Author: Staff

Players in southern Europe have a shot at some out-of-this-world money during the PokerStars Galactic Series from Aug. 30 to Sept. 28. The festival boasts more than €17 million in total guarantees – the largest in the series’ history.

The Galactic offers plenty of action for players in France, Spain, and Portugal. The Galactic adds to a massive month for PokerStars during September, which is also running the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) on the .COM site.

With all tournament series combined, the company has more than $200 million in tournament series guarantees on the line.

A preview of the Galactic Series

Those looking to take their games to an interstellar level have a lot to look forward to in the Galactic Series. The festival caters to every category of player with buy-ins ranging from €5 to €250.

The action is highlighted by the €250 Main Event on Sept. 20 with a €1 million guarantee. Players can win an entry via three depositor freerolls on Aug. 29 and Sept. 5 and 29. The site will also host:

• Special edition €12.50 Spin & Go’s – awarding Main Event entries as well as cash prizes.
• Numerous qualifiers – players of all levels can win entry into various series events starting at just €1.

The series will be available to players using the PokerStars .ES, .PT, or .FR platforms. There’s something for everyone during the series and the series should make for some cosmic vibes.

Here’s a look at the entire schedule:

2020 PokerStars Galactic Series

New additions invade PokerStars galaxy

Similar to WCOOP, Stars is bringing plenty to the table for southern European players. The “‘Galactic Series Sweepstakes” is a new promotion this year and offers players  plenty of opportunities.

From Sept. 5-19, a total of €150,000 in Main Event entries will be awarded – €10,000 daily. For a shot at a tournament ticket, players must opt in using their challenge window.

Then need to simply play in at least one Galactic Series tournament for an entry into that day’s giveaway. The higher the buy-in level, the more entries a player receive for that day’s sweepstakes.

PokerStars managing director and commercial officer Severin Rasset said the company makes efforts to add something new and different to each series.

“The Galactic Series is now in its third year and has become a key event in the calendar for many of our players in Southern Europe,” Rasset said.

“In listening to our players and thinking about ways we can offer additional excitement, on top of the series’ biggest ever guarantee we have added more value and more ways to win this year. There are sweepstakes, special Spin & Go’s, and freerolls, ensuring players of all types have the chance to take part.”

The Galactic Series is just one major series running in September. Over the same dates, the PokerStars WCOOP will also be underway.

That series also features its largest ever guarantee ever as well – a nice $80 million. Combined, the Galactic Series and WCOOP will award more than $100 million.

For a complete WCOOP preview, click here. Looking to get in the action for the Galactic Series or WCOOP? Click here for a complete PokerStars review and exclusive bonus offers.

There was plenty of good news for PokerStars at the recent EGR Marketing and Innovation Awards. The annual event was held virtually on July 30 and recognizes standout creativity and innovation in online gaming.

In the area of innovation, PokerStars received two awards. Company officials said that has been a key focus in recent years.

PokerStars’ focus on innovation recognized

On its poker side, PokerStars received the award in the “Innovation in Poker” category. The company was recognized for its wide selection of new games, fresh products, and virtual reality offerings over the last year.

“Difficult to challenge PokerStars for research and development, and another good year for new product launches,” judges noted about the platform.

“Clearly doing well given the phenomenal growth rates during COVID, demonstrating success of both old and new variants. Love the fact that PokerStars has embraced virtual reality and done so in a big way. This brand is always working on a way forward and new ideas.”

PokerStars is the largest online poker site in the world and produces one of the top software platforms. The site is internationally recognized and offers several platforms beyond its .COM site.

That includes sites for Italian players as well a dedicated site for players in Spain, Portugal, and France.

Stars also offers online poker in the US in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The site has been particularly innovative in developing new games and promotions. Some of those include

• Swap Hold’em
• Deep Water
• UFC Spin and Go’s
• PokerStars VR

“Throughout PokerStars and particularly for its dedicated Poker Innovation and Operations team, trying out new formats and game types, listening to players’ responses, and going back to the lab is a constant focus,” said Rebecca McAdam Willetts, PokerStars associate director of public relations.

PokerStars has seen massive player pools and activity since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The most recent was the Stadium Series, which smashed the $25 million guarantee by $9 million.

PokerStars also earns award for casino product

EGR also recognized PokerStars proprietary tournament platform Casino Races in the “Innovation in Casino” category.

With PokerStars Casino, the aim was to give customers something they hadn’t seen before. Over the past 12 months PokerStars worked to successfully build and launch the product platform.

“Building new products that are fresh and entertaining for our community is of utmost priority at PokerStars,” McAdam Willetts said. “While the classic games that we all love aren’t going anywhere, we truly enjoy seeing our customers take to new formats and products.

“The focus on continuously developing exceptional experiences in everything from our customer support options to our responsible gaming tools is vital to PokerStars’ mission as we meet, head on, the expanding variety of entertainment options the modern world provides. We’re extremely pleased to have won two awards in this area across our offering.”

For a complete PokerStars review including $30 in free play, click here.

As if the online poker smorgasbord weren’t big enough, PokerStars announced the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) returns Aug. 30. The series features 75 events and $80 million guaranteed – the largest in the history of the series.

Running through Sept. 23, the series allows players of all buy-in levels a shot to be a world champion. The series runs the gamut of tournament type and promises another massive series for international players.

“WCOOP is a prestigious staple in the poker calendar and this year we are excited to bring players our biggest WCOOP ever, as well as adding extra excitement and value into the mix,” PokerStars managing director and commercial officer Severin Rasset said.

“We want to give players of all levels the opportunity to become a champion, so there will be lots of ways to get in on the action. Plus we’re particularly excited about setting poker fans up for the coming year with our new Slam Packages.” 

A look at some of the highlights on the WCOOP schedule

Players ready to get in the action have a lot to look forward to. All events feature Low, Medium, and High buy-in tiers.

Those range from $2.20 to $25,000 and players will also find three series championships. These freezeout main events will be held on Sept. 20 and here’s a look at what to expect:

• Low $55 – $1.25 million guaranteed
• Medium $530 – $2 million guaranteed
• High $5,200 – $10 million guaranteed

Players can battle it out in Player of the Series leaderboards for these three categories as well. There will also be an overall champion named.

One part of the series is already underway – the $2.20, $22, $215 Phase Tournaments. The  events run until Sept. 21 with guarantees of $250,000 for the $22 tournaments and $2 million for the $215. Here’s a look at the complete schedule:

PokerStars WCOOP offers a grand slam

The WCOOP makes it a gargantuan month for PokerStars. At least $200 million will be awarded to tournament players across the company’s platforms in September.

Stars is hoping to even spread some of those good vibes to future online series. WCOOP introduces the site’s “2021 Slam Packages” and “WCOOP Sweepstakes” promotions.

Champions of any one of 15 special Sunday Slam WCOOP tournaments earn something extra – a Slam Package. This is quite a reward and entitles the winner to 2021 Main Event-High entries into all of the following:

• WCOOP
• SCOOP
• Stadium Series

A Slam Package means three freeroll shots at winning a title next year.

Additionally, $1.5 million in WCOOP tickets will be awarded via WCOOP Sweepstakes from Aug. 30 to Sept. 20. To gain entry to the sweepstakes, players must simply take part in a tournament.

The more tournaments and the higher the buy-in level played, the more entries a player earns. At least three $5,200 Main Event tickets will be awarded daily during the sweepstakes, along with additional ticket prizes. 

More ways to get in the WCOOP action

There are several other promotions players can expect to get in the action. WCOOP Fast Track will award at least five Main Event High seats every day until Sept. 20.

To earn a Fast Track Main Event seat, players can complete the four-step qualification route. That starts at just $1 or players can buy in at a higher step. Other promotional highlights players can take advantage of include:

• Spin & Go’s – awarding WCOOP Main Event entries, tickets, and cash prizes and start at just $4 will
• PokerStars School – awarding WCOOP tickets in regular giveaways.
• Series qualifiers – Players of all levels can win series entries for as little as $1. 

Taking Fridays off, more action for European players

Along with plenty of tournament action, PokerStars is also offering a bit of time away from the tables during WCOOP. Players can take Fridays off with no worries of missing an event.

After receiving player feedback, PokerStars chose to include a regular player break.  This should be welcome news for players who compete in the Player of the Series race.

WCOOP isn’t the only major PokerStars tournament series running in September. Players in Southern Europe can welcome the Galactic Series Aug. 30 to Sept. 28.

That series, for players in Spain, Portugal, France, comes with a €17 million total guarantee. The €250 Main Event features a €1 million guaranteed.

The WCOOP and the Galactic Series will award more than $100 million to PokerStars players. That means plenty of fun and cash opportunities for online poker players.

For complete PokerStars review and exclusive PokerScout bonus offers, click here.