End of an Era: MPN Poker Tour Going Out with a Bang at Grand Finale in Madrid
The MPN Poker Tour's (MPNPT) last hurrah will be the sort that echoes.
Coming to the Gran Casino Colón in the center of the Spanish capital of Madrid on Feb. 6-9, 2020, the Grand Finale of the friendliest tour on the continent will be an unmissable combination of No-Limit Hold'em and partying: the ultimate poker holiday.
The MPNPT has grown from a London toe-dipping in 2014 with just 83 entrants and one member of staff on the ground to a tour that has regularly brought together multinational fields of pros and amateurs playing for six-figure sums.
The affordable €550 Main Event and comparable side events have made the MPNPT a favorite grassroots tour that is coming to an end this year – but not without a suitable curtain-closer.
Alex Scott, Managing Director of Poker at Microgaming, has overseen for over seven years the inception, growth and finally the close of the live poker tour, alongside Clodagh Hansen and Richard Cunningham, who together have built the tour around its players.
"I have the most amazing team and I'm really proud of what we've achieved," Scott said.
"We want to say thank you to those players who've been with us from the very beginning, through the events with no guarantee, to now playing with large fields and prize pools.
"I really hope that you'll come join us for our last event, the Grand Finale in Madrid."
Gregarious Swede Matz Lindman is one such tour regular, having played since the inaugural event in London.
"The thing I enjoy most is just hanging out with friends," he said, a sentiment echoed by the regulars who've met up from Manchester to Morocco over the years.
"The MPNPT is quite a unique tour in its structure and the people who come to it," said online qualifier Andrew Macleod, interviewed in Prague last May.
"For me, it's that perfect long weekend away - you explore a beautiful city, play a bit of poker, and if the cards go your way you probably come back with a fair bit of money as well!"
Online qualifiers get to start the off-the-table fun portion of their Madrid holiday early with a private Welcome Party.
This will be held at Bling Bling, the connoisseur's club of choice in Madrid, with canapes, free bar, and DJ until late.
Anyone who's experienced an MPNPT party will know roughly what to expect; multiply it by ten.
Qualifiers through Grosvenor Poker, Olybet, Guts, Betsson, NordicBet, and Betsafe also receive a special VIP experience in the form of a football experience to remember as they join the MPNPT team at the Athletico Madrid stadium for the La Liga clash with Granada.
Madrid's stop represents the very last time to enjoy all that the unique MPN Poker Tour offers, including excursions, bar-based shenanigans and, of course, poker alongside the €550 Main Event (including a Doubles tournament and Ladies' Event, plus Staff Bounty on Sunday night where busting the bosses means prizes).
That's all before mentioning Fish Party, the slot spin/three-handed live sit-and-go's that have been known to draw a bigger rail than the final table.
The last ever Main Event will crown its champion cards-up, with Live Updates available on the MPNPT blog from Feb. 6 and live streaming on twitch.tv/thrillofpoker starting on Feb. 7.
The Live Stream will feature commentary by the legendary duo of Jesse May and Padraig Parkinson alongside a slew of guest commentators.
Then, it's time to raise glasses and roll credits.
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