PokerStars has officially announced the complete calendar for the 2027 European Poker Tour (EPT) season, featuring five premier festival locations alongside key regional stops.
The upcoming season brings a major structural change: for the first time in over 15 years, PokerStars is adjusting the flag-bearer EPT Main Event buy-in to €5,000, shifting from the long-standing €5,300 price point to try and simplify registration and align with broader tour changes.
The announcement also confirmed three major standalone and regional festivals for the first half of the year.
2027 EPT Schedule Overview
The 2027 campaign kicks off in France before visiting some of the most iconic poker venues across Europe. It also sees EPT Malta return to the schedule after its absence in 2026.
- EPT Paris: February 9 – 20, 2027
- EPT Monte-Carlo: April 21 – May 2, 2027
- EPT Barcelona: August 15 – 28, 2027
- EPT Malta: September 28 – October 9, 2027
- EPT Prague: November 28 – December 9, 2027
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Three other events have been announced including two PokerStars Open stops, and PokerStars’ sponsorship of the 2027 Irish Open:
- PokerStars Open Campione: January 8 – 17, 2027 (Lake Lugano)
- Irish Open (Sponsored by PokerStars): March 18 – 29, 2027
- PokerStars Open Namur: May 26 – June 6, 2027
Buy-Ins Change in Response to Player Feedback
The decision to change the EPT Main Event comes as part of a multi-year initiative aimed at improving table experience, stream coverage, and tournament logistics.
- EPT Main Event buy-in: Reduced from €5,300 to €5,000
- PokerStars Open Main Event buy-in: Standardized to €1,250 across all stops (had previously alternated between €1,650 at flagship EPT stops and €1,100 at standalone regional festivals like Campione and Namur
- PokerStars Open High Roller buy-in: Decreased to €2,500 at EPT festivals
Cedric Billot, Associate Director of Live Events at PokerStars, says the decision to amend buy-ins came as a result of player feedback.
“The EPT has set the standard in live poker for more than 20 years, and our job is to raise it,” said Billot. “That starts with listening. Players told us the PokerStars Open at EPT stops had become too expensive, and €1,250 brings it back within reach while still letting us manage demand in our busiest venues.
“The EPT has set the standard in live poker for more than 20 years, and our job is to raise it”
“One consistent buy-in level for every PokerStars Open and a clean €5,000 for the EPT Main Event make the tour simpler to understand.”
In the announcement, Billot said, “This is only the start,” with future changes in 2027 aimed at improving the poker experience at PokerStars Live events.
Online Qualifiers & Satellites
Online satellites for the PokerStars Open Campione and the Irish Open are already running on the PokerStars client.
Feeders for EPT Paris begin today, with direct online qualifiers launching on Sunday, November 15.
Will Shillibier
Managing Editor