PokerStars, the number one operator of the most successful online poker sites on the planet, will once again organize and sponsor the Monte-Carlo Casino European Poker Tour (EPT) this spring, after two long years of absence due to COVID-19 restrictions. A number of additional European live poker tours that will be organized all over the continent have also been officially announced. The announcement is prone to take the European live poker market by storm.
The Monte-Carlo Casino European Poker Tour Will Be Held Again This Spring
Launched in 2001, Flutter Entertainment-owned PokerStars has reached and crossed the massive 200 billion mark for dealt poker hands to date, after turning into the main go-to options for poker aficionados worldwide. PokerStars launched suite of brands in Greece at the end of January 2022 and hosts the largest number of tournaments on a daily basis than any other platform, while ensuring state-of-the-art security for all players online. In mid-February, the company also made its plans to enter the Ontario market known to the public.
The Monte-Carlo Casino European Poker Tour has been owned, managed, and sponsored by PokerStars starting 2011. Originally, EPT was created by Poker Million’s inaugural tournament winner John Duthie in 2004 as a natural consequence of the huge popularity that the Texas Hold’em game was enjoying at the time. The event consists of a number of poker tournaments that are taped by Sunset + Vine and broadcast in European countries.
The EPT periodically hands out massive cash prizes that easily reach €1 million ($1.13 million), with the 2018 and 2019 winners scooping up more than €2 million ($2.26 million). The tournament was not organized in 2020 and 2021 because of the harsh pandemic restrictions and lockdowns, but it will be making its much-anticipated and spectacular comeback this spring. The EPT will be held between 28 April and 7 May at the Monte-Carlo Casino with the complete schedule awaiting confirmation in the near future. The EPT will host the €100,000 ($112,000) Super High Roller event between May 1 and May 3, the €5,300 ($5,960) Main Event between May 2 and May 7, and the €25,000 ($28,000) High Roller event between May 5 and May 7.
Poker fans can join the qualification tournaments that PokerStars will hold online for the EPT, as well as the qualification tournaments for the event that will be held in Prague between May 5 and May 16. The qualifications refer to feeder satellites and daily freerolls with small buy-ins of €1.50 ($1.69). Tournament participants will be allowed to enter any number of events with buy-ins starting at €5,300 ($5,960) and reaching up to €100,000 ($112,000).
PokerStars’s managing director and commercial officer Severin Rasset acknowledged the fact that the EPT event is an all-time favorite for many players while expressing the group’s excitement to relaunch the event.
Regional Poker Tours Back in Europe After Five-Year Hiatus
In spite of the times of uncertainty we live in and throwing a big focus on maintaining the safety and health of all players and staff members, PokerStars also made the announcement that its regional poker tours will be resumed in Europe after a long hiatus that latest five years. Spain, the UK, France, Monaco, and the Czech Republic will host the Estrellas Poker Tour, The UK, and Ireland Poker Tour, the France Poker Series, and the Eureka Poker Tour between March and November 2022.
With PokerStars events moving back into gear and a large number of players eager to get a taste of the excitement behind the tables, this year is prone to be a good one for the industry.