Prague set to host largest ever EPT festival

(PRESS RELEASE) -- The European Poker Tour (EPT) Prague Festival, which starts this Saturday, is set to be the largest live event ever held by the EPT, an Amaya Inc. brand.

Joining forces with the Eureka Poker Tour, this year's 12-day Prague poker extravaganza will feature a record number of 97 tournaments at the Hilton Prague, from Dec. 5-16, 2015. Nearly 260 players have already qualified for the €5,300 EPT Main Event, while more than 390 have won their way into the €1,100 Eureka Prague Main Event.

There will be 185 poker tables in operation across the whole venue and a new area has been secured to hold 35 tables dedicated to EPT-run, 24-hour cash games. Over 250 floor staff and dealers will be present, which is a record number of staff needed to run the event.

"EPT Prague always attracts a huge number of players and with a record number of tournaments on the schedule and a huge number of players expected to attend; this season's festival will be one of the biggest and best live events ever held by EPT," said EPT President Edgar Stuchly. "The large number of tournaments on offer shows our commitment to cater for as many poker players as possible. We're looking forward to welcoming many thousands of players in Prague and especially pleased to be raising funds for Right To Play, our official Season 12 charity partner, with a great event on Dec. 10."

EPT Prague will feature a host of new formats and variants, including the first combined chess and poker tournament on the EPT, a one-day €25,000 High Roller, a "High Hand Instant Win Turbo" tournament (each level the player with the highest hand wins back their €500 buy-in), a €100 Deuces Wild "Quack Quack Half a Rack" tournament (which awards €50 for any player dealt pocket deuces) and the first ever €200 Prague Open.

RIGHT TO PLAY

One of the highlights of this season's festival will be the EPT Prague €150 charity tournament on Dec. 10. A host of Team PokerStars Pros are expected to compete in the rebuy event which is to be held in aid of the EPT's Season 12 charity partner, Right To Play. Right To Play uses the educational power of various sports, games and play to help children and young people to overcome the effects of poverty, disease and war.

The EPT will be hosting similar fundraisers at all remaining EPT festivals this season with some amazing prizes up for grabs such as a weekend away and dinner for two compliments of EPT Travel, €1,000 tournament tickets and various products such-as Apple Watches and iPads.

SKYDIVE FOR CHARITY

On Dec. 7, a special charity indoor skydiving experience will be taking place in Prague. All EPT and Eureka qualifiers will be eligible to take part in a special €10 online charity shoot-out on Dec. 3 with the top 30 finishers invited to join Team PokerStars Pro Jake Cody for a unique skydiving experience. All proceeds from the online tournament will also go to Right To Play.

EPTLIVE

EPTLive kicks off from Dec. 12 with coverage from Day 2 of the EPT Main Event through to final table on Dec. 16. Hosts James Hartigan, Joe Stapleton and Matt Broughton will be mixing up live commentary and studio guest appearances with quizzes, promotions and much more.

Other highlights during the Prague Poker Festival include a return for the €50,000 Super High Roller, as well as the ever-popular €2,000 Eureka High Roller and €10,000 EPT High Roller events.

A number of big name poker players are set to attend including Team PokerStars Pros Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, Chris Moneymaker, Jason Mercier, Liv Boeree and Vanessa Selbst, as well as Shark Cage star Faraz Jaka and recently crowned EPT Malta champion Niall Farrell.

Away from the tables, seasonal celebrations will be getting underway at the annual EPT Prague party; this will be held in the Hilton's Cloud 9 skybar on Dec. 9 from 10pm-2am. Players will also be given chocolate treat-filled Advent Calendars throughout the event.

Last season, the EPT 11 Prague Poker Festival attracted more than 12,000 tournament entries with over €20 million awarded in prizes. American Stephen Graner won the Main Event for €969,000 after defeating a record-breaking field of 1,107 players.