Eastern Poker Tour Gears Up for Massive 20th Anniversary Celebration
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Update on Thurs, Jan 22: The event has been postponed due to an incoming winter storm forecast across the northeastern United States this weekend. Updated dates will be confirmed once the Eastern Poker Tour team finalizes alternative plans.
The Eastern Poker Tour will mark its 20-year anniversary with a special poker festival at the Milford DoubleTree in Massachusetts, running from January 23–25, 2026. The weekend brings together a full schedule of events built around the tour’s long-standing New England roots.
The centerpiece of the anniversary weekend is the $1,200 New England Poker Championship, which has become one of the tour’s signature events and returns as the flagship tournament of the celebration.
The New England Poker Championship is a charity poker event, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting Children Across America.
Eastern Poker Open 20th Anniversary Schedule
New England Poker Championship Set for January 24
The $1,200 New England Poker Championship will take place on Saturday, January 24, with cards in the air at 11 a.m. at the Milford DoubleTree. The tournament is structured as a two-day event, with players starting with 100,000 chips and playing 40-minute blind levels.
Organizers anticipate a field of more than 100 entries and expect the prize pool to surpass $100,000. Late registration and re-entry will remain open through Level 12, giving players flexibility while preserving a deep, playable structure. The donation to play is $1,200, with 90% of the entry going directly to the prize pool.
PokerNews will be on site throughout the anniversary weekend, providing live updates and highlight blog coverage across the full schedule. Coverage will run from January 23–25, with reports from every event on the slate, including featured coverage of the $180 Deepstack, the $1,200 New England Poker Championship, and the $20,000 Eastern Poker Tour Celebration Championship.
The Milford DoubleTree will host the full anniversary weekend, with special room rates available for players participating in any tournament during the festival. Rooms are offered at $100 per night, allowing players to stay on site throughout the weekend and move easily between events.
Multiple Satellite Paths Running Throughout January
Players looking to qualify for the New England Poker Championship at a reduced cost will have several satellite opportunities in the weeks leading up to the event. Beginning in early January, Pub Poker events will award the top 20 percent of finishers with tickets that provide a $40 discount into Saturday satellite tournaments.
In addition to discounted entries, $60 satellites will run on January 17, and the evening of January 23. These events will award seats into the New England Poker Championship as well as Florida travel packages.
Satellites begin with 15,000 chips and feature quicker early levels before accelerating later in the tournament, with late registration and re-entry available through the early stages.
