European Poker Tour (EPT): A Comprehensive Overview
Introduction
The European Poker Tour (EPT) is one of the most prestigious and widely recognized poker tournament series in the world. Launched in 2004, it has grown into the most lucrative poker circuit in Europe, offering some of the largest prize pools and attracting elite players from around the globe. Sponsored by PokerStars, the EPT continues to dominate the European poker scene and remains a key event for both professional and amateur players.
Origins and Evolution of the EPT
Founding of the EPT
The EPT was founded in 2004 by John Duthie, an English television director and the first-ever winner of the Poker Million tournament in 2000. Inspired by the success of the World Poker Tour (WPT) in the United States, Duthie envisioned a European poker series that would bring high-stakes tournament action to players across the continent. The inaugural season featured seven Texas Hold’em No Limit tournaments, with events broadcasted across Europe.
Expansion and Growth
Over the years, the EPT expanded its reach, visiting over 20 European destinations, including iconic cities such as Monte Carlo, London, Barcelona, Prague, and Berlin. With each passing season, the tour saw increasing numbers of participants and larger prize pools.
One of the most notable moments in the EPT’s growth occurred in 2014, when Spanish poker player Adrián Mateos won the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo, becoming the first Spaniard to claim an EPT Main Event title.
Milestones and Changes
Rebranding and Return to the Original Format
In 2017, the EPT was temporarily rebranded as part of PokerStars’ global championship series, with events named the PokerStars Championship and PokerStars Festival. However, this change was short-lived due to widespread player demand for the return of the EPT brand. In 2018, PokerStars reinstated the original EPT format, reaffirming its position as the premier poker tour in Europe.
Notable Champions in EPT History
Over its 20-year history, the EPT has crowned numerous champions, with many going on to establish themselves as poker legends.
Victoria Coren-Mitchell: A Historic Champion
British poker player Victoria Coren-Mitchell made history as the first-ever player to win two EPT Main Event titles. She won her first title in EPT London (2006) and made history again by winning EPT Sanremo (2014), proving her dominance in the European poker scene.
Record-Breaking Wins
Several EPT winners have achieved remarkable victories:
Pedro Marques (2024): Won the EPT Prague Main Event, taking home €963,450, marking the highest-recorded win in EPT Prague history.
Pieter de Korver (2009): Secured €2,300,000, the highest EPT Main Event prize to date.
Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier (2008): Won $2,000,000 in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA), a part of the EPT series.
List of EPT Main Event Winners
The table below highlights the EPT Main Event winners from its inception in 2004 through 2024, showcasing the best poker players and their winnings.
EPT Main Event Winners (2004 – Present)
The European Poker Tour (EPT) has been a cornerstone of the international poker scene since its inception in 2004. Below is a season-by-season breakdown of the EPT Main Event winners, highlighting the evolution of the tour and its champions.
Season 1 (2004-2005):
Event and Location
Winner (Country)
Prize (€)
EPT Barcelona
Alexander Stevic (Sweden)
€80,000
EPT London
John Shipley (UK)
£200,000
EPT Dublin
Ram Vaswani (UK)
€93,000
EPT Copenhagen
Noah Boeken (Netherlands)
DKr1,098,340
EPT Deauville
Brandon Schaefer (USA)
€144,000
EPT Vienna
Pascal Perrault (France)
€184,500
EPT Grand Final (Monte Carlo)
Rob Hollink (Netherlands)
€635,000
Season 2 (2005-2006):
Event and Location
Winner (Country)
Prize (€)
EPT Barcelona
Jan Boubli (France)
€426,000
EPT London
Mark Teltscher (UK)
£280,000
EPT Baden
Patrik Antonius (Finland)
€288,180
EPT Dublin
Mats Gavatin (Sweden)
€317,000
EPT Copenhagen
Mads Andersen (Denmark)
DKr2,548,040
EPT Deauville
Mats Iremark (Sweden)
€480,000
EPT Grand Final (Monte Carlo)
Jeff Williams (USA)
€900,000
Season 3 (2006-2007):
Event and Location
Winner (Country)
Prize (€)
EPT Barcelona
Bjørn-Erik Glenne (Norway)
€691,000
EPT London
Victoria Coren (UK)
£500,000
EPT Baden
Duc Thang Nguyen (Norway)
€487,397
EPT Dublin
Roland De Wolfe (UK)
€554,300
EPT Copenhagen
Magnus Petersson (Sweden)
DKr4,078,080
EPT Dortmund
Andreas Høivold (Norway)
€672,000
EPT Warsaw
Peter Jepsen (Denmark)
zł1,226,711
EPT Grand Final (Monte Carlo)
Gavin Griffin (USA)
€1,825,010
Season 4 (2007-2008):
Event and Location
Winner (Country)
Prize (€)
EPT Barcelona
Sander Lylloff (Denmark)
€1,170,700
EPT London
Joseph Mouawad (Lebanon)
£611,520
EPT Baden
Julian Thew (UK)
€670,800
EPT Dublin
Reuben Peters (USA)
€532,620
EPT Prague
Arnaud Mattern (France)
€708,400
PokerStars Caribbean Adventure
Bertrand Grospellier (France)
$2,000,000
EPT Dortmund
Mike McDonald (Canada)
€933,600
EPT Copenhagen
Tim Vance (USA)
DKr6,220,488
EPT Warsaw
Michael Schulze (Germany)
zł2,153,999
EPT Sanremo
Jason Mercier (USA)
€869,000
EPT Grand Final (Monte Carlo)
Glen Chorny (Canada)
€2,020,000
Season 5 (2008-2009):
Event and Location
Winner (Country)
Prize (€)
EPT Barcelona
Sebastian Ruthenberg (Germany)
€1,361,000
EPT London
Michael Martin (USA)
£1,000,000
EPT Budapest
Will Fry (UK)
€595,840
EPT Warsaw
João Barbosa (Portugal)
€367,140
EPT Prague
Salvatore Bonavena (Italy)
€774,000
PokerStars Caribbean Adventure
Poorya Nazari (Canada)
$3,000,000
EPT Deauville
Moritz Kranich (Germany)
€851,400
EPT Copenhagen
Jens Kyllönen (Finland)
DKr6,542,208
EPT Dortmund
Sandra Naujoks (Germany)
€917,000
EPT Sanremo
Constant Rijkenberg (Netherlands)
€1,508,000
EPT Grand Final (Monte Carlo)
Pieter de Korver (Netherlands)
€2,300,000
Season 6 (2009-2010):
Event and Location
Winner (Country)
Prize (€)
EPT Kyiv
Maxim Lykov (Russia)
€330,000
EPT Barcelona
Carter Phillips (USA)
€850,000
EPT London
Aaron Gustavson (USA)
£850,000
EPT Warsaw
Christophe Benzimra (France)
zł1,493,170
EPT Vilamoura
António Matias (Portugal)
€404,793
EPT Prague
Jan Skampa (Czech Republic)
€682,000
PokerStars Caribbean Adventure
Harrison Gimbel (USA)
$2,200,000
EPT Deauville
Jake Cody (UK)
€847,000
EPT Copenhagen
Anton Wigg (Sweden)
DKr3,675,000
EPT Berlin
Kevin MacPhee (USA)
€1,000,000
EPT Sanremo
Liv Boeree (UK)
€1,250,000
EPT Grand Final (Monte Carlo)
Nicolas Chouity (Lebanon)
€1,700,000
Season 7 (2010-2011):
Event and Location
Winner (Country)
Prize (€)
EPT Tallinn
Kevin Stani (Norway)
€400,000
EPT Vilamoura
Toby Lewis (UK)
€467,836
EPT London
David Vamplew (UK)
£900,000
EPT Vienna
Michael Eiler (Germany)
€700,000
EPT Barcelona
Kent Lundmark (Sweden)
€825,000
EPT Prague
Roberto Romanello (Wales)
€640,000
PokerStars Caribbean Adventure
Galen Hall (USA)
$2,300,000
EPT Deauville
Lucien Cohen (France)
€880,000
EPT Copenhagen
Michael Tureniec (Sweden)
DKr3,700,000
EPT Berlin
Ben Wilinofsky (Canada)
€825,000
EPT Sanremo
Rupert Elder (UK)
€930,000
EPT Grand Final (Madrid)
Ivan Freitez (Venezuela)
€1,500,000
Season 8 (2011-2012):
Event and Location
Winner (Country)
Prize (€)
EPT Tallinn
Ronny Kaiser (Switzerland)
€275,000
EPT Barcelona
Martin Schleich (Germany)
€850,000
EPT London
Benny Spindler (Germany)
£750,000
EPT Sanremo
Andrey Pateychuk (Russia)
€680,000
EPT Prague
Martin Finger (Germany)
€720,000
PokerStars Caribbean Adventure
John Dibella (USA)
$1,775,000
EPT Deauville
Vadzim Kursevich (Belarus)
€875,000
EPT Copenhagen
Mickey Petersen (Denmark)
DKr2,515,000
EPT Madrid
Frederik Jensen (Denmark)
€495,000
EPT Campione
Jannick Wrang (Denmark)
€640,000
EPT Berlin
Davidi Kitai (Belgium)
€712,000
EPT Grand Final (Monte Carlo)
Mohsin Charania (USA)
€1,350,000
Season 9 (2012-2013):
Event and Location
Winner (Country)
Prize (€)
EPT Barcelona
Mikalai Pobal (Belarus)
€1,007,550
EPT Sanremo
Ludovic Lacay (France)
€744,910
EPT Prague
Ramzi Jelassi (Sweden)
€835,000
PokerStars Caribbean Adventure
Dimitar Danchev (Bulgaria)
$1,859,000
EPT Deauville
Remi Castaignon (France)
€770,000
EPT London
Ruben Visser (Netherlands)
£595,000
EPT Berlin
Daniel Pidun (Germany)
€880,000
EPT Grand Final (Monte Carlo)
Steve O’Dwyer (USA)
€1,224,000
Season 10 (2013-2014):
Event and Location
Winner (Country)
Prize (€)
EPT Barcelona
Tom Middleton (UK)
€942,000
EPT London
Robin Ylitalo (Sweden)
£560,980
EPT Prague
Julian Track (Germany)
€725,700
PokerStars Caribbean Adventure
Dominik Panka (Poland)
$1,423,096
EPT Deauville
Sotirios Koutoupas (Greece)
€614,000
EPT Vienna
Oleksii Khoroshenin (Ukraine)
€578,392
EPT Sanremo
Antonio Buonanno (Italy)
€1,240,000
EPT Grand Final (Monte Carlo)
Antonio Buonanno (Italy)
€1,240,000
Season 11 (2014-2015):
Event and Location
Winner (Country)
Prize (€)
EPT Barcelona
Andre Lettau (Germany)
€794,058
EPT London
Sebastian Pauli (Germany)
£499,700
EPT Prague
Stephen Graner (USA)
€969,000
PokerStars Caribbean Adventure
Kevin Schulz (USA)
$1,491,580
EPT Deauville
Ognyan Dimov (Bulgaria)
€543,700
EPT Malta
Jean Montury (France)
€687,400
EPT Grand Final (Monte Carlo)
Adrian Mateos (Spain)
€1,082,000
Season 12 (2015-2016):
Event and Location
Winner (Country)
Prize (€)
EPT Barcelona
John Juanda (Indonesia)
€1,022,593
EPT Malta
Niall Farrell (Scotland)
€534,330
EPT Prague
Hossein Ensan (Germany)
€754,510
PokerStars Caribbean Adventure
Mike Watson (Canada)
$728,325
EPT Dublin
Dzmitry Urbanovich (Poland)
€561,900
EPT Grand Final (Monte Carlo)
Jan Bendik (Slovakia)
€961,800
Season 13 (2016-2017):
Event and Location
Winner
Prize
EPT Barcelona
Sebastian Malec (Poland)
€1,122,800
EPT Malta
Aliaksei Boika (Belarus)
€355,700
EPT Prague
Jasper Meijer van Putten (Netherlands)
€699,300
PokerStars Championship (2017):
In 2017, the EPT was rebranded as the PokerStars Championship. However, due to player demand, the EPT brand was reinstated in 2018. During this period, notable Main Event winners included:
Event and Location
Winner
Prize
PSC Bahamas
Christian Harder (USA)
$429,664
PSC Panama
Kenneth Smaron (USA)
$293,860
PSC Macau
Elliot Smith (Canada)
HKD 2,877,500
PSC Monte Carlo
Raffaele Sorrentino (Italy)
€466,714
PSC Sochi
Pavel Shirshikov (Russia)
₽29,100,000
PSC Barcelona
Sebastian Sorensson (Sweden)
€987,043
PSC Prague
Kalidou Sow (France)
€675,000
Season 14 (2018):
Event and Location
Winner
Prize
PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (Bahamas)
Maria Lampropulos (Argentina)
$1,081,100
EPT Sochi
Arsenii Karmatckii (Russia)
RUB 27,300,000
EPT Monte Carlo
Nicolas Dumont (France)
€712,000
EPT Barcelona
Piotr Nurzynski (Poland)
€1,037,109
EPT Prague
Paul Michaelis (Germany)
€840,000
Season 15 (2019):
Event and Location
Winner
Prize
PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (Bahamas)
David Rheem (USA)
$1,567,100
EPT Sochi
Uri Gilboa (Israel)
₽27,475,000
EPT Monte Carlo
Manig Loeser (Germany)
€603,777
EPT Barcelona
Simon Brandstrom (Sweden)
€1,290,166
EPT Prague
Mikalai Pobal (Belarus)
€1,005,600
Season 16 (2020-2021):
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the EPT schedule, leading to event postponements and cancellations. Notable events during this period included:
Event and Location
Winner
Prize
EPT Sochi (October 2020)
Ruslan Bogdanov (Russia)
₽15,984,500
EPT Online
“WhatIfGod” (Sweden)
$1,019,082
EPT Sochi (March 2021)
Artur Martirosian (Russia)
₽24,633,000
Season 17 (2022):
Event and Location
Winner
Prize
EPT Prague
Grzegorz Główny (Poland)
€692,252
EPT Monte Carlo
Marcelo Simões (Brazil)
€939,840
EPT Barcelona
Giuliano Bendinelli (Italy)
€1,491,133
EPT London
Ian Hamilton (UK)
£664,400
EPT Prague
Jordan Saccucci (Canada)
€913,250
Season 18 (2023):
Event and Location
Winner
Prize
EPT Paris
Razvan Belea (Romania)
€1,170,000
EPT Monte Carlo
Mike Watson (Canada)
€749,425
EPT Barcelona
Simon Wiciak (France)
€1,134,375
EPT Cyprus
Volodymyr Palamar (Ukraine)
$1,002,500
EPT Prague
Jordan Saccucci (Canada)
€913,250
Season 19 (2024):
Event and Location
Winner
Prize
EPT Paris
Barny Boatman (UK)
€1,287,800
EPT Monte Carlo
Derk Van Luijk (Netherlands)
€1,000,000
EPT Barcelona
Stephen Song (USA)
€1,290,386
EPT Cyprus
Oliver Weis (Germany)
$1,030,000
EPT Prague
Pedro Marques (Portugal)
€963,450
These seasons highlight the resilience and adaptability of the EPT, showcasing a diverse array of champions from around the globe. The tour continues to be a cornerstone of the international poker scene, attracting both seasoned professionals and emerging talents.
Conclusion
The European Poker Tour (EPT) has solidified itself as one of the most prestigious and influential poker circuits in the world. From its humble beginnings in 2004 to becoming an internationally recognized series with record-breaking prize pools, the EPT continues to attract the world’s best players. With each new season, the legacy of the EPT grows, shaping the future of professional poker in Europe and beyond.
European Poker Tour (EPT) Copenhagen was a prominent stop on the EPT circuit, attracting top poker talent from around the world. The tournament was held annually in Copenhagen, Denmark, and was known for its competitive fields and significant prize pools.
The last EPT Copenhagen event took place in February 2012 during Season 8 of the tour. Following this, the EPT schedule underwent changes, and Copenhagen was no longer included as a stop. The reasons for this decision have not been officially detailed by the organizers. However, it’s common for poker tours to adjust their schedules based on factors such as player interest, logistical considerations, and market dynamics.
