2023 marks a big year for PokerStars as the United Kingdom and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) is back in (red) spades. For the first time since 2016, a full slate of events has been announced for the latter half of 2023, including stops in Nottingham and London, among many others.
In just six seasons of events, the UKIPT became one of the biggest regional poker tours in the world. From 2009 to 2016, the regional tour of the UK and Ireland solidified itself in the poker world as an elite local series that attained global name recognition.
Across the world, fans of the UKIPT followed the local action through PokerStars streams that brought high production values to both the poker and the broadcasts. It was many players’ first exposure to mid-level poker, as much of the televised and streamed content focused on the high-end tournament game.
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While the flagship live tour for the Red Spade has always been the European Poker Tour (EPT), the UKIPT quickly took the second spot in global attention. The last full season of the tour was in 2016, however, with the operator’s regional tours getting the ax after a corporate restructure.
The iconic tour is back in force with the first full schedule announcement in seven years. While the tour was back in 2022 with stops including London, Dublin, and Nottingham, the latest announcement marks the first time since 2016 that players can plan out their schedule for the entire season.
Full Schedule and Leaderboard Announced
The UKIPT is back with a full schedule of events announced in advance so players can plan their time to attend their favorite stops. There are six festivals on the list, with five locations within the UK and Ireland and a sixth playing in sunny Malta.
Stops in the upcoming season will include the famed Hippodrome in London and Dusk Till Dawn in the poker hotspot of Nottingham. However, the newly announced schedule kicks off outside the British Isles, with the tour underway in Malta in late June and early July.
For European players unable to make the trip to Las Vegas, the Malta Summer Festival from June 27 to July 2 might be the perfect tonic to soothe the WSOP 2023 FOMO.
2023 UKIPT Dates
| Location | Dates | Venue | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malta Summer Festival | 27 June — 2 July 2023 | Intercontinental Arena | |
| Blackpool | 5-10 September 2023 | Grosvenor Casino Blackpool | https://www.pokerstarslive.com/ukipt/blackpool/ |
| Brighton | Official site | Rendezvous Casino | https://www.pokerstarslive.com/ukipt/brighton/ |
| London | 19-24 September 2023 | Hippodrome & The Dilly | https://www.pokerstarslive.com/ukipt/london/ |
| Edinburgh | 24-29 October 2023 | Genting Fountain Park | https://www.pokerstarslive.com/ukipt/edinburgh/ |
| Nottingham — £1M Gtd | 4-14 November 2023 | Dusk Till Dawn | https://www.pokerstarslive.com/ukipt/nottingham/ |
Tour Consistency Rewarded with Leaderboard Prizes
There is more than £15,000 extra at stake for the best performers on the UKIPT in the upcoming season, as the tour will track player results to compile a leaderboard across the season. At the end of the year, the winner will get a UKIPT package worth £15k, but players do not have to win to pocket some cash.
The top three performers on the tour this season will get a cut of the total leaderboard prizes. That total comes to £18,300, with second and third places pocketing tickets for upcoming PokerStars Live events.
- 1st Prize: a £15,000 UKIPT 2024 Package (10 x £1,100 live events tickets plus £4,000 cash expenses).
- 2nd Prize: 2 x £1,100 live events tickets.
- 3rd Prize: £1,100 live events ticket.
- Online Qualifiers now running, including Freerolls
- PokerStars’ first-ever EPT stop in Cyprus!
- EPT Main Event October 16 – 22
- Includes Mystery Bounty, High & Super High Roller Events
Cheap Seats
Players planning to attend one of the festivals on the upcoming schedule should keep a close eye on the PokerStars tournament lobby in its online client.
The operator plans to run a lot of satellite games for the various tour dates, and there are already qualifier games in the lobby for the opening festival in Malta at the end of June.
Right now, the qualifier games start at €3.30, but there is no doubt there will be freerolls added to the mix as the date approaches. Select the Live sub-tab from the Events tab to find all the satellite games for upcoming UKIPT events or any live events from PokerStars.
This will open a window listing all upcoming live festivals currently on the schedule, no matter the tour, and players can select the specific event they are interested in. That gives you three more sub-tabs to check out the Event Schedule, All Satellites, or Direct Satellites.
Besides Malta details and games, players have access to everything they need for upcoming stops on the EPT, the ESPT, and the FPS.
Check back on the client regularly as new tour dates approach for satellites into each upcoming festival and get set for the return of the iconic UKIPT.
