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The European Poker Tour (EPT)
Read more about European Poker Tour
It is somewhat ironic that the very place that invented the poker hole camera was the last place to use it effectively in terms of a major broadcasted poker tournament, but nonetheless the European Poker Tour did get on board the poker train. It was a British poker show that first introduced the idea of the hole cam back in 1997, and after it made the trip across the Atlantic and was made popular by events such as Poker Millions, the World Series of Poker, and the World Poker Tour, it was repackaged in Europe by UK producer and WSOP Main Event final table participant John Duthie.
Basically, Duthie and his production team created a counterpart to the World Poker Tour, with several important differences. We'll give a brief list below after we look at a bit more of the history of the European Poker Tour.
History
The European Poker Tour was launched in 2004 as a direct European competitor to the successful World Poker Tour. In order to increase the number of people interested in playing, the EPT buy-ins were about half the amount expected at the World Poker Tour (and of course you could win a seat at the EPT through headlining sponsor PokerStars.com).
The strategy paid off, in fact it worked almost too well! The EPT has been able to double the buy in amounts since its conception due to the massive popularity the tour has seen; there was not enough room in participating casinos to accommodate all of those interested in playing.
In Europe, the EPT is broadcast by international station Sunrise & Vine. It is commentated by producer John Duthie as well as Colin Murray, and hosted by Caroline Flack and Natalie Pinkham.
Currently, the Tour hits ten different countries during the course of a season. These include Denmark, Spain, England (EPT London), Austria, Ireland, the Czech Republic, the Bahamas, Germany, Poland, and Monaco. Notably absent is France, where one of the stops on the WPT is located.
Major differences between the European Poker Tour and the WPT
As noted above, both the European Poker Tour and the World Poker Tour are similar in concept, but there are several key differences. In the beginning the differences were in the buy ins, but as mentioned they are about even now. Here are some other important distinctions.
- The European Poker Tour has a more fitting format for both names. Although one event in the EPT is not actually played in Europe, all the rest are. Moreover, there is much more of a world flavor to the European Poker Tour than there is to the World Poker Tour. The WPT only has one tournament held outside of the United States.
- This international appeal has led to a whole different slate of poker stars. The greatest players in the game in the United States rarely appear on the EPT circuit, the biggest exception being the ubiquitous Phil Ivey. Even when the American stars do show up, they are likely to be bested by a player from a different country. One has to wonder, then, which tour can truly boast the finest caliber of poker player in the world?
- The final table at the European Poker Tour has eight players, whereas the final table of the WPT has six.
The EPT will certainly introduce poker fans to a much wider range of poker professionals than most other poker broadcasts, so for those who love the education a season of a popular poker show can bring, it might be worth checking out.
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