Irish poker players: the all-time live money list
Ireland's money list is the flattest in Europe. There is no runaway high-roller name at the top; instead nineteen players sit between roughly $1.3 million and $5.3 million, which is what a list looks like when it is built on a strong domestic festival and a tradition of travelling to main events rather than on super high rollers.
| # | Player | Hometown | Cashes | Live earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andy Black | Dublin | — | $5,201,695 |
| 2 | Max Silver | Dublin | — | $5,019,834 |
| 3 | Toby Joyce | Galway | — | $3,945,945 |
| 4 | Marty Smyth | Belfast | — | $3,887,002 |
| 5 | Marc MacDonnell | Dublin | — | $3,549,506 |
| 6 | Eoghan O'Dea | Dublin | — | $3,507,248 |
| 7 | Dermot Blain | Dublin | — | $2,552,645 |
| 8 | Dan Wilson | Dublin | — | $2,111,212 |
| 9 | Patrick Clarke | Ardee | — | $1,935,836 |
| 10 | Padraig Parkinson | Dublin | — | $1,904,194 |
| 11 | Padraig O'Neill | Drumlish | — | $1,879,265 |
| 12 | Fintan Gavin | Galway | — | $1,762,037 |
| 13 | Chris Dowling | Dublin | — | $1,578,424 |
| 14 | Dara O'Kearney | Dublin | — | $1,543,652 |
| 15 | Stephen Kehoe | Dublin | — | $1,538,030 |
| 16 | Gary Thompson | Meath | — | $1,458,638 |
| 17 | Seamus Cahill | Dublin | — | $1,440,480 |
| 18 | Simon Wilson | — | — | $1,429,314 |
| 19 | Gavin O'Rourke | Portlaoise | — | $1,388,923 |
| 20 | Donnacha O'Dea | Dublin | — | $1,386,556 |
| 21 | Jamie Flynn | — | — | $1,333,516 |
| 22 | Conor O'Driscoll | — | — | $1,218,842 |
| 23 | John Magill | — | — | $1,213,509 |
| 24 | John O'Shea | — | — | $1,196,136 |
| 25 | Yuriy Boyko | — | — | $1,174,170 |
| 26 | Noel Furlong | — | — | $1,145,806 |
| 27 | Kevin Killeen | — | — | $1,144,822 |
| 28 | Liam Flood | — | — | $1,140,451 |
| 29 | Michael Dwyer | — | — | $1,129,264 |
| 30 | Paul Carr | — | — | $1,049,236 |
| 31 | Jason Tompkins | Athy, Co. Kildare | — | $1,041,914 |
| 32 | Mark Buckley | — | — | $1,022,762 |
| 33 | George McKeever | — | — | $1,019,548 |
| 34 | David Kilmartin Lappin | Dublin | — | $968,499 |
| 35 | Niall Smyth | — | — | $951,080 |
How to read this list
The order is by total recorded live tournament earnings in US dollars, the unit The Hendon Mob reports in. Every figure was read from that player's own money-list entry and stored with the date we checked it.
The top of the list
Andy Black leads our Irish list at $5,226,379, with Max Silver just behind at $5,024,000. Then come Marty Smyth at $3,887,002, Toby Joyce at $3,812,337, Marc MacDonnell at $3,549,506 and Eoghan O'Dea at $3,507,248. The next band runs through Dermot Blain at $2,552,645, Dan Wilson at $2,111,212, Patrick Clarke at $1,951,975, Padraig Parkinson at $1,917,872, Padraig O'Neill at $1,896,872 and Fintan Gavin at $1,823,227.
Below them, remarkably tightly packed, sit Chris Dowling at $1,578,424, Dara O'Kearney at $1,573,881, Stephen Kehoe at $1,538,030, Gary Thompson at $1,458,638, Seamus Cahill at $1,440,480, Gavin O'Rourke at $1,388,923 and Donnacha O'Dea at $1,386,556. Those figures were verified in September 2026.
The two O'Deas
Donnacha O'Dea sits last on this list on earnings and first on almost any other measure of Irish poker. His recorded $1,386,556 was won across an era when prize pools were a fraction of today's, which is precisely why a money list is a poor instrument for comparing generations. His son Eoghan O'Dea is on the same list at $3,507,248 — two and a half times the money, in a game that had grown by more than that.
If you want one example of why we publish the verification date next to every figure and resist presenting these lists as rankings, the O'Deas are it.
A flat list, and why
Nineteen Irish players within a $4 million band is unusual. Ireland has a well-established domestic festival in the Irish Open and a culture of travelling to main events, but no cluster of players in the super-high-roller circuit where the eight-figure totals are made. The result is a list with real depth and no outlier — the opposite profile to Germany's.
Dara O'Kearney's $1,573,881 is another reminder of what these lists miss: his influence on Irish and British poker has been as a writer and coach on tournament strategy, which no money list records.
Where Irish players play
Ireland is served by licensed online rooms and has an active live scene; our Ireland market page covers the legal position and the tax treatment of winnings, and the Ireland tournaments page carries the festival calendar.
All earnings figures are attributed to The Hendon Mob, which is where we read them.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the top Irish poker player by live earnings?
On our list, Andy Black, with $5,226,379 in recorded live tournament earnings as verified against The Hendon Mob in September 2026. Max Silver is close behind at $5,024,000.
How much has Donnacha O'Dea won in live tournaments?
$1,386,556 on our records. That figure was earned largely in eras when prize pools were far smaller than today's, so it understates his standing in Irish poker considerably.
Are Donnacha and Eoghan O'Dea related?
Yes — father and son, and both appear on this list. Eoghan O'Dea is recorded at $3,507,248.
Why does Ireland have no player past $6 million?
Ireland's players are concentrated in main events and domestic festivals rather than in the super high roller circuit where eight-figure totals are built. The result is an unusually flat list: nineteen players within roughly a $4 million band.
Where do these figures come from?
Each figure was read from the player's own entry on The Hendon Mob and stored with the date it was checked. These were verified in September 2026.