Live Poker in January: 10+ Affordable Events to Play in Europe
While the 2016 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) and the Aussie Millions headline the events taking place in January, the first month of 2016 also offers plenty of live tournament poker throughout Europe.
From sunny Cyprus and Malta to freezing Helsinki, the continent is going to host a number of live poker tournaments that, once again, will bring tens of thousands to the tables. To help you find the best value for your money and choose your next poker destination, we compiled a list of the hottest live poker events happening across Europe in the month of January.
Merit Poker Harley-Davidson Poker Tour: January 7-19, Cyprus
Cyprus is probably the best place to spend wintertime in Europe if you are a poker player. The first big event of 2016 to take place in the Mediterranean island is the Merit Poker Harley-Davidson Poker Tour, a 13-day long poker festival featuring guaranteed prize pools of more than $1,000,000 spread through twenty-five different events.
While the highlight of the series is the $350,000 GTD $2,200 Main Event running from Jan. 15-19, other interesting events include a three-day $50,000 GTD. $500 Merit Poker Cup (Jan. 7-10), and a four-day $125,000 GTD. $5,000 High Roller event starting on Jan. 16.
The event is a great choice for those looking for a warm break in January, as it's set to take place at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel & Casino, a luxurious five-star resort in Zephyrs Cove, Northern Cyprus, which also features a spa and a gourmet restaurant. Click here to see the full schedule of the 2016 Merit Poker Harley-Davidson Poker Tour.
2016 Danish Amateur Poker Tour (DAPT): January 7-10, Rozvadov
If you're not looking for a spot under the Mediterranean sun, one of the best events running in Europe in the beginning of January is the 2016 Danish Amateur Poker Tour (DAPT) sponsored by 888poker.
Kicking off at the King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic, on Jan. 7, this tournament is all about value - as it features a €260 Main Event with a premium €100,000 guaranteed prize pool. In addition to this, the event’s schedule also includes four side events with combined guaranteed prize pools of more than €45.000.
You can read more about the venue in this interview with Unibet Poker pro Quentin Lecomte, or you can click here to learn more about the 2016 DAPT.
Grosvenor 25/25 Series: January 7-10, London
While the DAPT will run in the Czech Republic, the London Poker Room in Birmingham Hill Street, London, will host the fist event on the 2016 schedule of the low buy-in 25/25 Series, which is part of the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour.
The first 25/25 Main Event of 2016 begins on Thursday, Jan. 7, and offers a £25,000 guarantee for a £200 + £20 entry fee. Those willing to participate can also try to qualify online by taking part in one of the many satellites running at Grosvenor Poker.
Belarus Poker Tour: January 8-18, Minsk
This eleven-day poker festival organized by the Belarusian Federation of Sports Poker and PokerStars is among the most interesting low buy-in events of the month as it gives everyone the opportunity to play live poker and discover Minsk, one of the least known European capitals.
The Belarus Poker Tour takes place at the Hotel Victoria Olimp and features a 13-event schedule that includes a $280 Main Event (Jan. 15-18), a $125 Grand Event (Jan. 8-11), a $610 Super High Roller Cup (Jan. 13-14), and a $390 High Roller (Jan. 11-13).
Since the tournament is set to attract many Russian players, the organizers have decided to also include two open-face Chinese poker events, with a $170 Chinese Poker 3-Max running on Jan. 8, and a $65 Chinese Poker Heads Up running on Jan. 15.
Israeli Poker Championship: January 8-11, Malta
Very much like Cyprus, Malta is also ready to kick off 2016 with a top live poker event. Running from January 8-11, the first leg of the Israeli Poker Championship (IPC) Season 5 is set to keep the Portomaso Casino in St. Julians busy with the four events on the schedule.
The buy-in to the Main Event is €400, while the side events entry fee start from €200. Back in September, the Main Event of the last leg of the IPC Season 4 took place at the Concord Card Casino in Vienna, Austria, where it attracted a total of 372 entries, generating a total prize pool of €144,340.
For more information about the event, visit the IPC official website.
2016 Helsinki Freezeout: January 8-15, Helsinki
If you don’t fear the cold and you are not afraid to play in an event full of Scandinavian players, the 2016 Helsinki Freezeout is probably the perfect choice for you.
The poker festival takes place at Casino Helsinki and features a schedule with 10 action-packed tournaments featuring buy-ins ranging from €330 to €2,050. As pointed out in this article, the series has a long and storied tradition dating back to 2005 when Sweden's Jonas Molander won the biggest prize in the series after shipping a €2,100 no-limit hold'em tournament for €93,600.
The Main Event, which is expected to generate the biggest prize pool, has an entry fee of €1,050 and runs from Jan. 14-15. Click here to see the full schedule of the 2016 Helsinki Freezeout.
Unibet Deep Stack Open: January 14-17, Divonne Les Bains
While the French city of Divonne Les Bains might not be the most famous poker destination in Europe, the upcoming Deep Stack Open event by Unibet is a good chance to discover the city located on the border with Switzerland, only 20 km from Geneva.
The organizers expect at least 400 players to pony up the €550 buy-in to the Main Event running at the Casino de Divonne Les Bains, which would generate an expected prize pool of €200,000. The stop in Divonne Les Bains is the last event part of the DSO Season 5, with the Season 6 ready to kick off in March with a special event on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. For more info about the event, visit the Deep Stack Open series official website.
Tana delle Tigri: January 14-17, Bratislava
Among the most popular live poker events in the region, the Tana delle Tigri is a tournament that regularly attracts many of Italy’s top poker players to Bratislava, Slovakia.
Running at the Banco Casino, the modern card room located inside the four-star Crowne Plaza hotel, the event is highlighted by a €80,000 GTD. €450 + €50 Main Event (Jan. 15-17) that the organizers are sure will break the guarantee and distribute cash prizes for at least €120,000. Click here to see the full schedule of the event.
2016 European Poker Sport Championship: January 14-17, Rozvadov
The DAPT is not the only event keeping Europe’s largest poker room busy this month, as the King’s Casino will also be home to the 2016 European Poker Sport Championship (EPSC) from January 14-17.
Like most events held at King’s, the EPSC comes with a premium guarantee and a low buy-in, as the players only need to pay a €175 entry fee to join a Main Event that features a guaranteed prize pool of €200,000.
However, the Main Event is not the only tournament on the schedule, as the EPSC also features thirteen more events including the €10,000 GTD. €45+€5 King’s Hold’Em Adventure on Jan. 15, and the €12,000 GTD. €55+€5 King’s Hold’Em Championship on Jan. 16. Click here to see the full schedule of the 2016 EPSC.
WSOP Circuit Morocco: January 16-24, Marrakech
Although it’s not exactly in Europe, it’s worth mentioning that this month the Casino de Marrakech will host the second World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) event to ever take place in Morocco, hoping to repeat the success of the one that took place in March 2015.
This year, the schedule has been expanded to include nine ring events with the highlights being the €1,800 High Roller (Jan. 20-21) and the €1,350 Main Event (Jan. 21-24). To make things even more interesting for the players in the event, the organizers decided that the Main Event winner will automatically qualify for the WSOP Global Casino Championship, an invitation-only tournament with a minimum prize pool of $1,000,000 USD.
While you still have time to book your stay in Marrakech and choose your favorite events from the 24 tournaments on the schedule, you also have the opportunity to follow the WSOPC Morocco live on our site as the PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be on hand to give you all the updates you need.
Click here to open the official schedule of the 2016 WSOP Circuit Marrakech.
Italian Poker Tour: January 20-25, Saint Vincent
With the seventh season of PokerStars.it Italian Poker Tour (IPT) coming to its end, Italy’s poker community gets ready for a great event at the Casino de la Vallee in Saint Vincent for the IPT Grand Final.
The last leg of the season features a 15-event schedule highlighted by the €1,000 + €100 Main Event (Jan. 21-25) and the €1,350 + 150 High Roller Heads Up event running on Jan 23.
The last time the IPT hit the Casino de la Vallee in Saint Vincent was back in August 2015. Back then, the Main Event generated a total of 390 entries for a total prize pool of €378,300. At that time, the biggest prize on tap went to Italy’s Alessandro Adinolfo, who left the tournament room with a trophy and the €80,000 first prize. For more information about the IPT Grand Final, visit this page.
2016 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour: January 24-31, London
To conclude our calendar of live poker events to play in Europe in January, we head back to the United Kingdom for the first leg of the 2016 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT).
The poker festival features an action-packed schedule with thirteen events highlighted by the £200,000 GTD. £1,000 + £100 Main Event running from Jan. 28-31 and the £20,000 GTD. £200 + £20 Mini Main Event (Jan. 24-26). Online satellites to the Main Event are currently running at Grosvenor Poker. Click here to visit the 2016 GUKPT official website.
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