European Poker Tour Makes Grand Return to Paris for 2026 Seasonal Kickoff
After a one-year hiatus, the PokerStars European Poker Tour has returned to Paris. The EPT has been welcomed back to Le Palais des Congrès with open arms, once again drawing massive crowds to the French capital. Today, at noon local time, the first €5,300 EPT Main Event of the 2026 season kicks off with Day 1a, the first of two starting days.
When the EPT last attended Paris in 2024, Barny Boatman cemented his legendary status with his first-ever victory in an EPT Main Event. He outlasted a field of 1,747 entries and bested a star-studded final table to take home the trophy and the gargantuan sum of €1,287,800.
2024 EPT Paris Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barny Boatman | United Kingdom | €1,287,800 |
| 2 | David Kaufmann | Germany | €804,750 |
| 3 | Aleksejs Ponakovs | Latvia | €574,850 |
| 4 | Owen Dodd | United Kingdom | €442,150 |
| 5 | Peter Jorgne | Sweden | €340,100 |
| 6 | Eric Afriat | Canada | €261,650 |
| 7 | Ami Barer | Canada | €201,250 |
| 8 | Lorenzo Arduini | Italy | €154,800 |
Day 1a Plans
The classic formula of the EPT Main Event returns for EPT Paris, meaning a starting stack of 30,000 and blinds starting at 100/100 with a 100 big blind ante. Day 1a will play ten levels, each 60 minutes long. A small break is scheduled after every two levels, and a 75-minute dinner break is scheduled after Level 6, around 6:40 p.m. local time.
The day will conclude after Level 10: 600/1,200 (1,200), after which the survivors bag up for Day 2. Each player is allowed two entries in total across Day 1a, Day 1b, and Day 2, with the start of Day 2 marking the end of late registration.
Day 1a Schedule
| Level | Duration | Small Blind | Big Blind | Big Blind Ante |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 min | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| 2 | 60 min | 100 | 200 | 200 |
| 20 min break | ||||
| 3 | 60 min | 100 | 300 | 300 |
| 4 | 60 min | 200 | 400 | 400 |
| 20 min break | ||||
| 5 | 60 min | 200 | 500 | 500 |
| 6 | 60 min | 300 | 600 | 600 |
| 75 min dinner break | ||||
| 7 | 60 min | 400 | 800 | 800 |
| 8 | 60 min | 500 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| 20 min break | ||||
| 9 | 60 min | 600 | 1,200 | 1,200 |
| 10 | 60 min | 600 | 1,200 | 1,200 |
The PokerNews live reporting team has made their way back to Paris as well to provide live coverage of the EPT Paris Main Event from start to finish. Stay tuned for all the latest updates, straight from the tournament floor.