The European Poker Tour (EPT) Prague in the Czech capital is crushing and the numbers speak for themselves. Earlier in the series, the Eureka Main Event shattered attendance records, and now the EPT Prague Main Event has also surpassed last year’s turnout for a back-to-back all-time high record.
This strong run is even more impressive considering PokerStars‘ EPT is competing with two larger events: the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas and the WSOP Paradise festival in The Bahamas.
Coming back to EPT Prague 2024, the series is offering something unique that sets it apart from the WPT and WSOP festivals. For the first time, the EPT is hosting a Mixed Game Main Event.
The first-ever Mixed Game Main Event began yesterday, with PokerStars ambassador Georgina “GJ Reggie” James — who played a key role in bringing this event to life — emerging as one of the chip leaders with a strong stack heading into Day 2.
The three-day event kicked off with 49 players on Day 1, each paying a €2,200 buy-in. Notable participants included NAPT 2023 Main Event champion Sam Bechached, Walter Treccarichi (with nearly $2 million in live earnings according to The Hendon Mob), Bulgaria’s Ivan Zhechev, Norway’s Tobias Leknes (known as “Senkel92” on PokerStars and regarded as one of the top mixed game players), and more.
Norway’s Thomas Berg ended Day 1 as the chip leader with 151,800, followed by French-American Sami Bechached, who bagged 115,200. Close behind was the UK’s Georgina James, securing the third spot with 114,300.
Day 2 on Friday saw late registration remain open for the first few levels, bringing in around two dozen additional players, including PokerStars ambassador Parker “tonkaaaa” Talbot. This increased the total field size to 83 entries, creating a prize pool of €159,300 — not a bad turnout for an event showcasing a variety of poker variants, some with drastically different rules.
At the time of writing, approximately 25 players remain in the field, with a total of 11 places set to be paid. The minimum cash is almost €4000, while the winner will walk away with a payout of €44,884.
The winner will be crowned tomorrow and according to PokerStars, this will be the first Non-Hold’em event in the tour’s history to award the iconic shard trophy, typically reserved for NLHE Main Events and High Rollers.
In case you are not aware, the EPT Prague Mixed Game Main Event will rotate between ten different poker variations. The order of games in this event is:
- FL 2-7 Triple Draw
- PLO
- FL Stud High-Low 8 or better
- FL Badugi
- FL Hold’em
- No Limit 2-7 Single Draw
- FL Stud
- FL Omaha High-Low 8 or better
- No Limit Hold’em
- Fixed Limit Razz
Each player began with a starting stack of 50,000 chips and is allowed a single re-entry. Each variant is played for a designated period before rotating to the next game in the lineup.
If you missed out on the Main Event, there’s still one more mixed game tournament left at EPT Prague 2025. Event #61: 8-Game kicks off tomorrow with a €550 buy-in, featuring eight different poker variants as the name suggests.
Several Mixed Game events have already concluded, showcasing varying levels of participation. The €1100 8-Game attracted 65 entries, generating a prize pool of €62,400. Event #27, a €550 H.O.R.S.E. tournament, saw 138 players, resulting in a €66,240 prize pool. However, the debut €1100 Big Bet Mix fell short of expectations with just 46 entries and a €44,160 prize pool, while the €550 No Limit 2-7 Single Draw brought in 44 runners for a €21,120 total.
The High Roller €5200 8-Game event drew 40 entries, building a prize pool of €194,000.