After an intense end to the season in 2025, Kenny Hallaert starts 2026 back to the live events of PokerStars. The Belgian ambassador spoke about the redesign of the PokerStars Live League, the long-awaited return of EPT Paris and his personal plans for the new season of the international poker circuit.
Hallaert spoke with the PokerNews about the structural changes to the Live League, the challenges faced in the last year and how the new approach seeks to make the competition fairer and focused on victories.
A Reboot Required
For Hallaert, the end of 2025 was more a period of recovery than celebration. After an intense battle in the PokerStars Live League standings — which included several live tournaments in Prague — the Belgian pro decided to slow down.
“I realized during Prague that I wasn’t going to win the league and I just wanted to be at home,” he explained. “I spent the last two months sleeping in my own bed. In 2025, I spent less than a third of the year at home, always traveling.”
According to him, the break was essential after an extremely demanding schedule.
Upon turning 45, Hallaert says he is moving away from the mentality of “playing every tournament possible” and adopting a more balanced schedule. Still, it shows great anticipation for the return of PokerStars live events, especially EPT Paris, which was canceled in 2025 due to local regulatory issues.
“It’s the event I’m most looking forward to,” he said. “We weren’t able to hold it last year because of local regulations.”
PokerStars Live League improvements: quality over quantity
The main novelty for 2026 is the reformulation of the PokerStars Live League. Also acting as a consultant for live events, Hallaert actively participated in redesigning the scoring system, using simulations to ensure that the classification rewards performance and titles — and not just participation volume.
Main changes for 2026:
- Winner Bonus: The difference in points between a minimum prize and a victory was small in previous editions. The new formula significantly increases the weight of final tables and titles.
- Inclusion of Main Events: In 2025, some €1,100 Main Events do not count towards certain league levels. In 2026, an overlay was created to prevent players from having to choose between playing in a main event or accumulating points.
- Three-tier system: The level structure was maintained, separating players with low, medium and high buy-ins, avoiding direct competition between very different profiles.
“In any sport, like football, a team that only draws should not lead the table,” explained Hallaert. “Victory needs to be rewarded.”
The outlook for the 2026 season
While Hallaert doesn’t intend to chase the league lead from the start, he recognizes that competitiveness is part of poker. “Nobody starts the year with that goal, but a few good results at the beginning change everything.”
Regardless of position in the standings, Kenny Hallaert’s influence is present throughout the 2026 PokerStars Live season. From logistical planning to the scoring system, the new season was designed to value wins, consistency and high-level performance in live poker.
Source: Poker News
Fonte: Gaming365 – Brasil
