2027 EPT schedule: Main Event buy-in cut to €5,000, PokerStars Open set at €1,250
The 2027 EPT Main Event buy-in is set at €5,000, but how much of each new buy-in goes to fees is still unpublished.
Author: PokerSlate AI-assisted editorial desk · Editor: PokerSlate separate AI editorial review
Published:
PokerNews reported on November 10, 2026, that PokerStars had published the complete 2027 European Poker Tour (EPT) schedule and adjusted the Main Event buy-in. PokerStrategy followed on November 11, confirming the five EPT stops and the new price points. The two reports carry different publication dates; the five EPT stops run from February to December 2027.
Five stops and three additional festivals
The five 2027 EPT stops are: Paris, February 9–20; Monte Carlo, April 21–May 2; Barcelona, August 15–28; Malta, September 28–October 9; and Prague, November 28–December 9. PokerStrategy said Paris, Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Prague return to their usual slots; Prague returns to its usual Christmas slot, refuting rumors that it would no longer be on the schedule. Malta returns after a one-year absence at the Hilton Malta, in partnership with Portomaso Casino, a location detail from PokerNews.
PokerNews also listed three announced events: PokerStars Open Campione, January 8–17 on the shores of Lake Lugano; the PokerStars-sponsored Irish Open, March 18–29; and PokerStars Open Namur, May 26–June 6. PokerStrategy said more standalone PokerStars Open festivals will be announced soon and will use the €1,250 price point; Campione and Namur are already on the announced list.
Buy-in changes
The most closely watched change is the EPT Main Event buy-in falling from €5,300 to €5,000. PokerNews said this is the first time in more than 15 years that PokerStars has adjusted the flagship Main Event buy-in. The PokerStars Open Main Event is standardized at €1,250: PokerNews said it was previously €1,650 at flagship EPT stops and €1,100 at standalone stops such as Campione and Namur; PokerStrategy's account is that the PokerStars Open Main Event falls from €1,650 to €1,250. Both reports confirmed the new prices for the EPT Main Event and the PokerStars Open Main Event.
PokerNews also said the PokerStars Open High Roller buy-in at EPT stops falls to €2,500. PokerStrategy's report did not mention this item. PokerStars live events associate director Cedric Billot attributed the adjustments to player feedback. He said PokerStars Open had become too expensive at EPT stops, that €1,250 makes it accessible again while still managing demand at the busiest venues, and that the standardized PokerStars Open buy-in and the €5,000 EPT Main Event buy-in make the tour easier to understand. PokerStrategy's report also quoted similar comments from Billot.
Buy-in, prize pool and fees are not the same
PokerStars says all fees will be published in full with each festival schedule. PokerNews said the fee breakdown for the 2027 buy-ins has not been announced; as a current example, the €5,300 buy-in for the Prague EPT Main Event includes €4,850 going to the prize pool, a €300 house fee and a €150 staff charge. This is the current Prague structure and should not be directly applied to the 2027 buy-ins. Buy-in amount, prize pool and individual player payouts are separate concepts.
Qualifier progress
At the time of its November 10 report, PokerNews said online satellites for PokerStars Open Campione and the Irish Open were already running in the PokerStars client; the EPT Paris feeder began that day, with direct online qualifiers set for November 15. PokerNews also mentioned that players who obtain four PokerStars Open entries through Power Path can exchange them for one EPT Main Event entry. This is that report's description of the exchange arrangement.
As of November 11, the verified items are the 2027 EPT schedule and the buy-in changes described above; the fee breakdown for the 2027 buy-ins is still to be published by PokerStars with the schedules.
Local reading context
The European Poker Tour (EPT) is PokerStars' live poker tour, and its Main Event is typically the most closely watched tournament at each stop. A buy-in is the amount paid to enter, usually made up of a portion that goes into the prize pool and fees charged by the operator; the buy-in is not the total prize pool and is not an individual winner's payout. PokerStars Open is a lower-buy-in event under the same brand, often held alongside EPT stops and also run as standalone festivals. Online satellites and qualifiers can offer paths into events, but how seats are obtained and whether they can be exchanged remain subject to the operator's published rules.
Source report dates: 2026-11-10 / 2026-11-11
Original sources and verification
- PokerNews
PokerNews reported on November 10, 2026, that PokerStars published the complete 2027 EPT schedule, with five stops: Paris, February 9–20; Monte Carlo, April 21–May 2; Barcelona, August 15–28; Malta, September 28–October 9; and Prague, November 28–December 9. It also listed PokerStars Open Campione (January 8–17), the PokerStars-sponsored Irish Open (March 18–29), and PokerStars Open Namur (May 26–June 6). The EPT Main Event buy-in falls from €5,300 to €5,000, the first change in more than 15 years; the PokerStars Open Main Event is standardized at €1,250, previously €1,650 at flagship EPT stops and €1,100 at standalone stops such as Campione and Namur; the PokerStars Open High Roller buy-in at EPT stops falls to €2,500. Billot attributed the changes to player feedback and said PokerStars Open had become too expensive at EPT stops. The report also said the fee breakdown for the 2027 buy-ins has not been published and that PokerStars promised to publish fees in full with each festival schedule; under the current Prague EPT Main Event structure, a €5,300 buy-in includes €4,850 to the prize pool, a €300 house fee and a €150 staff charge. Online satellites for Campione and the Irish Open were already running in the PokerStars client; the Paris feeder began on the day of the report, with direct online qualifiers set for November 15; players who obtain four PokerStars Open entries through Power Path can exchange them for one EPT Main Event entry.
- PokerStrategy
PokerStrategy reported on November 11, 2026, that all 2027 EPT stops were confirmed: Paris, Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Prague returned to their usual dates, with Prague back in its usual Christmas slot, refuting rumors that it would no longer be on the schedule, and Malta returning after a one-year absence in September–October. It said the EPT Main Event buy-in falls from €5,300 to €5,000 and the PokerStars Open Main Event from €1,650 to €1,250; more standalone PokerStars Open festivals will be announced soon and will use the €1,250 price point. It quoted Billot as saying that the EPT has set the live poker standard for more than 20 years, that the changes began with listening to players, that PokerStars Open had become too expensive at EPT stops, that €1,250 makes it accessible again while managing demand at busy venues, and that standardizing buy-ins makes the tour easier to understand.