EPT Prague Postponed in the Wake of Rising COVID-19 Cases in the Czech Republic; WSOPE Continues

EPT Prague
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  • Attreyee Khasnabis November 29, 2021
  • 4 Minutes Read

Like a déjà vu from 2020, a surge in COVID-19 cases in the Czech Republic has resulted in the postponement of the European Poker Tour Prague. The series was slated to arrive at the King’s Resort in Rozvadov from December 8 to 20 and has been postponed to a yet-unconfirmed date for next year.

One of Europe`s largest casinos, King’s Resort, has been playing host to the 2021 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) since November 19. Despite the prevailing COVID-19 situation, the series continues undisturbed with some changes in the timings.

On November 25, COVID-19 cases in the Czech Republic hit a daily peak of 27,717, which was 10,000 more positive cases per day than the previous highs in January. To make matters worse, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday night. The 77-year-old was taken back to the hospital less than a day after being discharged following treatment for an undisclosed chronic illness.

Given the surge in COVID-19 cases in the country, Czech Health Minister Adam Vojtech, on November 25, announced a national state of emergency, imposing a wave of new restrictions. The 30-day state of emergency also means hospitality venues will be subject to capacity limits of up to 1,000 people.

Some other poker stops affected by the disturbing COVID-19 situation in Europe include Texas Poker Series (Italy), Bounty Hunter Tour (Czech Republic), PokerStars Mammoth (Ireland), Liechtenstein Poker Festival, Party Poker Grand Prix (Ireland), and CAPT Seefeld (Austria) – all of them either getting canceled or postponed.

 

EPT Prague Postponed

EPT Prague, which was slated to run from December 8 to 20, has been postponed by PokerStars. Previously, it was believed that despite a national state of emergency due to rising COVID-19 cases, both WSOPE and EPT Prague would go ahead as planned. However, PokerStars is now looking to host EPT Prague at an as-yet undecided date in 2022.

A spokesperson of the King’s Resort revealed that while the casino was hopeful that the EPT Prague could operate similarly to the WSOPE, the executives at PokerStars had other plans. After discussions between the casino and the poker giant, they decided the best course of action was to postpone the event.

The organizers are offering anyone who has paid entry fees or won an EPT Prague package the option to ask for a refund. There may also be the option to transfer payments and packages to a later date.

The 30-day state of emergency was announced on Thursday and came into force on Saturday. This has forced many parts of the hospitality sector to adjust to the new guidelines. While EPT Prague has undoubtedly been affected by this, PokerStars is confident that the series will return to the Czech Republic next year.

 

WSOPE Continues Undisturbed in the Face of Rising COVID-19 Cases

Despite the somewhat perilous situation in the Czech Republic, the 2021 WSOPE has stuck to its schedule, albeit with additional restrictions. The series got off to a rousing start on November 19, before the COVID-19 surge was reported in the Czech Republic, and perhaps that is why the series was not interrupted midway.

In October, when the series was still a month away, King’s Resort had confirmed its COVID rules. Complying with the then laws in the Czech Republic, it has been announced that anyone who wishes to enter King’s Resort in Rozvadov would need to prove they have had two doses of an EU-approved COVID vaccine — or a single dose if they had received the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen Pharmaceuticals jab.

However, people who had yet to be vaccinated could still play at the WSOPE as long as they passed a rapid antigen or PCR test. This was in addition to the mandatory requirement of wearing a facemask inside the casino and while playing at the tables.

While the WSOPE did not shut shop, specific guidelines were implemented to ensure the safety of the players and casino staff. They are:

  • Most tournaments start at 10 AM, which means there can be 12 hours of play, if required, before the 10 PM curfew
  • The larger WSOPE events, such as the Colossus, were capped at 1,000 entrants per day with the option to add extra sessions if necessary

 

The first few events at the 2021 WSOPE surpassed expectations as far as player pools are concerned. Despite COVID restrictions in the Czech Republic, the series-opener Event #1: €350 NLH Opener attracted a 1,789-entry field, becoming one of the largest WSOPE tournaments in history. Italy’s Antonello Ferraiuolo championed the event, clinching his career-first bracelet and €77,570 in prize money.

The opener’s momentum spilled over into Event #2: €550 Pot-Limit Omaha. Attracting 623 entrants, the event surpassed the €200,000 ($225,000) guarantee by a healthy margin. Bjorn Verbakel was the eventual winner, banking a €59,250 top prize.

Even Event #3: €1,350 Mini Main Event registered a record-breaking 1,397 entries to create a total prize pool of €1,592,580, which easily surpassed the listed €600,000 guarantee. The event was taken down by Switzerland’s Emil Bise for €250,175.

A total of six events, out of the scheduled 15 tournaments, have already played down to a winner. When the updated COVID-19 guidelines had been implemented, the first three starting flights of Event #5: €550 No-Limit Hold’em COLOSSUS had already played out. Three more starting flights were hosted after that, and the event ended up recording 2,478 entries which created a prize pool of €1,177,050.

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