SiGMA TV‘s Poker Face returns with an incisive episode as Ivonne Montealegre speaks with Julien Liarte, Business Development Manager for Live Events Europe at Flutter Entertainment plc, to unpack what it takes to stage the European Poker Tour, why EPT Malta is back on the calendar, and how women’s participation is accelerating across the live circuit. Liarte also addresses player pathways into iGaming, robust compliance in live events, and the operational complexity behind world-class poker productions.
Inside EPT’s operations
Liarte oversees PokerStars live events across Europe, from tier one flagships like the European Poker Tour to tier two and three circuits and sponsored lower buy-in stops, aligning calendars globally with colleagues in the Americas and Asia for a coherent year-round schedule. “My role is focused on Europe… I oversee absolutely all the live events that PokerStars will develop in Europe,” he explains. On performance, he highlights different success lenses: prestige at EPT Monte Carlo versus record numbers in Barcelona, which he notes is “coming up very shortly” in the season build. Looking ahead, he reveals Amsterdam remains “under our radar” and a consistent leader in player surveys, with prior attempts hindered by regulatory, compliance, and calendar constraints.
Operationally, PokerStars operates its own full tournament infrastructure, transforming a blank hall into a broadcast-ready arena. “We bring absolutely everything… It’s around 12 to 15 Arctic trucks. It’s a massive operation,” says Liarte, citing LED-equipped, camera-ready tables with on-table charging and full TV set capability for final table coverage. A past logistics scare at a $25,000 Bahamas event, when containers with chips and tables went temporarily missing, underlines the stakes and the time pressure inherent in live events delivery.
Women in poker and pathways to iGaming
Liarte points to double-digit and sometimes triple-digit growth in women’s participation across EPT, PokerStars Open, and other festivals in Europe, crediting visible initiatives anchored at the Hippodrome in London and ambassador-led programming. “We’re waiting for the money maker time for women in poker… we have seen numbers… double digit, sometime three digits growth in women attendance,” he says, with the Women’s Winter Festival setting a record field in Europe outside Las Vegas and the Women’s Summer Festival aiming to raise the bar again with a £100,000 guarantee and widespread online satellites. “It is not something common… satellites are at the core of what we do at live events,” he adds, noting new fast-track qualifying, such as Power Path, designed for today’s consumption habits.
For players seeking to transition into iGaming roles, Liarte’s advice is pragmatic and practical. “Look in every single gaming company in Malta, the career page… look at what your skills are… marketing, social media, live event… admin or finance,” he says, emphasising alignment of personal strengths with the breadth of roles available across operators headquartered on the island. His route shifted from organizing golf competitions to live poker in 2013, progressing through multicultural teams and iterative improvement to European live event leadership.
“The poker scene in Malta is vibrant”
EPT Malta and community impact
EPT Malta returns with a full slate this October, featuring a €5,000 Main Event, Mystery Bounty, PokerStars Cup, and a robust high roller schedule with buy-ins of €25,000 and €50,000, plus dedicated streaming from a comprehensive TV set build. “The poker scene in Malta is vibrant… breaking record after record,” Liarte notes, crediting Casino Malta and Inter Continental’s arena as partners, alongside community activation and local qualification routes. Compliance remains central across jurisdictions. “We have to find the right balance between compliance and entertainment… authorities see how serious we are… and do everything by the book,” he says, linking PokerStars’ long-standing focus on security and game integrity to the brand’s reputation.
Corporate citizenship is a through line. Each office maintains a CSR charity committee, supporting local needs and staff engagement. In Malta, PokerStars collaborated with Spark 15, a refugee-led NGO, on the Spark Festival, featuring local artists and public figures, to raise visibility and support for education, housing, and administrative initiatives. “We’ve been doing quite a lot in Malta… we look first at the NGO needs and how we can help… and involve our staff,” Liarte says.
Closing with the season’s cadence, Liarte flags London’s Women’s Summer Festival in August, EPT Barcelona, EPT Malta in October, PokerStars Open Manchester at Hilton Deansgate on 20 to 26 October with licensing via Hippodrome and Manchester 235, EPT Prague, and a Cannes finale at the Palais des Festivals with a red carpet entrance for the PokerStars Open.
Catch more exclusive interviews on SiGMA TV during the SiGMA Poker Tour, Malta – happening 2–7 September.
