The 2025 Irish Poker Open is in its final stage, with just two tables remaining at the prestigious Main Event. The event saw some standout performances, with Kai Lehto and Kenny Hallaert both scoring six-figure paydays and taking home prestigious Irish Open trophies.
Here is a quick recap of the victories by Kai Lehto and Kenny Hallaert, who each earned a six-figure payday for their top-notch performances at the Irish Poker Open 2025.
Kai Lehto Ships Event #29: €5,000 PLO High Roller, Takes Home €104,400
Finland’s Kai Lehto, a regular on the European poker scene for the past few years, secured his second Irish Poker Open title by taking down the €5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller. Lehto, who first claimed an IPO trophy in 2023 by winning the €1,100 PLO for $42,322, outlasted an elite field to capture the €104,400 first-place prize.
The €5K buy-in PLO event attracted 80 entrants, generating a total prize pool of €370,500, which was paid out to the top 11 players. Ukraine’s Ruslan Nazarenko finished in third place, collecting an impressive €48,100. Austria’s Klemens Roiter, fresh off a podium finish at Triton Poker Jeju Event #7, gave Lehto a strong challenge heads-up but ultimately fell short, earning €67,440 for his efforts.
Irish Poker Open Event #29: €5,000 PLO High Roller Final Table Payouts
Rank | Player | Payout |
1st | Kai Lehto | €104,400 |
2nd | Klemens Roiter | €67,300 |
3rd | Ruslan Nazarenko | €48,100 |
4th | Marcel Kessler | €37,000 |
5th | Manfredini Bonanata | €28,450 |
6th | Roy Brindley | €22,600 |
7th | Michael Khan | €18,100 |
8th | Jack Moore | €14,450 |
9th | Jordan Glazer | €11,600 |
Kenny Hallaert Wins Event #36: High Roller for €140,674
Team PokerStars pro Kenny Hallaert added another prestigious title to his resume by winning the €5,000 NLH High Roller event at the 2025 Irish Poker Open. Hallaert took home a massive €140,674 payday and his maiden IPO trophy. With this victory, he pushed his lifetime earnings past $5.7 million, surpassing Pieter Aerts on Belgium’s all-time money list to claim the 3rd spot.
The €5,000 NLH High Roller attracted 147 entries, generating a prize pool of €680,793. The top 21 finishers made the money. Lawrence Edward Brandt rounded out the podium, collecting €75,600. Finnish young gun Elias Suhonen battled Hallaert heads-up for the title, but Hallaert’s experience prevailed. Suhonen finished in second place, earning a career-high payday of €134,526.
Irish Poker Open 2025 Event #36: High Roller Final Table Payouts
Rank | Player | Payout |
1st | Kenny Hallaert | €140,674 |
2nd | Elias Lauri Benjamin Suhonen | €134,526 |
3rd | Lawrence Edward Brandt | €75,600 |
4th | Ludvig Sterner | €58,100 |
5th | Umberto Ruggeri | €44,700 |
6th | Paul Juergen Hofer | €34,400 |
7th | Andrii Nikitin | €26,400 |
8th | Cheng Chen | €22,000 |
Other Big Winners at Irish Poker Open 2025
Kenny Hallaert and Kai Lehto weren’t the only players to score big wins. The 2025 Irish Poker Open featured a total of seven high roller events, including three major events with buy-ins over €5K. In addition to the first two mentioned, the third was a marquee €10K buy-in tournament.
Event #45: €10,000 NLH High Roller drew 53 players, and it was local player Robbie Toan who emerged victorious, claiming €163,800 from the €503,900 prize pool. It marked Toan’s fourth career tournament cash and his first-ever live tournament victory.
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Source: IrishPokerOpen Blog