Farewell and Highlights From the EPT's 13 Season Run

Over its 13 season run, the European Poker Tour (EPT) has provided a number of highlights that will be forever etched into poker history. In 2008, for instance, Jason Mercier kicked off his remarkable professional tournament career by taking down the €5,000 EPT Sanremo for €869,000. The Florida pro has since gone on to amass $17,414,702 in live career earnings, and is now one of the most recognizable faces on the live circuit.
In the meantime, the EPT has also provided a platform for some women players to showcase their talents, including Vicky Coren taking down the 2006 EPT London for £500,000 ($941,513), before following up with a second title at the 2014 EPT Sanremo for €476,100 ($660,947).
In addition, Liv Boeree became only the third women player ever to win a main event title after triumphing over a 1,240 player field at 2010 EPT Sanremo for €1,250,000 ($1,698,300). In fact, that famous EPT victory still accounts for almost half of her $3,152,648 in tournament winnings, and has helped secure her a place at number 6 on the Women’s All Time Money List.
Nevertheless, from its rather humble beginnings, the EPT has produced numerous Main Event winners who have either since become household names, or merely consolidated their already formidable reputations, including Patrik Antonius taking down the 2005 EPT Baden Classic for €218,990. The long list also includes Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier winning the 2008 PCA for $2 million, Mike McDonald winning the 2008 EPT German Open for €933,600, and Spain’s Adrian Mateos taking down the 2015 EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final for €1,082,000.
More recently, the 2015 EPT also saw a return to form for John Juanda after two relatively slim years of pickings, with the 5-times WSOP bracelet holder triumphing at the €5,300 EPT Barcelona for €1,022,593 ($1,164,034).
While all good things must come to an end, at least 2017 will bring the prospect of another potentially great tour replacing the one which for more than a decade has been a regular fixture of both players and fans alike. We will not have too much time to wait for its new iteration, either, after the renamed PokerStars Championship Bahamas kicks-off on January 6th at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas.