The European Poker Tour (EPT) is one of the biggest, best-known, and longest-running live poker tours in the world. Originally established in 2004, the EPT has been going strong for more than two decades, visiting many of Europe’s most famous poker destinations along the way.

The tour was created by John Duthie, a UK television director and poker player. His idea arrived at the perfect time, just as the poker boom sparked by Chris Moneymaker’s victory in the 2003 WSOP Main Event was gathering momentum.

The European Poker Tour kicked off in September 2004 with its first festival in Barcelona, Spain. PokerStars has played a central role in the tour’s growth, using the EPT as its flagship live poker series and giving players around the world opportunities to qualify online.

The 2026 European Poker Tour features four stops: Paris, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, and Prague. Paris, Monte Carlo, and Barcelona are already in the books, while EPT Prague will close out the season in December.

On this page, we bring you the complete EPT 2026 schedule and results, details on the upcoming EPT Prague festival, ways to qualify for EPT events through PokerStars, and some history of Europe’s most famous poker tour.

EPT 2026 Live Schedule

The 2026 European Poker Tour features four festivals spread throughout the year, beginning with EPT Paris in February and concluding with EPT Prague in December.

Paris returned to the schedule after its 2025 cancellation, while Monte Carlo and Barcelona continued their long associations with the tour. Prague will return in December after PokerStars added the popular stop to the 2026 calendar.

Three EPT Main Events have now been completed, with Jorge Abreu, Roman Stoica, and Manuel Ferrari winning in Paris, Monte Carlo, and Barcelona, respectively.

EPT Paris 2026

• Dates: Feb 18 — Mar 1, 2026
• Venue: Le Palais des Congrès
• Main Event: €5,300
• Main Event entries: 1,474
• Main Event prize pool: €7,075,200
• Winner: Jorge Abreu — €1,148,600

The first stop on the 2026 EPT schedule took place in the French capital, returning after the unexpected cancellation of EPT Paris in 2025.

The €5,300 Main Event attracted 1,474 entries, generating a prize pool of €7,075,200.

Portugal’s Jorge Abreu emerged as the champion, collecting €1,148,600 for the biggest victory of the festival.

EPT Paris featured much more than the Main Event. The opening €1,650 PokerStars Open Main Event attracted 2,992 entries, while high rollers and other tournaments filled out a busy schedule at Le Palais des Congrès.

Spin & Go Championship LIVE at EPT Paris

The Spin & Go Championship LIVE was another notable event during EPT Paris.

The tournament took place February 23 — 24 and brought together 81 online qualifiers and invitees.

In the end, newly-minted PokerStars ambassador Raul Mestre claimed the title and €92,539.

Unlike a standard EPT tournament, players could not simply buy into the Spin & Go Championship LIVE. Entry was reserved for players who qualified through the promotion and invited participants.

EPT Monte Carlo 2026

• Dates: Apr 30 — May 10, 2026
• Venue: Sporting Monte-Carlo
• Main Event: €5,300
• Main Event entries: 1,011
• Main Event prize pool: €4,903,350
• Winner: Roman Stoica — €825,000

EPT Monte Carlo returned to the Principality for another edition in 2026, continuing an association between the destination and the European Poker Tour that stretches back more than two decades.

The festival featured 62 events, including some of the highest buy-in tournaments on the entire EPT schedule.

The €5,300 EPT Main Event attracted 1,011 entries and generated a prize pool of €4,903,350. Roman Stoica came out on top, defeating a final table that included PokerStars Ambassador Raul Mestre and Austrian player Bernhard Binder.

Stoica collected €825,000 for the victory.

The festival also produced some enormous high-stakes action. The schedule included a €100,000 High Roller for One Drop and a €250,000 Super High Roller, the latter becoming the biggest buy-in tournament in EPT history.

Alex Kulev won the €250,000 Super High Roller, while Albert Daher took down the €100,000 One Drop High Roller.

EPT Barcelona 2026

• Dates: Aug 16 — 29, 2026
• Venue: Casino Barcelona
• Main Event: €5,300
• Main Event entries: 1,823
• Main Event prize pool: €8,841,550
• Winner: Manuel Ferrari — €1,002,488

EPT Barcelona once again produced one of the largest Main Events of the European Poker Tour season.

The €5,300 Main Event ran August 22 — 29 and attracted 1,823 entries, including 526 re-entries. The huge field generated a prize pool of €8,841,550.

Italy’s Manuel Ferrari ultimately claimed the title after a three-way ICM deal involving Ferrari, Lukas van Eeden, and Jose Criado.

Ferrari defeated van Eeden heads-up to secure the trophy and a payout of €1,002,488. Van Eeden earned €927,420 for second place, while Criado collected €910,642 for finishing third.

The result continued Barcelona’s remarkable record as one of the EPT’s biggest destinations. The 2026 tournament ranked among the largest EPT Main Events ever held, further cementing Barcelona as one of the most important stops on the tour.

EPT Prague 2026

• Dates: Dec 2 — 13, 2026
• Venue: Hilton Hotel Prague
• EPT Main Event: Dec 7 — 13 — €5,300
• EPT Mystery Bounty: Dec 9 — 11 — €3,200
• EPT High Roller: Dec 11 — 13 — €10,300

EPT Prague will close out the 2026 European Poker Tour season when the festival returns to the Hilton Hotel Prague from December 2 — 13.

The stop has been a regular part of the EPT calendar for many years and traditionally brings the PokerStars European live season to a close.

The festival begins with the €1,100 PokerStars Open Main Event, which runs December 2 — 7. Other early events include an €825 PokerStars Cup and €2,200 PokerStars High Roller.

The EPT portion of the festival gets underway with the €5,300 Main Event from December 7 — 13.

Other highlights include a €3,200 EPT Mystery Bounty from December 9 — 11 and the €10,300 EPT High Roller from December 11 — 13.

Players must be at least 18 years old to participate and will need valid photo identification or a passport.

EPT 2026 Online Qualifiers

PokerStars offers online satellites and qualifying routes that give players opportunities to win their way into European Poker Tour events without paying the full live tournament buy-in.

To see which satellites are currently running, open the PokerStars client or app and check the available live-event and satellite tournaments.

With EPT Prague remaining on the 2026 schedule, players can look for qualifying opportunities connected to the December festival.

Another major route into PokerStars Live events is Power Path. The system allows players to start for as little as $0.50 and potentially progress through a four-step qualification path.

The current Power Path structure is:

• Step 1: $0.50 Spin & Go
• Step 2: $1 Sit & Go or $1.50 MTT
• Step 3: $11 MTT
• Step 4: $55 MTT — ticket entry only

Players can buy directly into Steps 1 through 3, while Step 4 is reserved for ticket holders.

Power Path awards several levels of Power Pass:

The Gold Power Pass is particularly valuable for players looking to qualify for the European Poker Tour. Worth $10,300, it can be used for a PokerStars EPT live-event package or selected major online tournaments.

PokerStars Rewards players at Blue or Bronze Chest level can also receive a free Power Path Step 1 ticket after generating at least $0.01 in qualifying rake, with a free ticket available each day the requirement is met.

Where to Watch EPT 2026

PokerStars provides extensive live coverage of European Poker Tour events through its official streaming channels, including YouTube and Twitch.

Coverage typically focuses on the later stages of EPT Main Events while also featuring selected high rollers and other major tournaments.

The exact streaming schedule varies from stop to stop.

At EPT Monte Carlo 2026, for example, PokerStars offered eight consecutive days of live streams. Coverage extended beyond the Main Event to include the €100,000 High Roller for One Drop, the €250,000 Super High Roller, and a special high-stakes cash game.

EPT broadcasts feature commentary and analysis, allowing viewers to follow major hands and final-table action from the tour without having to attend the events in person.

Streaming schedules for individual stops are usually announced closer to the start of each festival.

European Poker Tour Quick History

The European Poker Tour was created by John Duthie in 2004, arriving just as televised poker and online poker were experiencing enormous growth.

The first EPT festival took place in Barcelona in September 2004. The inaugural Main Event attracted 229 entries, modest compared with modern EPT fields but enough to establish the foundations of what would become one of poker’s most successful tournament tours.

The EPT quickly expanded into other major European destinations. Over the years, stops have been held in cities including London, Dublin, Vienna, Copenhagen, Warsaw, Prague, Paris, and Monte Carlo.

PokerStars played an important role in the tour’s growth from its earliest years, particularly through online satellites that allowed players to qualify for EPT events from home.

The relationship helped the EPT attract increasingly large international fields and establish stops such as Barcelona, Monte Carlo, and Prague as fixtures on the global poker calendar.

The tour temporarily disappeared under the EPT name in 2017 when PokerStars reorganized its live events under the PokerStars Championship and PokerStars Festival brands. The change was short-lived, and the European Poker Tour returned in 2018.

Since then, the EPT has continued to attract both professional and recreational players from around the world, with Main Events regularly generating multi-million-euro prize pools and fields that dwarf those seen during the tour’s earliest seasons.

More than two decades after its launch, the European Poker Tour remains PokerStars’ flagship European live poker series.

European Poker Tour FAQ

What is the European Poker Tour?

The European Poker Tour is PokerStars’ flagship European live poker tour.

Created in 2004, the EPT features major poker festivals in European destinations such as Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Paris, and Prague, with the €5,300 Main Event typically serving as the centerpiece of each stop.

What stops are on the 2026 EPT schedule?

The 2026 European Poker Tour features four stops: Paris, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, and Prague.

EPT Paris ran February 18 — March 1, Monte Carlo took place April 30 — May 10, and Barcelona ran August 16 — 29. EPT Prague will close the season from December 2 — 13.

Who won the 2026 EPT Main Events?

Jorge Abreu won the 2026 EPT Paris Main Event, Roman Stoica won EPT Monte Carlo, and Manuel Ferrari won EPT Barcelona.

EPT Prague is the final stop of the season and takes place in December.

When is EPT Prague 2026?

EPT Prague takes place December 2 — 13, 2026, at the Hilton Hotel Prague.

The €5,300 EPT Main Event runs December 7 — 13, followed by the conclusion of the €10,300 EPT High Roller on the final day of the festival.

How can I qualify online for EPT 2026 events?

Players can qualify through satellites on PokerStars or through Power Path.

Power Path starts at $0.50 and progresses through four Steps. Players can potentially win a $10,300 Gold Power Pass that can be redeemed for an EPT live-event package.

How much does an EPT Main Event cost?

The standard buy-in for the 2026 EPT Main Events is €5,300.

Players can enter directly or attempt to qualify through PokerStars satellites and Power Path.

Where can I watch the European Poker Tour?

PokerStars streams extensive coverage of EPT events through its official online channels, including YouTube and Twitch.

Streaming schedules vary by festival, but coverage generally includes the later stages of Main Events and can also feature high rollers and other major tournaments.

When did the European Poker Tour begin?

The European Poker Tour began in 2004. The first EPT event was held in Barcelona and its Main Event attracted 229 entries.

The tour was created by John Duthie and has since developed into one of the world’s best-known live poker series.