PokerStars and EPT Prague 2025: A Historic Stop in Doubt

PokerStars Hints at Alternative Locations

While PokerStars has not officially canceled EPT Prague, recent comments from Cédric Billot, PokerStars Associate Director of Live Events, suggest a shift may be imminent.

“Prague is an amazing live event, but PokerStars as a business has exited the Czech Republic,” Billot noted in a blog post. “We still have to make sure that wherever we go, there is a link with the online PokerStars element. So, as much as everyone loves Prague — I love Prague — we are, of course, sometimes looking at alternative countries.”

PokerStars has yet to announce Prague on its 2025 schedule, which currently lists only EPT Monte Carlo in April and EPT Barcelona in August. Both EPT Paris and EPT Cyprus have also been excluded, pointing to challenges in securing destinations that meet PokerStars’ regulatory and logistical requirements.

The End of an Era for EPT Prague?

EPT Prague has been a flagship event on the European live poker scene for over 15 years at this point, attracting players from across the continent. If anything, the Prague festival has become synonymous with winter poker, competing with major tournaments like WSOP Paradise and the WPT World Championships in December.

Still, despite its success on the tour, the absence of online poker operations in the Czech Republic complicates the likeliness of continuing the event. PokerStars’ decision to focus on locations where its live and online platforms are aligned signals a possible shift away from Prague.

PokerStars Open Signals a Shift in Strategy

Compounding the uncertainty is the introduction of the PokerStars Open, a new series consolidating regional tours like the Eureka Poker Tour and the France Poker Series. Six regional stops are planned for 2025, including a December event in Cannes, France — a slot traditionally occupied by EPT Prague. And while PokerStars still insists Cannes is not replacing Prague, hosting two major festivals so near each other seems unlikely at this point.