Players Score $50,000 Jackpot in $5 Blast Sit & Go at 888poker

Three 888poker players recently played a $5 Blast sit & go on the site and score a share of a $50,000 prize pool.

Five bucks recently paid off in a big way for a few online poker players at 888poker. The site’s popular Blast sit & go events saw three players score a $50,000 prize pool in a $5 event.

These lucky competitors played for prize money worth 10,000 times their buy-in. While the events are usually a winner-take-all format, when these mega-prize pools are triggered, all players have a chance at some nice cash.

“Blast jackpot poker games are one of the hottest tickets on 888poker,” the company noted in a news release. “The games are super fast, and players only have to beat two opponents to take home the top prize. We’re kicking off 2023 right with another big hit.”

888poker player finds huge win for only $5

FlushyFish” became the latest Blast player to cash in big in January. This player swam to the top, pocketing a cool $35,000 for the win.

Fish wasn’t the only player to grab a five-figure payday. “Dustin69” finished runner-up for $10,000, quite a return on his $5 buy-in.

Even the third-place finisher recorded a nice payout as well. “ryan3212” walked away with $5,000.

In total, 888 Blast sit & go’s paid out more than $130 million in 2022. Buy-ins ranged from 10 cents all the way up to $100 with players choosing from Fast Blast and regular Blast structures.

Several Blast players found some huge payouts in 2022, with the top prize pool topping out at $100,000. In 2021, three players hit the $1 million ultimate jackpot. That level rewards $700,000 for first, $200,000 for second, and $100,000 for third.

How do 888poker Blast tournaments work?

Looking to get in a Blast sit & go? Players simply need to visit the poker lobby and look for the Blast section. Next, join a table where the prize pool is then chosen at random before the cards are dealt.

The events can feature a prize pool of twice the buy-in and up to 10,000 times the buy-in. Players’ starting stacks are based on the prize pool awarded. The larger the prize pool, the more chips players receive.

The same goes for blind levels. The bigger the prize pool, the longer the blind levels. The last player standing wins the entire prize pool unless one of the mega jackpots are triggered.

At the urging of players, 888 made some significant changes to the tournament structure in 2022 . The timer and “automatic all-in” features were removed and the events now function more as a traditional small-field, quick-paced tournament. Here are the top five prize pools players can compete for at 888.

TournamentBuy-inPrize pool
$10 Blast$10$100,000
$2 Blast$2$20,000
$5 Blast$5$50,000
$5 Blast$5$50,000
10-cent Fast Blast (300 chips)$0.10$1,000

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Daniel Negreanu Guarantees $10M in $150 GGPoker Overlay Edition

GGPoker kicks off the third edition of the $150 GGMasters Overlay Edition on Feb. 19 with a guaranteed prize pool of $10 million.

GGPoker kicks off the third edition of the GGMasters Overlay Edition on Feb. 19 and the site is offering a guaranteed prize pool of $10 million. That doubles last year’s $5 million guarantee, offering plenty of value for a tournament priced at only $150.

Beyond that bang for the buck, as the name implies, the event features at least $1 million of guaranteed overlay as part of the prize pool. If the tournament reaches the guarantee, players can expect an extra million bucks added either way. GG ambassador Daniel Negreanu is making quite a promise of that.

I promised last year that there would be a ton of value, but this year blows 2022 out of the water – we are doubling the guarantee to $10 million,” he said in a news release. “I’m so confident that this will miss that if I’m wrong and the prize pool reaches more than $9 million, I will personally use my own money to increase the final overlay to $1 million. That’s right – ‘DNegs’ is guaranteeing a $1 million overlay!”

Details on GGPoker Overlay Edition

The Overlay Edition is part of GG efforts to reach online poker players of all levels. Starting flights for the Overlay Edition start Feb. 19 with several leading up to Day 2 on Feb. 27.

Players also have opportunities to get in the action at a much lower price point as well. Satellites are already running daily, with buy-ins starting at just $2.

This allows players of all levels to take a shot at securing a seat and playing for massive prizes. The site is even running hourly freerolls for a shot at qualifying without spending any cash.

What is an overlay?

Ina  typical tournament, the overlay is what a casino adds to the prize pool should the event fall short of the guarantee. This is extra money put up to make sure the guarantee is met.

In essence, the Overlay Edition is promising an extra $1 million in the prize pool. The company is promising that “overlay” no matter if the tournament meets the guarantee of not.

“From Honeymoon Missions to daily leaderboards, GGPoker already gives back $10 million to our players every month,” GGPoker managing director Sarne Lightman said. “I am delighted to see this $1 million in overlay guarantee, and it’s yet another reason why every poker player should be playing at GGPoker. With a buy-in of only $150, this year’s $10 million GGMasters Overlay Edition is simply unmissable.”

Here’s a look at the complete schedule.

2023 GGPoker GGMasters Overlay Edition

DateEventBuy-inGuarantee
Feb 19GGMasters Overlay Edition $150
[Day 1A, Asia]
$150$10,000,000
Feb 19GGMasters Overlay Edition $150
[Day 1A, Europe]
$150$10,000,000
Feb 19GGMasters Overlay Edition $150
[Day 1A, Americas]
$150$10,000,000
Feb 25GGMasters Overlay Edition $150
[Day 1B]
$150$10,000,000
Feb 26GGMasters Overlay Edition $150
[Day 1C, Asia]
$150$10,000,000
Feb 26GGMasters Overlay Edition $150
[Day 1C, Europe]
$150$10,000,000
Feb 26GGMasters Overlay Edition $150
[Day 1C, Americas]
$150$10,000,000
Feb 27GGMasters Overlay Edition $150
[Day 1D]
$150$10,000,000
Feb 27GGMasters Overlay Edition $150
[Day 1D, Last Chance]
$150$10,000,000
Feb 27GGMasters Overlay Edition $150
[Day 2]
$150$10,000,000

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Global Poker Awards Roll Out Categories for 2023 Awards Including Some New Additions

The Global Poker Index and Hendon Mob recently announced the final nominations for the 2023 Global Poker Awards.

The Global Poker Awards are back this year with the fourth annual ceremony set for March 3 at the PokerGO Studio at the Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

The annual ceremony is presented by the Global Poker Index (GPI) and The Hendon Mob (THM). The event recognizes some of the best in the game from play on the felt to poker content to special moments.

Organizers announced this year’s 29 categories on Monday and PokerGO will stream the ceremony starting at 5:30 pm PT.

A look at this year’s Global Poker Awards

When the awards get underway, poker fans can expect a ceremony featuring awards for players and poker moments but also for media content, best hands, and the annual poker icon recognition.

The GPI already named players of the year earlier this month and those players will be recognized as well. These players will receive their trophies for topping the standings in 2022 in several categories.

  • Stephen Song – Player of the Year and Mid-Major Player of the Year
  • Cherish Andrews – Female Player of the Year

The GPI Players Choice trophy also returns and is voted on by the GPI top 100 ranked players. Other categories include Poker Icon, Final Table Performance, Best Blogger, and Streamer.

New awards introduced, fan voting in the mix

Organizers also added three new categories including Best Comeback Player. Voters choose from a list of star players who haven’t been ranked inside the GPI top 1,000 in any of the three previous point-scoring seasons (2018, 2019, 2022).

Content creators also get a chance at a new award. This year sees the Rising Star in Content Creation celebrate those new to content creation, but creating some buzz.

Poker fans will again have a chance to vote themselves in the final round in the Fans Choice Awards. These feature four categories, including the new “Fave Live Stream” Award. This celebrates those working in front and behind the scenes in the live poker streaming world.

Fans also get to vote for three returning categories: Best Hand, Poker Personality, and Best Trophy. In the industry awards, the Mid-Major Tour/Festival Award returns for this year’s ceremony. This trophy is up for grabs for the first time since 2020.

Voting begins for all awards

Many of the awards are determined by voting panel members. Those preliminary round ballots went out Monday. Final round voting then begins on Jan. 29.

Final nominees are then expected to be announced on Feb. 2. Last year’s awards became the first ceremony since 2019 because of the pandemic. Among the awards handed out included Brad Owen earning Best Vlogger and Veronica Brill received Best Charitable Initiative.

Enrique Malfavon scored Photo of the Year for capturing the World Series of Poker Main Event bubble boy Kevin Campbell. GPI  posthumously awarded Poker Icon to Mike Sexton. Matt Savage earned Industry Person of the Year.

Voters named Paul Campbell as Tournament Director of the Year and the WSOP Main Event took Best Event of the Year. Here’s a look at all the categories for this year’s awards.

Fourth Annual Global Poker Awards categories

GPI Poker Player of the YearThe Hendon Mob AwardBest Broadcaster
GPI Female Player of the YearBest Twitter PersonalityBest Podcast
GPI Mid-Major Player of the YearCharitable InitiativeBest Media Content: Written
PGT Player of the YearBest StreamerBest Media Content: Video
GPI Breakout PlayerBest VloggerBest Media Content: Photo
Best Final Table PerformanceRising Star in Content CreationFans Choice: Poker Personality
Poker ICONBest Industry PersonFans Choice: Best Hand
Players' Choice for Toughest OpponentBest Tournament DirectorFans Choice: Best Trophy
Comeback PlayerBest EventFans Choice: Fave Live Stream
GPI Award of MeritBest Mid-Major Tour/Festival

GGPoker Expands Super MILLION$ With New Rankings, Live Events, & Low Buy-in Online Qualifiers

GGPoker announced some additions to the Super MILLION$ tournaments on Monday as well as a new ranking system.

The mini MILLION$ is currently underway at GGPoker, and the site also announced some additions to its high stakes events as well on Monday. GG is making a range of improvements to the site’s Super MILLION$ tournaments.

The biggest addition is the launch of the “SuperRanking” leaderboard. These standings rank players purely on profit-and-loss results in all online and live Super MILLION$ events. The leaderboard displays the top 20 players.

“The player that finishes the year at the summit of the SuperRanking leaderboard will be crowned SuperPro and can legitimately be recognized as poker’s best player,” GG noted in announcing the additions.

Along with high-stakes online action, GG is promising live Super MILLION$ events this year as well. Players can also qualify online for as little as $10 for a shot at these mega-stakes tournaments.

What to expect from GGPoker Super MILLION$ additions

Players seeking some larger stakes will find plenty at GGPoker. The weekly $10,300 Super MILLION$ events attract amateur players and serious poker pros alike. The player finishing at the top of the rankings, aka the SuperPro, receives:

  • Super Platinum level designation in GGPoker’s Fish Buffet loyalty program. The winner receives the equivalent of 100% cashback at GGPoker and in all online and offline Super MILLION$ events.
  • A custom GGPoker SuperPro player avatar.
  • Additional benefits revealed throughout the year.

The players finishing in second and third place earn the same benefits, except for the special SuperPro avatar. Players must take part in at least five Super MILLION$ events per calendar year to be eligible for consideration.

Live events, online qualifying part of the Super MILLION$ action

Beyond the online tables, GG is also partnering with Triton Poker and other live operators for Super MILLION$ tournaments. The first live Super MILLION$ Live tournament is scheduled for March 1 during the Triton Super High Roller Series stop at the Hoiana Resort in Vietnam.

GG also introduced new ways to qualify for Super MILLION$ online events.

“The satellites will help ensure that almost all players, no matter their bankroll, will have an opportunity to win their way into online poker’s most prestigious tournaments,” GG notes.

First up is a massive Super MILLION$ 2023 satellite on Jan. 29 with a buy-in set at just $10. The event guarantees 10 tournament tickets, each valued at $10,300.

“This new edition of Super MILLION$ will really be exceptional, including a new SuperRanking format which will be based on pure win-loss, for the first time in poker history,” GGPoker ambassador Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier said.

“The winners will be recognized as the best poker players of our era, and crowned GGPoker’s first SuperPros. We’re also expanding live and bringing the Super MILLION$ experience worldwide to everyone. I can’t wait to see some new faces in the world’s greatest high roller games.”

A look at Super MILLION$ Week

Super MILLION$ Week recently concluded with the series highlighted by a $10 million guaranteed Main Event. The event easily topped the guarantee, awarding more than $11.5 million.

That is the biggest prize pool ever in a $10,000 online tournament. Since the series’ inception in June 2020, Super MILLION$ tournaments have awarded more than $300 million.

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‘The Wizard’ Casts Spell at 888poker With Major Rewards for Players, $300,000 Up for Grabs

888poker launched the Wizard's Spell promotion today, which runs through April 23 with a host of freerolls and mystery prizes for players.

888poker launched the new Wizard’s Spell promotion today, which runs through April 23 with a host of freerolls and mystery prizes for players.

Online poker players can take on daily, weekly, and monthly challenges to earn tournament tickets. The site is offering some serious guarantees for those looking to grab some free cash.

“Win tickets to our mystical freerolls by playing our enticing, exciting, and fun challenges – worth $300,000 in guarantees,” 888 noted in a news release.

Wizard offers 888poker some nice extra payouts

Those taking part in the Wizard’s Spell campaign will find plenty of tournament opportunities. 888 is running three major freerolls throughout the promotion.

Players can compete in the $300 Daily Wizard’s Wonder Freeroll after completing any of three tasks for a tournament ticket. Those daily freeroll challenges to work toward include

  • Cash Games Challenge – Win a hand in cash games with Ace-King.
  • BLAST Challenge – Win one of these popular sit and go games.
  • Bets Challenge – Place wagers totaling $2 on any casino game or sporting event.

Players who enjoy mystery bounties are also in luck with the Wizard’s Spell. The $2,000 Weekly Magical Mystery Bounty Freeroll runs every Sunday.

To qualify players must complete nine of any of the challenges above within one week. Players finishing this task earn a freeroll ticket.

Those who then finish in the top five win a surprise mystery reward as well. Prizes include live event packages, bonuses, gifts, and other merchandise.

Monthly Miraculous Mystery Bounty Freeroll

There’s even more freeroll action planned at 888poker. Players can win tickets to the Miraculous Mystery Bounty Freeroll, which runs monthly.

The exclusive freerolls offer a chance to win a share of up to a $60,000 guaranteed prize pool. To grab a seat, players need to complete any of the following within the month.

  • Mega Cash Games Challenge – Win 100 hands in cash games with any cards.
  • Tournaments Challenge – Finish five or more tournaments in the money.
  • Knockout Challenge – Eliminate 10 or more players in any progressive knockout (PKO) and Mystery Bounty tournaments.

Beyond the planned  guarantees, the 888poker Wizard will “charm” each monthly freeroll with a surprise guarantee. Players will find out about this addition three days beforehand.

The Wizard’s Spell offers poker players some nice options at free winnings for the next three months.

More series, live events coming from 888poker

The Winter XL Series is also currently underway at 888poker. The series offers players a guarantee of $2.5 million. The $250 Main Event offers players multiple starting flights with a $500,000 guarantee. For a complete series preview and schedule, click here.

The site also recently announced the complete 888poker Live schedule. Players will find numerous opportunities to qualify online for complete tournament packages.

The event schedule for 2023 includes stops in Spain, the United Kingdom, and more. For a complete preview of the schedule as well as information on how to qualify, click here.

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GGPoker Teams Up With King’s to Operate in Czech Republic

GGPoker announced a partnership with a subsidiary of King’s Entertainment on Monday to launch in the Czech Republic.

Online poker players in the Czech Republic will soon have the option to play at GGPoker. The company announced a partnership with King’s slots sro (a subsidiary of King’s Entertainment, the parent company of King’s Casino) on Monday to launch in the country.

The county’s ministry of finance recently granted GG a license for the launch of GGPoker.cz in the near future. Czech Republic becomes just the latest expansion location for GG.

“I’m delighted to work with King’s slots sro to extend GGPoker access to Czech players,” GG head of Europe Marco Trucco said in a news release. “We will have a lot to offer the market in 2023 and beyond, including World Series of Poker satellites, massive tournaments, the most exciting cash games, exclusive promotions and more!”

What can Czech players expect with GGPoker

The news comes as GGPoker continues to expand around the world. The company topped PokerStars over the last year as the largest online poker platform. 

All Czech players will be part of GGPoker’s global player base. Many players praise the company’s poker software, regular tournaments, and major series. Czech players will now have access to all of these offerings. 

“We are excited for this announcement and the continued development of our partnership with GGPoker globally,” King’s Entertainment Leon Tsoukernik said. “As the leading casino and poker venue in Europe and home of WSOP Europe, it was only natural for both our companies to come together to introduce GGPoker to our local audience in Czech Republic.

“The timing of this launch is particularly significant as King’s Casino celebrates 20 years in the market and our business continues to grow from strength to strength.”

Busy new year for GGPoker

Beyond the news in the Czech Republic, it’s been a bustling month for GGPoker. The company recently announced the launch of the mini MILLION$ series with $10 million guaranteed.

The festival runs Jan. 15 – Feb. 6 with buy-ins ranging from $1 to $25. The $10.50 Mystery Bounty MILLION$ headlines the series with $1 million guaranteed. For a complete series preview, click here.

The online poker operator is also teaming up with the Dublin Poker Festival. The live tournament series runs Feb. 16-26 at the Bonnington Hotel in Dublin.

Players will find two major events to look forward to including the €570 European Deepstack Championship with a €200,000 guarantee. The series also hosts the €300 Amateur Championship of Poker runs with a €100,000 guarantee.

GG is offering players a chance to win a seat in both events. Online qualifiers are already underway. Click here for a complete preview of the series.

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New PokerStars Live Events Announced; Company Revives Latin American Poker Tour

PokerStars is once again adding to the company’s live tournament schedule and announced two new series coming to the Czech Republic and Latin America on Tuesday.

The news comes as the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure also gets underway in the Bahamas. PokerStars Live continues to ramp up the action for players around the world.

The additions include the relaunch of the Latin America Poker Tour. As with most PokerStars Live events, players also have an opportunity to qualify online for the upcoming series.

PokerStars heading to Czech Republic

King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic, hosts the PokerStars Eureka 2023 series from March 13-20. The property is located on the border with Germany and also hosted the series last year.

The action is highlighted by the €1,100 Main Event running March 16-20 with a €1 million guarantee.

Online satellites for the event kick off Jan. 19 for players on the international platform as well as those in France, Spain, and Italy. Satellites run every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday in the lead up to the main event. Here’s a look at some other key events in the series:

  • €330 Eureka Rozvadov Cup – March 13-17
  • €1,100 Main Event – March 16-20
  • €440 Pot Limit Omaha Championship – March 17-18
  • €2,200 High Roller – March 19-20

PokerStars Latin American Poker Tour returns with Rio de Janeiro as first stop

Along with live action heading to the Czech Republic, PokerStars also announced the return of the Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT). The opening event is planned for March in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the city where the tour began in 2008.

The action then heads to Montevideo, Uruguay, in April. That’s followed by another Brazilian stop, this time in São Paulo for the Brazilian Series of Poker Winter Millions in July. The LAPT then returns to the city in November for the BSOP Millions. Stars officials will announce another stop soon.

“We are delighted to announce the return of this iconic series and once again hold the LAPT for poker players in Latin America,” Stars head of global live event operations Cedric Billot said in a news release. “We’re working hard to ensure that this is a spectacular series and can’t wait to head to Rio to get the show on the road.”

In the LAPT’s previous nine seasons, the tour traveled to 10 different countries. The series launched the careers of many great Latin-American players with their first major wins.

“The LAPT has a special place in the hearts of Latin American poker players and poker enthusiasts, so we’re absolutely thrilled that the tour is back,” LAPT executive director Devanir Campos said. “The tour will enable us to bring together former LAPT champions and a new generation of poker players that never got to experience this amazing event.”

What to expect from LAPT Rio de Janeiro

LAPT Rio de Janeiro takes place at the beachfront Windsor Marapendi Hotel from March 2-6. Online poker players can compete at PokerStars for a chance to win a complete tournament package. Those qualifiers as well as seat-only satellites begin on Jan. 22.

“We’ve decided to bring LAPT back to its roots,” Campos said. “The very first LAPT was held in Rio de Janeiro back in 2008, it is emblematic to have the tour’s return in the city where it all began.

“We plan to bring many familiar locations back to the calendar. LAPT was never just about playing poker, but also traveling, getting to see and experience different countries and cultures, meeting friends and, ultimately, having a lot of fun.” 

Here’s a look at several key events for LAPT Rio de Janeiro (figures in US dollars):

  • $1,500 Main Event – March 2-6
  • $3,000 Single Day 3K – March 2
  • $4,000 Single Day 4K – March 4
  • $5,000 High Roller – March 5-6
  • $800 Six-Handed Mystery KO – March 5-6
  • $3,000 High Roller PKO – March 6

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Listen Up: One Final Platinum Pass Up for Grabs Via PokerStars Podcast Competition

The PSPC kicks off Jan. 29 in the Bahamas and PokerStars has announced that one final Platinum Pass is up for grabs via a podcast contest.

The PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC) kicks off Jan. 29 in the Bahamas and the company announced Thursday that one final Platinum Pass is up for grabs.

One of poker’s biggest prizes will be awarded via James Hartigan and Joe Stapleton on the Poker in the Ears podcast. The Platinum Pass has become some of the biggest prizes in poker.

The PSPC is part of the upcoming PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA), which takes place at the Baha Mar resort from Jan. 22 – Feb. 3.

“All players have to do is listen to the latest , which has gone live today, to find out the full details on how to win,” Stars noted in announcing the contest.

How to win the final PokerStars Platinum Pass

The competition for the final Platinum Pass is now open through Jan. 16. The prize is available for listeners in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States (excluding the states of Florida, New York, and Washington).

For a chance to win, players must sign up for a free account on the PokerStars Discord channel. Next, head to the #podcast-discussion Poker in the Ears channel and post “I’m in” to enter. Entrants will receive a survey link to complete on Jan. 16.

The PSPC kicks off Jan. 29 in the Bahamas and PokerStars has announced that one final Platinum Pass is up for grabs via a podcast contest.

Entrants should then look for an email. Only the first 50 responses will advance to the next stage of the competition. On Jan. 18, one entrant will randomly receive a call from Hartigan and Stapleton. Here are a few more things to remember:

  • If the player doesn’t pick up, Hartigan and Stapleton will keep calling contestants randomly until someone answers.
  • The entrant will need to answer a trivia question picking from one of three categories: the PCA, PSPC, and the Bahamas. If a player gives a wrong answer, Hartigan and Stapleton move on until they receive a correct answer.
  • The first person to answer correctly will win the Platinum Pass.

Here’s the complete podcast to check out how to win.

 

What comes with a PokerStars Platinum Pass?

For months PokerStars has handed out Platinum Passes via live tournaments, online events, and other promotions and social media contests. The passes are highly sought after among poker fans and players.

The PSPC last ran in 2020 with Spain’s Roman Colillas coming out on top for $5.1 million. He also earned his entry via Platinum Pass. The tournament brings together a wide range of poker pros and recreational players vying for a piece of the massive prize pool.

This year’s event is set for Jan. 30 – Feb. 3 in Nassau, Bahamas. A pass includes a complete tournament and travel package. Players winning a Platinum Pass earn:

  • Buy-in to the $25,000 PSPC
  • Six nights hotel accommodations for winner and a guest in a five-star hotel
  • Airport transfers
  • $1,900 in expense money
  • Platinum Pass winner experiences during the event

The tournament should be one of the biggest events on the 2023 poker calendar. PokerScout will be on site covering the tournament. Stay tuned here as the event approaches for more information, player profiles, and updates from the Bahamas.

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