The schedule for this year’s Irish Poker Masters has been announced ahead of two opening events set to take place on Friday.
As has been the case for almost all of 2020, the action will take place online. With COVID-19 restrictions making any sort of live event impossible, the Irish Poker Masters team is leaning on its long-time partner, Partypoker.
The online series will feature 21 events and run from Dec. 4 to 16. An €1,100 main event tops the bill, but side events and satellites mean there should be something for everyone.
Partypoker Bringing the Craic in 2020
Ireland has long been a hotspot for poker but, due to COVID-19, players will be enjoying the craic from home this year. The first event of the Irish Poker Masters Online is a two-day, €250,000 guaranteed PKO tournament.
Also taking place on Friday is a 7-Max Turbo costing €162. Entry fees remain at a similar level until Dec. 6 when the first “mini” event gets underway. The Mini Omaha High Roller costs €55 and carries a guaranteed prize pool of €10,000.
The star of the show will be the Irish Poker Masters Online Main Event. Qualifiers are underway and Partypoker’s tournament team has one eye on beating the 2018 main event.
Although the conditions were different two years ago, 805 players anted up at the Gleneagle Hotel in Killarney. This year, at least 50 players will win their seats in the €1,100 showdown courtesy of weekly qualifiers.
Irish Poker Masters Rides Online Wave of Success
Predicting the future is always tough, but Partypoker has shown that live-to-online innovations can be successful. Its run of WPT Online events exceeded expectations, as did the recent Caribbean Poker Party.
There’s no doubt that 2020 has been a poor year for live poker. COVID-19 restrictions have devasted parts of the industry, but anyone who rolled with the punches has survived.
The Irish Poker Masters Online is another example of organizers switching things up in order to keep the chips flowing. It’s also creating opportunities that may not have been available otherwise.
Even as a mid-stakes poker series, travel costs mean it’s still beyond the reach of certain players. By hosting the event online, Partypoker is making it more accessible to those with smaller bankrolls.
“Our dedication to levelling the playing field continues with us limiting re-entry in each event, and reducing the late registration period,” reads a recent statement from Partypoker.
Poker may have changed in 2020, but there have been some positives. With satellites, mini-events, and limited re-entries in place, this year’s Irish Poker Masters could be the biggest yet.
