Deputy Editor
Just weeks after announcing that the popular poker show Chip Race will move to a crowd-funded model, hosts Dara O’Kearney and D.K. Lappin have secured individual sponsorships.
Both Irish players will go forth patched up by brands under the Flutter umbrella. O’Kearney announced he has a deal with Paddy Power. Lappin, meanwhile, has become the latest member of PokerStars Team Pro.
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O’Kearney Teams With Longtime Irish Bookmaker
O’Kearney posted on social media that he felt honored to team with Paddy Power, which has a decades-long history in gambling. The company has been around since 1988, and it grew into a gambling giant thanks in part to its quirky ads and unique novelty bets.
“It’s an immense honour to represent such a great Irish success story, the small Irish bookie that grew into one of the biggest gambling companies in the world, with a fun irreverent approach,” O’Kearney wrote on social media.
Paddy Power merged with Betfair in 2016, creating Flutter. Flutter bought PokerStars in 2019. Paddy Power still operates its own separate poker product, though, on the iPoker network.
Paddy Power, for its part, called O’Kearney “a true pro, respected voice in the game, and Irish poker legend.” He has more than $1 million in recorded live cashes and is known for his authorship of several poker books.
Lappin Wins Contest, Earns Patch
While O’Kearney presumably secured his sponsorship the old-fashioned way, his co-host, Lappin, had to earn a shot at his patch.
PokerStars held a promotion spanning 10 live events in 2025. Players accumulated points via cashes in these events, with the formula tied to the Global Poker Index. Those with top-10 point totals at three different buy-in levels earned a chance to audition for a year-long PokerStars Team Pro sponsorship.
Lappin racked up 14 paid results in PokerStars Live events last year. That was enough to earn him a shot at the audition, and he impressed the judges enough that they bestowed the patch.
Lappin said he’s excited to “work with a site that has always prioritized game integrity and player security.”
‘Chip Race’ Hosts Can Continue Advocating for Poker Players
Securing individual sponsorships while keeping Chip Race on a crowd-funded model may be an ideal solution for Lappin and O’Kearney, assuming they can successfully get their viewership on board with supporting the show.
When speaking with PokerScout about the future of Chip Race, both men emphasized that while they hoped to eventually get another sponsor, the integrity of the content was going to take precedence.
“We could have shut up and kept getting the checks,” O’Kearney said.
But because they didn’t, the pair severed ties with a meaningful income source, a sponsorship from WPT Global.
Now, they’ll have the freedom to pursue their content goals while still having reliable sponsorship money coming in, even if it’s on an individual basis. That means a focus on content that calls it like it is and doesn’t lead poker players astray.
“We’re looking for who is doing the right things for poker players,” Lappin said. “Our North Star has always been the players.”
