“Bom dia!” More than fifteen years after the last EPT Vilamoura, Portugal is back on the European poker map with the first-ever Estoril Poker Fest at Casino Estoril.

Just a few kilometers away from Lisbon and offering a magnificent sea view, players from all around Europe are expected to gather at one of the largest casinos in Europe for what could become one of the biggest six-max events ever recorded.

Coming to Estoril for the first time, organizers confessed to PokerNews that they were still unsure about how big the event would be. Would French players fly to Portugal, or would the field mainly consist of Portuguese and Spanish players? A first indication came yesterday with Day 1 of the €250 Opener Mystery, which recorded a “record-breaking jackpot” number of 777 entries, with 109 players advancing to Day 2.

With those numbers, expectations are high for the €500 Main Event, which starts this Wednesday, May 13, at noon local time with Day 1a, the first of four starting flights. With a 50,000-chip starting stack, players will battle through 30-minute levels in an attempt to qualify for Saturday’s Day 2. Late registration is open for 13 levels and a total of 16.6% of the field will make it through and secure a spot in the money.

Main Event Schedule

If the poker offer is large, the “Fiesta” program is just as busy, starting with a meet-and-greet with Portugal’s four-time WSOP bracelet winner Joao Vieira this Wednesday at 8 p.m. It will be followed by a Beer Pong Open and a Darts Open over the next two days, before the crazy Bongo Loco takes over on Saturday. Finally, the Winner’s Party will wrap up the week on Sunday.

Last but not least, all players are welcome to take part in the “Late Night Lingos” every day at midnight. The concept is simple: everybody is all in on an Omaha hand, and good luck winning it.

While PokerNews will keep a close eye on the fun side of the festival, our live reporting team will also be on the floor in Estoril all week long to provide updates from the Main Event!