PokerStars postponed the EPT Prague due to health and safety protocols in the Czech Republic and they rescheduled the live event for March 5, 2022 at the Hilton Prague. PokerStars also decided to bring back the EPT Online with $17 million in guaranteed prize pools in 68 events including a $1.5M guarantee for the $5,200 buy-in EPT Main Event. It will run on PokerStars.com between December 8-19 with buy-ins as low as $5.50 and topping out with a $10K Sunday Super High Roller.
Luckily, PokerStars began as an online platform that branched out into a live tournament series. So, when COVID hit in 2020, PokerStars migrated their live events to their own virtual tables. Well, in late 2021, with the latest Omicron strain ravaging Europe, several countries enacted strict health and safety protocols including the Czech Republic. As a result, the EPT Prague was postponed in accordance with their local government.
The EPT Prague had become a popular stop ever since it arrived on the European Poker Tour, which is why everyone was excited when PokerStars announced its return in late 2021. However, they didn't want to eliminate a popular stop, so PokerStars made the tough decision to postpone the event. They quickly made new plans to reschedule for the Spring of 2022, which means that live poker will return with the EPT Prague in early March of next year. The EPT Prague returns to the Prague Hilton on March 5 through March 16, 2022 for a taste of Prague March Madness.
"I am pleased that we have been able to adapt so quickly to the ever-changing situation and provide our players with new dates for EPT Prague already, as well as some EPT online fun and value in the meantime," said Severin Rasset, Managing Director. "A big thanks to our partners at Kings Casino and Hilton Prague for working with us to ensure we found an alternative solution for the event."
But PokerStars didn't want to miss out on a chance to have a fun celebration to cap off another tough year. That's why they brought back the EPT Online to let players get their poker fix in a healthier forum, while also raising money to help out on their live event staff that will miss out on a much-needed paycheck from the EPT Prague.
"We know that there is a huge demand from the PokerStars community to see our live events return in full and we are excitedly working towards that, but we must be flexible along the way to ensure our players stay safe and healthy, and the experience is an unforgettable one for all the right reasons," added Rasset. "We understand the impact not running these events has on our players and staff, and we hope that the upcoming EPT Online series will provide players with an enjoyable alternative this December. We have also committed to allocating $100,000 from EPT Online to all the Live Event Staff who have been impacted by the postponement."
The EPT Online returns with a massive series that has 68 events and includes $17 million in guarantee prize pools running from December 8 to 19. Satellites are already underway.
The $5,200 Main Event and the $10,300 Sunday Super High Roller both have a $1 million guarantee.
There's special events including the EPT Online Cup Mini with a modest $11 buy-in. The EPT Online also boasts a $55 buy-in Mini Main Event with a slick $1 million guaranteed prize pool. The Return of Arena Championship also has a $1 million guarantee and a $1,050 buy-in.
Head over to PokerStars Blog for more details.