New EPT PoY Ranking System Introduced

Along with the 7th season of the PokerStars European Poker Tour, a refreshed version of the EPT Awards ranking system, debuted last year, was unveiled. Eight titles, including EPT Player of the Year, are there to compete for and winners receive trophies and packages for next season’s opening event, in addition to the recognition, as PokerNews.com reported.

According to feedback from players, PS modified last year’s system so that it is now not possible to gain the PoY title with a single victory at one of the largest events. Additionally, field size is now a factor in rewarding points, which was a key issue last year, as Maxim Lykov was able to beat Kevin MacPhee to the title by defeating a field of 296 players in Kiev for the same number of points MacPhee received for beating 945 people in Berlin.

According to the official site detailing the how-it-works of the awards, all players finishing ITM in both main and side events with more than €/$/£1,000 buy-ins are rewarded based on a table available there. Although buy-in amounts do not contribute to the allotted points, as long as they are above the minimum, field size does matter, as mentioned before. Events with less than 16 players are disqualified from the points race.

The basics of the new ranking system

Despite the changes, which affected other titles such as Online Qualifier of the Year, some players are still unsatisfied: lamenting on buy-ins remaining eliminated as factors, Kevin MacPhee said: “[The points system] really shouldn't dictate what tournaments you play. That's what has happened. It makes more sense to play lower buy-ins than high rollers with tougher fields." Nevertheless, EPT remains optimistic about their system: "The goal is to reward player excellence on the tour. And since the tour continues to evolve, the awards will continue to evolve along with it," event host and player liaison Neil Johnson commented.