PokerStars' Neil Johnson Talks High Rollers and the "Special" One Taking Place Today
There are a few subtle differences at IPT and EPT Malta compared to other stops on the tour. The destination is a brand new one for the EPT, the GPI’s Global Poker Masters will be taking place before the Main Event kicks off, and a whopping 68 events are scheduled over 12 days. Another change has seen a "special" €25,000 High Roller event added that’s running alongside the IPT Main Event. The 25Ks are normally reserved for the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and EPT Grand Final in Monaco, so what’s the thinking behind this new, special addition?
PokerNews caught up with the man responsible for scheduling the EPT stops, PokerStars’ Neil Johnson. He was asked to explain the logic and thinking behind holding this special event and his thoughts on the tour’s high roller tournaments in general.
"We believe we have enough super high roller events," Johnson started. "We really like the flow of an EPT Season, opening with the €50K in Barcelona; then what used to be the £50,000 in London, now the €50,000 in Prague; then the $100K at the PCA and the €100K at the Grand Final. We don’t want to saturate with super high roller events, so there was never a thought of putting in a €50K or a €100K, but in previous instances where we didn’t have a 50K, we ran a 5K [pot-limit Omaha], which was fairly successful. It was very good in Prague, but then didn’t go as well in Deauville or Sanremo."
Johnson continued, "When we sat down to do the [Malta] schedule, we had the 5K PLO in where a super high roller would normally go. But then Toby [Stone], Thomas [Lamatsch], and I decided that there was no real reason we couldn’t run a 25K. The 10K and 25Ks have done really well and we know those players will be around, and we know it’ll achieve a better number than a 5K PLO. We talked to a few people at the end of last year, and it seemed to be really well received so we dropped this special high roller in."
After the original schedule was announced, the €25,000 High Roller had to be moved, and Johnson gave some insight into that decision.
"It then had to be moved from its original slot due to the Global Poker Masters," he said. "If that event didn’t exist, then it would’ve started Friday (two days before the EPT Main Event). It’s going all right as well today. It’s not the number we expect for Monaco and won’t get near the PCA number (269 entries in 2015), but for a starting event — especially before all the package winners arrive — we’re relatively happy."
Johnson warned, "We also didn’t want to spoil the 10K (scheduled for next week), as that event has become a really important part of the EPT. This is just a special event that we’re happy to include where there’s no 50 or 100K, besides the Grand Final and PCA. It fits that time slot well and if it draws 100 players and the €10K draws in 300, then we can say it fit in really nicely. It’s important to note that this is a special event though, not the EPT Malta High Roller. The €10K is the official Malta High Roller and we have SLYDE watches sponsoring that event, where the winner gets a watch."
There's always the danger that a poker tour operator can get carried away when a tournament has been a real success, like the super high roller events have been. As Johnson indicated though, saturation is a bad thing, so it’s safe to say that the future of the EPT is in very good hands. The EPT has always been innovative and never afraid to change and adapt when necessary, but also resists temptation to jump on moneymaking bandwagons, like excessive reentry events.