PokerStars Open returns to stunning Campione in January
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The 2027 live poker calendar kicks off with a bang as the beloved PokerStars Open returns to Italy for PokerStars Open Campione from January 8-17, 2027.
Players can look forward to strolling along the stunning shores of Italy’s Lake Lugano and enjoying an epic poker festival in a place where poker is thriving.
Campione–and its iconic Casinò di Campione (one of Italy’s oldest casinos)–has cemented itself among Europe’s leading poker destinations, following two enormous PokerStars Open festivals in 2025 and 2026, plus the hugely successful Sunday Million Live, which wrapped up last week.
The 2027 edition is headlined by a newly priced €1,250 PokerStars Open Main Event, plus a jam-packed tournament schedule set to be released soon. As always, players can qualify on PokerStars via direct satellites, or through the Power Path (the best way for casual players to get into big events).
As if that wasn’t enough, there’s more good news for PokerStars players hoping to head to some big live events in 2027.
The inimitable Irish Poker Open, once again sponsored by PokerStars, returns from March 18-29, and online qualifiers begin this Sunday (October 25). That means you could lock up your Main Event seat for a fraction of the buy-in, or even win yourself a full package with buy-in and expenses covered.
More info on that event coming soon.
POKERSTARS OPEN CAMPIONE 2027
Dates: January 8-17, 2027
Location: Casinò di Campione
Main Event: €1,250 PokerStars Open Main Event
If you’ve yet to visit Campione, or indeed play poker there, you owe it to yourself to go.
Campione d’Italia is a small town (like, really small – fewer than 2,000 residents) surrounded by Switzerland, resting peacefully along Lake Lugano and staring up in awe at the Swiss Alps.
And yet it’s entirely Italian; when PokerStars Blog visited, we crossed the border on our ten-minute walk to work. That means you could potentially tick off two countries in one trip (ideal for globetrotters).
This sleepy exclave has long been known for its beauty, and it’s said that Victorian travellers referred to the waterfront as “Paradiso”. It’s quite breathtaking.
The poker is not bad either.
The PokerStars Open was officially launched in Campione back in March 2025, when Adrian-Sorel State of Romania navigated his way through a massive 2,434-entry field to win €363,000.
Adrian-Sorel State became the first PokerStars Open champion in Campione back in 2025
Earlier this year, Swiss player Elvir Nuhiu topped 1,582 entries and earned himself €200,640.
And this month (October 2026), the €250 buy-in Sunday Million Live attracted a whopping 5,213 entries to Casinò di Campione, proving that poker is hotter here than ever. Ettore Santoprete took it down for an even €100,000, the lion’s share of the €1,119,853 prize pool.
ABOUT THE POKERSTARS OPEN
A new era of live poker in Europe began in 2025 with the launch of the PokerStars Open, an exciting tour consolidating PokerStars’ popular and prestigious regional tours under one dynamic banner.
The PokerStars Open combines the best elements of the UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT), Eureka Poker Tour, Estrellas Poker Tour (ESPT), and France Poker Series (FPS) to create a schedule of unmissable events across some of Europe’s most vibrant destinations.
All events take place at established partner casinos and feature PokerStars’ industry-leading dealers and floor staff, seamless registration processes, unmissable player activities, an informative Live app, and a fun and friendly atmosphere at every stop.
Each festival features a €1,250 PokerStars Open Main Event, supported by a large side-event schedule and tons of fun activities to deliver the world-class live event experience PokerStars is known for.
Each stop will feature a wide range of online satellites, offering more players the chance to qualify. You can also use your Power Path Silver Passes to play PokerStars Open events.
The PokerStars client provides more information on qualifying routes.
POKERSTARS OPEN WINNERS
Here’s a look at all the Open Main Event winners so far:
Adrian-Sorel State (Romania) – €363,000 (Campione, March 2025)
Jon Kyte (Norway) – €340,000 (Monte Carlo, May 2025)
Jean-Vincent Lehut (France) – €238,000 (Namur, May 2025)
Manuel Ferrari (Italy) – €206,300 (Malaga, June 2025)
Alexis Nicolai (France) – €772,000 (Barcelona, August 2025)
Scott Margereson (UK) – €423,700 (Malta, October 2025)
Tuan Le (United Kingdom) – £149,200 (Manchester, October 2025)
Julian Bogdanov (Bulgaria) – €398,135 (Prague, December 2025)
Paul François Tedeschi (France) – €195,700 (Cannes, December 2025)
Elvir Nuhiu (Switzerland) – €200,640 (Campione, January 2026)
Patrik Demus (Hungary) – €551,090 (Paris, February 2026)
Michael Linster (USA) – $126,705 (Philadelphia, March 2026)
Joris Ruijs (Netherlands) – €317,398 (Monte Carlo, May 2026)
Koen De Visscher (Belgium) – €220,800 (Namur, June 2026)
Oskar Bilstad (Norway) – €178,840 (Malaga, June 2026)
Jason Wheeler (USA) – €178,840 (Barcelona, August 2026)
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