Ramon Colillas participates in a poker tournament during the EPT Prague series. The Main Event set a new record for attendance in any EPT event to date. (Image: European Poker Tour)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWhen the registration books closed at the start of play on Wednesday, there were 1,267 names on the list. Of those, only 349 were reentries, meaning that almost 1,200 poker players signed up for the \u20ac5,300 (US$5,637) event.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the first time that any EPT event surpassed 1,200 entries, with the majority signing up on Day 1B. All of the remaining players are after their shot at glory, as well as a piece of the \u20ac6.11-million (US$6.5 million) prize pool. A total of 183 players will cash, with the eventual winner pocketing \u20ac1.054 million (US$1.12 million).<\/p>\n
Big Names in Prague<\/h2>\n
A number of international poker stars made the journey to Prague for the EPT series and the main event. They\u2019ve come from everywhere, including as far away as Japan, Brazil, and Canada.<\/p>\n
Two Swedish WSOP winners are representing their home country and running deep so far. Simon Lofberg and Jerry Odeen, each with one WSOP bracelet, are currently in 13th and 15th place, respectively.<\/strong><\/p>\nThere have also been non-poker pros who allegedly jumped into the action. Spanish soccer star Gerard Piqu\u00e9 was reportedly in town to participate, although it isn\u2019t clear if he made it into the event. He’s in Prague with his girlfriend, Clara Ch\u00eda, with whom he had an affair while married to international music star Shakira.<\/p>\n