MPN Announces New Live Poker Tour in Europe

The Microgaming Poker Network (MPN) has announced a brand new live poker tour, and the first MPN Poker Tour (MPNPT) will include several stop throughout Europe. The tour will begin in London during the summer and will then stop at several locations, including Tallin and Malta.

According to a recently released company press note, “each venue will deliver a fun and friendly poker festival with an emphasis on building a community among MPN players and operators.”

Click Here For Sites Still Accepting USA Player

The London stop of the MPNPT 2014 will be held at the Stratford-based Aspers Casino from May 29 to June 2. The festival will feature a €550 buy-in main event, with a slow, deep-stacked structure; an £50 re-buy tournament with a fast-paced structure called “The Mosh Pit Live;” and a side event based on Open Face Chinese (OFC) Poker. The complete schedule is available at the MPNPT’s official website.

Poker players can start qualifying for these events as skins on the MPN are already running satellites, giving them the chance to win a prize package worth €1500, which includes charges for travel and accommodation as well as the buy-in for the main event. Live satellites will also be held late in May.

MPN is not new to hosting live poker tours. When it was known as Prima Poker, it had sponsored the Monte Carlo Millions, the first live poker tournament to be held in Monaco. The inaugural Monte Carlo Millions was held in 2004, long before the federal government passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). This $14,000 buy-in event was limited to a field of 80 poker players, some of who were widely acclaimed professional poker players. Phil Ivey, who finished third in the inaugural event, became its champion the following year. In those days, it was Europe’s biggest poker event as it had a prize pool worth $1 million and was shown on TV.

When the US government passed the UIGEA in 2006, Microgaming vacated the US market. But the poker network is back with another major live poker event, which promises to be in a class of its own.

Christopher Hirst, Betsson Group’s poker head, remembers the Monte Carlo Millions. The group has four online poker sites on MPN. Hirst said: “I still have fond memories of the Monte Carlo Millions, which produced some of the best poker I’ve ever seen. We will see an equally friendly atmosphere and even more exciting play on the MPNPT.”