MAR 02 2010

EPT Berlin set to break records

The room is full, the atmosphere electric – the first ever EPT Berlin has kicked off today with nearly 400 players competing for a guaranteed first prize of €1 million euros.

The €5,300 five-day event is taking place in the heart of the German capital in the luxurious Grand Hyatt Hotel on Marlene Dietrich Platz in partnership with Casino Spielbank Berlin. Already it looks set to smash last year's record of 667 players at EPT Dortmund.

Last night hundreds of players – including tennis legend and PokerStars SportStar Boris Becker - were celebrating the EPT’s arrival in the heart of the German capital with a spectacular welcome party at trendy nightclub E4. With entertainment including a scantily-clad fire-breather and dancing girls, the club was rocking until well past midnight.

Nearly 400 players have now taken their seats in the Grand Ballroom for Day 1a including Team PokerStars Pros Sebastian Ruthenberg, Vlad Zguba, George Danzer, Benjamin Kang, Johannes Steindl, Arnaud Mattern, Katja Thater, Tom McEvoy, Vicky Coren and Jude Ainsworth as well as new German Team PokerStars Pro Michael Keiner. The field also includes around 160 players who won their seats to the event on PokerStars.

Also competing today are PokerStars-sponsored players Thomas Bichon, who won the French “Job 2 Stars” promotion, and fellow Frenchman Julien Brecard as well as former chess champion Jeff Sarwer, Ludovic Lacay, Barny Boatman, Marc Goodwin and Alexia Portal.