The Irish Open and THMC Set Sights on Sydney in 2026

The Irish Open is heading down under for the very first time this Summer. The debut Irish Open Sydney festival takes place from August 31 to September 14 at the Poker Palace casino with a huge 15-day schedule featuring more than 40 tournaments, including The Hendon Mob Championship and close to A$2,000,000 in guaranteed prize pools.

The Irish Open’s first-ever international festival will introduce a whole new audience to a unique mix of serious poker and unforgettable “craic” that has made the Dublin edition a multiple award winner, attracting thousands of players from all over the globe.

THMC Sydney will mark our debut in Australia, and on the sixth continent, a THMC event will be played live. THMC Sydney will be a one-day event played on September 8 at 2 P.M., featuring an A$600 buy-in, 30,000 chips, 30-minute levels, and late registration open for eight levels.

A$1 million guaranteed Main Event

At the heart of the Sydney festival is a blockbuster A$1 million guaranteed Main Event – already shaping up to be one of the standout poker tournaments on the Australian calendar.

Starting on Sunday, September 6, the flagship Main Event features a A$2,000 buy-in and six different starting flights – including two turbo flights. Players will also have plenty of chances to win their way into the event, with 18 super satellites taking place at the Poker Palace, guaranteeing 170 seats in the Main Event.

Irish Open Ambassador Chris Dowling was one of four players who made it through to Sydney Day 2 after taking part in a remote Day 1 in Dublin in April. Dowling continues his Main Event campaign with 275,000 in chips. The current Sydney chip leader is rising UK star Oliver Hutchins with 602,000.

The Mini Irish Open is back – with a A$500,000 guarantee

In addition to the prestigious A$1M guaranteed Main Event, several other Sydney tournaments come with whopping guarantees.

The Mini Irish Open, which saw a record-breaking field of 7,349 entries in Dublin in April, comes with a A$500,000 guarantee. There are eleven Day 1s for the A$360 buy-in Sydney edition, starting from the very first day of the festival on August 31 through to a final day on September 11.

Making its Irish Open debut in Sydney is the A$250,000 guaranteed Lucky 8s tournament. The number 8 is considered extremely lucky amongst Asian players who will prize the A$880 buy-in and 80,000 starting stack. There are five Day 1s – including a Day 1e turbo – with the final taking place on September 6.

Another tournament featuring a big guarantee is the inaugural Sydney Poker Open. The A$100,000 guaranteed tournament will take place on the final two days of the festival, with an A$880 buy-in and two starting flights.

Dedicated tournament for Deaf players

Following the huge success of the tournaments for Deaf players at this year’s Irish Open in Dublin, the Sydney schedule includes a A$360 buy-in Deaf Championship Main Event, taking place on Saturday, September 5. Once again, Irish Open Ambassador Darren Chow will be championing the event to a global audience of Deaf players.

Tons of side events!

The Sydney schedule includes a brand new event for the Irish Open – the A$600 buy-in Asia-Pacific Cup.

Sviten Special and the Mixed 8 Game High Roller Championship proved huge successes on their debut outings in Dublin and will return to Sydney.

Other exciting tournaments on the schedule include the A$200 buy-in Ladies Championship and the two-day, A$10,000 buy-in Super High Roller, plus the PLO 4/5/6 tournament, the Hendon Mob Championship, the Seniors Championship and the Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw Championship, which all feature a A$600 buy-in.

For all the trophy events at the Irish Open, 15% of the field will be paid; the Mini Irish Open will play down to 5% of the field on each Day 1.

Taking the Craic down under

One of the biggest attractions at the Sydney Irish Open is certain to be the festival’s legendary Craic Den player lounge. The Craic Den is the beating heart of the Irish Open and takes the concept of ‘off-the-felt fun’ to a whole new level. Just as at the Dublin edition, Sydney will feature a frenetic roster of games, contests and live music hosted by legendary entertainment supremo Phil Baker.

JP McCann, who co-owns the Irish Open with Paul O’Reilly, said: “We’ve always believed poker should be serious at the tables and great craic everywhere else, so bringing the Irish Open to Sydney felt like a natural fit –  plus I’ve never been to Australia and thought it would be nice to go there! Australians and Irish people have a lot in common – we both enjoy a good story, a good pint, and blaming bad beats on absolutely anything except our own decisions.

“Sydney also gives us the chance to connect with the growing Asia-Pacific poker community while bringing a little bit of Ireland with us. The Irish Open has always been about atmosphere as much as poker, and we can’t wait to bring that energy to Australia.”

Poker Palace co-owner Lauren Mooney said, “As someone who grew up in Ireland and now calls Australia home, it’s incredibly special to help bring the Irish Open to Sydney for the very first time. The Irish Open has such a rich history and holds a unique place in the hearts of Irish poker players, so to see it expand to my second home is something I’m immensely proud of. Sydney has a fantastic poker community, and I can’t wait to welcome players from Australia, Ireland and around the world to what promises to be a truly memorable inaugural event.”

In addition to the debut international Irish Open in Sydney, the Irish Open will also host events in Marrakech in November and in the United States in 2027. For more information on international events, please check out their story here.

Discount rates for hotel accommodation

The team are delighted to offer special promo rates for the Irish Open Sydney at both the Novotel Sydney Cabramatta and the Mercure Sydney Liverpool.

The Novotel Sydney Cabramatta is a super-stylish 5-star hotel only a 12-minute drive from the Poker Palace. Hotel amenities include an outdoor swimming pool, fitness centre, restaurant and bar, room service, a 24-hour front desk and free WiFi. All rooms are air-conditioned and include a desk, an electric teapot, a fridge, and a flat-screen TV. The preferential discount code AP916AU765 gives you a double room – for two guests – from A$215 per night.

The Mercure Sydney Liverpool is a modern property featuring 192 beautifully appointed rooms plus unbeatable facilities, including a resort-style pool and a professional gym. The hotel even has its own ice rink (!) and one of Sydney’s best indoor playgrounds. Every room features a luxurious bathroom, air conditioning, LCD TV, cable TV and a workspace with internet access. Only a 16-minute drive from Club Marconi, the Mercure is the ideal location for the Irish Open Sydney festival. The special preferential rate includes a double room for two guests from A$184 per night. To book, please email [email protected].

Currency
The AUD$ is valued slightly lower than the US dollar. Approximate exchange rates (in June 2026) for A$100 are US$ 70, €61, and £53.

Climate
September marks the start of Spring down under and is the perfect time to visit Sydney. Think warm weather and sunny days! September is also one of the driest months, so it’s perfect for sightseeing if you can tear yourself away from the poker tables.

Time difference

Sydney is eight hours ahead of Paris and Madrid, and nine hours ahead of London and Dublin. It is 14 hours ahead of New York and Toronto.