EPT Cyprus coverage hub
The EPT has landed on the beautiful island of Cyprus for the very first time. Here's all you need to know about EPT Cyprus.
Table of Contents
EPT Cyprus dates: October 11 – 22, 2023
GILLES SIMON DREAMS BIG, LANDS EPT CYPRUS MAIN EVENT FOR $1M+ PAYDAY
At first, he could only Dare to Stream. But now Gilles Simon has fulfilled one of his wildest dreams. The 24-year-old from Valkenburg, in the Netherlands, is a Main Event champion on the European Poker Tour (EPT).
Simon, known to his many fans online (as well as numerous countrymen here in Cyprus) as “Ghilley”, made his name as a Twitch streamer, landing a Platinum Pass to the PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC) in the Bahamas thanks to his creativity as a content creator.
But that side of his game was jettisoned as he rose through the ranks as a professional player — a journey that hit a spectacular new high with victory in this 1,320-entry tournament.
Simon banks $1,042,000, the biggest slice of a $6,402,000 prize pool. It was a popular and brilliant victory, requiring him to regroup after surrendering a chip lead, then to grind down six spirited opponents on the last day.
Check out the full report from the EPT Cyprus Main Event.
5 HANDS THAT LED GILLES SIMON TO VICTORY
Cool. Calm. Collected.
Gilles ‘TaxationIsTheft’ Simon played his heart out at the EPT Cyprus final table.
Here’s a closer look at the 5 key hands that led him to victory.
MAIN EVENT FINAL TABLE PLAYER PROFILES
Learn some more about the seven players who will return on Sunday to the final table and play to a new Main Event winner in our EPT Cyprus player profiles.
FEATURE ARTICLES FROM CYPRUS
Meet perennial package winner Andy Gray, one half of a satellite power couple
Andy and Carolyn Gray, a retired couple from Scotland, have been winning packages to poker events for almost two decades now. We meet one half of the satellite power couple on their latest poker holiday at EPT Cyprus.
Tough rulings in Cyprus: When a muck is not a muck
There have been at least two noteworthy rulings for the tournament staff in Cyprus. We get the official lowdown on a muck controversy.
Wine and cheese and the perfect family holiday at EPT Cyprus
If the poker didn’t go to plan at EPT Cyprus, there was always the option of heading up the mountains for some delicious wine and cheese…
Nervo blows the roof off incredible EPT Cyprus Player’s Party
The EPT Cyprus Player’s Party, headlined by Nervo, will be hard to top. Check out all the photos here…
A poker resort like no other, EPT Cyprus even has – what? – turtles!
Paris might have the Eiffel Tower, but EPT Cyprus has the only turtle rehabilitation centre on the global poker circuit…
Gilles Simon (‘TaxationIsTheft’) on ditching Twitch to reach poker’s high stakes
EPT Cyprus Main Event big stack Gilles Simon, a.k.a. Ghilley, a.k.a. ‘TaxationisTheft’, gave up streaming after winning a Platinum Pass in 2019. What a ride it’s been since…
Jeep safari, EPT Cyprus style
What better way to forget the frustrations of poker than by hopping in a jeep and heading into the Cypriot mountains?
Jen Shahade and champ Louise Ulrick on lessons learned from the Women’s Bootcamp
In the aftermath of her spectacular success in the Women’s Bootcamp in Cyprus, the new champion joined with PokerStars Ambassador Jen Shahade in describing what this can mean for women in poker.
No rest required for EPT Cyprus qualifier Bogdan Berinde
Online qualifier Bogdan Berinde not only booked his EPT Cyprus Main Event seat for just $55, but also qualified for (and cashed) the Eureka.
Everything must go! PokerStars merch 20% off at EPT Cyprus
Anyone attending EPT Cyprus can enjoy 20% off all merchandise at the PokerStars merch stand, while there’s a 10% discount online too.
Thrilling Bootcamp finale sends Louise Ulrick to Prague
The finale of a long contest, beginning online and played out at EPT Cyprus, secured a seat at EPT Prague for British rookie Louise Ulrick.
Super shorties survive while Vaczo falls on the EPT Cyprus bubble
Steve O’Dwyer delivered a brutal knockout. Damiyar Aubakirov survived with crumbs. But Andras Vaczo wasn’t so lucky on the EPT Cyprus bubble…
How to build and bag a big stack on an EPT Day 1
Lukas Robinson walks us through how he built and bagged a big stack on Day 1 of his maiden EPT Main Event, so hopefully you can do the same.
Friends reunited as Roberth Cazan brings his crew to EPT Cyprus
Missing his old friends who now live across the world, Roberth Cazan qualified to play EPT Cyprus and brought them all back together again.
Nick Newport’s long road to poker longevity
He’s freerolling EPT Cyprus thanks to the Power Path, but life wasn’t always this peaceful for Ireland’s Nick Newport. From six-figure bankrolls to almost going broke, here’s his long road to poker longevity.
Path to Cyprus lined with gold for qualifier Maciej Kowalczyk
He may have taken 10 attempts to get through the $11 satellite, but the EPT first-timer from Poland is still set for an enormous ROI thanks to his gold pass.
Qualifier Andrei Teodorescu’s year of learning ends with $161K score in Cyprus
Romania’s Andrei Teodorescu has had a Cyprus trip to remember. He qualified online for just $16.50 and is now heading home with $161,800…
Poker Power Bootcamp players prepare for Cyprus Showdown
Ten winners of the online poker bootcamp have come to EPT Cyprus for a final showdown with a sensational prize: a full package to the EPT Prague Main Event. We meet the women preparing for the biggest tournament of their lives.
EPT CYPRUS RESULTS
The EPT Main Event might take centre stage, but there have been plenty of side events running here in Kyrenia, with many more to come.
Keep up to date with all the results from EPT Cyprus and the Eureka festival.
JUAN PARDO WINS SUPER HIGH ROLLER
The exceptional winning streak of the Spanish pro Juan Pardo continued in Cyprus this week when the 30-year-old, originally from Cortilligos, claimed victory in the $50,000 Super High Roller event at the latest stop of the European Poker Tour.
Pardo also recently hit the headlines after winning two titles in one night in the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) on PokerStars, including in the $25,000 buy-in Super High Roller of the online series. But this title in Cyprus, which Pardo secured after arranging a heads-up deal with his countryman Vicente Delgado, banked him $688,560, the third highest payout of his stellar career.
Read the full recap from the Super High Roller here.
ANKIT AHUJA TAKES DOWN EUREKA MAIN EVENT
Less than two months after he finished fifth in the record-breaking Estrellas Barcelona, India’s Ankit Ahuja was back at another major final table. And this time, he went all the way.
Ahuja — a former PokerStars employee — came out on top of the 2,659-entry field to win $362,365, the largest score of his career so far.
KEY FESTIVAL DATES
Eureka Poker Tour:
Eureka Main Event: October 12-16 – $1,100
Eureka Cup: October 14-15 – $550
Eureka High Roller: October 15-16 – $2,200
EPT:
EPT Super High Roller: October 15-17- $50,000
EPT Main Event: October 16-22 – $5,300
EPT Mystery Bounty: October 18-20 – $3,000
EPT High Roller: October 20-22- $10,300
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
The European Poker Tour (EPT) has visited 27 different locations in its 19 years, covering every corner of the continent and beyond. Some locales were one-offs, while others–like Monte Carlo, Barcelona, and Prague–became mainstays.
With so many destinations already visited, it’s always exciting when the world’s richest poker tour finds a new place to set up shop. We certainly felt that buzz at EPT Paris in February 2023, when the EPT settled in the City of Light for the first time and smashed records as the biggest debut in EPT history.
But Paris isn’t the only new location on the EPT schedule for 2023.
From October 11-22 2023, we’re heading to the magnificent island of Cyprus for 12 days of what’s sure to be incredible poker action.
It all takes place at the stunning Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa, a 5-star resort on the island’s north coast, boasting a new poker venue that only opened last year. The festival begins with Eureka Poker Tour events before bumping up the buy-ins and prestige for the EPT.
ACTIVITIES CALENDAR
As ever, the EPT will offer ample opportunity for players and their guests to fill their diaries with numerous activities around Cyprus. These are almost always free to join and give guests the chance to explore the beautiful island.
You can check out all the activities on offer in our article about everything from boat trips to keep rides.
You can also explore more about the beautiful venue itself with our guide to navigating the Merit Kyrenia resort.
FOLLOW THE ACTION FROM HOME
Here is the live stream schedule for our Twitch and YouTube channels:
Wednesday October 18
12:30 EEST (11:30 CEST)
EPT CYPRUS: $5K MAIN EVENT – DAY 2
Thursday October 19
12:30 EEST (11:30 CEST)
EPT CYPRUS: $5K MAIN EVENT – DAY 3
Friday October 20
12:30 EEST (11:30 CEST)
EPT CYPRUS: $5K MAIN EVENT – DAY 4
Saturday October 21
12:30 EEST (11:30 CEST)
EPT CYPRUS: $5K MAIN EVENT – DAY 5
Sunday October 22
13:00 EEST (12:00 CEST)
EPT CYPRUS: $5K MAIN EVENT – FINAL TABLE
English-language coverage on the central/global channels will be hosted by James Hartigan, Joe Stapleton, Griffin Benger, Nick Walsh and Maria Ho.
There will also be streams on our French, Spanish and Brazilian channels.
Plus, there will be broadcasts in German and Italian. English (with the exception of Maria), French and Spanish commentary teams are onsite. Brazilian, German and Italian teams are remote.
MINI EPT CYPRUS (available on .COM)
This online series runs alongside our five days of live coverage (Wednesday 18th – Sunday 22nd), offering three tournaments per day, with $60,000 in added value.
There are Power Path tickets added to the prize pool of every MTT. Plus, the winners of both Mini Main Events on Sunday October 22nd will receive a Gold Power Pass, which can be redeemed for an EPT Prague package:
- 15 tournaments over 5 days (3 per day: 15:15, 18:15 & 20:15 CEST)
- Buy-ins from $1.10
- Power Path tickets added to all tournaments
- $5.50 & $55 Mini EPT Cyprus Main Events: Sunday October 22nd at 18:15 & 20:15 CEST
- Winners of both Mini Main Events receive a $10,300 Gold Power Pass (EPT Prague package), with the runners-up receiving $2,500 Silver Power Passes
EVERYTHING ELSE
POKER NEWS LIVE UPDATES
Our live reporting partner will offer hand-by-hand updates from a number of tournaments across the series. We’ll link to their updates when the series begins.
EPT CYPRUS OFFICIAL SITE
The PokerStars Live official page, with everything you need to know about the tournament series in Cyprus.
FULL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
The full EPT Cyprus schedule is available here.
DOWNLOAD THE POKERSTARS LIVE APP
All the info you need on your mobile device from the Apple iStore or Google Play for Android.
POKERSTARS BLOG ON TWITTER
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