PokerStars live events have returned to their popular spots across Europe and the rest of the world, and the online poker powerhouse has announced two new stops for 2022.
In late July, PokerStars will be hosting the first edition of UKIPT Nottingham since 2015, while Eureka Poker Tour returns to Bucharest, a location that saw the festival play out only once, in 2016.
PokerStars previously announced several live tournament stops across Europe through the rest of the year, as well as the return of PSPC and PCA in early 2023. Adding these new events to the calendar will undoubtedly be exciting news for European poker players.
Let’s take a closer look at what’s in store at the two upcoming stops and how you can get involved.
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UKIPT Returns to a Popular Location
For many years, the UK & Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) was one of the most popular PokerStars-sponsored festivals, featuring a number of stops across the UK and Ireland.
UKIPT tournaments were put on hold five years ago, along with most other PokerStars events, but are now returning.
The operator has made it clear that its live poker festivals are high on the list of priorities, so it is no surprise to see this event, which PokerStars featured every year between 2010 and 2015, make a return.
Before the festival kicks off, a UKIPT Mini event will take place on July 23, with a £230 buy-in and a massive £100k guarantee.
UKIPT Nottingham kicks off on July 28 with the £1,100 Main Event, which will feature a £500,000 guaranteed prize pool.
Players who want a bit more modest action will be able to jump into the £330 UKIPT Cup with a £100k guarantee on July 30, while the High Roller action is scheduled for the same day with a £2,200 buy-in and a £200k guarantee.
The largest-ever UKIPT Nottingham was hosted in 2012 and won by Robert Baguley for £210,000, and the organizers will be looking to match and outperform those numbers ten years later.
Eureka Poker Tour is Back
Players across Eastern Europe were excited when PokerStars launched its Eureka Poker Tour in 2011, but the project was hit or miss on the first go-around.
The operator tried out many different locations for about five years but rarely returned to any site more than once or twice.
The 2022 Eureka Poker Tour Bucharest, scheduled for July 25 – 31, is only the second time Romanian players will have the opportunity to participate in this prestigious event, with the 2016 edition being the only one to run thus far.
Like then, PokerStars will be partnering with PokerFest to bring us the event, which will play out at the Grand Hotel Bucharest.
The Eureka Poker Tour Bucharest will feature several key events, including the €1,100 Main Event, the €2,200 High Roller, and the €330 Eureka Cup.
The guarantees for this Eureka stop have not yet been announced. Still, satellite tournaments are already underway on PokerStars, giving away seats into the Main Event and packages that include travel expenses.
The first edition of Eureka Poker Tour Bucharest took place in 2016 and was won by Avishai Shitrit, who took home €107,350 for his troubles.
Total Return of Live Poker Tournaments
2022 has been rich with live poker events across Europe and beyond, and things seem to be looking even better for the year’s second half.
Even as we announce the returns of UKIPT Nottingham and Eureka Bucharest, players from across Europe are playing ESPT and UKIPT tournaments in Malta for massive prize pools.
Eureka Poker Tour made a return in May at Rozvadov, and another 2022 stop has been announced for Prague in December, which will coincide with the EPT Prague events.
Summer will be marked by an ESPT Barcelona event in mid-August, which is guaranteed to bring out plenty of players looking for both poker action and entertainment in one of Europe’s most beautiful locations.
PokerStars hasn’t only focused on European players, either. Players from across Asia will look forward to the APPT Manila stop in August, while Americans will have plenty of opportunities to battle it out in the popular BSOP, whose next stop is mid-July.
With so much action going on, the only real question is which live event you will be playing in next and which location tickles your fancy the most of the lot.