PokerStars has delighted live poker tournament players around the world by announcing the return of the ever-popular PokerStars and Monte-Carlo Casino European Poker Tour stop.
The EPT returns to the Monte-Carlo Casino from April 28 and stays there until May 7. Monte-Carlo Casino served as the home of the EPT Grand Final on 11 occasions and saw some of the biggest-ever EPT Main Event prizes awarded at the luxurious venue.
Gavin Griffin won the EPT Monte Carlo's first seven-figure prize when he outlasted a 706-strong field and banked an impressive €1,825,010. Glen Chorny won the following year and netted €2,020,000 before Netherlands' Pieter de Korver got his hands on €2,300,000 when he won in 2009. Chorny's incredible haul is considered the largest-ever EPT Main Event score due to the euro-to-dollar exchange rate at the time of his victory.
German superstar Manig Loeser is the reigning EPT Monte-Carlo champion, having triumphed over 921 opponents in 2019. The event did not run in 2020 nor 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but is returning with a bang between April 28-May 7, 2022.
The PokerNews live reporting team is on the ground for the latest stop on the European Poker Tour. Be sure to check out the action as it happens.
Highlights of the Upcoming EPT Monte-Carlo Festival
Several side events complement three must-play tournaments during the festival. A €100,000 buy-in EPT Super High Roller runs from May 1-3 and is sure to attract the biggest names in the business to Monaco. When this event ran in 2019, 52 players bought in for €100,000, and Sergio Aido left them all in his wake as he marched on and collected €1,589,190.
The eagerly anticipated EPT Main Events runs from May 2-7. It comes with a €5,300 buy-in, although online satellites are available at PokerStars from a mere €1.10. As mentioned, Loeser is the reigning champion. PokerNews fully expects him to be on the ground for an attempted title defense.
"Live events have always been a big part of PokerStars"
A €25,000 EPT High Roller is scheduled for May 5-7. This tournament paid out €3,374,630 in 2019 with a significant chunk of it heading to Benjamin Pollak and Koray Aldemir who struck a deal that saw the former bank €705,840 and the latter €655,840. Aldemir is another star likely to be in Monaco especially as he won the 2021 World Series of Poker Main Event.
Severin Rasset, Managing Director & Commercial Officer, PokerStars, had this to say about the return of EPT Monte-Carlo.
“EPT Monte-Carlo is a favorite for many, and we’re pleased we can now share details for the event along with the exciting announcement that regional tours are back. We understand that these are uncertain times for everyone.
The health and safety of our players and staff is paramount to our plans and we’ll continue to communicate openly with players as each event approaches. Live events have always been a big part of PokerStars, and we can’t wait to get back to the live felt and hope to see many of our players at events soon!”
Former EPT Monte Carlo Champions
Some of the biggest names in world poker have returned home from the EPT Monte-Carlo Main Event with the title of champion and a suitcase crammed with euros.
Rob Hollink won the first-ever event back in 2005, while American Jeff "yellowsub86" Williams became one of the youngest EPT champions when he triumphed in 2006.
Others who have returned home victoriously from an EPT Monte-Carlo trip include Lebanon's Nicolas Chouity, Mohsin Charania, Steve O'Dwyer, and Adrian Mateos. Taking down the 2022 edition of this long-running event puts you among some esteemed company.
| Season | Year | Buy-in | Entrants | Champion | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2005 | €10,000 | 211 | Rob Hollink | €635,000 |
| 2 | 2006 | €10,000 | 298 | Jeff Williams | €900,000 |
| 3 | 2007 | €10,000 | 706 | Gavin Griffin | €1,825,010 |
| 4 | 2008 | €10,600 | 842 | Glen Chorny | €2,020,000 |
| 5 | 2009 | €10,600 | 935 | Pieter de Korver | €2,300,000 |
| 6 | 2010 | €10,600 | 848 | Nicolas Chouity | €1,700,000 |
| 7 | |||||
| 8 | 2012 | €10,600 | 665 | Mohsin Charania | €1,350,000 |
| 9 | 2013 | €10,600 | 531 | Steve O'Dwyer | €1,224,000 |
| 10 | 2014 | €10,600 | 650 | Antonio Buonanno | €1,240,000 |
| 11 | 2015 | €10,600 | 564 | Adrian Mateos | €1,082,000 |
| 12 | 2016 | €5,300 | 1,098 | Jan Bendik | €961,800 |
| 2018 | €5,300 | 775 | Nicolas Dumont | €712,000 | |
| 2019 | €5,300 | 922 | Manig Loeser | €603,777 |
*EPT Monte Carlo served as the EPT Grand Final from Season 1-12 with the exception of Season 7 which took place in Madrid
Regional Tours Return After a Five-Year Hiatus
It is not only the EPT Monte-Carlo festival that is returning because seven regional tours are back for 2022. Eureka, UKIPT, ESPT, and FPS all make their long-awaited return throughout the year, giving players with shallower bankrolls the chance to play in an amazingly-structured event and potentially win life-changing prizes.
| Dates | Festival |
|---|---|
| March 6-10 | Eurkea Prague |
| March 28-April 3 | ESPT Madrid Gran Via |
| April 4-10 | UKIPT London |
| April 28-May 2 | FPS Monte-Carlo |
| May 20-29 | Eureka Rozvadov |
| October 4-9 | FPS Divonne |
| November 22-27 | FPS Aix-en-Provence |
More details of the EPT Monte-Carlo festival and the schedules for the regional tour will be published in due course.
