Why the record-breaking EPT Paris 2024 is no fluke

The return of the EPT to Paris has meant record numbers and the prospect of a brilliant fixture on the poker calendar for years to come

February 22, 2024

Poker

by Howard Swains

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5 Minute Read

Registration closed today on the 2024 EPT Paris Main Event and the “news” (that everybody already knew) was confirmed: it is an even bigger tournament this year than 2023’s startling debut.

When Paris made its first appearance on the EPT calendar, the Main Event attracted 1,606 entries and its winner, Razvan Belea, took home €1.17 million. This year, however, there were 1,747 entries into the €5,300 buy-in event, putting €8,385,600 in the prize pool and promising the winner €1,287,800.

That’s a 9 percent increase year-on-year and underlines the immediate popularity of this trip to the French capital. It seems highly likely to become an annual fixture, with the potential to challenge even Barcelona as the most popular stop on the EPT schedule.

EPT PARIS 2024 MAIN EVENT INFO

€8,385,600 total prize pool
Top 255 finishers will be paid
€1,287,800 for the winner
Six-figure payouts for 2nd to 9th place
€8,650 minimum cash

These numbers are not a fluke. There is clear evidence that France is a poker hotbed, with players flocking to the tables at all levels. Indeed, the numbers attending the lower buy-in events here in Paris have been even more sensational, filling every seat in this new cavernous venue.

RECORD-BREAKING AT ALL LEVELS

The €1,100 FPS Main Event debuted here last year with a sensational field of 2,071 entries. But it doubled this time. Mateusz Moolhuizen beat a field of 4,149 entries to his €470,830 first prize.

There were extra entry flights and an increased tournament room capacity, as well as many more ways to qualify for the tournament online. The potential remains to expand all of that next year too, meaning the growth could well continue.

Mateusz Moolhuizen beat an enormous field in the FPS Main Event

It was a similar story in the €2,200 FPS High Roller, where field size increased 97% year-on-year. There were 910 entries last time and 1,794 this time around. Henrik Juncker, who beat Team PokerStars Ambassador Parker Talbot heads-up, landed €544,790 for his victory, an extraordinary amount for a €2K buy-in.

The biggest increase, however, came in the €550 buy-in FPS Cup, whose field of 2,055 entries represented a 150% increase on last year’s 816. Jonas ten Cate’s win last time earned him €72,390, but this year Nolan Madene took €143,200.

EPT PARIS YEAR-ON-YEAR COMPARISONS

€1,100 FPS Main Event
2023: 2,071 (inc. 640 re-entries) — Alan Goasdoue, €287,830
2024: 4,149 (inc. 2,219 re-entries)
100% increase year-on-year

€2,000 FPS High Roller
2023: 910 (inc. 274 re-entries) — Mohamed Mokrani, €305,300
2024: 1,794 (inc. 701 re-entries) — Henrik Juncker, €544,790
97% increase year-on-year

€5,300 EPT Main Event
2023: 1,606 (inc. 447 re-entries) — Razvan Belea, €1,170,000
2024: 1,747 (inc. 523 re-entries) — ??
9% increase year-on-year

€550 FPS Cup
2023: 816 (inc. 232 re-entries) — Jonas ten Cate, €72,390
2024: 2055 (inc. 452 re-entries) — Nolan Madene, €143,200

OPENING UP LIVE POKER TO ALL

In PokerStars circles, the numbers in the lower buy-in events the most gratifying. It’s no secret that the company is focused specifically on introducing new players to poker, offering tournaments with lower buy-ins and providing plenty of ways to qualify for them.

The Power Path is, of course, the absolute best way to qualify. Silver Passes and Gold Passes, awarded at various stages of the qualification ladder, come with a monetary value attached. A Gold Pass is worth $10,000; a Silver is $2,500.

You can split this package as you wish and, depending on destination, you can play several tournaments at the same stop. Pass winners here in Paris, for example, could use their package value to play the EPT Main Event, the FPS Main Event, the Cup and more.

All of this allows players to increase their EV by spreading their package across various events. It also means bigger tournaments across the board.

There are plenty of articles on PokerStars Blog to help you understand more about Power Path and to get involved in these incredible events. See the links below.

TOP 10 BIGGEST EPT MAIN EVENTS

EPT Barcelona 2022 — 2,294 entries, €11,125,900 prize pool
EPT Barcelona 2023 — 2,120 entries, €10,282,000 prize pool
EPT Barcelona 2019 — 1,988 entries, €9,641,800 prize pool
EPT Barcelona 2018 — 1,931 entries, €9,365,350 prize pool
EPT Barcelona 2016 — 1,785 entries, €8,657,250 prize pool
EPT Paris 2024 — 1,747 entries, €8,385,600 prize pool
EPT Barcelona 2015 — 1,694 entries, €8,215,900 prize pool
EPT Paris 2023 — 1,606 entries, €7,708,800 prize pool
PCA 2011 — 1,560 entries, $15,132,000 prize pool
PCA 2010 — 1,529 entries, $14,831,300 prize pool

NATIONALITY BREAKDOWN FOR EPT PARIS 2024

Entries: 1,747
Unique players: 1,224
Re-entries: 523
Countries represented: 69
Top 5 nations: France (300 players or 24.5% of the field), Italy (78 or 6.4%), Germany (68 or 5.6%), the UK (66 or 5.4%), Spain (58 or 4.7%)