Inaugural PokerStars EPT Paris Stop Receives Complaints From Players

Summary

• Some players were unable to register for the FPS Main Event due to capacity limits
• PokerStars issued an apology and took full responsibility for the issues
• It’s the first time that EPT is visiting Paris, with the series running until February 26

When PokerStars announced that the European Poker Tour (EPT) would visit Paris for the first time, plenty of EPT players and fans looked forward to the historic event, expecting it to be a memorable one for them.

However, the excitement turned into disappointment for some players, with the French stop marred with complaints regarding event registration and inconveniences at the venue.

Some Players Unable to Register for FPS Main Event

EPT Paris kicked off on February 15 and runs until February 26 at the Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile. The festival opened with the France Poker Series (FPS) events, including the FPS Main Event. The €1,100 buy-in tournament attracted a massive field of 2,071 entries, the largest in the tournament’s history, but more real money poker players could have joined the action if not for capacity issues.

Poker player Victoria Livschitz was among those who went to the venue to register but did not make it as the event was already at capacity. But that wasn’t the only issue at the stop.

Chris Brewer earlier complained about long queues at the venue causing an inconvenience to players. He took to Twitter to air his complaint and called on organizers to “fix” the problem, adding that some players were also unable to register. Brewer’s dissatisfaction was compensated though, as he won the €25,000 Single-Day High Roller for €357,180.

PokerStars Issues Apology

PokerStars was quick to apologize for the issues experienced by players, saying it takes full responsibility for the problems that have arisen. In a statement, Cedric Billot, PokerStars Head of Live Events for Global Operations, acknowledged that EPT Paris failed to meet the high standards that organizers and the players expect. He said they are committed to “making things better”.

The EPT Paris schedule includes a second Main Event, the €5,300 buy-in EPT Main Event which features two Day 1 flights running on February 20 and 21. In the statement released on February 18, Billot advised players to register in advance and play Day 1A to avoid capacity issues. The EPT Main Event is a six-day affair, concluding on February 26.

As of this writing, it remains unknown whether everyone who went to the venue to register for the EPT Main Event was able to enter the tournament, though PokerStars ambassador Sam Grafton earlier expressed confidence that those keen on playing the event will be able to.