Posted on: December 15, 2022, 10:36h.
Final up to date on: December 15, 2022, 10:36h.
The European Poker Tour (EPT) is ending its 2022 run on a excessive word. The EPT Prague Fundamental Occasion is now underway and has grow to be the biggest poker match on report for any within the EPT collection.
Ramon Colillas participates in a poker match in the course of the EPT Prague collection. The Fundamental Occasion set a brand new report for attendance in any EPT occasion so far. (Picture: European Poker Tour)
When the registration books closed at the beginning of the match yesterday, there have been 1,267 names on the record. Out of these, solely 349 have been re-entries, that means that just about 1,200 poker gamers signed up for the €5,300 (US$5,637) occasion.
It’s the primary time that any EPT occasion surpassed 1,200 entries, with the bulk signing up on Day 1B. The entire remaining gamers are after their shot at glory, in addition to a bit of the €6.11-million (US$6.5 million) prize pool. 183 finalists will all obtain some money, with the eventual winner pocketing €1.054 million (US$1.12 million).
Huge Names Drop In On Prague
There have been various worldwide poker stars who made the journey to Prague for the EPT collection and the Fundamental Occasion. They’ve come from in every single place, together with as distant as Japan, Brazil and Canada.
Two Swedish WSOP winners are representing their dwelling nation and working deep to date. Simon Lofberg and Jerry Odeen, every with one WSOP bracelet, are at present in thirteenth and fifteenth place, respectively.
There have additionally been non-poker execs who allegedly jumped into the motion. Spanish soccer star Gerard Piqué was reportedly on the town to take part, though it isn’t clear if he made it into the occasion. He’s in Prague along with his girlfriend, Clara Chía, with whom he had an affair whereas married to worldwide music star Shakira.
Prague is giving Rozvadov a run for its cash. Kings On line casino in Rozvadov is at all times a well-liked cease for poker occasions, however Prague is gaining floor. It not too long ago concluded the Eureka Tour, which broke a report with its 4,017 entries with its Fundamental Occasion. The Eureka Excessive Curler occasion added greater than 30% to its tally from 2021.
There’s nonetheless time for lots of motion within the EPT Fundamental Occasion. The final day is December 18, when somebody will all of the sudden add over $1 million to his or her financial institution.
EPT Battles With WPT
The EPT didn’t entice many gamers from the US, however that isn’t a shock. On the similar time that collection is going down, Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas is internet hosting the World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championship.
This match is working from December 12 to twenty, and has no scarcity of big names within the enterprise. Phil Hellmuth, Bryn Kenney and even Doyle Brunson – the latter solely as a spectator and announcer – have been seen across the tables.
The $10,400 World Championship has additionally been a record-setting occasion. It introduced in 2,960 entries that pushed the prize pool as much as and over $29 million. That utterly blew away the $15 million assure that was initially on the desk.
That makes it the biggest prize pool exterior the WSOP circle for any occasion that has provided a buy-in underneath $1 million. It’s additionally the biggest prize pool of any poker match ever in Las Vegas, except for WSOP occasions. The all-time report goes to the 2006 Fundamental Occasion, which had a prize pool of over $82.51 million.
Brian Rast, Chad Eveslage, and different huge names are nonetheless within the hunt. Hellmuth is there, as effectively, though Phil Ivey tried to make a run earlier than exiting early. Robbi Jade Lew, however hit the rail earlier than Ivey.
