PokerStars Cuts the EPT Main Event Buy-In to €5,000 and Brings Malta Back
Step into the DojoFree poker against bots that learn. Earn your belt. Dojo Coin is play money.JOIN NOW
Original illustration for Superintelligence Poker. Not a likeness of any real person.
Quick answer: In a Nov. 10, 2026 announcement, covered by PokerNews, Poker.org, and Card Player, PokerStars set a five-stop 2027 European Poker Tour calendar and reduced the EPT Main Event buy-in from €5,300 to €5,000, the first change at that price in more than 15 years, according to PokerNews. EPT Malta returns after sitting out 2026. The 2027 rake split has not been published yet.
The 2027 calendar
The five EPT festivals, with dates matching across PokerNews, Poker.org, and Card Player, are:
- EPT Paris: Feb. 9–20, 2027
- EPT Monte-Carlo: April 21–May 2, 2027
- EPT Barcelona: Aug. 15–28, 2027
- EPT Malta: Sept. 28–Oct. 9, 2027
- EPT Prague: Nov. 28–Dec. 9, 2027
PokerStars also confirmed PokerStars Open Campione (Jan. 8–17, 2027, at Lake Lugano), the Irish Open sponsored by PokerStars (March 18–29), and PokerStars Open Namur (May 26–June 6).
Malta's return is the headline change in the city list. Poker.org said 2027 will be Malta's fifth EPT series and its first since 2025. PokerNews said the stop will be "at the Hilton Malta in partnership with Portomaso Casino." Poker.org described it as a new venue, "the Portomaso Casino in St. Julians." Both describe the same partnership; the precise billed venue name is still being worded differently by outlets.
What the new buy-ins change
The pricing changes, reported consistently by those three outlets, are:
- EPT Main Event: €5,000, down from €5,300
- PokerStars Open Main Event: a single €1,250 buy-in at every stop, replacing €1,650 at flagship EPT festivals and €1,100 at standalone Opens such as Campione and Namur
- PokerStars Open High Roller: €2,500 at EPT festivals. Poker.org said this standardizes a fee that had been €2,700 at EPT stops and €2,200 at non-EPT stops.
PokerNews reported that the 2027 fee breakdown — how much of each new buy-in goes to the prize pool, the house, and staff — has not been released, and that PokerStars said full figures will accompany each festival schedule. As a current example, PokerNews published the upcoming EPT Prague split: a €5,300 Main Event sends €4,850 to the prize pool, with a €300 house fee and a €150 staff charge.
PokerNews also noted a practical effect of the round numbers: four PokerStars Open entries won through the Power Path now add up to exactly €5,000, so they can be exchanged for one EPT Main Event seat. Online feeders for EPT Paris, PokerNews and Poker.org both said, begin Sunday, Nov. 15.
Player feedback, and what is still unknown
The sensei is waitingTrain against superintelligent bots. Free account, play money only. Dojo Coin is play money.JOIN NOW
Cedric Billot, identified by PokerNews as Associate Director of Live Events at PokerStars, tied the Open cut to player feedback. PokerNews quoted him: "Players told us the PokerStars Open at EPT stops had become too expensive, and €1,250 brings it back within reach while still letting us manage demand in our busiest venues. One consistent buy-in level for every PokerStars Open and a clean €5,000 for the EPT Main Event make the tour simpler to understand."
He also said the EPT has set the standard for more than 20 years, and that "this is only the start," with further 2027 changes aimed at the live experience. The announcement did not specify those later changes, and the 2027 rake remains unpublished. A lower headline buy-in is not, by itself, a larger prize pool.
Players mapping a 2027 live schedule can practice those tournament formats on Superintelligencepoker.com while the fee details arrive.
For more poker news and tournament coverage, see no-limit hold'em strategy and buy-in and bankroll math. Browse the Superintelligence Poker blog for more.
FAQ
What is the 2027 EPT Main Event buy-in?
€5,000, down from €5,300, according to PokerStars' announcement as reported by PokerNews, Poker.org, and Card Player.
When and where is the 2027 EPT?
Paris in February, Monte-Carlo in April–May, Barcelona in August, Malta from Sept. 28 to Oct. 9, and Prague from Nov. 28 to Dec. 9, 2027.
Is EPT Malta back?
Yes. It was not on the 2026 schedule. PokerNews said it will be at the Hilton Malta in partnership with Portomaso Casino; Poker.org called Portomaso Casino in St. Julian's a new venue.
Has PokerStars published the 2027 rake?
Not yet. PokerNews said fee breakdowns will be published with each festival schedule.
Sources
1. PokerNews, "PokerStars Unveils Full 2027 EPT Schedule; Reduces Main Event Buy-In to €5,000," published Nov. 10, 2026, updated Nov. 12, 2026: https://www.pokernews.com/news/2026/11/pokerstars-reveals-2027-ept-schedule-buy-in-changes-52777.htm
2. Poker.org, "EPT 2027 schedule confirmed as PokerStars cuts main event buy-ins," Nov. 11, 2026: https://www.poker.org/latest-news/ept-2027-schedule-confirmed-as-pokerstars-cuts-main-event-buy-ins-aCdz42K8ntqD/
3. Card Player, "European Poker Tour Schedule And Buy-In Changes Announced": https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/1775170-pokerstars-announces-european-poker-tour-schedule-changes-to-main-event-buy-ins
Ready to take a seat?Join free and put what you just read to work at the tables. Dojo Coin is play money.JOIN NOW