Welcome to the Shamrock Showdown: PokerStars Pros Draft Teams for the Irish Poker Open

PokerStars Pros and Irish Open Ambassadors Assemble

The idea is fairly simple. At the heart of the Shamrock Showdown is a leaderboard contest where PokerStars Team Pro members and Irish Open Ambassadors form squads and go head-to-head. Captains include familiar faces like Fintan Hand, Benjamin Spragg, Marle Spragg, Caitlin Comeskey, Parker Talbot, Sebastian Huber, and Lasse Jagd Lauritsen, plus Team GRND, led by Felix Schneiders. Their job? Recruit a team, win poker tournaments, complete off-the-felt challenges, and try to outscore the competition.

Each team will have:

• A Team Captain
• An Irish Open Ambassador
• Poker personalities handpicked by the captains
• One lucky player who secures a Special Edition Emerald Pass

Emerald Pass: Your Shot at Joining the Shamrock Showdown Squad

So, what’s this about a lucky regular player joining the team?

As it turns out, players who manage to secure a Special Edition Emerald Pass before the Irish Poker Open kicks off will have a chance to join the team. Just keep in mind that Emerald Passes are already in circulation, with Swiss player Lars winning one through Felix Schneiders’ GRND community challenge, while Newcastle player Dan locked in his spot thanks to Sebastian Huber and Lasse ‘Wistern’ Jagd Lauritsen.

More passes will be up for grabs through contests on PokerStars streams and social media, so if you fancy joining the madness, keep an eye out.

Qualify for the Irish Poker Open with the Emerald Silver Power Pass

If you’re looking to play in Dublin this April, PokerStars has rolled out a special qualifier package called the Emerald Edition of the Silver Power Pass. It’s worth $2,500 + 10% added value and includes:

• €1,150 Irish Open Main Event entry
• €350 Irish Open side event entry (added value)
• €250 Mini Irish Open ticket (added value, courtesy of the Irish Open)
• Remaining value credited as expenses
• Limited edition merchandise
• Live event liaison support & exclusive activities

Not a bad way to book your seat at the tables.

Irish Poker Open 2025: More Events, Bigger Fields, and Plenty of Craic

The 2025 Irish Poker Open runs April 10-21 at Dublin’s Royal Dublin Society, and it’s shaping up to be the biggest edition yet. The €2.5 million guaranteed Main Event is the largest in festival history, and for the first time, there’s a €1 million guaranteed Mystery Bounty kicking things off.

What’s new for 2025?

• Four extra days added to the festival, now 12 days long
• A High Roller Series with four €5,000 events and a €10,000 Super High Roller
• The first-ever Irish Open Deaf Championship
• Mixed game tournaments (Pot Limit 2-7 Triple Draw, Big O, and Open Face Chinese)
• Returning fan favorites like the Hendon Mob Championship, America’s Cup, and NLH 6-Max Championship, now upgraded to two-day events

As far as qualifiers go, they are already running on both PokerStars and Paddy Power, as both operators are backing the 2025 Irish Poker Open. The Craic Den Lounge is also making a comeback this poker season, with live music, games, and the kind of atmosphere that has kept poker players coming back year after year.