The Pokerstars EPT Exploration!
When the PokerStars EPT started in September of 2004 with The Barcelona Open, garnering 229 players and awarding Alexander Stevic the fi rst prize of €80,000, the tour may have been considered more of a minor league series. Now, just fi ve years later, the PokerStars EPT is not only a major league tour with some of the biggest events in the world, but is annually attracting close to 8,000 total players from 97 countries with a total prize pool of €54,940,712. In fact, the Grand Final held yearly in Monte Carlo – which this year offi cially became the richest poker tournament in European poker history – is now considered one of the four “Grand Slams” of poker by many top professionals.
BLUFF caught up with the CEO/Executive Producer and founder of the EPT John Duthie at the Grand Final to fi nd out what he attributes the huge growth and success to and what poker players and poker fans around the world can expect from the PokerStars EPT in season six, which kicks off in Moscow this coming August.
BLUFF: Tell us about your initial vision for the EPT.
John Duthie: The initial vision was simple. I was directing TV drama in the UK and had been playing poker for a number of years. The WPT had been going for about a year in the States, but we’d never had much of a circuit in Europe, although we had fi ve or six fairly well attended annual events. My idea was to bring them into a tour, televise it, and see whether or not it could be as successful in Europe as it was in America.
BLUFF: Has the tour exceeded your expectations?
JD: Yes, massively. I never really thought we’d be having 1200-player fi elds like we did in Sam Remo, or almost 1,000 players like we have here in Monte Carlo. That has surprised me, but I think that it’s grown exponentially over the past fi ve seasons, so it hasn’t come as a total shock. Although, had you told me fi ve years ago that we’d have all these players and all this action, I would have found that hard to believe.
BLUFF: Is the US and worldwide recession affecting the EPT?
JD: Well it’s not just the US, it truly is a worldwide recession. If you had the opportunity to invest ten dollars on PokerStars with the chance to gain 2.3 million euros for your investment, I think even if you only had twenty bucks in your pocket, you’d be likely to spend half of it on that ten-dollar satellite.
BLUFF: How important has the partnership with Poker- Stars been to the growth of the EPT?
JD: Well it’s been vital. My original objective was to form a relationship with PokerStars, and at that time they were the biggest tournament site in the world, but not the biggest cash game site, as I think PartyPoker still held that distinction. When it came to tournament poker on the Internet, they were the largest, most effi cient, and best site, and I wanted them on board from the start. Their involvement has been crucial. PokerStars has become very invested in the tour and they support it by running various online satellites which feed players into the events to create a critical mass, and in turn make the event a success. They are absolutely crucial.
BLUFF: What’s your favorite stop on the EPT circuit?JD: Well, I don’t have a favorite stop, and it would be unfair of me to have one. I think every single destination on the EPT has its own unique style and personality. Warsaw is one of the smaller events, but it’s defi nitely one of my favorites, because I really like the casino manager, he’s very enthusiastic about poker. Warsaw is a great town with great people and great food and the players all enjoy themselves. But also Barcelona and San Remo are fantastic, as are every stop on the tour. I would hate to lose any of our destinations, since they are all equally fantastic and important.
BLUFF: What sets the EPT apart from the other tours and circuits around the world?
JD: I don’t want to knock the WPT or the WSOP circuit, but having played in them, it makes no difference where you play, you end up in a giant casino in Atlantic City, Vegas, or California, or wherever. They’re all very similar, and the culture is very much the same. Nothing really changes. With the PokerStars EPT, every single destination is different, because the culture is different, the language is different, the environment is different, the weather is different. We have snow in Copenhagen and we have sun here in the Riviera. If I were between the ages of 18 and 25, I’d consider it a brilliant way to travel around the world at somebody else’s expense. The crucial thing, which I think is very important, is if people are willing to travel the world to your destinations, you need to give them the best possible service you can. The best structure, lots of side events, cash games if we can legally have them, good food, good hospitality. Maybe next year we’ll even give out some sort of guide on the area, as it’s something I think we’re lacking right now. So when people get knocked out, they can do whatever it is they want to do, without doing much thinking.
BLUFF: What can we look forward to in season six and in the future of the PokerStars EPT?
JD: We’re kicking off season six with a brand new event to be held in Moscow, August 17th to 23rd. I also think we are going to add Portugal to the line up, and we may or may not add an alpine event. I really like the idea of a tournament surrounded by skiing, as I went to a tournament at a ski resort and I loved skiing in the morning and playing poker in the afternoon or evening. I want to give players choices with things to do. I don’t want players to feel forced to play side events if they don’t want to. I think it will be a very exciting season six for the PokerStars EPT.
BLUFF: Thanks John, we’ll see you out there!
PRO’S TAKE ON THE GROWTH: We asked a few players at the Grand Final what they think about the EPT and its growth over the past fi ve years. Here’s what they had to say:
Vanessa Rousso – “Europe is where the US was about four years ago, so it’s defi nitely peaking. The numbers are stagnant in the US and absolutely blowing up here. Just look how many we had in the High Roller and in the Main Event. I’ll surely be over here a lot more than I have been in the past few years, because these tournaments are so great.”
Barry Greenstein “Europe is defi nitely on the upswing, and the PokerStars EPT gives the Europeans a home to play in where they don’t have to make the long trek to the US. Europeans may be more apt to stay here and play here, rather than travel and play on a circuit in the US, because when you travel long distances, it puts you at a bit of a disadvantage. It may tighten up your game, since you rarely want to bust on the fi rst day because you’ve traveled so far to get there.”
John Juanda – “I played the second day here, and they had close to 600 players on Day 1B, with almost 1,000 players total for this event, which is unbelievable. Poker is still growing here in Europe, but you can you imagine if the economy was not so bad, this event maybe would have had 1,200 players.”
Nenad Medic – Poker is evening out in the states, and every time come to a PokerStars EPT event, I fi nd the fi elds just keep getting bigger and bigger. The PokerStars EPT Grand Final is a must-play event, and in my opinion other than the WSOP Main Event, this is the second largest event in the world.”
Mingling in Monte Carlo
Each year the PokerStars EPT concludes its season with the Grand Final event in Monte Carlo, Monaco in the French Riviera. The second-smallest country in the world (to Vatican City), Monaco certainly doesn’t lack opulence. Internationally known for its glitz and glamour, Monte Carlo is a haven for sporting, leisure, and gaming, attracting Europe’s wealthiest pleasure-seekers. It really is the only place fi t for the PokerStars EPT Grand Final.
Whether you won your way to Monte Carlo in a fi ve-dollar satellite, bought in directly, or just happen to want to get your gamble on somewhere outside of Vegas, make sure to take a deep breath, step away from the tables and enjoy some of the sights.
The Hotel de Paris is a can’t-miss. Built in 1864, it sits right on the Port of Monaco, with 187 rooms, 175 of which have a panoramic view of the Mediterranean. It’s the gateway for the frivolous, sitting directly next to the famous Casino de Monte Carlo. Dine at The Louis XV for the full experience, but be warned, you may need to fi nal table the Poker- Stars EPT Grand Final in order to pay for it. Don’t forget to rub the knee of the bronze horse statue in the lobby, as it’s said to bring good luck!
No self respecting gambler would leave Monte Carlo without visiting the world famous Casino de Monte Carlo. This magnifi cent and legendary establishment is stunning inside and out. This isn’t Vegas, so remember, sensible dress is required, with a jacket recommended for gentleman after 8pm and a €10 entrance fee per person.
The Palais du Prince is perfect for an early morning excursion prior to playing or an afternoon trip to clear your mind after busting out. The hike up the hill to its resting spot high above the rest of Monte Carlo and Monaco provides breathtaking views and will surely get your blood fl owing. Check out a few of the museums and shops, or fi nd a café to eat and drink away the day, all of which will get your mind off that hand where your aces got cracked… again.
If you’ve got a day before the start of the tournament, rent a car or take the bus and check out the historic medieval Village of Eze, one of the oldest and most elevated villages in all of the French Rivera. Views from the top are more than spectacular, and you may even run into U2 lead singer Bono, as he owns a private villa in the area. You might recognize the scenery from the band’s Beautiful Day and Electrical Storm music videos.
If there was ever a place to see or be seen, Jimmy’z is that place. The premier nightclub in Monte Carlo, Jimmy’z, with its high-energy music and free fl owing cocktails, is the perfect place to celebrate a big score in style. Don’t forget the cash on the table, as this place is on the pricier side, with cocktails starting at about €20 and bottle service starting at about €300.
Grandest Grand Final to Date?
Breaking records is nothing new for the PokerStars EPT, but this year took the cake with two huge events to cap the series, the 25,000 buy-in High Roller Event, and the 10,000 buy-in Main Event.
The Main Event title went to 26-year-old Pieter de Korver of Team PokerStars Pro Netherlands, who pocketed €2.3 million for outlasting the close to 1,000-person eld. The fi nal table lasted a whopping nine hours, and at one point de Korver was completely out of contention and crippled with just two big blinds. The Dutch pro out-battled the entire table, particularly Dag Martin Mikkelsen, the Norwegian pro who looked poised for a victory earlier in the day with over half the chips in play, and American Matthew Woodward, who de Korver defeated heads up in a match that lasted a little over an hour.
The High Roller event attracted 79 competitors, highlighted by Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, Andy Bloch, Tony G, and Peter Eastgate. Those are just a few of the elite players who were trumped by one of the hottest players on the circuit, US Team PokerStars Pro and newest GoDaddy.com girl Vanessa Rousso. At one point in the middle of Day 2, Vanessa was one of the shortest stacks in the fi eld with only 38,000 chips before she took her game to new heights, climbing to the chip lead by the time a fi nal table was set. Fast and furious was the tone of the fi nal table, making its way to three-handed play in just a few short hours before grinding to a halt. Eventually Tony G, Randy Dorfman, and Rousso agreed to chop the prize pool, giving each €420,000 and playing for the close to €200,000 remaining. After battling a few more hours, Tony G, who donated a large chunk of his winnings to charity, was fi nally knocked out by Dorfman, who went on to push Vanessa to the brink before she triumphantly clawed her way back to knock out Dorfman for the huge victory.
