In recent days, we have started writing about the new stage of the Italian Poker Challenge which will be played in Campione from March 17 to 23, the new poker festival branded PokerStars Poker, following the successes in early 2026 of the Pokerstars Open and the ISOP which have just concluded.
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We did this initially by giving you an account of everything surrounding the IPC, and then focusing on the 4 freerolls offered by the Club del Poker, which will offer 5 tickets to play the Main Event. Online poker enthusiasts will therefore also be able to participate in such a prestigious live event.
The Italian Poker Challenge is ready for launch
The new stage of the PokerStars Italian Poker Challenge will therefore be played on the shores of Lake Lugano in mid-March, for a Main Event that will begin Wednesday 18 at 19:00 with Day 1A Special Price, for an entry fee of €500.
In the following days, however, the Buy-In for the initial flights rises to €770, and they will be played in double sessions on Thursday 19 and Friday 20. The very last chance is Saturday at 13:00 with Day 1F Turbo.
Day 2, on the other hand, will begin at the close of the final Day 1, at 17:00 on Saturday, March 21, a prelude to the two closing days, Day 3 on Sunday 22 and the Final Day on Monday 23 at 14:00.
Accompanying the Main Event is a whole series of Side Events which we wrote about in the IPC presentation.
How to qualify for the Italian Poker Challenge
The satellites to take part in the Main Event are available in the PokerStars Network lobbies, specifically on the live events page.
Read more Freeroll frenzy! Free tournaments coming Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 February on Italian poker rooms
These are satellites starting from a Buy-In of just one Euro, from which a climb begins that leads to those with a 10 Euro entry fee which, only for the most skilled and lucky, sends you to the final ones, for a cost of €100.
In the lobby, you will find those scheduled until February 22 and we want to break down all their features for you.
The final satellites of February 19
The first of the two final satellites that can be found in the lobby will be played on the evening of Thursday, February 19, at 20:35, and will offer a total of 2 guaranteed packages, each including, in addition to the €700 IPC Campione Buy-In, a reimbursement for travel and accommodation expenses of €400.
Late registration remains open for 2 hours and, within that window, only one re-entry is allowed: a choice that makes the field “cleaner” compared to satellites where you fire repeatedly, but still leaves you a parachute if you start poorly.
Same structure, same Buy-In, and the same characteristics for the second final satellite present in the lobby at the time of publishing our article, the one on Sunday, February 22, also at 20:35.
Read more The best online poker tournaments coming Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 February
| Start | Name |
|---|---|
| 19 Feb 20:35 | €100 Final for IPC Campione Main Event — 2 seats + expenses guaranteed |
| 22 Feb 20:35 | €100 Final for IPC Campione Main Event — 2 seats + expenses guaranteed |
This is the complete Italian Poker Challenge schedule
| Day | Time | Format | Event | Buy-in | Levels | Reg Close |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday March 17 | ||||||
| 17/3 | 17:00 | 2 Days Event | Mystery Bounty Challenge – Day 1 | 440 € | 30 min | Level 12 |
| 17/3 | 19:00 | Single Day Event | Qualifier IPC Main Event – Day 1 B/C/D/E/F – WYS @100k (10 seats GTD) | 90 € | 20 min | Level 10 |
| Wednesday March 18 | ||||||
| 18/3 | 15:00 | 2 Days Event | Mystery Bounty Challenge – Day 2 | – | 40 min | Level 12 |
| 18/3 | 19:00 | Multi Day Event – 1A | Italian Poker Challenge – Main Event 700K GTD – Day 1A (Special Price) | 500 € | 40 min | Level 14 |
| Thursday March 19 | ||||||
| 19/3 | 15:00 | Multi Day Event – 1B | Italian Poker Challenge – Main Event 700K GTD – Day 1B | 770 € | 50 min | Level 14 |
| 19/3 | 17:00 | Single Day Event | PLO Challenge | 330 € | 20 min | Level 10 |
| 19/3 | 19:00 | Single Day Event | Qualifier IPC Main Event – Day 1 B/C/D/E/F – WYS @100k | 90 € | 20 min | Level 10 |
| 19/3 | 21:00 | Multi Day Event – 1C Fast | Italian Poker Challenge – Main Event 700K GTD – Day 1C Fast | 770 € | 25 min | Level 14 |
| Friday March 20 | ||||||
| 20/3 | 15:00 | Multi Day Event – 1D | Italian Poker Challenge – Main Event 700K GTD – Day 1D | 770 € | 50 min | Level 14 |
| 20/3 | 17:00 | Single Day Event | 1-Shot Freezeout | 220 € | 20 min | Level 10 |
| 20/3 | 19:00 | Single Day Event | Qualifier IPC Main Event – WYS @100k | 90 € | 20 min | Level 10 |
| 20/3 | 21:00 | Multi Day Event – 1E Fast | Italian Poker Challenge – Main Event 700K GTD – Day 1E Fast | 770 € | 25 min | Level 14 |
| Saturday March 21 | ||||||
| 21/3 | 13:00 | Multi Day Event – 1F Turbo | Italian Poker Challenge – Main Event 700K GTD – Day 1F Turbo | 770 € | 15 min | Level 14 |
| 21/3 | 17:00 | Multi Day Event – Day 2 | Italian Poker Challenge – Main Event 700K GTD – Day 2 | – | 60 min | Level 14 |
| 21/3 | 21:00 | Multi Day Event – 3 | IPC Second Chance – Day 1 | 330 € | 30 min | Level 12 |
| Sunday March 22 | ||||||
| 22/3 | 14:00 | Multi Day Event | IPC Second Chance – Final Day | 330 € | 30 min | Level 12 |
| 22/3 | 14:30 | Multi Day Event | Italian Poker Challenge – Main Event 700K GTD – Day 3 | – | 60 min | Closed |
| 22/3 | 15:00 | Single Day Event | High Roller | 1,100 € | 30 min | Level 10 |
| 22/3 | 15:30 | Single Day Event | Big Sunday | 220 € | 25 min | Level 12 |
| Monday March 23 | ||||||
| 23/3 | 14:00 | Multi Day Event | Italian Poker Challenge – Main Event FINAL DAY | – | 60 min | Closed |
