New events, idea hubs and even table tennis await when the new season of the European Poker Tour begins this summer.
Barcelona was the setting for the very first EPT and it’s now the only city the tour has visited every year since 2004.
That year Sweden's Alexander Stevic won a 1-day, €1,000 tournament for €80,000. Last year the main event was won by John Juanda, who turned his €5,300 buy-in and a year layoff from poker into over €1m in a week.
What's in store for voracious poker fans this year? Plenty more.
Almost as Big as WSOP
With 64 events on the calendar for EPT Barcelona 2016 it's now almost reached the 69-event lineup the WSOP had on offer this summer - except jammed into just 12 days.
Apart from the standard No-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha, events will also include plenty of Stud and Mixed events - all in a variety of formats from Deepstack to Hyperturbo.
The companion Estrellas Main Event has become so big they can’t handle it in two days anymore.
Who's next?
With 3,292 players last year, that was the breaking point so this year for the first time there will be three starting days.
A few of the more interesting and most important events of the Barcelona poker festival:
- €10,300 High Roller; Aug 17-19
- €440 PokerStars Cup; Aug 17-22
- €1100 Estrellas Main Event; Aug 17-22
- €50,000 Super High Roller; Aug 20-22
- €2200 Estrellas High Roller; Aug 21-23
- €150 Right to Play Main Event; Aug 22
- €5300 buy-in Main Event; Aug 22-28
- €25,500 Single Day High Roller; Aug 23
- €10,300 PLO High Roller; Aug 24-26
- €10,300 High Roller; Aug 26-28
Satellites from 55 Cents
If you're looking to get in to the action on the cheap satellites on PokerStars will carry on until August 8 when the last qualifier – a €320 NLHE – starts just after midnight.
Play your way in live right here.
At the moment there are still over 50 tournaments in the satellite section of the PokerStars lobby.
Direct satellites have buy-ins from €27 to €320 but there are plenty of feeder tournaments running from as low as 55 cents.
There will also be live satellites at the Gran Casino in Barcelona, both for the EPT Main and other events.
Take on Darius Knight
Barcelona will be all about poker for the second half of August, but there’ll be plenty of side diversions as usual.
Throw down w/ the champ.
If you win your way to the EPT main event don’t miss out on the Players Party at The Pascha. The roof terrace is fantastic and the Spanish bar staff pour drinks like nobody else on the EPT.
If you need to cool off between tournaments there’ll be plenty of water activities. Right next to the casino you can hop on pretty much everything between a Crazy Sofa to a jet boat to a luxury yacht.
Try out Fly boards, Hover boards or ride a Jet Ski. You can get all of this within a few minutes’ walk. Too much action? Take a city tour on a Segway and hang out at the street party Fiesta de Gracias.
If FC Barcelona is your thing there's a League match on August 20 and you can get a ticket through EPT Travel.
Are you good at table tennis? Prove it and play against English champion Darius Knight. The best player wins a ticket to the “Right to Play” charity event.
PokerStars has also invited everybody to take part in discussions with representatives on different topics of the industry. Bring your ideas on how to improve the EPT, the traveling, new games, sportsbook and casino.
Every day from August 22-25 there will be open meetings with everyone who’s interested. If you have any suggestions drop them in the chat box or post them on our Facebook page and we'll forward them when we're on location.
