The PokerStars European Poker Tour Grand Final Monte Carlo offers a lot of great, new events this year.
Just the sheer number of different tournaments at the Monte Carlo EPT Grand Final is enough to ensure that this year's EPT season finale is one of the most exciting poker festivals ever to take place. Fourteen separate events - stretched across one incredible week of poker - will provide breath-taking, non-stop poker action to satiate even the most die-hard poker fan.
The EPT Grand Final main event, which runs April 28 to May 3 at the glamorous Monte Carlo Bay Resort, will see the best poker players in the world come together to celebrate the end of an incredible EPT season. The €10,000 buy-in NLHE tournament, which attracted a total of 842 players last season, always proves a riveting conclusion to the EPT year and is set to top all records in 2009.
The main event is only one of the attractions however. This year, the EPT is also also putting on two major new tournaments - the European High Roller Championship and the European Pot Limit Omaha Championship. This is the third High Roller event of the season and - with a record €25,000 buy-in - is certainly going to be the biggest. The new €5,000 PLO tournament is the first of its kind but likely to also prove a huge draw. Dedicated satellites will be running for this event on PokerStars, offering a special three-day weekend trip to Monte Carlo for qualifiers.
As if these three major tournaments were not enough, there is also a big increase in the number of other side events this year which will include €5k, €2k, €1k and €500 NHLE tournaments as well as a €500 PLO rebuy event. Then there are the numerous live satellite tournaments taking place - including two Super Satellites to the main event and High Roller tournament, plus a new kind of Super Satellite tournament offering a seat at any future PokerStars tour destination - an amazing prize which, given the huge number of PokerStars live events, could win you a trip to almost anywhere on the planet. Battleship tournaments - where players compete online and face-to-face - will take place daily from midday until 3am and there will also be a wide variety of Sit N Gos available every day.
Entering events taking place during the EPT Grand Final festival of poker could not be easier. Satellites are already running for the main event on PokerStars - and satellites will also be available on PokerStars for the main event, the European High Roller Championship, the European Pot Limit Omaha Championship and the €5k NLHE freezeout and players will also be able to buy in direct for all time-tabled events on PokerStars until three hours before the relevant tournament starts.
The other big news for is that the structure for the EPT Grand Final main event (and for Season 6 of the EPT) is undergoing a change - the old structure was 10,000 in chips and 60 minute levels; - the new structure will be 30,000 in chips and 60 minute levels on Day 1 with 75 minute levels from Day 2 forward.
Check out this neat video of EPT Monte Carlo highlights:
Jump on to PokerStars, use the code stars50 for a $50 bonus, and qualify for the EPT today.