EPT events to pay 20% of the field
Just ahead of the European Poker Tour Season 13 kicking off in Barcelona, flatter payout structures have been announced.
Neil Johnson, the Head of Live Poker at PokerStars, has announced a number of new additions to the European Poker Tour, which starts again in Barcelona next week.
This includes regular $25,000 PLO High Roller events and more fun away from the tables, such as chess, backgammon and pinball.
More significantly he has announced that 20% of the field will be paid in most events, which is an increase from the 15% standard of previous seasons. Payouts for min-cashers will typically be between 1-1.2 times the buy-in. In Johnson's words:
It's a way to give a lot more players a second shot, while exerting only a negligible effect on prize pool distribution. It's a tough line to tread: giving more players a better experience while making sure that champs are well rewarded. Given the popularity of events that we're running we believe that this provides a better balance. We always listen to feedback and try to factor in as many opinions as possible.
This represents what is becoming something of an industry trend as earlier this year the World Series of Poker revealed they were increasing the number of payouts in most of their events from 10% to 15%.
Do you agree with a 20% payout structure in live tournaments? Let us know in the comments.
