Exciting news for the Mixed Game enthusiasts out there! Following a highly successful debut of the EPT Prague Mixed Game Main Event, PokerStars has confirmed to expand Mixed Games into future events, including EPT.
While the Mixed Games are not new to the live poker arena, it was by far the first time that a live poker operator hosted a main event for a Mixed Game variant and awarded the iconic shard trophy, often reserved for big events such as the No-Limit Hold’em Main Event and High Rollers.
The inaugural Mixed Game Main Event was held at EPT Prague 2024. The first-ever event attracted an impressive 83 entries and generated a prize pool of €159,300. Featuring a 10-game rotation of various poker variants, the tournament crowned its champion in France’s Paul Tedeschi, who eventually defeated Germany’s Ali Abdulzahra to claim the top prize of €44,900. Abdulzahra walked away with €29,000 for his runner-up finish.
This Mixed Game Main Event saw several big names in the field, including the PokerStars ambassadors Parker “tonkaaaa” Talbot and Georgina “GJ Reggie” James, who added an exciting layer to the inaugural event.
Among other notables in the field were NAPT 2023 Main Event winner Sami Bechached, Walter Treccarichi, Mark Rubbathan, van Zhechev, and Norway’s Tobias Leknes along with his compatriot Thomas Berg.
Confirming the Mixed Game expansion in future events, PokerStars Tournament Director Toby Stone told Pokerfuse that they are excited to introduce more Mixed Games to enhance and diversify the EPT schedule.
“Adding a Mixed Games Main Event for the first time has been a great success, with 83 entries and fantastic feedback from players,” Stone said.
“The format is typically only played in Vegas, so many are thrilled to have the opportunity to play elsewhere. It’s brought new players to PokerStars Live Events while boosting interest in non-No Limit Hold’em games. We’re excited to refine and expand Mixed Games in future events, continuing to add variety to the EPT schedule.”, Stone added.
Apart from the Mixed Game Main Event, PokerStars hosted several other exciting mixed game events and all of them saw impressive turnouts.
“The Mixed Games in Prague were a big win overall. It’s clear there’s a growing interest in these events, and I think they’ll keep getting more popular. I hope to see this become more regular, where the focus is on Mixed Games,” GJ Reggie further told Pokerfuse.
EPT Stops 2025 To Feature More Mixed Game Action
Just last month, PokerStars announced three stops for EPT Season 2025 – EPT Paris (February 12-23), EPT Monte-Carlo (April 30 – May 10) and EPT Barcelona (August 18 – 31). Unfortunately, the EPT Paris was recently cancelled due to regulatory changes but is likely to return later in 2025.
Considering the success of the Mixed Games at EPT Prague, we can now expect the return of the Mixed Game Main Event at the popular Barcelona or Prague stops, plus more mixed game events on the EPT schedule.
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Image Credit: PokerStars
