Five-day festival will be first Unibet Open in Dublin since 2011
LONDON, UK – August 24, 2018 – Unibet Open is heading back to Dublin for the first time in seven years. The five-day festival will run from November 21 to 25 with plenty of opportunities for players to qualify for the Main Event online at Unibet Poker.
This is Unibet Open’s second visit to the Irish capital after the tour’s debut event there in 2011. As well as the flagship €1,000 + €100 Main Event, the packed schedule is set to include a two-day €2,000 + €200 High Roller plus several other side events including the popular €100 + €10 #QueenRules Ladies Event which will be hosted by Unibet Ambassador Daiva Byrne.
Unibet’s return to Dublin is especially welcome for Unibet Ambassadors Dara O’Kearney, David Lappin and Ian Simpson. O’Kearney cashed in the first Unibet Open Dublin back in 2011, Lappin is a Dubliner and Simpson proposed to his girlfriend Emma there immediately after winning the Irish Open in 2013.
O’Kearney, who hails from County Clare, said: “I’m thrilled that after a seven year absence the Unibet Open is coming back to Ireland. 2011 Dublin was my first Unibet Open and I’m delighted that another generation of Irish players will get the chance to experience all the atmosphere and craic that makes Unibet events so special. I’m also looking forward to welcoming all the Unibet regulars and Chip Race listeners to enjoy the unique experience that comes with playing in Ireland.”
Lappin added: “Unibet love to spoil their players so I’m absolutely delighted that the final Unibet Open of 2018 will be in my hometown of Dublin. Between the poker, the parties and the craic at the bar, it’s going to be an absolutely amazing event.”
Simpson, who won the Irish Open for €265,000 in 2013, said: “Playing poker in Dublin is especially sentimental to me. It’s where my poker journey started when I came fourth in the Irish Open in 2012. I went on to win the event the very next year, but more importantly won my wife Emma’s hand in marriage. Having Unibet run an event there is incredibly exciting, as our team is the best there is. Couple that with how much I love the city and the Irish poker community and you’ve got the perfect event for me.”
Unibet Open is expecting a huge turn out for November’s event. Poker is enormously popular in Ireland and Dublin has a rich heritage when it comes to hosting world-class tournaments. Once again, proceedings will be run 2016 November Niner Kenny Hallaert. Hallaert won a staggering four awards at this year’s Belgian Poker Awards including Performance of the Year and People’s Champion.
Unibet Open Dublin will have a live stream running on twitch.tv/unibetpoker throughout the festival with Unibet Ambassador and expert commentator David Vanderheyden joined by special guests to follow all the action from the feature table.
A special €10,000 invitational “Battle Royale” freeroll will also take place featuring Unibet’s sponsored eSports players battling it out for a €5,000 first prize.
Unibet Open Dublin history
The first Unibet Open Dublin in 2011 was won by poker pro Paul Vas Nunes who beat a 260-strong field to become the first ever British Unibet Open champion. The €105,300 first prize remains one of the biggest cashes of his live poker career and he has now earned well over $1.6 million in live tournament winnings. Among other big names to make the money in the first Unibet Open Dublin were Irish veteran George McKeever – who has now earned well over $1mllion in live tournament earnings, Germany’s Hauke Heseding and Finnish stars Sampo Ryynanen and Joni Jouhkimainen. Click here for the full Unibet Open Dublin 2011 report.
Off the felt
Off the felt, there will be plenty of opportunities for players to have fun at Unibet Open Dublin. Dublin is known as one of the friendliest capital cities in the world and a fantastic place to visit, party and enjoy the craic, especially in the city’s legendary Temple Bar area. Unibet will be hosting a Welcome Drinks party at the start of the festival followed by the Unibet Players Party on the Saturday night.
Nataly Sopacuaperu, Unibet Open’s Head of Events and Sponsorship, said: “We’re really thrilled that we are holding the final Unibet Open of 2018 in Dublin. Anyone who has ever played poker in Ireland knows what an amazing atmosphere it is both on and off the tables. We are so happy we’re heading back here and look forward to welcoming a big number of Irish players, alongside players from all over Europe and beyond.“
Unibet Player of the Year
Every player who enters Unibet Open Dublin will be racking up points in the new Unibet Player of the Year contest. The race was launched in London in February and is the first involving both live and online tournaments. Huge prizes are on offer including €2,000 Unibet Open packages as well as dozens of tickets for online satellites. The spectacular Battle of the Champions’ play-off will determine the overall Unibet Player of the Year and will feature the top four live players from 2018, the top four online players and the leaderboard winner from the Unibet Deepstack Open.
Live players can earn leaderboard points by entering any Unibet Open Main Event this year as well as the Main Events during the Unibet Belgian Poker Championship, the Unibet UK Poker Tour and the Unibet Romanian Poker Series. There will be extra points for all players who make the money as well as additional points awarded based on performance.
Forthcoming Unibet events:
Unibet Poker Belgian Championship
The third Unibet Poker Belgian Championship kicks off next week in the popular seaside resort of Blankenberge. Last year’s Championship was voted Event of the Year at April’s Belgian Poker Awards, up against stiff competition from PokerStars and the WPT. The event has been expanded this year and will now run over five days with seven different tournaments at Casino Blankenberge from August 29 to September 2. The €500 buy-in Championship Main Event features unlimited re-entries across three start flights and starts with Day 1a at 1pm on August 29.
Unibet UK Poker Tour
Unibet Poker Tour is heading back to the south coast resort of Brighton on September 28. The highlight of the three-day event, which takes place at the Rendezvous Casino in the city marina, is the £40,000 guaranteed Main Event. There are two start flights with one re-entry allowed per starting day. The final Unibet UK Poker Tour event of 2018 is in Manchester in December.
Unibet Deepstack Open
The Unibet Deepstack Open tour has four more stops this year. UDSO Malta Is running September 6-9 at Casino Malta in the island’s buzzing resort of St Julian’s. UDSO Cannes is taking place September 27-30 at Casino Cannes Croisette while UDSO La Grande Motte is on from October 30 to November 4. The Unibet Deepstack Open Finale is being held in December.
