A big PokerStars Live event isn't complete without a PokerStars players party, and the one for PokerStars and Monte-Carlo©Casino EPT went down Friday night. It turned out to be quite the show, complete with a carnival theme, and seemed to be enjoyed by all who made the trip to the gala.

Things kicked off early in the evening and players and staff — those who didn't have to work deep into the night, anyway — headed out to find a typical setup with a dance floor and an open bar, which everyone began to enjoy. There was also a food spread featuring appetizers, pasta and lamb among the entrees, and a table with numerous dessert choices.

But that's all fairly standard for a PokerStars party. What made this one unique was the spread of carnival games and performers around to liven things up.

Those looking to flex their athletic muscles could compete with either arms or legs. For the former, there was a classic "throw an object at a pyramid of cans" setup where competitors could win little plush prizes if they knocked over all the cans. For the latter, a carnival-style soccer goal had been erected, with players tasked to kick the ball through holes in the goal worth different point values.

Other attractions included the classic claw game, grabbing prizes from a bin, and a shooting gallery.

Perhaps nothing, however, proved more popular than the mechanical bull.

And then, there were the performers. A man on stilts sauntered about, spinning glowing sticks. Others piloted actual robots, wandering them on to the dance floor where they did anything but fit into the crowd.

Drinks were downed. Food was consumed. Dances ranging from the graceful to the drunk and sloppy were on display. PokerStars Team Pros Liv Boeree and Igor Kurganov went at each other in air hockey so hard their knuckles were in mortal danger.

By the time things wrapped up around midnight, everyone seemed to be in agreement that PokerStars had put together a strong party, and it was on to after hours for the adventurous or bed for the faint of heart.