Jarrod Thatcher has taken down a historic win. The Aussie poker player is the first ever to win the Main Event of the Irish Open International.
From 31 August to 14 September, the Irish Poker Open Sydney 2026 was played at the Club Marconi Poker Palace. At the end, the $1,425 Main Event took centre stage. 515 entries weren’t enough to crack the A$1,000,000 GTD ($712,685) guarantee.
Seventy‑eight players made it into the money. The top five were set for prizes ranging from $35,634 to $142,537, but in the end, an ICM deal was struck. Martin Finger from Germany was one of the players involved. The German finished 4th for $70,199. The title, the trophy, and $110,537 in prize money went to Jarrod Thatcher. The Australian beat his compatriot Joe Antar ($72,623) in heads‑up play.
Another big result came in the $7,150 Super High Roller. There, 26 entries came together. The $174,180 in prize money was shared among four players. After a heads‑up chop with Joshua McSwiney, Rehman Kassam was declared the winner. Both left the table with $63,928 each.
Irish Open Sydney 2026 | Live at club Marconi | Final Day
2026 Irish Open International – Irish Poker Open Sydney
Datum: 31. August bis 14. September
Ort: Club Marconi Poker Palace, Sydney
Events: 42 inkl. Satellites
Buy-Ins: A$200 ($145) bis A$10.000 ($7,150)
Irish Poker Open Sydney Main Event
Buy-In: A$2,000 ($1,425)
Entries: 515
Prize Money: A$1,000,000 GTD ($712,685)
ITM: 78
Final Table Payouts
1st: Jarrod Thatcher, A$155,100*
2nd: Joseph Antar, A$101,900*
3rd: Jarod Cunningham, A$77,000*
4th: Martin Finger, A$98,500*
5th: Jiajun Yang, A$98,000*
6th: Shengfeng Ma, A$37,500
7th: Xiangxi Zheng, A$28,500
8th: Aaron George, A$21,400
9th: Jacob Alha, A$16,900
* 5-way Deal
