Top Poker Tournaments in the World

Elucidated below are the top Poker tournaments in the world that spell the key to success and stardom in the Poker world! While the WSOP has been the biggest poker event worldwide, its location is largely limited to Vegas where it was started and continues to hold the final event there ever since its inception. The World Poker Tour or the WPT, competes with the WSOP in terms of prestige and prize pool, but the WSOP clearly stands out to be the winner here being the oldest tournament in the world. The Asia Pacific Poker Tour rules the roost for the Asia Pacific circuit, The EPT or the European poker tour for the Europe circuit, and the Aussie millions for the southern hemisphere. Read up more about them in detail below:

World Series of Poker (WSOP): The WSOP is the biggest and most famous poker tournament in the world. It takes place annually in Las Vegas and features dozens of events with huge prize pools, including the Main Event which has a buy-in of $10,000. Read more about the  World series of Poker or the WSOP in detail including its history, scale of the tournament, top players etc here.

European Poker Tour (EPT): The EPT is a series of live poker tournaments that take place across Europe. It features several events each year, including the EPT Main Event, which has a buy-in of €5,300. The EPT is broadcast on various platforms, including television, live streaming services, and online poker sites. For example, the EPT Barcelona Main Event in 2019 was streamed live on PokerStars TV and attracted over 1.4 million views across all platforms. Similarly, the EPT Prague Main Event in 2018 was broadcast on television and reached a potential audience of over 1 billion viewers in Europe, Asia, and the United States.

Overall, the EPT is estimated to have millions of viewers worldwide, with many fans tuning in to watch their favorite poker players compete for huge prize pools and prestigious titles.

The prize pool for the European Poker Tour (EPT) events varies depending on the buy-in for each tournament and the number of entries. Generally, the higher the buy-in, the larger the prize pool. The EPT Main Events typically have buy-ins ranging from €5,000 to €10,000, and the prize pools can reach into millions of euros.

For example, the largest EPT Main Event prize pool to date was at the EPT Monte Carlo in 2019, which had a buy-in of €5,300 and attracted 922 entries. The total prize pool for that event was €4,471,200, with the winner taking home €827,700.

Other EPT events, such as High Roller tournaments, also have significant prize pools. For instance, the EPT Barcelona €50,000 Super High Roller in 2019 had a prize pool of €2,376,750.

Overall, the EPT offers some of the biggest prize pools in the world of poker, and players have the opportunity to win life-changing sums of money if they are able to make it deep in the tournaments.

Steve O’Dwyer is currently the top earner on the EPT, with over $6.7 million in total winnings from the tour. He has won eight EPT titles in total, including the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo and the EPT Prague Main Event. Ole Schemion is in second place, with over $5.8 million in earnings, and has won six EPT titles, including the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo.

Daniel Negreanu, one of the most famous poker players in the world, has also had significant success on the EPT, with over $5.2 million in earnings. He won the EPT London High Roller in 2013 and has made numerous deep runs in other EPT events. Adrian Mateos and Bryn Kenney round out the top five, both with over $5 million in earnings from the EPT.

World Poker Tour (WPT): The WPT is a global poker tour that holds events in various countries around the world. It features several events each year, including the WPT Main Event, which has a buy-in of $10,000. The World Poker Tour (WPT) is a series of international poker tournaments that take place in various locations around the world. The WPT was first established in 2002 and has since become one of the most prestigious poker tours in the world, with millions of dollars in prize money awarded each year.

The WPT has held events in many different countries, including the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Some of the most popular and well-known events on the WPT calendar include the WPT Championship, the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic, and the WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open, all of which are held in the United States.

Other popular stops on the tour include the WPT Montreal in Canada, the WPT Venice in Italy, and the WPT Barcelona in Spain. The tour also features several events in Asia, including the WPT Asia-Pacific and the WPT Korea.

In addition to the live events, the WPT also hosts online tournaments on its official website and has a television show that broadcasts the final table action of many of its major events.

The viewership of the World Poker Tour (WPT) has varied over the years, but the tour has consistently attracted a dedicated following of poker fans from around the world. The WPT’s television show, which broadcasts the final table action of many of its major events, has been instrumental in helping to build the tour’s brand and grow its viewership.

The WPT has been broadcast in more than 150 countries and is available in many different languages, making it one of the most widely viewed poker programs in the world. The show is broadcast on a variety of networks, including Fox Sports in the United States, which has been the tour’s primary television partner for many years.

In addition to the television broadcasts, the WPT also streams many of its events live online, allowing fans to watch the action in real-time from anywhere in the world.

While the World Poker Tour (WPT) has also become a highly respected poker tour since its establishment in 2002, it does not have the same level of history and tradition as the WSOP. That being said, both the WPT and WSOP are important fixtures on the global poker calendar and attract many of the best players in the world. Each tour offers its own unique events and experiences, and many players enjoy competing in both series over the course of the year.

Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT): The APPT is a live poker tournament series that takes place in Asia-Pacific countries. It features several events each year, including the APPT Main Event, which has a buy-in of $5,000.

The APPT events are broadcast on various platforms, including live-streaming services and television networks. For example, the APPT Manila Main Event in 2019 was streamed live on PokerStars TV and had over 1.1 million views across all platforms. Similarly, the APPT Korea Main Event in 2018 was broadcast on television and reached a potential audience of over 100 million viewers in the Asia Pacific region.

Overall, the APPT has a large following in the Asia Pacific region, with many fans tuning in to watch their favorite poker players compete for huge prize pools and prestigious titles. The viewership numbers may not be as high as those of other major poker tours, but the APPT is still considered a highly respected and competitive poker tour in the industry.

The prize pools for Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) events vary depending on the buy-in and the number of participants. The APPT Main Events usually have buy-ins ranging from around $1,000 to $5,000, and the prize pools can reach up to several million dollars.

For example, the APPT Manila Main Event in 2019 had a buy-in of PHP 55,000 (approximately $1,070 USD) and attracted a total of 804 entries, creating a prize pool of PHP 38,928,000 (approximately $755,000 USD). The winner of the event, Florencio Campomanes, took home PHP 8,735,000 (approximately $169,000 USD) in prize money.

Another example is the APPT Korea Main Event in 2018, which had a buy-in of KRW 3,000,000 (approximately $2,800 USD) and attracted 449 entries, creating a prize pool of KRW 1,192,920,000 (approximately $1.1 million USD). The winner of the event, Eunho Kwon, took home KRW 237,600,000 (approximately $221,000 USD) in prize money.

Overall, the APPT offers significant prize pools and opportunities for players to win big, and the tour has attracted many talented players from around the world over the years.

Top players on the APT circuit include:

• Celina Lin – The Chinese-Australian player has won multiple titles on the APPT, including the APPT Macau Main Event in 2012. She is a well-known player in the Asia Pacific region and has over $1.5 million in live tournament earnings.
• David Steicke – The Australian professional poker player has won multiple APPT events, including the APPT Macau High Roller in 2013. He is known for his aggressive playing style and has over $6.5 million in live tournament earnings.
• Bryan Huang – The Singaporean poker player has won multiple titles on the APPT, including the APPT Seoul Main Event in 2014. He is a well-known player in the Asia Pacific region and has over $2.8 million in live tournament earnings.
• Michael Guzzardi – The Australian poker player has won multiple titles on the APPT, including the APPT Melbourne Main Event in 2012. He has over $2.2 million in live tournament earnings.
• Mustapha Kanit – The Italian professional poker player has won multiple APPT events, including the APPT Manila High Roller in 2016. He is known for his aggressive playing style and has over $14 million in live tournament earnings.

Aussie Millions: The Aussie Millions is a live poker tournament series that takes place annually in Melbourne, Australia. It features several events, including the Aussie Millions Main Event, which has a buy-in of AUD$10,600.

The Aussie Millions is an annual poker tournament that takes place in Melbourne, Australia. The tournament has been running since 1998 and is now considered one of the most prestigious poker events in the world. The main event of the Aussie Millions is the AUD$10,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Championship, which attracts some of the biggest names in poker from around the globe.

The tournament also features a wide range of other events, including Pot Limit Omaha, Mixed Games, and various satellite tournaments. The prize pool for the main event is usually several million dollars, with the winner taking home a significant portion of the money.

Aside from poker, the Aussie Millions also features a number of other activities and events, including concerts, parties, and VIP experiences. The tournament is held at the Crown Melbourne casino and attracts players and spectators from all over the world. The tournament’s location in Melbourne, Australia, may make it more accessible to poker fans in the Asia-Pacific region, which could also contribute to higher viewership.

Top players who have ruled the Aussie Millions have been the most well-known names in the International Poker Circuit, including many old timers, unlike the Asian Tour, which includes a lot of APAC-specific names. Top bankrollers of the Aussie Millions include

• Phil Ivey – The American poker legend has won the Aussie Millions Main Event twice, in 2014 and 2015.
• Erik Seidel – Seidel, another American pro, has won the Main Event once and finished as the runner-up twice.
• Joe Hachem – The Australian pro won the Main Event in 2005 and has made several other deep runs at the tournament.
• Gus Hansen – The Danish player has won the Aussie Millions Main Event three times and is one of the most successful players in the tournament’s history.
• Daniel Negreanu – The Canadian pro has cashed in the Main Event multiple times and is considered one of the best all-around poker players in the world.
• Patrik Antonius – The Finnish pro has had multiple deep runs at the Aussie Millions and is known for his aggressive playing style.
• Steve O’Dwyer – The American pro has won multiple high roller events at the Aussie Millions and is widely considered one of the top players in the game today.

Other popular Poker tournaments include the Super High Roller Bowl which is a high-stakes poker tournament that takes place annually in Las Vegas. It features a buy-in of $300,000 and attracts some of the best poker players in the world. Also, the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series, which is a series of high-stakes poker tournaments that take place around the world. It features buy-ins of $100,000 or more and attracts some of the biggest names in the poker world.