If you’re a seasoned poker player or you just like to watch the action unfold, there’s a good chance that you’ve heard of the Irish Poker Tour. This long-running poker tournament serves up big prizes and dramatic moments across several famous festivals and events – and with the action heading to Galway soon, now is a great time to tune in.
At Tonybet, we’ve got all the markets and competitive odds for the tour events yet to come – we’re covering the Galway Winter Festival all the way to the Northern Poker Festival in Dundalk next April.
To get you better acquainted with the tour, let’s take a closer look at some of the ambassadors heading to the events in the weeks to come.
The Tour ambassadors
Naturally, there are going to be some world-class players taking part this year and heading into 2025, and this particular tour has some fantastic ambassadors.
Below, we look at the four ambassadors picked for the 2024/25 Irish Tour – with a few names you’re likely to recognise!
1. Dara O’Kearney – lifetime winnings of €3.8m
Dara O’Kearney is easily one of Ireland’s best-known poker masters. He has made an impressive career out of his time in pro poker, and on top of that, he has become an expert teacher, coach and guide writer in his own right. And, of course, he has a podcast, The Chip Race, which he hosts with David Lappin.
O’Kearney is no stranger to the Irish Tour himself, having played at several tables in the past. There are few genuine masters in this game, but you can safely say that Dara is one of them. That career total wasn’t earned overnight!
2. Andy Black – lifetime winnings of €4.7m
Andy Black is another poker legend who’s taking up an ambassador mantle heading into this year’s Irish Tour. With an eye-watering lifetime winnings total of almost €5m, he’s in position as general festival ambassador for the various events taking place over the next few months.
Black is regarded as Ireland’s most successful tournament player, meaning that he’s always going to be a formidable force if you come up against him. That said, he has also been chosen as an ambassador for his friendly advice and insightful tips on how to make the most of your poker hands – there are few players out there who you can trust more.
3. Darren Harbinson – lifetime winnings of €197,500
Darren Harbinson is a young force in Irish poker who has already taken away top-five wins at both the Irish Poker Tour and the main event at the Westport Festival. Perhaps his biggest accolade to date, however, is his triumph at the Cork Festival High Roller. He’s a familiar, friendly face in Irish poker who always tries to build a rapport with other players.
Harbinson’s place on the Irish Tour is that of a general ambassador. He’s all about spreading positivity across the events and promoting the fantastic games yet to come.
4. Tanya Masters – lifetime winnings of €20,000
Tanya Masters grew up playing poker and therefore became a formidable force on the Irish circuit, eventually becoming a Tour Team Pro. With a career spanning more than 15 years, Masters has stacks of experience and continues to raise the profile of female players both at home and abroad.
She’s no stranger to being a poker ambassador, either. Masters previously took the helm at the Women of Poker Championship, with the aim to make women’s entry and participation in poker tournaments more accessible.
All the ambassadors at the Irish Poker Tour help to promote the game and the festivals taking place along the way. These players are the cream of the crop in many ways – they’re an inspiration to budding players and those who simply want to watch the action unfold.
Next up; the Galway Winter Festival
At the time of writing, the Cork leg of the tour is well underway – meaning that by the time you read this, we’ll be well on our way to the Galway Winter Festival, which is taking place between 5th and 8th December.
The prize money here stacks up to at least €50,000, so it’s a nice payday for any pros looking to get a foothold at this relatively early stage in the proceedings.
Right now, the likes of are leading the scoreboard, but ambassador Darren Harbinson isn’t too far behind, ranking in the top 10. This could all change, of course, as players start to rack up more points in the next round.
The Galway Festival is far from the end of the competition though. We’ve got a few more legs left before the end of the tour in April, so it’s anyone’s guess who will take away the spoils. Keep your eyes peeled on the latest news, odds and market changes!
Feeling inspired? It takes a lot to be a pro…
If you’re inspired by the pros on the Irish Tour, and some of the most successful Irish players of all time, then you’re likely not alone. Many of the top players make the game look easy, but believe me when I say that it takes years of practice to get so good!
While it might seem as though professional poker is a quick way to earn money, it takes a lot of dedication and risk. The most successful pros will tell you this – you don’t have to just take my word for it!
Getting to pro level isn’t about going all out as a high roller. Yes, there are going to be moments when you might need to take calculated risks. However, the rewards are often low to begin with. It takes resilience and fortitude to play well against some of the best in the game.
While many people play poker full-time, it’s not a career switch that you can just leap into from your day job! This is a game where you never stop learning – and there are always going to be occasions when you come away a loser.
However, if you’re really keen to get into poker and potentially build up to becoming a pro, there are a few different options available to you.
For a start, it stands to reason that it’s worth learning how to play the game effectively if you have your sights set on becoming a pro. A great way to start is to check out some of the poker games available at Tonybet. Take a look at our range of tables and make sure to play responsibly – keep a close eye on your bankroll and play time.
Then, in a few years’ time, you might be playing with the best of them on the Irish Tour! You never know what’s possible until you try!
Keep an eye out for the latest odds and news on the Irish Tour as and when we have them.
Play live poker on Tonybet today.
