Prague is once again preparing to become one of the biggest poker destinations in Europe as the European Poker Tour returns to the Czech capital in December 2026.
EPT Prague 2026 will take place from December 2 to December 13, 2026, bringing almost two weeks of live poker to the Hilton Prague. The festival will combine the PokerStars Open with the main European Poker Tour schedule, including the €5,300 EPT Main Event, a €10,300 High Roller and a €3,200 Mystery Bounty.
Prague has been part of the EPT story for almost two decades and has developed a reputation as one of the circuit’s most popular winter stops. The combination of a prestigious poker festival, a major international field and the atmosphere of Prague in December makes the event very different from many of the other stops on the calendar.
The 2026 edition will be particularly interesting after another huge Main Event in 2025. Israel’s Matan Krakow defeated a field of 1,224 entries to win the title and €778,255, while the previous year’s champion, Pedro Marques, had conquered a record-breaking 1,458-entry field.
With the 2026 festival now confirmed, attention turns to the next champion.
When is EPT Prague 2026?
The EPT Prague 2026 festival runs from December 2 to December 13, 2026.
The event will once again be held at the Hilton Prague, where the European Poker Tour has built one of its most recognisable annual festivals. The official PokerStars Live information lists the Hilton Prague as the venue and King’s Casino Prague as the licence holder and operator.
The main EPT events are scheduled toward the second half of the festival.
The key dates are:
| Event | Dates | Buy-in |
|---|---|---|
| PokerStars Open Main Event | December 2–7 | €1,650 |
| PokerStars Cup | December 5–6 | €825 |
| PokerStars High Roller | December 6–8 | €2,700 |
| EPT Main Event | December 7–13 | €5,300 |
| EPT Mystery Bounty | December 9–11 | €3,200 |
| EPT High Roller | December 11–13 | €10,300 |
The schedule has been confirmed by PokerStars Live, although a more detailed breakdown of all individual tournament events is expected closer to the festival.
For players travelling specifically for the EPT Main Event, December 7 is therefore the date to have on the calendar.
The EPT Prague Main Event
The centrepiece of the festival is, naturally, the €5,300 EPT Prague Main Event.
The tournament is scheduled to run from December 7 through December 13, with players competing for the EPT title, a substantial first prize and a place in the history of one of Europe’s most established live poker festivals.
The €5,300 buy-in has been a fixture of EPT Prague in recent editions.
In 2025, the Main Event attracted 1,224 entries, generating a prize pool of €5,936,400. Matan Krakow eventually won the tournament after a dramatic final day, taking €778,255 after an ICM deal was reached among the final three players.
The year before, the numbers were even bigger.
The 2024 EPT Prague Main Event attracted 1,458 entries and created a prize pool of €7,071,300. Portugal’s Pedro Marques defeated Romania’s Paul Runcan heads-up and collected €963,450 after a deal.
Those two editions provide a useful indication of what players can expect in 2026.
There is no guarantee that the next field will reach the same level, but Prague has repeatedly demonstrated that it can attract a large international field for the €5,300 Main Event.
What makes EPT Prague so popular?
The answer is not simply the poker.
Prague has become one of the most recognisable winter destinations on the European Poker Tour calendar. The tournament takes place at a time when the city is already preparing for Christmas, with the historic centre covered in seasonal decorations and markets.
That creates an atmosphere that is difficult to replicate at other poker stops.
During the day, players can spend hours inside the tournament room competing against some of Europe’s best professionals. In the evening, they can walk through the historic centre, visit the Christmas markets or explore the city’s restaurants and bars.
PokerStars has described Prague as a favourite winter stop for players from around the world, while the event’s official material highlights the city’s combination of historic architecture, winter atmosphere and established poker culture.
For recreational players, that combination can make the trip feel more like a poker holiday than a simple tournament weekend.
EPT Prague 2026 at the Hilton Prague
The tournament will be held at Hilton Prague, located on Pobřežní in Prague 8.
The hotel is positioned close to the city centre and overlooks the Vltava River. The venue includes accommodation, restaurants, wellness facilities and a rooftop bar, making it particularly convenient for players who want to stay close to the tournament room.
One practical detail is worth remembering.
The official event information states that participants must be at least 18 years old and must bring a photo ID or passport. Sportswear and shorts are not permitted under the venue’s stated dress code.
For international players, Václav Havel Airport Prague is approximately 12 kilometres from the city centre, providing straightforward access to the festival.
The PokerStars Open comes first
One of the biggest attractions of the Prague festival is that the EPT Main Event is not the only major tournament.
The action starts with the PokerStars Open Main Event, which has a €1,650 buy-in and runs from December 2 to December 7.
That event is particularly important for players who want a large-field live tournament without committing the €5,300 required for the EPT Main Event.
The 2025 PokerStars Open Main Event was a perfect example of its potential.
A huge 3,024-entry field competed in Prague, with Bulgaria’s Yulian Bogdanov eventually winning €398,135 after a three-way deal. Bogdanov had already won the €10,200 Mystery Bounty earlier during the festival, creating one of the most impressive double victories of the 2025 Prague stop.
That result illustrates why the PokerStars Open section of the festival deserves attention.
It is not simply an opening act for the EPT.
It can be a major tournament in its own right.
PokerStars Cup and High Roller
The PokerStars Cup follows with a €825 buy-in and is scheduled for December 5–6.
For players looking for a lower entry point, this is one of the more accessible headline events of the festival.
The PokerStars High Roller is scheduled for December 6–8 with a €2,700 buy-in.
This creates an interesting progression through the opening part of the festival:
€825 PokerStars Cup → €1,650 PokerStars Open Main Event → €2,700 PokerStars High Roller → €5,300 EPT Main Event → €10,300 EPT High Roller
That range of buy-ins is one of the reasons EPT Prague attracts such a diverse field.
You can have recreational players playing their first major European tournament alongside established professionals competing for six-figure prizes.
The €10,300 EPT High Roller
The EPT High Roller is scheduled for December 11–13 with a €10,300 buy-in.
It represents the high-stakes side of the festival and is expected to attract professional players and experienced tournament regulars.
While the Main Event is the tournament most closely associated with the EPT Prague brand, the High Roller provides another opportunity for some of the strongest players in the field to compete against each other.
The event is particularly important for players chasing major live results and ranking points.
The final stages also overlap with the final stages of the Main Event, creating the kind of intense atmosphere that has become a feature of the closing weekend in Prague.
EPT Mystery Bounty returns
The EPT Mystery Bounty will take place from December 9 to December 11, with a €3,200 buy-in.
Mystery Bounty tournaments have become increasingly popular because they combine traditional tournament poker with a second layer of uncertainty.
Instead of knowing the value of every bounty in advance, players can discover the size of their reward after eliminating an opponent.
That creates some very different strategic decisions compared with a standard freezeout.
A player may be willing to take additional risks when a potentially huge bounty is available, while short stacks can sometimes find themselves in situations where the value of eliminating another player changes the mathematics of a hand.
For spectators, Mystery Bounty events are also entertaining because the value of a bounty can suddenly change the fortunes of a player.
What happened at EPT Prague 2025?
The 2025 festival provided an excellent preview of what could happen in 2026.
The EPT Main Event attracted 1,224 entries and generated €5,936,400 in prize money. The final table included players from several different countries, with Turkey’s Bora Kurtulus entering the final day as chip leader.
Matan Krakow eventually took control.
The 44-year-old former journalist from Tel Aviv entered the final day with 65 big blinds, behind Kurtulus’ 82 but well within contention.
The final seven also included Romania’s Traian Stanciu, Greece’s Dimitrios Gkatzas, India’s Paawan Bansal, Czech player Vitezslav Cech and Ireland’s Conor O’Driscoll.
Bansal’s run was particularly memorable.
At one stage he was reduced to less than one big blind after losing a major pot, but managed to survive and double several times before eventually finishing fifth for €269,000.
Krakow, however, remained the most consistent presence at the final table.
When the field reached three players, Krakow, Kurtulus and Gkatzas agreed to an ICM deal. Krakow locked up €703,600, Kurtulus €757,400 and Gkatzas €574,600, with €74,655 remaining to play for.
Krakow eventually won that additional money and the title.
His final opponent, Kurtulus, finished second.
The victory made Krakow only the second Israeli player to win an EPT Main Event, while Turkey was left waiting for its first champion.
Pedro Marques set the standard in 2024
If Krakow’s victory was dramatic, Pedro Marques’ 2024 performance was one of the most technically impressive final tables in recent Prague history.
The Portuguese professional defeated a record-breaking field of 1,458 entries.
The prize pool reached €7,071,300, making it one of the largest Main Event prize pools in the history of EPT Prague.
Marques entered the final stages facing serious competition.
Romanian player Paul Runcan had dominated the tournament for much of the final stages and entered heads-up play with a substantial chip lead.
Marques gradually fought his way back.
The two players eventually reached a deal, securing €900,000 each, with the remaining €63,450 and the title left to play for.
Marques won the remaining money and the trophy.
His final prize was €963,450.
The performance was particularly significant because Marques had already experienced deep runs in major tournaments, including a fourth-place finish at EPT Barcelona in 2018 and a fifth-place finish at the PSPC in 2023.
Prague finally gave him the EPT Main Event title.
A long history of champions
EPT Prague has been producing memorable champions since the first edition in 2007.
The list includes some of the most recognisable names in European poker.
Arnaud Mattern won the inaugural event in 2007.
Salvatore Bonavena followed in 2008, while Czech player Jan Skampa won in 2009.
Roberto Romanello, Martin Finger, Ramzi Jelassi, Julian Track and Stephen Graner were among the champions in the following years.
Hossein Ensan won in 2015 before eventually becoming a WSOP Main Event champion several years later.
Jasper Meijer van Putten won in 2016 after defeating a 1,192-entry field, which was at the time the largest EPT Prague field in the city’s history.
Mikalai Pobal added another chapter in 2019.
Pobal was already an EPT champion after winning in Barcelona, and his Prague victory made him the first male player to win two EPT Main Events. His Prague victory remains particularly notable because he won more than €1 million.
After the disruption to the live calendar, Prague returned with two editions in 2022.
Grzegorz Główny won the March edition, while Canada’s Jordan Saccucci won the December tournament.
Padraig O’Neill then won in 2023, defeating a record 1,285-entry field and taking €1.03 million.
Pedro Marques followed in 2024.
Matan Krakow became the latest champion in 2025.
The 2026 winner will become the next name added to that list.
Previous EPT Prague Main Event winners
| Year | Winner | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Arnaud Mattern | France | €708,400 |
| 2008 | Salvatore Bonavena | Italy | €774,000 |
| 2009 | Jan Skampa | Czech Republic | €682,000 |
| 2010 | Roberto Romanello | UK | €640,000 |
| 2011 | Martin Finger | Germany | €720,000 |
| 2012 | Ramzi Jelassi | Sweden | €835,000 |
| 2013 | Julian Track | Germany | €725,700 |
| 2014 | Stephen Graner | USA | €969,000 |
| 2015 | Hossein Ensan | Germany | €754,510 |
| 2016 | Jasper Meijer van Putten | Netherlands | €699,300 |
| 2017 | Kalidou Sow | France | €675,000 |
| 2018 | Paul Michaelis | Germany | €840,000 |
| 2019 | Mikalai Pobal | Belarus | €1,005,600 |
| 2022 | Grzegorz Główny | Poland | €692,252 |
| 2022 | Jordan Saccucci | Canada | €913,250 |
| 2023 | Padraig O’Neill | Ireland | €1,030,000 |
| 2024 | Pedro Marques | Portugal | €963,000 |
| 2025 | Matan Krakow | Israel | €778,255 |
The history of EPT Prague shows just how international the tournament has become. Champions have come from across Europe and beyond, and the final tables regularly feature players from countries that have never previously produced an EPT Main Event winner.
How big could EPT Prague 2026 be?
It is impossible to know the final field size before registration closes, but the recent numbers suggest another substantial tournament.
The Main Event attracted:
1,285 entries in 2023
1,458 entries in 2024
1,224 entries in 2025
The 2024 edition remains the record among those recent tournaments, while 2025 still produced a prize pool approaching €6 million.
That consistency is one of the strongest arguments for Prague’s position on the EPT calendar.
The tournament is not dependent on one generation of players or a single national market.
Professionals travel to Prague because of the prestige.
European recreational players are attracted by the accessibility of the PokerStars Open.
Satellite qualifiers provide another route into the major tournaments.
And the December timing makes the trip attractive for players who want to combine poker with a few days in one of Europe’s most popular winter destinations.
Can recreational players play EPT Prague?
Yes.
The €5,300 EPT Main Event is expensive compared with everyday poker tournaments, but the festival offers several substantially cheaper entry points.
The €825 PokerStars Cup is the lowest buy-in among the headline events currently listed.
The €1,650 PokerStars Open Main Event provides another route into a large-field tournament.
Players can also look for satellite opportunities through PokerStars and other qualifying routes.
Satellites are particularly important because they can reduce the effective cost of entering a major live event dramatically.
For an amateur player, winning a satellite package can transform EPT Prague from an unrealistic €5,300 direct buy-in into a potentially affordable poker trip.
What should players expect at the tables?
EPT Prague is not a soft local tournament.
The Main Event attracts experienced professionals, established European regulars, online qualifiers and recreational players who have won their seats through satellites.
That mixture creates some interesting dynamics.
Early levels can include players taking different approaches to tournament risk. Some professionals are focused on accumulating chips without unnecessary variance, while satellite qualifiers may have very different priorities.
As the field shrinks, the tournament naturally becomes tougher.
By the final stages, players are dealing with significant ICM pressure, increasingly large pay jumps and the possibility of winning hundreds of thousands of euros.
The 2025 final table was a good example.
The final seven included players from Israel, Turkey, Romania, Greece, India, the Czech Republic and Ireland. The diversity of the final table reflected the international nature of the tournament.
Following EPT Prague 2026 online
For people who cannot travel to Prague, live coverage will be an important part of the event.
PokerStars has traditionally provided cards-up coverage of the EPT Main Event through its global channels, with commentary from its established broadcast team.
During the 2025 festival, the Main Event was streamed across multiple days, including Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5 and the final table. PokerStars also provided coverage in multiple languages, including French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and German.
The exact 2026 broadcast schedule will be confirmed closer to the event.
For poker fans, however, the final weekend should once again provide the most compelling viewing, particularly once the Main Event reaches the final table.
Prague away from the poker tables
One reason EPT Prague has such longevity is the city itself.
December is arguably one of the most atmospheric times to visit Prague.
The Old Town, Charles Bridge, Prague Castle and the historic centre provide plenty to do between tournament sessions, while the Christmas markets add another layer to the trip.
For players staying at the Hilton Prague, the logistical advantage is obvious.
The tournament venue and accommodation are in the same location, meaning players can avoid long daily journeys between a hotel and the casino.
That becomes particularly valuable during the later stages of a tournament.
A player who reaches Day 4, Day 5 or the final table may be playing extremely long sessions under considerable mental pressure.
Being able to return to the same hotel immediately after play is a significant advantage.
Why EPT Prague 2026 could be one of the year’s biggest European poker festivals
There are plenty of major poker festivals across Europe, but Prague occupies a particularly interesting position on the calendar.
It is late enough in the year for the full 2026 tournament season to have developed its own narratives.
Players who have had a successful year will arrive looking to add one more major title.
Players who have struggled may see Prague as their final opportunity to finish the year strongly.
And for many recreational players, the event represents a chance to end the poker year with one major live experience.
The tournament also arrives after the enormous growth of live poker across Europe in recent years.
PokerStars has highlighted the strength of live tournament fields across its events, while the 2025 Prague festival itself demonstrated the appetite for large-field tournaments. The PokerStars Open Main Event attracted more than 3,000 entries, while the EPT Main Event passed 1,200.
There is little reason to expect the appetite for live poker to disappear in 2026.
EPT Prague 2026 schedule at a glance
For anyone planning a trip, the most important dates currently confirmed are:
December 2, 2026
PokerStars Open Main Event begins.
December 5, 2026
PokerStars Cup begins.
December 6, 2026
PokerStars High Roller begins.
December 7, 2026
The €5,300 EPT Main Event begins.
December 9, 2026
EPT Mystery Bounty begins.
December 11, 2026
EPT High Roller begins.
December 13, 2026
The scheduled closing day of the main EPT events.
The official PokerStars Live page currently lists the festival dates as December 2–13 and the Hilton Prague as the venue.
The road to another Prague champion
The interesting thing about EPT Prague is that the identity of the eventual champion is almost impossible to predict.
The last three winners illustrate that perfectly.
Padraig O’Neill arrived at the 2023 final table as the shortest stack and produced an extraordinary comeback to win €1.03 million.
Pedro Marques then defeated a record-breaking field in 2024 after overcoming a significant heads-up deficit against Paul Runcan.
Matan Krakow followed in 2025, navigating a final table that included a dramatic short-stack survival story from Paawan Bansal before beating Bora Kurtulus heads-up.
None of those tournaments followed the same script.
That is part of what makes the EPT Main Event so compelling.
In 2026, hundreds of players will enter the €5,300 tournament knowing that the vast majority will leave without a title.
A small group will make the final stages.
Seven will return for the final day.
And eventually, one player will have all the chips.
That player will become the latest EPT Prague champion.
EPT Prague 2026 is more than a poker tournament
The December festival has become a fixture of the European poker calendar for a reason.
It combines a prestigious €5,300 Main Event with a wide selection of lower and higher buy-in tournaments, giving players with very different bankrolls an opportunity to participate.
The PokerStars Open provides the large-field entry point.
The EPT Main Event remains the centrepiece.
The Mystery Bounty adds a different format and another opportunity for a major score.
The €10,300 High Roller brings some of the strongest tournament specialists to the same room.
And all of it takes place in Prague during one of the most atmospheric periods of the year.
The numbers from recent editions suggest that the Main Event should once again attract a major international field. After 1,285 entries in 2023, a record 1,458 in 2024 and 1,224 in 2025, another six-figure prize pool is likely to be one of the central stories of EPT Prague 2026.
The only question is how large the field will become.
The answer will come in December.
Until then, the countdown to EPT Prague 2026 is officially on.
The festival will run from December 2 to December 13, the €5,300 Main Event will take place from December 7 to December 13, and the Hilton Prague will once again become the meeting point for professional players, online qualifiers, recreational enthusiasts and poker fans from around the world.
After Matan Krakow’s breakthrough victory in 2025, the next chapter of the Prague story is ready to be written.
And somewhere among the thousands of players expected to pass through the festival, one of them will leave Prague with the trophy that every EPT regular wants to win.