The European Poker Tour
The
European Poker Tour is Europe's richest and most popular poker tour,
and is currently in its sixth season of production. Players travel
from across the continent to play in EPT events, as they offer the
biggest player fields and richest prize pools of any tournaments in
Europe.
The European Poker Tour was recently acquired by PokerStars.com, which has helped fuel EPT growth through additional online exposure. PokerStars runs hundreds of satellite tournaments to each EPT Main Event, which expands the prize pool and provides more international exposure for the EPT brand.
The sixth season of the European Poker Tour has been the biggest season yet, as several poker players have become millionaires by going deep in EPT Main Events. If you would like to qualify for European Poker Tour events, make sure to check out the satellite tournaments offered at www.PokerStars.com.
EPT Season Six (2009-2010) Schedule
The directors of the European Poker Tour have added quite a few new stops to the season six schedule, which should keep things fresh for both players and fans. Here is the EPT Season Six schedule:
- EPT KYIV - Hosted in Kyiv, Ukraine on August 18-23 - 5,000 Euro Buy-In
- EPT Barcelona - Hosted in Barcelona, Spain on September 4-9 - 8,300 Euro Buy-In
- EPT London - Hosted in London, UK on October 2-7 - 5,250 Pound Buy-In
- EPT Warsaw - Hosted in Warsaw, Poland on October 20-25 - 25,000K PLN Buy-In
- EPT Vilamoura - Hosted in Vilamoura, Portugal on November 17-22 - 5,300 Euro Buy-In
- EPT Prague - Hosted in Prague, Czech Republic on December 1-6 - 5,250 Euro Buy-In
- PCA - Hosted at Atlantis Resort, Bahamas on January 4-14 - $10,300 Buy-In
- EPT Deauville - Hosted in Deauville, France on January 20-25 - 5,300 Euro Buy-In
- EPT Copenhagen - Hosted in Copenhagen, Denmark on February 16-21 - 37,250 DKK Buy-In
- EPT Germany - Hosted in TBD on March 2-7 - TBD Buy-In
- EPT Snowfest - Hosted in Saalbach/Hinterglemm, Austria on March 21-26 - 3,750 Euro Buy-In
- EPT San Remo - Hosted in San Remo, Italy on April 15-21 - 5,300 Euro Buy-In
- EPT Monte Carlo - Hosted in Le Sporting Club, Monaco on April 25-30 - 10,600 Euro Buy-In
Visit this page to see past European Poker Tour results.
PokerStars.com Sponsorship
PokerStars.com is now the principle sponsor of the European Poker Tour, and holds primary advertising rights for the brand. The partnership between PokerStars and the EPT has proven to be a profitable one, as PokerStars receives international exposure, and the EPT receives hundreds of satellite qualifiers from the PokerStars online poker room.
European Poker Tour Management
The EPT is primarily overseen by CEO John Duthie, a high stakes poker player who launched the European Poker Tour brand in 2004. Besides his poker prowess, Duthie also uses his previous background as a successful director of UK serial dramas to help him produce a hit poker show that is broadcast in over forty countries. Duluth presides over most business decisions at the EPT, and also is a commentator on the show.
Other head figures at the EPT include Thomas Kremser, who is the EPT Tournament Director, and Simon Darlow, who wrote the EPT theme song.
Big Winners at the EPT
Most winners of EPT events win well over $1,000,000 for their efforts, along with the pride of outlasting one of the toughest fields in tournament poker. Some big winners at the EPT include:
- Glen Chorny, who won the EPT4 Monte Carlo Grand Final for a $3,090,600 score.
- Poorya Nazari, who won the EPT5 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure tournament for a $3,000,000 score.
- Pieter de Korver, who won the EPT5 Monte Carlo Grand Final for a $2,990,000 score.
- Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, who won the EPT4 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure for a $2,000,000 score.
- Jason Mercier, who won the EPT4 San Remo event for a $1,364,330 score.
Qualifying for the European Poker Tour
Although a small amount of players choose to buy directly into EPT events, the majority of entrants are the result of online EPT qualifiers held at PokerStars.com. Players can qualify for European Poker Tour events with only a few dollar investment - you can even qualify for free by using your PokerStars Frequent Player Points to buy into super satellites. Online qualifiers give casual players a chance at a major EPT score.
If you want to play EPT qualifiers online, visit PokerStars.com and download their poker room software. Then, create a player account and click the "Tournament" tab. From there, click "Events" and then click "EPT". The software will then display all of the EPT qualifiers that are running in the next few hours. When you sign up at PokerStars.com, feel free to use marketing code MIK500 for a 100% up to $600 bonus on your first deposit at the site.