After resting through the first month of 2024, the European Poker Tour has awoken with its first tournament of 2024. The EPT is at the Le Palais des Congres in Paris, France, for the kickoff of their five-tournament schedule throughout the entirety of the European continent. One tournament is already in the books, while the €5000 Main Event is underway.
Early Action at EPT Paris
There has already been extensive action going on in Paris, with each tournament carrying its measure of prestige. The PokerStars France Poker Series (FPS) Main Event is on Day Three of its four-day schedule, looking to play down to a final table. At the start of Day Three today, Ilija Savevski of North Macedonia led Blaz Zerjav of Slovenia, but there were still 55 players left on the tables to contend with. While everyone left in the tournament is guaranteed a €8710 payout, all eyes are on the top of the standings, where €470,830 awaits the champion.
In the first $25,000 “High Roller” event on the schedule, Stephen Chidwick captured his first victory of 2024 by topping Adrian Mateos and a 51-entry field. Seven players were able to walk away from the final table with some cash, but Chidwick took the lion’s share:
1. Stephen Chidwick, €389,820
2. Adrian Mateos, €257,900
3. Jean-Noel Thorel, €173,900
4. Mike Watson, €131,900
5. Jesse Lonis, €102,000
6. Sam Greenwood, €81,000
7. Daniel Dvoress, €63,000
An additional day was necessary for the second of two €25,000 “High Roller” tournaments. Currently underway in Paris, the 62-entry field has been whittled down to a trio of men, Tamas Adamszki, Niklas Astedt, and Dvoress, making his second appearance on the “High Roller” tables. If Dvoress is going to rack up a win, he will have to get moving, as he is the shortest of the three stacks:
1. Tamas Adamszki, 2.765 million
2. Niklas Astedt, 2.18 million
3. Daniel Dvoress, 1.255 million
Also underway at the Palais is the “Super High Roller” tournament, a €50,000 buy-in event. This one is going to be huge, as late registration is going on and they have already cracked fifty (50) entries at this mark. Dvoress is working hard on a Sunday, as he is in this tournament along with the “other” €25K tournament, along with the “high roller” denizens such as David Coleman, Chris Brewer, Orpen Kisacikoglu, Juan Pardo, and Dimitar Danchev.
Main Event Begins Monday
For those looking for the Main Event, you will have to wait until tomorrow for that action. The €5000 Main Event kicks off at noon on Monday with the first of two-Day Ones. Each of those opening days will offer a single rebuy option, with the champion determined next Sunday (February 25).
There will be another “High Roller” tournament on the schedule but, after you have already seen two €25,000 tournaments and a €50,000 running, a €10,000 “High Roller” might induce yawns. That is why a THIRD €25,000 “High Roller” will close out the EPT Paris on February 24-25.
Action in the €5000 Main Event will be live-streamed through the PokerStars Twitch feed beginning on Monday. It should be an excellent week of poker action as the European Poker Tour kicks off its 2024 schedule in style in the “City of Lights.”
