Project Poker | The EPT’s 11th Season. And now?

After the fever pitch of the World Series of Poker in Vegas. and the deserved vacations that came after it, players are now ready for another European Poker Tour (EPT) season, which started in Barcelona last month.
Alongside the celebrations that went with this being the 100th EPT Main Event, EPT Barcelona grabbed headlines for other reasons, with an enormous field breaking numerous records and resulted in a phenomenal €7,255,600 prize pool.
Without doubt there was a lot of expectation for this special edition in Barcelona. But what will be the next milestone to look out for in EPTs 101, 102 and 103?
Maybe events of last season have made the job of the commentator harder now, no longer able to entice viewers with the possibility of a first double winner. The answer to that question has already been answered by Vicky Coren. So now what?
Who will be the first to win three EPTs?
Who will be the first to win two EPTs in the same season?
Will this be the year that Daniel Negreanu adds an EPT win to his resume?
These and other questions will generate a lot of interest among viewers and poker fans. But for me they’re not quite enough. Poker is getting more and more mature from days to days. I believe that it is more important and critical to think of poker as a sport, and focus less on each tournament turning into a quest to find the next millionaire.
A lot of times I was critical of the amount that an elite group of players spent in high roller events, super high rollers and $1 million buy-in tournaments. But as time goes by I think that this elite group of players will be responsible, for the most part, for poker’s popularity in the future. They’re the ones that will keep poker fans watching TVs and computer screens for hours with their performances at the poker table.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see whether the directors of the major circuits can create a competitive model for poker tournaments that bring them closer to others sports leagues. Closed models such as the football Champions League, and semi-closed as with tennis Grand Slams, are good starting points for excitement at the start of each season. They also raise the player’s popularity, as well as that of the game itself.
I know, I’m not exactly presenting a concrete solution. But that wasn’t my goal. I want poker tournaments to gain the respect of everyone, from poker players, poker fans, and the wider world. Making the directors think about the future seems like a good way to assure that it will continue in the right.

    by Joao Nune