WSOPE Going Live on Twitch this Week, Kicks Off October 8 in Germany

WSOPE kicks off in Berlin this week, and last year’s Main Event champ Adrian Mateos will return to defend his title. (Image: uk.888poker.com)

The World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) is set to get underway this week and it will mark the festival’s first outing since 2013.

Following a hiatus in 2014 while the WSOP franchise took its brand of poker tournaments to Asia for the World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific, the European incarnation of the WSOP will travel to Berlin, Germany, between October 8 and October 24.

Since its inception the WSOPE has grown in both size and stature. From three events held inside London’s Casino at the Empire in 2007, to eight events at Casino Barriere in Enghien-les-Bains, France in 2013, the WSOPE is now a major event on the annual tournament calendar.

Willkomen to Germany

This time around, Germany has been chosen as the host country and there will be ten events to choose from, including a €2,200 six-max No Limit Hold’em event, a €3,250 eight-handed PLO event and a €2,200 mixed game offering.

In addition to these tournaments, the WSOP team has added a selection of smaller events to the schedule. Priced at just €550, the Oktoberfest No Limit Hold’em event and subsequent PLO tournament have been designed to open up the WSOPE to more participants and increase the overall appeal of the festival.

Naturally, in true WSOP style, the jewel in the festival’s crown will be the €10,450 Main Event. Costing more than the WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas, this tournament is considered one of the toughest on the circuit, given the high concentration of pros that make a play for the bracelet.

Watch the Action Live on Twitch

Aside from a slew of pros looking to ante-up in Berlin, the WSOPE will be injecting some more interest into the event with a dedicated live stream. Using the service provided by Twitch, the WSOPE will broadcast all the action from Spielbank Berlin from October 10 until October 22.

Each stream will feature commentary from David Tuchman, as well as a host of pros, and will give viewers a direct link to all the action as it happens.

Of course, for those with long memories, Berlin was the scene for one of the most dramatic incidents in poker history. During the European Poker Tour’s visit to Berlin back in 2010, viewers of a live stream were shocked to see the crowds disperse as a group of armed gunmen stormed the venue.

As the Grand Hyatt Hotel’s security guard wrestled with one of the gang, the others made off with around $1 million in cash.

The criminals were eventually caught and convicted; however, the organizers of the WSOPE will no doubt want to ensure that such an incident doesn’t happen during this year’s Series.