
After the eliminations of Edward Dunphy and Matthew Twomey, Nedelcu found himself all-in and at risk. His jacks held against the nines of Isaac Barker, and he doubled up. Not much later, he eliminated Barker to grab the chip lead for the first time. Donnini then eliminated Francesco Gisolfi, who had qualified online for just €10, in sixth place, leaving five contenders remaining.
Negotiating a Deal
For over three hours, the final five contenders battled, with the chip lead changing every so often. Eventually, the stacks got relatively even, and deal discussions were initiated. The players did not need long to come to an agreement, deciding on an ICM chop while leaving over €70,000 and the trophy to play for.
"I didn't feel pressure about the money, but I did feel the pressure about the blinds. They go very big, and the variance is higher. So yeah, it's better like this," Nedelcu explained regarding the deal.
After the players had agreed on the payouts, Nedelcu did not need long to close out his victory. He picked up queens to send Gayko and McAleenan to the rail in one fell swoop, and sent Palandiuk packing in third place only a few minutes later. Starting with a three-to-one chip lead, Nedelcu decided the heads up in four hands. In the end, the short-stacked Donnini's king-six could not beat the ace-deuce of Nedelcu in a preflop confrontation, earning Nedelcu the prestigious trophy and forever etching his name in the rich history of the Irish Open as a Main Event champion.
However, the Irish Open is not done yet for the year. The longest-running European poker event has announced it is going international, with the first stop in Sydney, Australia, taking place September 6–15, and a second one in Marrakech, Morocco planned for November 10-15. A stop in the United States is also in the works for early 2027. In fact, the first Day 1 for the AU$1,000,000 guaranteed Irish Open Australia Main Event was held in Dublin today.
That wraps up the PokerNews live coverage for the 2026 Irish Open in Dublin. For more live action from poker events around the world, be sure to check out our live events hub.