Northern Poker Festival – Day 2 Wrap
Main Event 1B
The clock struck 12:00 PM on June 21st, and 89 hopefuls took their seats, each armed with 40,000 chips and one dream — to survive Day 1B of the €60K Northern Festival Cup.
Blinds rose, stacks swung, and one by one, players fell. Re-entries were fired, bluffs were caught, dreams were crushed… and built again.
After 8 hours and 15 minutes of no-limit tension, only 14 players were left standing. Leading the charge:
🏆 Liam McVeigh (IE) – a mountain of 538,000 chips
💥 Bartlomiej Grabowski (PL) – cool under pressure with 397,000
🧠 Robert Elkin (IE) – steady and sharp at 382,000
They weren’t alone — Mathew O’Brien, Vytautas Krasauskas, Keith Smith, and others held strong to bag chips for the next battle.
Meanwhile, the Last-Longer side contest saw 21 contenders enter — and only 3 made it through. All three, including McVeigh, are still in the hunt for glory.
The felt was ruthless, but the story isn’t over yet. The final day awaits. And only one will rise.
Main Event 1C
Flight 1C of the Northern Festival Cup took off. It was the another chance for many to punch their ticket to the Final . And the field came in fierce, with 98 entries battling it out over 8 hours of deep-stack drama.
When the dust settled, 16 players bagged up chips.
And leading the charge?
🔥 Gerard Wynne – a commanding 565,000 stack
⚔️ Close behind, John Keown on 542,000, and Toby Bradford with 477,000.
But they weren’t alone — IPT Ambassador Tanya Masters, Francis Onwuka, and a sharp-looking Mary Seery also secured their spots in the next round.
Main Event 1D
As the lights dimmed and chips clacked into the night, the final Day 1 flight of the Northern Festival Cup kicked off with one goal: survive and advance.
It was a faster-paced affair — just over 6 hours — but no less intense. The 1D warriors fought hard, but only 9 players made it out alive.
💪 Top Stack:
🇮🇪 Richard O’Neill – 353,000
🇺🇸 Alexander Bernstein – 350,000
🔺 Mark Bamber – 348,000
They’re joined by Peter Burnett, William Wylie, and Sean Murtagh, who clawed their way through the carnage and into Day 2.
Saturday €5K
After 6.5 hours of fearless moves and clutch folds, Aidan Redden emerged victorious — snagging €2,000 and 500 points on the leaderboard.
🎯 Top Finishers:
🥇 Aidan Redden (IE) – €2,000 & 500 Points
🥈 Mervyn Armstrong (IE) – €1,310 & 400 Points
🥉 Dermott Woods (IE) – €920 & 325 Points
4️⃣ Roger Hanratty – €750
5️⃣ Paul Reynolds – €580
6️⃣ Michael Dowdall – €200
Dundalk 200
While the big names battled it out in the Festival Cup, a quieter but no less intense war raged in Dundalk. Thirty-nine players entered the ring, each starting with 30,000 chips, and the stakes were far more than just the €6,365 prize pool — pride and points were on the line.
After nearly nine hours of gritty poker, it was Mary Galvin who outlasted them all, showing nerves of steel and a flawless finish to take the crown and €2,500.
🏅 Finishers:
🥇 Mary Galvin (IE) – €2,500 & 300 Points
🥈 Tomas Flanagan (IE) – €1,900 & 250 Points
🥉 Ian Landells (NX) – €965 & 200 Points
4️⃣ Tom McCann (IE) – €700
5️⃣ Steven Lee (NX) – €300
There were tough spots, deep tanks, and bold plays – but in the end, Mary stood tallest. A deserving champion in a field where every chip earned was hard-fought.