Paris became home to the biggest EPT main event outside of Barcelona yesterday after PokerStars collected a total of 1,606 buy-ins.
Day 2 of the €5,300 tournament got underway on Wednesday. That brought the late registration period to an end and confirmed the final numbers for EPT Paris.
A total of 1,159 players entered and 447 of them exercised their right to re-enter after being eliminated. That took the total number of entries to 1,606.
Players show love for inaugural EPT Paris
This is the first time PokerStars has hosted an EPT in Paris, so any total would have been a record. However, looking through the EPT’s history, Paris now stands as the sixth largest main event. A place in the top ten is impressive, but what’s even more impressive is that the top five largest EPT main events all took place in Barcelona.
This means the inaugural EPT Paris main event is the largest of its kind outside of Spain. For context, that makes it bigger than popular stops such as London, Prague, and Monte Carlo, all of which have been on the EPT schedule for more than a decade.
With 1,606 entries, the #EPTParis Main Event is the sixth biggest of all time & has a prize pool to match.
The champ will collect €1,170,000, with the top 239 finishers guaranteed at least €8,400.
Watch cards-up coverage at https://t.co/SB357usSaR or https://t.co/ZarB0RN21O pic.twitter.com/9cLprAFDZH
— PokerStars LIVE (@PokerStarsLIVE) February 22, 2023
This isn’t the first time PokerStars has hosted an EPT in France. Deauville was a stop on the original EPT schedule back in 2005 and remained a popular destination until 2015. Paris has also played host to a number of WPT events over the years.
However, this is the first time PokerStars’ EPT bandwagon has rolled into town and that’s captured the imagination of local poker players, as well as those from outside of France.
Earlier this week, Frenchman Alan Goasdoue won the largest ever France Poker Series main event. Forming part of the EPT Paris schedule, the €1,110 tournament attracted a total of 2,071 entries. That pushed the prizepool to €1.98 million and meant Goasdoue banked €287,830.
Records fall as players from 65 countries ante up
The surge of interest has almost been too much to handle for the host venue, Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile. Fortunately for all concerned, PokerStars’ tournament team worked overtime to ensure everything was set for the EPT Paris main event.
🇬🇧Here is an important communication about FPS Paris: #FPSParis #EPTParis @PokerStarsLIVE pic.twitter.com/5HXYN4JPaE
— Cedric B. (@CedricBillot) February 18, 2023
That hard work paid off. 65 countries are represented in the main event, including France. According to the official stats, French players made up almost 30% of the starting field (341 players). Italy, Germany, and the UK are also well-represented in the event.
In fact, such has been the desire to play poker in the city of love that people have traveled from as far afield as China, Iran, Argentina, and the Ivory Coast. These metrics alone make EPT Paris a success.
However, for players, the most important figure is the prizepool. A total of 1,606 entries means those left in the mix are playing for a share of €7,708,800. The bubble will burst when the 240th player is eliminated, and those in the money will bank at least €8,400.
The prize everyone wants is the title. When the action concludes later this week, one player will become the first ever EPT Paris main event champion and take home €1,170,000.
