London, UK – Three more European Poker Tour stops have been added to the Season 8 calendar, PokerStars announced today. The new stops will take in the Spanish capital of Madrid, the German capital Berlin, and a first time visit to Campione in Italy – a beautiful and exclusive enclave situated in the Lugano-Como-Milan region.

EPT Madrid will be first up, the capital city returning for a second successive year after a fantastic finale at the end of Season 7. The Casino Gran Madrid Torrelodones will play host from March 12-17.

Then follows the EPT debut for Campione, a tiny area nestled on the shore of Lake Lugano, which is Italian territory despite being within the Swiss border. This highly desirable destination has been a regular stop on the PokerStars.it Italian Poker Tour in recent years, and the action will be located in the Casino di Campione from March 26-31.

Finally, there is a return to Berlin from April 16-21. The German capital has become one of the biggest EPT stops since it was introduced two years ago. With field sizes of 945 and 773, and notable winners in Ben Wilinofsky and Kevin MacPhee in 2009 and 2010, Berlin will be another big draw for the poker elite in 2012.

All three stops will incorporate €5,000 + €300 main events and a wide range of side events.

EPT President Edgar Stuchly said: “We’re delighted that the EPT will be returning to two major capital cities in Europe, both of which have proved to be highly popular locations in recent years. We’re also very excited that the tour is for the first time heading to the highly exclusive region of Campione in Italy, further extending the reach of the EPT. ”

2012 EPT schedule
Other stops already scheduled to take place in 2012 include the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure from January 5-15, EPT Deauville from January 31 to February 6, and EPT Copenhagen from February 20-25.

For more information about the new stops and schedules for Season 8, go to www.pokerstarsblog.com and www.ept.com.