IPO Circuit Club Edition 2026/27 at Imperium Milano: €300,000 GTD Schedule, Structure & Player Guide

The holidays are usually quiet for live poker. Imperium Milano has other plans. From December 26, 2026 to January 4, 2027, the Imperium Room in Corsico, just outside Milan, will host the IPO Circuit Club Edition with €300,000 guaranteed across ten days of play.

The schedule was published on October 28. If you’re thinking about spending part of your Christmas break at the tables, this guide covers what matters: how the Main Event works, which flight suits your bankroll and style, what the side events offer, and how this edition compares with previous ones.

Quick Facts

• Dates: Saturday, December 26, 2026 – Monday, January 4, 2027
• Venue: Imperium Room, Via Palmiro Togliatti 2, Corsico (Milan), Italy
• Guarantee: €300,000 overall
• Main Event entry: €80 Day 1 flights, or €300–€350 direct entry into Day 2
• Day 1 flights: 11 (Day 1A to Day 1K)
• Closed: Thursday, December 31 (New Year’s Eve)
• Final Day: Monday, January 4 at 16:30
• Live stream: Imperium YouTube channel, with a feature table showing hole cards

What Is the IPO Circuit Club Edition?

IPO stands for Italian Poker Open, one of the Imperium’s flagship brands. The full IPO is a bigger event with a €550 buy-in. In spring 2026 it carried a €700,000 overall guarantee, with Day 1 flights in Milan and Day 2 at the Portomaso Casino in Malta.

The Club Edition is the more affordable version. It uses the same IPO branding and a similar multi-flight structure, but entry starts at just €80. That makes it one of the cheapest ways to play a six-figure guaranteed tournament in Italy over the holidays.

There’s also a clear link between the two. Strong performances in the Club Edition earn €550 tickets to the next IPO €500,000 GTD Main Event (details below). For many local grinders, this festival is a stepping stone toward the bigger stage.

How the Main Event Works (Simple Explanation)

The format can look confusing at first, so here it is step by step.

Stage 1 – Day 1 flights (€80–€100)

• You start with 60,000 chips.
• Late registration runs for 10 levels.
• Each flight plays until only 20% of the field is left. Those survivors advance.

Stage 2 – Day 2 (€300–€350 direct entry)

• Day 1 survivors move on to this stage.
• Players who skip Day 1 can buy in directly with 300,000 chips. The restart level is 1,000/1,500 blinds, and late registration also runs for 10 levels.
• Each Day 2 plays down to 15% of the field, and that 15% is the money zone (ITM). Survive Day 2 and you’ve locked in a cash.

Stage 3 – Day 3 and Final Day

• Day 3 is on Sunday, January 3 at 19:00. No new entries are allowed and levels are 40 minutes.
• The Final Day is on Monday, January 4 at 16:30, with 45-minute levels.

The interesting maths: If only 20% of a Day 1 field survives, the average survivor holds about five starting stacks, or roughly 300,000 chips. That’s exactly the direct-entry stack. So the structure is balanced. The €80 route costs less but carries elimination risk. The €350 route costs more but guarantees an average stack.

Full Main Event Schedule

Date	Time	Flight	Buy-in	Levels
Sat, Dec 26	15:30	Day 1A	€80 all day	25 min
Sat, Dec 26	20:30	Day 1B	€80 all day	20 min
Sun, Dec 27	15:30	Day 1C	€80 all day	25 min
Sun, Dec 27	20:30	Day 1D	€80 all day	20 min
Mon, Dec 28	15:30	Day 1E	€80 first level, then €100	25 min
Mon, Dec 28	20:30	Day 1F	€80 first level, then €100	20 min
Tue, Dec 29	15:30	Day 1G	€80 first level, then €100	25 min
Tue, Dec 29	20:30	Day 1H	€80 first level, then €100	20 min
Wed, Dec 30	15:30	Day 1I	€80 first level, then €100	25 min
Wed, Dec 30	20:30	Day 1J	€80 first level, then €100	20 min
Thu, Dec 31	–	Closed	–	–
Fri, Jan 1	15:30	Day 1K Last Chance	€80 first level, then €100	15 min
Fri, Jan 1	19:30	Day 2A	€300 all day	25 min
Sat, Jan 2	14:00	Day 2B	€350	30 min
Sat, Jan 2	19:00	Day 2C	€350	25 min
Sun, Jan 3	12:00	Day 2D	€350	15 min
Sun, Jan 3	15:00	Day 2E Flip & Go (6-max)	€350	–
Sun, Jan 3	19:00	Day 3	No entry	40 min
Mon, Jan 4	16:30	Final Day	–	45 min

Side Events

Date	Time	Event	Buy-in	Stack	Levels	Late Reg
Sun, Dec 27	18:30	IPO Deepstack	€60	200,000	20 min	10 levels
Mon, Dec 28	18:30	IPO KO	€120 (€50 + €50 bounty + €20)	40,000	20 min	10 levels
Tue, Dec 29	20:30	IPO Sviten	€50	40,000	20/18 min	8 levels
Wed, Dec 30	18:30	IPO Freezeout	€120	40,000	20 min	10 levels
Sun, Jan 3	20:30	IPO Closing	€50	30,000	20 min	10 levels

Which side event is worth it?

• The Deepstack is the value pick. It gives you 200,000 chips for €60, so you have room to play real poker and make post-flop decisions. Beginners will feel more comfortable here.
• The Freezeout has no re-entry, so everyone gets exactly one bullet. If you’re on a tight budget and want to compete on equal terms, this is a good choice.
• The KO is about bounties. Part of your buy-in sits on your head, and every player you eliminate pays you directly. Aggressive players tend to love this format.

Bonus Prizes: Tickets to the €500K IPO

This is where the festival offers extra value beyond the prize pool. The organisers are giving away €550 tickets to the IPO €500,000 GTD Main Event:

• Each Day 1 flight: The top 2 chip leaders receive a €550 ticket. That’s almost seven times the €80 entry fee.
• Each Day 2 flight: The top 3 chip leaders receive a €550 ticket.
• Overall Day 2 chip leader: A €650 cash bonus on top of the ticket.
• Final table: All 8 finalists receive a €550 ticket.

Practical insight: These rewards change late-flight strategy. Near the end of a Day 1, a player who is close to the chip lead has an extra reason to keep accumulating chips rather than simply coasting into Day 2. Watch for unusual aggression from big stacks near the bag.

How This Edition Compares With Previous Club Editions

Edition	Dates	Overall GTD	Day 2 Direct Buy-in
Season 1 (2024/25)	Dec 28 – Jan 6	€400,000	€280 first level, then €300
January 2026	Jan 1 – Jan 12	€550,000 (Main Event €350,000)	Up to €500
2026/27 (this edition)	Dec 26 – Jan 4	€300,000	€300–€350

The guarantee is smaller this time, but so is the cost of entry. The previous edition ran Day 2 flights at up to €500, while this one caps at €350. The schedule is also shorter, running ten days instead of twelve.

For context on demand, the January 2026 edition drew 210 entries in Day 2A alone, with 45 players reaching Day 3. That Main Event went to Fausto Antonio Oioli, who beat Aris Theodoridis heads-up. In the deciding hand, Oioli’s A-8 was behind Theodoridis’ A-J, but an eight on the turn won him the pot and the title. Oioli had finished second in an IPO back in 2014, so the win came twelve years after his near-miss.

Which Flight Should You Choose? Practical Tips

Afternoon vs. evening flights. Afternoon Day 1 flights (15:30) use 25-minute levels, while evening flights (20:30) use 20-minute levels. If you prefer more time to think and less pressure, choose the afternoon flights.

Avoid the turbo flights unless you like push-fold poker. Day 1K Last Chance (15-minute levels) and Day 2D (15-minute levels) move quickly. They suit experienced short-stack players, but beginners can feel rushed.

Play early to save money. Days 1A–1D are €80 all day. From Day 1E onwards, the €80 price only applies during the first level, then rises to €100. Registering on time saves you €20 per bullet.

Day 2A is the cheapest direct entry. At €300 all day, it costs €50 less than the other Day 2 flights. If you’re skipping Day 1, this is the obvious choice.

Re-entering a Day 1 vs. buying into Day 2. Three Day 1 bullets at €100 cost the same as a Day 2 direct entry, but none of them guarantees you’ll reach Day 2. If your time is limited, buying directly into Day 2 can be the more efficient path.

Plan around New Year’s Eve. The room is closed on December 31. The final Day 1 flight and Day 2A both take place on January 1, which suits players who want to start the new year at the tables.

What Else Is Happening at Imperium Right Now

If you’re in or near Milan before the holidays, Imperium’s calendar is busy:

• Halloween Poker Party (running now): €200,000 overall guarantee, with a €150,000 Main Event.
• Joker Poker Series (November 7–16, 2026): €400,000 overall guarantee, including a €300,000 Mystery Bounty with 100 bounties ranging from €500 to €25,000.

2026 also marks the Imperium’s 10th anniversary (2016–2026), which helps explain the packed schedule.

Final Thoughts

The IPO Circuit Club Edition is one of the few chances to play a €300,000 guaranteed event for €80. Thanks to the €550 ticket rewards, it can also serve as a cheap qualifier for something much bigger. The structure is fair, with Day 1 survivors averaging the same stack as direct entrants. There are 11 flights to choose from, so it fits almost any holiday plan. We’ll update this page with entry numbers, chip counts and results once the cards are in the air on December 26.

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