WPTWC & EPT Prague Kick Off Massive Month of Live Poker; WSOP Paradise Still to Come
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It’s that time of year again—the December Three is upon us! Three colossal poker festivals are taking place this festive season, each drawing players from every corner of the globe.
The World Series of Poker (WSOP), European Poker Tour (EPT), and World Poker Tour (WPT) are all hosting major events this month, each competing for attention—and for those all-important buy-ins.
PokerNews will be on the ground at all three, delivering the latest updates, inside scoops, and live coverage as the events unfold and champions are crowned. Here, we take a closer look at what makes each of these events stand out.
First on the list? The WPT World Championship at Wynn.
WPT World Championship
Dates: December 3-23
The third edition of the WPT World Championship kicked off its first orbits on December 3 and will run as the longest festival this month, wrapping up on December 23.
There has been significant buzz surrounding the first-ever $5 Million freeroll, where the eventual champion is guaranteed to take home at least $1 million.
The historic ClubWPT Gold $5M Invitational Freeroll, taking place from December 13-15, follows last year’s $40 million guaranteed WPT World Championship, a $10,400 buy-in tournament that saw 3,835 entries. Dan Sepiol claimed the title, taking home $5.3 million after a dominant performance at the final table.
While there’s no specific guarantee for this year's WPT World Championship, a large field is expected in Las Vegas, and don't forget the WPT Prime Championship.
The WPT Prime World Championship has rapidly become one of the most sought-after mid-stakes events, earning the title of Best Mid-Major Tour/Circuit at the Global Poker Awards. The tournament draws a diverse group of players eager to compete for the title and potential life-changing score.
The last edition was a record-breaker, attracting 10,512 entrants and generating a prize pool of $10,196,640. 2023 champion Calvin Anderson turned his $1,100 buy-in into a career-high payout of $1,386,280.
Read the Latest WPTWC News from the Wynn
EPT Prague
Dates: December 4-15
EPT Prague, which first debuted in December 2007, makes its highly anticipated return for the 16th time this month, running from December 4-15. A firm favorite among players on the European poker circuit, Prague has long been a staple destination. However, could this be the final chapter for the EPT Prague festival? PokerStars recently revealed the first half of its 2025 EPT schedule, and Prague was notably absent.
That said, EPT Prague is already in full swing, having kicked off a busy few weeks of thrilling poker action with the €1,100 Eureka Main Event just earlier today.
Over the years, Prague has hosted some unforgettable moments in poker history. From Hossein Ensan's stunning 2015 victory—four years before he clinched the World Series of Poker Main Event title—to Mikalai Pobal making history in 2019 as the second player ever to win two EPT Main Events.
With festive Christmas markets, delectable local cuisine, and a PokerStars Live team lined up with exciting activities, it's bound to be a magical experience in the heart of the Czech capital.
Catch All the Latest EPT Prague Updates
WSOP Paradise
Dates: December 6-19
The WSOP has experienced significant changes in the latter half of 2024. The most notable being Caesars Entertainment selling the iconic poker brand for $500 million to NSUS Group Inc, a leading investment group and operator of online poker platform, GGPoker.
This sale came hot on the heels of the largest WSOP Main Event in history and just months before the highly anticipated return of WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas. The deal was finalized in October, and the second-ever WSOP Paradise will offer the first glimpse of what the WSOP will look like under its new ownership.
Taking place from December 6-19, the upcoming festival is set to feature 15 bracelet events, including the largest guarantee in live tournament history. The $25,000 WSOP Super Main Event boasts an unprecedented $50 million guarantee, showcasing the ambitious vision that NSUS Group has for the WSOP moving forward.
In addition to the Super Main Event, the festival will offer a range of High Roller and Super High Roller tournaments, including the highly-anticipated $1,000,000 buy-in tournament hosted by Triton Poker.
