When the schedule came out for 2025, many people noted how one of the preeminent stops on the European Poker Tour, Paris, was left off the roster of events. At the time, EPT officials cited the political situation in France as the reason for not returning to the “City of Lights.” Those differences have apparently been resolved as the EPT announced this morning that they will be returning to Paris in 2026.
EPT Paris to Return in 2026
Le Palais des Congrès in Paris will be the site for the triumphant return of the EPT. From February 18 through March 1, the crème of the European poker world will descend on the French capital for what should be a very popular stop. Several of the “usual suspects” will be in tow when the EPT arrives in Paris, including their usual €5000 Main Event, a Women’s Tournament, a High Roller event, and a PokerStars Open Main Event.
“We’re delighted to have Paris back on the EPT schedule in 2026 and to be able to collaborate once again with Group Barrière”, said Cédric Billot, the Associate Director of Live Events at PokerStars. “It’s a player favorite for many reasons: the unique atmosphere, a great location accessible from all over Europe and, when it comes to enjoying your time away from the poker tables, well, Paris is a city that takes some beating. We can’t wait to be back in the French capital and welcome players to the Palais des Congrès this February.”
Echoing that sentiment was Clément Martin Saint Léon, the Executive Vice President of Gaming with the Barrière Group. “The return of the European Poker Tour in Paris is a major event in the French capital that will bring together the world’s poker elite and players from all over France,” Saint Léon said during the announcement. “Barrière is very proud to be once again partnering with PokerStars for what is the biggest tournament in France and the second largest in Europe after Barcelona. This edition promises to be particularly exceptional and exciting, with incredible enthusiasm that will be heightened by the return, at last, of the players in Paris.”
2024 Event Demonstrates Popularity of Paris
The 2024 version of the EPT Paris was one for the record books, and its champion was roundly cheered following the completion of the tournament. 1784 entries were received for the 2024 EPT Paris, generating a prize pool of over €8.3 million. In the end, veteran poker professional and Hendon Mobster Barny Boatman would emerge as a well-deserving champion, pocketing the €1.2 million first-place prize amid a raucous celebration from the poker world.
Unfortunately, that was the last time that the EPT, or any other major poker tour, ventured to France. The EPT Paris was on the schedule for 2025, but it had to be removed because licenses that were granted in 2018 had expired, closing the seven gaming markets that had been established by French law. At the time, Saint Léon commented that the cancellation of the 2025 EPT Paris was a “heartbreaker” for not only the Barrière Group but also for the players around the continent. With the return of the EPT Paris for 2025, it appears negotiations have been successful, and the popular tour will be back in action.
Poker history in France begins with the Aviation Club of Paris, which was a popular gaming house in the late 20th/early 21st centuries. The World Poker Tour made the Aviation Club a centerpiece of its schedule, and its only European event, for many years before the highly exclusive club was shuttered in the mid-Teens. That move was brought on by changes in gaming laws in France, which outlawed such exclusive private clubs in favor of controlled gaming outlets.
The 2026 EPT Paris is only a part of the confirmed events for the upcoming year for PokerStars. In January, the debut of the PokerStars Open Campione signals the return of events on the European continent, with the EPT Paris slotted right behind it. The PokerStars-sponsored Irish Poker Open, the EPT Monte Carlo, and the PokerStars Open Namur are just a few of the tournaments on the agenda, with future EPT dates and other PokerStars Live events to be announced closer to the New Year.
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