Every year, players had to the Bonnington Hotel to take part in the International Poker Open (IPO) Dublin. The series is a huge success and a big draw for players from the local area as well as from around the world. This year, the event cannot take place in its usual location due to the coronavirus. So, the event is heading online and will be hosted by Unibet Poker. The online poker brand has been the partner of the poker festival for a few years, so it was a natural choice as the event moves online.
Details of the Festival
The IPO Dublin will take place from October 19-26 online via Unibet Poker. The series will offer at least €150,000 in prize money. The festival starts with Super Qualifiers for the Main Event, of which there will be many taking place. The satellites have €25 buy-ins, making them quite affordable. Each satellite will offer a minimum of five Main Event seats, each with a €300 value.
The Main Event will take place on October 24 over two days. Players will start with 25,000 in chips and compete for a minimum of €50,000. Additional larger events on the schedule include the High Roller tournament which has a €500 buy-in and a guaranteed prize pool of €25,000.
In general, buy-ins start at €10, with most being €25, €50 and €100. The events are affordable and provide a way for players to compete in major online poker action within a top usually land-based poker event.
Many Land-Based Events Heading Online
The coronavirus has caused many land-based events to go online. When the coronavirus first became a problem back in March, casinos around the world began shutting down. Most have reopened starting in May and June, but some have already closed back down due to coronavirus outbreaks in their area or are back in business without poker gaming.
Poker is a social game and requires players to sit close to one another, share poker chips and cards. We know that the coronavirus is highly contagious so, playing the game has its challenges if players are to avoid being so close together.
Some poker rooms have opened back up with plexiglass partitions between players and the dealer. Poker rooms are also limiting the number of players at each table and not allowing players to move from table to table.
For the most part, major events like the IPO Dublin, were moved online to help players continue to compete in the tournaments, especially those who would be traveling a far distance. Travel has also been difficult whether it be due to restrictions or players simply do not want to fly for fear of catching the virus.
Most land-based tournaments take place in an area where online poker is legalized. Because of this, the operator offering the event can find an online partner and then create a tournament schedule for an online poker platform. This is a great alternative so that players can still compete in the event, even though it is in a different format.
