Summer in Dublin 2026 – Day 1 Wrap

The Summer in Dublin Festival got underway in style on Thursday with packed tournament rooms, strong turnouts across the schedule, and the first trophies of the festival awarded as players battled deep into the night . It was the names of Baxter and Campbell that took the spoils on day 1 as the buzz continues to build for another cracking day of poker here in Dublin.

€10K Festival Opener Draws 129 Entries
The first champion of the festival was crowned in the €200 Festival Opener. Across two starting flights, the event attracted a total of 129 entries, creating a prize pool of €21,055.

Day 1A drew 81 entries, with 14 players advancing to the final. The in form Helio Netto finished as chip leader with 230,000 chips, followed by Emmet Davis (212,000) and Robert Nesbitt (170,000).

The evening Day 1B flight added a further 48 entries, with another 13 players progressing. Samuel Baneham, John Burke, Joseph Carey and Martin Cassidy were among those securing seats in the final.

When the dust settled in the final, Niall K. Campbell emerged victorious after navigating a competitive field of qualifiers. Campbell collected €4,267 and 700 ranking points for the win, defeating Robert Nesbitt heads-up after a deal was made.. Emmet Davis completed the podium in third place.

Festival Opener Final Results
Niall K. Campbell – €4,267
Robert Nesbitt – €3,523
Emmet Davis – €3,376
Carl Cullen – €2,689
Vitalijs Polukejevs – €1,450
Dara O’Kearney – €1,200
Colin O’Sullivan – €1,000
Joseph Carey – €850
John James Ward – €700

Main Event Begins with Strong Day 1A Field
Attention then shifted to the centrepiece of the festival, the €300 Summer in Dublin Main Event featuring a €200,000 guaranteed prize pool.

Day 1A attracted an impressive 123 entries, generating a prize pool contribution of €30,701 and setting the stage for what promises to be a huge turnout across the remaining flights.

After nearly nine hours of play, just 20 players remained with bags for Day 2.
Lithuania’s Ernestas Kriauciunas finished atop the counts after building a stack of 464,000. Close behind was Eoin Berry on 426,000, while Philip Jacob rounded out the top three with 403,000.

Other notable survivors included Robert Myhre (317,000), Mark Doyle (302,000), Wiktor Weiner (302,000), James J. O’Brien (290,000), Jamie Murphy (246,000), Simon Keating (245,000) and Jonathan Clarke (241,000).

The full list of qualifiers provides a strong indication of the quality of the field, with many experienced Irish circuit regulars already safely through to Day 2.

Main Event Day 1A Top Stacks
Ernestas Kriauciunas – 464,000
Eoin Berry – 426,000
Philip Jacob – 403,000
Robert Myhre – 317,000
Mark Doyle – 302,000
Wiktor Weiner – 302,000
James J. O’Brien – 290,000
Jamie Murphy – 246,000
Simon Keating – 245,000
Jonathan Clarke – 241,000

Joel Baxter Captures Omaha Title
The Omaha €5K side event attracted 62 entries and generated a €10,120 prize pool.

After a long day’s play, Joel Baxter and Ivan Zbozil agreed a heads-up deal, each collecting €2,500, with Baxter officially taking the title and the winner’s ranking points. Well done to Joel who was over the moon to get his first IPT trophy.

Cormac Farrell completed the podium in third place for €1,500, while Duane McDonnell, Jorrit Baars and Michael Dowdall also made the money.

Omaha €5K Results
Joel Baxter – €2,500*
Ivan Zbozil – €2,500*
Cormac Farrell – €1,500
Duane McDonnell – €1,050
Jorrit Baars – €850
Michael Dowdall – €700
Anttii Tolpanniemi – €600
Killian Farrell – €420
*Heads-up deal

Freeroll Satellite Kicks Off the Action
Earlier in the day, players took advantage of the Freeroll Main Event Satellite. The event attracted 142 entries and awarded four Main Event seats.

Boris Sercken, Terry O’Doherty and Martin Cassidy each secured €300 packages, while William Taaffe collected €235 for fourth place.

Looking Ahead
With Day 1 complete, all eyes now turn to Friday’s schedule, which features Main Event Day 1B and a packed programme of side events. If Day 1’s numbers are any indication, the €200,000 Guaranteed Main Event is well on course for a huge turnout as players continue to arrive from across Ireland and abroad.

Stay tuned to LivePokerUpdates for live coverage, chip counts, photos and all the latest results from the Summer in Dublin Festival.