Five things from this week on PokerStars.

It was a typically busy week both online and live. As Vicates was winning the Sunday Million, and collecting a primary prize of $131,000, the APPT Manila Main Event was concluding on the City of Dreams.

It can be Linh Tran who triumphed sooner than British pro Sam Razavi, collecting a primary prize of ₱6,135,000. Marc Convey and Brad Kain were in position with live updates from begin to finish that you could still enjoy on our APPT coverage page. It also included the overall report from Manila.

That was followed shortly after by the Super Tuesday, won this week by prallimall. Martin Harris has the whole report.

While you're at it, MicroMillions winner JiiJay spoke to us about his win within the MM Main Event. Brad Willis's piece is a brilliant read and is worth remembering the following time you're thinking that all (or a minimum of the late entry period) is lost. You'll read it here.

January may well be the beginning of the calendar year, but August is the beginning of the poker year. That's when the ecu Poker Tour begins its new season, and this year isn't any different.

We're now just a matter of days clear of the beginning of the 13th season which kicks off within the usual way in Barcelona next week.

A full festival of events promises to strain the very walls of Casino Barcelona, starting on Wednesday with the Estrellas Main Event and a high roller, and concluding on August 28 with the EPT Main Event and another High Roller.

In between there are a number of alternative events, in formats and buy-ins to fit the thousands of players who descend at the Catalan coast for one of the vital popular poker festivals within the world.

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As ever the PokerStars Blog can be providing live updates from begin to finish, with coverage of the largest events. There is not any wish to miss anything, European Poker Tour yourself or watching from home.

It gets better.

While we do not need to wish away the Barcelona season opener, when it concludes on the end of this month it's going to crumple to yet one more season highlight in the beginning of next month, the arena Championship of Online Poker. Bring to mind it as New Year following Christmas!

As we announced this week at the PokerStars Blog, the brand new schedule was released, with 80 events (12 greater than 2015) making up WCOOP 2016. And while the person guarantees are yet to be confirmed (they'll be available within the coming weeks) it's set to make September a bountiful month.

It all starts on Sunday September 4, with events each day until Monday September 26. It'll culminate with a brand new WCOOP champion. We'll have reports from each event, in addition to player interviews and an everyday report on each day's action.

Finally, after a summer hiatus the #EPTNotLive podcast is back, thank goodness. We'll let the team introduce it...

"With just a week to head until the beginning of the brand new EPT season, the podcast is back! James and Joe discuss what they have been as much as over the summer, and continue their painful row about Twitter verification that's been running since EPT Dublin in February.

"There's also a summary of what is happened within the poker world over the past six weeks, including the WSOP Main Event. Griffin Benger joins the men to discuss making the November Nine (or October Octet +1) and his infamous run in with EPT fan favourite/villain William Kassouf. Finally, Zach Whigham from Georgia is tested on his knowledge of the united states version of The Office in 'Superfan vs Stapes'.

"Want to compete at the show? Please tell us. #EPTNotLive"

Listen to the podcast here.

While WCOOP could be enjoyed by thousands upon thousands of PokerStars players, not everyone can be in a position to play - a frustration put eloquently by Team Pro Jason Somerville this week, who took the legislative poker fight to the television screens within the U.s.a. this week.

Somerville, known for his enormously popular Run It Up Twitch stream, in addition to for his performances as a qualified player, appeared on CNBC this week, and wrote a work for the Blog urging fellow poker players within the US to get entangled within the campaign to legalise poker around the country.

Somerville's campaign is one we fully support, and person who we are hoping our American readers will do too. Get the entire details by reading Jason's post here .

That's interested by this week. Good luck to everyone playing on PokerStars this weekend, whether that's within the Majors or micro stakes games. Send your thoughts and comments to us on Twitter: @PokerStarsBlog.

Stephen Bartley is a staff writer for the PokerStars Blog. Follow him on Twitter: @StephenBartley.

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