It has been away for almost two years, but next week the European Poker Tour will return to action at the King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic. When the EPT returns to action on March 5 with the EPT Prague, players who are in attendance will NOT have to provide proof of vaccination for the COVID-19 virus. Players WILL, however, must wear masks while on the tournament floor for the EPT festivities.

“Implementing the Restrictions in Place by the Government”

According to a press release from PokerStars and the EPT, the stop at King’s Casino will be held under the COVID regulations of the Czech government. “The latest guidance is as follows,” the release states:

1. Players DO NOT need a COVID-certificate (proof of vaccination) nor do they need a test to attend the EPT Prague.

2. All persons entering the casinos, however, MUST undergo a temperature scan to enter the building.

3. A respirator face mask (KN95) MUST be worn when in the casino and when playing on the tables.

There will also be restrictions on the numbers of people who can attend the event. For “seated participants” (presumably players on the felt), the venue’s capacity will be limited to 50% of the overall capacity of the building. For “standing participants” (presumably floor staff), up to five hundred people will be allowed on the premises.

If players have any questions about any other COVID issues during the stop at the EPT Prague, they are encouraged to email [email protected] or [email protected] with their questions.

EPT Sochi Rescheduled Due to Russian Attack of Ukraine

Upon the conclusion of the EPT Prague, the EPT was to move on to the Casino Sochi for their next event. This was supposed to have taken place in late 2021, but it was postponed then because of the Omicron variant of COVID becoming more prevalent. Now, another postponement is occurring due to the actions of the Russian government.

Earlier this week, the Russian military attacked the sovereign nation of Ukraine, seeking to reestablish a boundary that insulated the then-Soviet Union from the West. Since the downfall of the Soviet Union, Russian president Vladimir Putin has witnessed the West – and in particular the NATO alliance led by Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States – creep even closer to the Russian border. This week, Putin attacked Ukraine with no pretense to try to reestablish this dream.

Many other sporting events have already canceled their engagements with Russia over the invasion of Ukraine. UEFA, the international ruling federation for soccer, has stripped Russia of hosting the Champions League final, which was supposed to be held on May 28 in St. Petersburg; now the final match will be held in Paris at the 80,000 Stade de France.

FIFA, the governing body of Formula 1, has also acted against Russia. FIFA stripped the Russian Grand Prix from their schedule as a form of protest. That race was supposed to have been held in September, but the organization determined it would be “impossible” to stage the race.

The EPT, however, has taken the tactic of simply postponing their event. Instead of heading to the Casino Sochi from March 18-27, the festival is now tentatively scheduled for October 1-10. The EPT has already stated, however, that date is also quite tenuous, dependent on what actions Russia takes on the world stage.