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WPT Releases Deep Schedule of Ladies Events for 2023; Prime Gold Coast Event Breaks Record

In conjunction with International Women’s Day, the WPT announced several new ladies events running throughout Season XXI on Wednesday..

In conjunction with International Women’s Day, the World Poker Tour announced several new ladies events on Wednesday.

The new events are scheduled throughout Season XXI and the announcement comes after the first WPT Ladies Championship was held in December at the Wynn in Las Vegas.

As part of the announcement, the tour outlined dates for the second version of that tournament as well. The schedule also includes several tournaments at international stops.

“At WPT we take pride in the efforts we have put forth to increase women’s participation in poker,” WPT CEO Adam Pliska said in a news release. “As we recognize and celebrate International Women’s Day, we look forward to these record-setting initiatives throughout Season XXI and seeing more women play in our events around the world.”

A look at the WPT ladies schedule

In Season XXI, ladies events will be held at 13 WPT festivals. That includes seven tournaments at WPT Prime stops and six at Main Tour stops. The grand finale will again be the Ladies Championship at the WPT World Championship festival.

Numerous women are a part of the leadership team at WPT, tour officials noted. Vice President of global tour management Angelica Hael was a 2022 Women in Poker Hall of Fame inductee.

Some other key female leaders in the company include Vice President of finance Deborah Frazzetta, Vice President of marketing Hermance Blum, executive producer Mandy Glogow, and Vice President of studio, distribution, and ad sales Loc Sondheim.

“Fostering the presence of women in poker has always been a natural part of the WPT ecosystem,” Hael said. “This year, we are proud to present dedicated ladies events at an overwhelming majority of our global festivals, culminating with the 2023 WPT Ladies Championship at Wynn Las Vegas.”

A look at the schedule, TV events

In celebration of Women’s History Month, WPT will air episodes from various ladies events across TV and streaming platforms every night in the month of March. The Season XXI scheduled ladies events include:

  1. WPT Prime Cambodia
  2. Prime India
  3. WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown (Main Tour)
  4. WPT Choctaw (Main Tour)
  5. Prime Slovakia
  6. Prime Vietnam
  7. Prime Taiwan
  8. Prime Liechtenstein
  9. WPT Australia (Main Tour)
  10. Prime Madrid
  11. WPT bestbet Scramble (Main Tour)
  12. WPT Seminole Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open (Main Tour)
  13. WPT World Championship (Main Tour)
Sheng Ye celebrate winning the WPT Prime Gold Coast. (photos courtesy WPT)

WPT Prime Gold Coast winner

In other tour news, Sheng Ye came out on top in the second WPT Prime Gold Coast on Sunday night. He topped a record-breaking field of 1,224 entries in the AUD $2,000 buy-in main event at The Star Gold Coast in Queensland.

Ye grabbed AUD $374,953 for the win, which also includes a package to play in the season-ending WPT World Championship in December.

Just a month after Prime Paris broke the “non-championship” Prime entries record with 1,071, the Gold Coast event topped that by 153 entries. That entry total produced a prize pool of AUD $2.2 million. Ben Richardson finished runner-up, securing AUD $238,978.

WPT Prime Cambodia at NagaWorld Integrated Resort in Phnom Penh is next up on the tour. The festival runs March 9-21 with the $1,100 main event set for March 16-20.

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PokerStars Launches Bounty Builder Series; New Formula One Events & Promotions Rolling Out

The bounty-busting action has returned to PokerStars with two weeks of the Bounty Builder Series running through March 20.

The bounty-busting action has returned to PokerStars. Online poker players will find two weeks of the latest edition of the Bounty Builder Series running through March 20.

The festival features a packed schedule of 169 events. That includes two Main Events with both kicking off on March 19. The $109 edition features a $1 million guarantee with the $1,050 version offering a $1.25 million guarantee.

In other news, the company announced the continuation of its Formula One partnership and promotional and content efforts.

Plenty of PKO action in PokerStars Bounty Builder

All Bounty Builder events feature the popular progressive knockout format (PKO). The format plays out differently than traditional bounty tournaments. Instead of winning an opponent’s entire bounty with an elimination, part of that bounty is also put on the winner’s head.

That means bounties increase throughout the tournament. The ultimate winner also cashes in his own bounty, which can also be sizable by the end of the event. Even Stars’ iconic Sunday Million has been converted to a PKO.

As part of the Bounty Builder, players will find two special edition Sunday Millions tournaments. Those two check in with a $109 buy-in and a $215 buy-in with both offer players a $1 million guarantee. Here’s a look at the entire schedule.

PokerStars Bounty Builder Series 2023

DateEvent
March 8#32: $11 NLHE [Progressive KO, Midweek Freeze], $50K Gtd
March 8#33-L: $55 NLHE [Progressive KO, Mini Bounty Builder HR], $150K Gtd
March 8#33-H: $530 NLHE [Progressive KO, Bounty Builder High Roller], $100K Gtd
March 8#34: $55 NLHE [6-Max, Progressive KO], $125K Gtd
March 8#35: $109 8-Game [Progressive KO], $20K Gtd
March 8#36: $109 NLHE [Progressive KO, Freezeout], $75K Gtd
March 8#37: $33 NLHE [Turbo, Progressive KO, Deep Stack], $60K Gtd
March 8#38: $109 NLHE [Progressive KO, Fenomeno Special], $75K Gtd
March 8#39: $22 NLHE [7-Max, Turbo, Progressive KO], $50K Gtd
March 8#40: $11 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Progressive KO, Adrenaline: 25BB], $30K Gtd
March 9#41: $55 NLHE [Progressive KO, Deep Stack], $125K Gtd
March 9#42: $11 NLHE [Progressive KO], $60K Gtd
March 9#43-L: $55 NLHE [Progressive KO, Mini Bounty Builder HR], $150K Gtd
March 9#43-H: $530 NLHE [Progressive KO, Bounty Builder High Roller], $100K Gtd
March 9#44: $11 PLO [Progressive KO], $20K Gtd
March 9#45-L: $215 NLHE [Progressive KO, Mini Thursday Thrill], $175K Gtd
March 9#45-H: $1,050 NLHE [Progressive KO, Thursday Thrill], $125K Gtd
March 9#46: $5.50 NLHE [5-Max, Turbo, Progressive KO], $25K Gtd
March 9#47: $109 NLHE [Turbo, Progressive KO], $100K Gtd
March 9#48: $55 NLHE [4-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Progressive Total KO, Bounty Quads], $50K Gtd
March 10#49: $5.50 NLHE [Progressive KO], $25K Gtd
March 10#50: $11 NLHE [Progressive KO], $60K Gtd
March 10#51-L: $55 NLHE [Progressive KO, Mini Bounty Builder HR], $150K Gtd
March 10#51-H: $530 NLHE [Progressive KO, Bounty Builder High Roller], $100K Gtd
March 10#52: $109 NLHE [Progressive KO], $100K Gtd
March 10#53: $22 NL 2-7 Single Draw [6-Max, Progressive KO], $4K Gtd
March 10#54: $109 NLHE [6-Max, Progressive KO, Freezeout], $75K Gtd
March 10#55: $22 NLHE [Progressive KO, The Rounder], $30K Gtd
March 10#56: $109 NLHE [Progressive KO, Fenomeno Special], $75K Gtd
March 10#57: $5.50 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Progressive KO, Adrenaline: 25BB], $15K Gtd
March 11#58: $55 NLHE [6-Max, Progressive KO], $100K Gtd
March 11#59: $11 NLHE [Progressive KO], $60K Gtd
March 11#60-L: $55 NLHE [Progressive KO, Mini Bounty Builder HR], $150K Gtd
March 11#60-H: $530 NLHE [Progressive KO, Bounty Builder High Roller], $100K Gtd
March 11#61: $55 NLHE [7-Max, Progressive KO, Big Knockouts], $50K Gtd
March 11#62: $109 5-Card PLO [Progressive KO], $20K Gtd
March 11#63: $109 NLHE [Progressive KO, Freezeout], $75K Gtd
March 11#64: $33 NLHE [Turbo, Progressive KO, Deep Stack], $60K Gtd
March 11#65: $22 NLHE [7-Max, Turbo, Progressive KO], $50K Gtd
March 11#66: $11 NLHE [7-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Progressive KO, Last Player Standing], $20K Gtd
March 12#67: $55 NLHE [Progressive KO, Warm-Up], $125K Gtd
March 12#68: $109 NLHE [Progressive KO, Kick-Off], $150K Gtd
March 12#69: $109 NLHE [Progressive KO, Big $109 SE], $200K Gtd
March 12#70-L: $55 NLHE [Progressive KO, Mini Bounty Builder HR], $400K Gtd
March 12#70-H: $530 NLHE [Progressive KO, Bounty Builder High Roller], $300K Gtd
March 12#71: $215 NLHE [Progressive KO, Sunday Million], $1M Gtd
March 12#72: $55 PLO [Progressive KO], $30K Gtd
March 12#73: $1,050 NLHE [Progressive KO, High Roller Freezeout], $125K Gtd
March 12#74: $109 NLHE [6-Max, Progressive KO], $150K Gtd
March 12#75: $55 NLHE [7-Max, Turbo, Progressive KO, Sunday Cooldown], $125K Gtd
March 12#76: $11 NLHE [Turbo, Progressive KO, Adrenaline: 40BB], $40K Gtd
March 12#77: $22 NLHE [4-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Progressive Total KO, Bounty Quads], $50K Gtd
March 13#78: $33 NLHE [6-Max, Progressive KO, Monster Stacks], $100K Gtd
March 13#79: $11 NLHE [Progressive KO], $60K Gtd
March 13#80-L: $55 NLHE [Progressive KO, Mini Bounty Builder HR], $150K Gtd
March 13#80-H: $530 NLHE [Progressive KO, Bounty Builder High Roller], $100K Gtd
March 13#81: $22 NLHE [Progressive KO], $80K Gtd
March 13#82: $109 5-Card PLO8 [Progressive KO], $20K Gtd
March 13#83: $109 NLHE [Progressive KO, Freezeout], $75K Gtd
March 13#84: $215 NLHE [Turbo, Progressive KO, Deep Stack], $100K Gtd
March 13#85: $22 NLHE [Heads-Up, Turbo, Progressive Total KO, Zoom], $40K Gtd
March 13#86: $55 NLHE [Hyper-Turbo, Progressive KO, Adrenaline: 25BB], $50K Gtd
March 14#87: $11 NLHE [6-Max, Progressive KO], $30K Gtd
March 14#88: $109 NLHE [6-Max, Progressive KO], $125K Gtd
March 14#89-L: $55 NLHE [Progressive KO, Mini Bounty Builder HR], $150K Gtd
March 14#89-H: $530 NLHE [Progressive KO, Bounty Builder High Roller], $100K Gtd
March 14#90: $215 NLHE [Progressive KO, Super Tuesday], $125K Gtd
March 14#91: $33 NLO [6-Max, Progressive KO], $15K Gtd
March 14#92: $109 NLHE [Progressive KO, Freezeout], $75K Gtd
March 14#93: $55 NLHE [Turbo, Progressive KO, Deep Stack], $100K Gtd
March 14#94: $22 NLHE [6-Max, Turbo, Progressive KO], $60K Gtd
March 14#95: $109 NLHE [7-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Progressive KO, Last Player Standing], $50K Gtd
March 15#96: $55 NLHE [Heads-Up, Progressive Total KO, The Shuffle], $50K Gtd
March 15#97: $11 NLHE [Progressive KO, Midweek Freeze], $50K Gtd
March 15#98-L: $55 NLHE [Progressive KO, Mini Bounty Builder HR], $150K Gtd
March 15#98-H: $530 NLHE [Progressive KO, Bounty Builder High Roller], $100K Gtd
March 15#99: $5.50 NLHE [6-Max, Progressive KO], $30K Gtd
March 15#100: $55 PL 5-Card Draw [Progressive KO], $5K Gtd
March 15#101: $109 NLHE [Progressive KO, Freezeout], $75K Gtd
March 15#102: $33 NLHE [Turbo, Progressive KO, Deep Stack], $60K Gtd
March 15#103: $109 NLHE [Progressive KO, Fenomeno Special], $75K Gtd
March 15#104: $22 NLHE [Turbo, Progressive KO, Adrenaline: 40BB], $40K Gtd
March 15#105: $55 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Progressive KO, Adrenaline: 25BB], $50K Gtd
March 16#106: $162 NLHE [Progressive KO, Pacific Rim], $10K Gtd
March 16#107: $55 NLHE [Progressive KO, Deep Stack], $100K Gtd
March 16#108: $11 NLHE [Progressive KO], $60K Gtd
March 16#109-L: $55 NLHE [Progressive KO, Mini Bounty Builder HR], $150K Gtd
March 16#109-H: $530 NLHE [Progressive KO, Bounty Builder High Roller], $100K Gtd
March 16#110: $11 PLO [Progressive KO], $20K Gtd
March 16#111-L: $215 NLHE [Progressive KO, Mini Thursday Thrill], $175K Gtd
March 16#111-H: $1,050 NLHE [Progressive KO, Thursday Thrill], $125K Gtd
March 16#112: $109 NLHE [Turbo, Progressive KO, Deep Stack], $125K Gtd
March 16#113: $11 NLHE [Heads-Up, Turbo, Progressive Total KO, Zoom], $30K Gtd
March 16#114: $55 NLHE [Hyper-Turbo, Progressive KO, Adrenaline: 25BB], $50K Gtd
March 17#115: $5.50 NLHE [Progressive KO], $25K Gtd
March 17#116: $11 NLHE [Progressive KO], $60K Gtd
March 17#117-L: $55 NLHE [Progressive KO, Mini Bounty Builder HR], $150K Gtd
March 17#117-H: $530 NLHE [Progressive KO, Bounty Builder High Roller], $100K Gtd
March 17#118: $109 NLHE [Progressive KO], $100K Gtd
March 17#119: $22 PL Badugi [6-Max, Progressive KO], $6K Gtd
March 17#120: $109 NLHE [6-Max, Progressive KO, Freezeout], $75K Gtd
March 17#121: $5.50 NLHE [Progressive KO, The Rounder], $20K Gtd
March 17#122: $109 NLHE [Progressive KO, Fenomeno Special], $75K Gtd
March 17#123: $22 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Progressive KO, Adrenaline: 25BB], $35K Gtd
March 18#124: $55 NLHE [6-Max, Progressive KO], $100K Gtd
March 18#125: $11 NLHE [Progressive KO], $60K Gtd
March 18#126-L: $55 NLHE [Progressive KO, Mini Bounty Builder HR], $150K Gtd
March 18#126-H: $530 NLHE [Progressive KO, Bounty Builder High Roller], $100K Gtd
March 18#127: $55 NLHE [7-Max, Progressive KO, Big Knockouts], $75K Gtd
March 18#128: $109 6+ Hold'em [6-Max, Progressive KO], $10K Gtd
March 18#129: $109 NLHE [Progressive KO, Freezeout], $75K Gtd
March 18#130: $215 NLHE [Turbo, Progressive KO, Deep Stack], $100K Gtd
March 18#131: $55 NLHE [7-Max, Turbo, Progressive KO, Adrenaline: 40BB], $50K Gtd
March 18#132: $22 NLHE [4-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Progressive Total KO, Bounty Quads], $30K Gtd
March 19#133: $55 NLHE [Progressive KO, Warm-Up], $125K Gtd
March 19#134: $215 NLHE [Progressive KO, Kick-Off], $175K Gtd
March 19#135: $11 NLHE [Progressive KO], $100K Gtd
March 19#136-L: $55 NLHE [Progressive KO, Mini Bounty Builder HR], $400K Gtd
March 19#136-H: $530 NLHE [Progressive KO, Bounty Builder High Roller], $300K Gtd
March 19#137-L: $109 NLHE [Progressive KO, Main Event], $1M Gtd
March 19#137-H: $1,050 NLHE [Progressive KO, Main Event], $1.25M Gtd
March 19#138: $215 PLO [Progressive KO, PLO Main Event], $100K Gtd
March 19#139: $1,050 NLHE [Progressive KO, High Roller Freezeout], $125K Gtd
March 19#140: $5,200 NLHE [Progressive KO, Titans], $400K Gtd
March 19#141: $215 NLHE [Progressive KO], $175K Gtd
March 19#142: $109 NLHE [7-Max, Turbo, Progressive KO, Sunday Cooldown], $175K Gtd
March 19#143: $33 NLHE [6-Max, Turbo, Progressive KO], $100K Gtd
March 19#144: $109 NLHE [7-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Progressive KO, Last Player Standing], $75K Gtd
March 20#145: $11 NLHE [Progressive KO], $60K Gtd
March 20#146-L: $55 NLHE [Progressive KO, Mini Bounty Builder HR], $150K Gtd
March 20#146-H: $530 NLHE [Progressive KO, Bounty Builder High Roller], $100K Gtd
March 20#147: $215 NLHE [Progressive KO, Series Saver], $175K Gtd
March 20#148: $55 NLO8 [Turbo, Progressive KO], $20K Gtd
March 20#149: $22 NLHE [7-Max, Turbo, Progressive KO], $50K Gtd
March 20#150: $109 NLHE [7-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Progressive KO, Series Wrap-Up], $60K Gtd

F1 partnership moves into second year

In other PokerStars news, the company recently began its second year in a Formula One partnership with Red Bull Racing. Stars is promising players and racing fans even more “epic experiences” throughout the F1 season. PokerStars returns to the track with even more planned including:

  • rewards for F1 fans
  • sharing promotions
  • competitions

The company is also adding more F1-themed content with chances to win experiences at some of the season’s most anticipated races. The PokerStars YouTube channel will take viewers behind the scenes at pivotal races.

The PokerStars Red Spade Pass also returns for the second year. This promotion offers PokerStars players ultimate experiences to make an F1 fan’s dreams come true.

“After an incredible first year racing alongside Oracle Red Bull, we are delighted to be going into the 2023 season with even more rewards, content, and epic experiences in the pipeline to take our partnership to the next level,” Flutter (Stars’ parent company)  director of partnerships, public relations, and consumer engagement Rebecca McAdam Willetts said in a news release.

“This partnership has enabled both us and Oracle Red Bull Racing to reach audiences who share similar passions and interests, and we still firmly believe that the team is the perfect fit for PokerStars.net, sharing our conviction that it is not just about what you offer fans, but the ethos and vision behind it.”

Even more F1 promotions in the works

The “Embrace the Race” events also return for the new season. These race weekend promotions feature rewards including Chicane Cash Drops, Spin & Go Races, odds boosts on sports bets, and a Casino Weekend Races Leaderboard.

The partnership includes all of PokerStars’ casino, poker, and sports betting products. Company branding appears on the halo of the RB19 car as well as the inner cockpit and rear wing end plate, driver race suits, and pit crew helmets.

“Partnering with PokerStars has been an ace move for the team,” Oracle Red Bull Racing team principal and CEO Christian Horner said in a news release. “Their commitment to entertainment and innovation is a winning formula that perfectly aligns with our own values in Formula One.

“As we enter another year together, we’re raising the stakes and taking our collective game to the next level. While we can’t reveal too much just yet, I can tell you that there are some truly exciting projects in the works, and we look forward to unveiling our plans in the coming months.”

★★★ Ready to get in the action at PokerStars? Click here for a complete site review with exclusive PokerScout bonus offers. ★★★

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Poker Podium: Online Qualifiers Crushing, Ambassadors Chalk Up Nice Wins, Big Bluffs, & More

While it may have been a short month, some big online poker winners rose to the top in the month of February.

While it may have been a short month, some big online poker winners rose to the top in February. Online operators offered plenty of action with a few players also reaping massive rewards in live events after qualifying online.

Severa site ambassadors also recorded nice scores including Lex Veldhuis, Ian Simpson, and Vivian Saliba. Here’s a look at the latest Poker Podium and some players recording some wins in February.

PokerStars

The ability to qualify for major online events remains a nice incentive for many online poker players. PokerStars offers numerous opportunities, whether just smaller buy-in satellites or major promotions like Platinum Passes.

The last month saw some of these qualifiers win big. That includes Razvan Belea recently winning the European Poker Tour Paris main event title for $1.2 million. He secured his seat via a €530 online qualifier and is more accustomed to playing low roller events, especially freerolls.

The Romanian may now be tempted to move up in stakes after such a life-changing win.

“This is unreal,” he said after the win. “It’s all I’ve ever dreamed of since I started playing poker.”

If that weren’t enough, the series also featured a stop on the France Poker Series. Another online qualifier found the winner’s circle with France’s Alan Gaosdoue taking down the €1,100 Main Event for €287,830.

PokerStars ambassador Lex Veldhuis also showed off a massive hand in February when heads-up in the $540 Marathon. He ran a huge bluff with 5-high to take a massive pot and then went on to win the event for $5,213.

GGPoker

The $150 Overlay Edition highlighted much of the online action at GG in February. That culminated with Germany’s Philipp Gruissem taking the title earlier this week for $806,385.

The tournament brought in 64,622 entries for an $8.9 million prize pool. As part of the overlay, GG added $1.1 million to the prize pool. The win came after Gruissem took some time away from the game.

“I can still do it,” he noted on Twitter.

In other action, Collin Capone offered a look at what it’s like to win a GG Bounty Jackpot. Playing in a $10.80 Bounty Hunters event, he cashed in for more than $1,000.

Some good vibes also headed the way of GGPoker ambassador Kevin Martin recently. The Canadian poker pro and former Survivor contestant made quite the hero call in a huge pot with only Ace high. His instincts proved correct, eliminating his opponent in a $100 Sunday Hyper event.

888poker

A few days remain in the 888poker Mystery Bounty Series. The action runs through March 7 and the entire series features $2 million guaranteed.

The festivities kicked off on Feb. 19 and 888 ambassador Vivian Saliba making a deep run on the first day of action in the $109 Mystery Bounty Opening. The tournament came with a $120,000 guarantee and saw 1,032 entries. Players also vied for a top bounty of $12,000.

Saliba, of Brazil, ultimately finished fourth for $4,002. A pair of fellow Brazilians took the top two spots with “Leofoliveira” winning the event for a total of $10,812. “perrivini” took runner-up for $9,210, and here’s a look at the final hand.

As of March 1, Brazilians were dominating the series with six titles. The closest other countries were Montenegro, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom with two each

One of the other big events so far included the $109 Mystery Bounty Eight-Max, which came with a $150,000 guarantee. The action produced a field of 1,820 entries for a $182,000 prize pool with a top bounty of $15,000. 

player named “Anywayz” entered the final table in the middle of the pack, but was able to move up and take the win. Anywayz scored the $15,633 top prize plus $1,215 in bounties for a total of $16,848.

Another 888 team member scored a nice run in the series. In the $109 Mystery Bounty ($15,000 guaranteed), StreamTeam member Josh Manley made a final table appearance, finishing eighth for a total of $540.

Fellow ambassador Ian Simpson has quite the celebration after scoring a bounty tournament win for a $5,000 night.

PartyPoker

This operator recently announced a new tournament schedule including the weekly $109 Sunday Party. The PKO (progressive knockout) event comes with a $150,000 guarantee. Online qualifiers start at just $0.01.

The first event debuted on Feb. 6 with 1,608 entries, topping the guarantee by $10,800. “BinkusMaximus” took the inaugural Sunday Party win for a total of $15,955.

On Feb. 26, Party boosted the prize pool to $200,000 and saw 2,014 entries for a $201,400 prize pool. In the end, “Nepomniachtch” ended the party on top, scoring $10,985 with an additional $13,014 in bounties for a total of $23,999. “Takafogonela” took runner-up for a total payout of $13,634.

The new $22 Sunday Carnival includes a $50,000 guarantee and saw a boost to $75,000 on Feb. 26. The tournament saw 3,436 entries for a small overlay. In the end, “Spakman0888” grabbed the win in this PKO event for a payout of $4,254 plus $2,900 in bounties for a total of $7,154.

In other news, PartyPoker ambassador Jaime Staples remains a popular Twitch streamer and recently gave fans a look at how he streams on Twitch. Not a bad online poker setup.

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Online Qualifier Takes Down PokerStars EPT Paris for $1.2M; FPS Winner Also Qualifies Online

The PokerStars EPT Paris stop produced big numbers with Razvan Belea taking the main event title for $1.2 million.

Live poker tours continue returning at PokerStare Live and the recent Paris stop showed the pent-up demand for more events. The European Poker Tour stop in France produced big numbers with Razvan Belea taking the main event title for $1.2 million.

The win came after the Romanian player won a seat via €530 online qualifier. The tournament saw 1,606 entries at the Hyatt Regency Etoile, the largest turnout for a new destination stop and sixth-largest EPT main event in tour history. Organizers said the stop greatly exceeded expectations.

“We are really pleased to bring live poker to Paris with the EPT and FPS events,” PokerStars head of live events/global operations Cedric Billot said in a news release. “We saw vast numbers and experienced some extremely exciting and impressive poker.”

Romanian becomes country’s first PokerStars EPT champion

Following his online qualification via PokerStars, Belea (pictured in lead image courtesy PokerStars/Manuel Kovsca) became Romania’s first EPT main event winner. The 34-year-old had just over $100,000 in live tournament winnings prior to the EPT victory. He came into the Paris event more accustomed to playing freerolls than big buy-in events.

Belea’s previous best score came in 2021 when he won an 888poker Live Bucharest event for $58,728. He’s certainly now topped that and has an epic bullet point on his poker record.

“This is unreal,” he said after the win. “It’s all I’ve ever dreamed of since I started playing poker.”

Sweden’s Peter Jorgne finished runner-up after only playing his first live event just 10 months ago. He secured $833,645 for second place.

A look at other events

The series featured numerous other side events as well. The €50,000 Super High Roller attracted 68 entries with American Chris Brewer taking the win for €959,520.

This was the second title of the festival after also winning a €25,000 High Roller for $380,748. Brewer now has $7.8 million in live tournament winnings and was already looking ahead for more high stakes action.

The France Poker Series (FPS) also saw that series’ €1,100 Main Event play out at the Pairs festival. The tournament produced a tour record 2,071 entries for a €2 million prize pool.

France’s Alan Gaosdoue emerged victorious for €287,830. Like Belea, he also won his entry into the tournament via a PokerStars online qualifier.

Next stops for EPT, FPS

Monte Carlo on the French Riviera is next up for the EPT and FPS from April 26 – May 6. The €1,100 FPS Main Event, €550 FPS Cup, and €2,200 FPS High Roller events kick off the series.

EPT action then begins on April 29 with the $100,000 Super High Roller followed by the Main Event from April 30 – May 6. A complete EPT schedule will be released soon, but the series highlights include:

  • €100,000 Super High Roller – April 29 to May 1
  • €5,300 Main Event – April 30 to May 6
  • €3,000 Mystery Bounty – May 2-4
  • €25,000 High Roller – May 4-6

Following Monte Carlo, the EPT heads to Barcelona before heading to Merit Royal Premium Hotel Casino for the first-ever Stars event in Cyprus.

PokerStars announced the return and complete schedule for the FPS recently as well. For a complete preview of that series, click here.

Players looking to qualify online like Gaosdoue and Belea will also have opportunities in the coming weeks. Many tour stops feature the option to win a seat-only package or a package that includes expenses as well.

★★★ Ready to get in the action at PokerStars? Click here for a complete site review with exclusive PokerScout bonus offers. ★★★

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MASSIVE RETURN: Germany’s Philipp Gruissem Wins GGPoker Overlay Edition for $800K

After more than 64,000 entries, the Overlay Edition wrapped up at GGPoker on Tuesday with Philipp Gruissem winning more than $800,000.

After numerous $150 starting flights and more than 64,000 entries, the Overlay Edition wrapped up at GGPoker on Tuesday night with Philipp Gruissem taking the top spot.

The win rewarded Gruissem with a payout of $806,385, a massive online poker score for the German poker pro. The event is billed as the Overlay Edition because GG basically builds in an automatic overlay with some free money rewarding the site’s players.

The tournament promised a $10 million prize pool, doubling last year’s $5 million guarantee. The 64,622 entries produced a prize pool of $8.9 million, meaning GGPoker added an additional $1.1 million in overlay to that total.

Scoring big in GGpoker Overlay Edition

After three days of action, Gruissem eventually found himself heads up against a Brazilian player named “GuGaGi.” Gruissem held just under a 2-to-1 chip advantage when heads-up play began – 404 million to 234 million.

GuGaGi battled back, however, and eventually took the lead with 500 million chips to Gruissem’s 125 million.

The former partypoker ambassador  began to turn things around after that, picking up some pots without reaching a showdown. When the stacks were about level, Gruissem moved all in on the river of a board of 6-8-A-8-10 for the last of his 222 million chips.

GuGaGi folded and Gruissem recaptured the lead, 475 million to 165 million. The final hand saw both players get it all in with Gruissem holding A ♠ Q ♠ versus GuGaGi’s K ♦ 4 ♥ .

The board brought a flop of 7 ♦ 3 ♦ K ♣ , giving GuGaGi some hope by pairing his Kings. But the A ♥ on the turn moved Gruissem ahead.

The 9 ♣ on the river brought no help for GuGaGi and the title went to Gruissem. For runner-up, GuGaGi collected a nice payout of $572,777.

The top seven players all earned payouts of at least six figures. In total, the tournament paid out 6,383 entries with $362 paid out for players scoring a min-cash.

A look at the winner

On Twitter, Gruissem has documented his “comeback” to poker recently after some time away from the game. He’s even offered players a chance to stake some of his action. That comeback attempt looks to be complete with the huge score from this week.

“I can still do it,” he noted on Twitter.

At the live poker felt, Gruissem has more than $11.5 million in lifetime winnings. However, his last tournament score was two years ago.

Gruissem’s biggest win came in 2014 when he won the €25,500 High Roller at the PokerStars European Poker Tour Monte Carlo stop for $1.4 million. A year earlier, he took down a $100,000 World Poker Tour Alpha8 event for $1.1 million.

Gruissem’s poker results include other big finishes at events around the world in a tournament career stretching back to 2009.

After welcoming a new baby to his family in the last couple years, Gruissem looks to have decided to spend some time away from the tables. But it appears the German poker pro was ready for a return to the action.

“I’m back in the game!” he posted in January. “After getting a baby and opening up the HPO stable I discovered I still want to play and challenge myself to new heights! Poker never lets me go, so there must be something more in it for me! Different approach, same game! Let’s go!”

That approach certainly paid dividends so far and he now has a herculean win under his belt.

* Lead image courtesy WPT

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Live Events Continue to Return at PokerStars With France Poker Series Schedule Unveiled

Another week and another PokerStars Live series resurrected. The online poker operator continues bringing back popular live series for players around the world and that has included the Eureka Series, the Estrellas Poker Tour in Spain, and more in recent weeks.

The company also announced on Tuesday the return of the France Poker Series (FPS). Series organizers promise a packed schedule revisiting some favorite spots as well as exploring some new locations.

Players also have a chance to win their seats into live events through online qualifiers as well.

Inside the PokerStars France Poker Series

Players looking to get in the action will find five stops across the country as well as neighboring Monaco and Belgium. The FPS Monte Carlo kicks off the schedule at Sporting Monte Carlo from April 26-30.

That’s followed by a stop in Namur at Circus Casino Resort Namur from May

12-21. FPS Namur features the Belgian Poker Challenge awarding a €1 million guarantee across all events. The main evenrt features a €750,000 guarantee and the high roller guarantees €100,000.

The Stade Jean Bouin rugby stadium in Paris will host a French Poker Series event in Paris. (photo courtesy Chabe01)

From July 15-23, the FPS heads to the French capital of Paris in the famous Stade Jean Bouin rugby stadium. Players can also expect a main event prize pool with a €1 million guarantee.

The fall season brings a trip to Aix les Bains and Casino Grand Cercle from Sept. 29 – Oct. 8. The 2023 schedule concludes with Aix en Provence at Pasino Grand from Nov. 10-19.

Additional details & qualifying online

Players joining in the FPS events will find plenty on the line at each stop. Each festival features a €1,100 Main Event as well as a €2,200 High Roller.

Players around the world can also win a seat in the series via online satellites near the date of each event. Satellites are available on the .COM, .FR and .ES platforms. Two types of prizes are up for grabs and include:

  • seat-only prizes valued at €1,100
  • seat plus expenses packages valued at €1,500

The FPS promises plenty of tournament fun and a nice opportunity at a European vacation for online qualifiers.

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GGPoker Unveils WSOP Spring Circuit With $100M Guarantee; Overlay Edition Updates

The championship ring action returns for online poker players in March at GGPoker. The World Series of Poker Spring Circuit runs March 5-28 with 18 ring events, $100 million guaranteed, and plenty of other tournaments on the schedule as well.

The series “opens this year’s WSOP season at GGPoker,” the company notes in announcing the schedule. The Spring Circuit gives players around the world a chance at winning some hardware.

The $525 Main Event highlights the action with multiple starting flights and a $5 million guarantee. Day 2 starts on March 27.

“The WSOP Spring Circuit is back, and so is another $100 million GGPoker guarantee,” GGPoker ambassador Daniel Negreanu said. “There are piles of cash prizes and WSOP gold rings to be snagged, and you can win your way in from just $1; take a seat and try to claim a ring!”

In other news, Day 2 was set to get started in the GGPoker Overlay Edition on Tuesday. The massive event has highlighted play on the site in recent weeks with players seeing a $10 million tournament guarantee. GG released official numbers from the event on Tuesday.

GGPoker WSOP Spring Circuit highlights

Players have several other big events to look forward to during the WSOP Spring Circuit. Players will find a wide range of tournament styles including bounty tournaments, six-max, giant stacks, and more. Most events feature No Limit Hold’em but a few Omaha events are also thrown in.

Beyond the Main Event, the $210 Secret Bounty should also bring in plenty of entries and gets started on March 5. The event features a $1 million guarantee and a $100,000 top bounty.

Players with smaller bankrolls can also get in on the mystery bounty action. The Big 25 Mystery Bounty comes with a $25 buy-in and also includes a $100,000 top bounty. Here’s a look at a couple other highlights.

  • $1,050 GGMasters Circuit Championship (Event 11) – March 19, $1 million guaranteed
  • $10,300 Super MILLION$ High Rollers (Event 12) – Day 2 set for March 20, $6 million guaranteed
  • $1,500 The Closer Bounty (Event 16) – March 26, $1 million guaranteed 

Satellites & extras planned for Spring Circuit

Players jumping in the circuit action have even more on the line. Ring event winners earn an invitation to the WSOP Tournament of Champions during the live series in Las Vegas this summer. The freeroll features a $1 million prize pool and is open to all bracelet and ring winners.

Along with that perk, winners receive a $1,500 entry in the WSOP Online Millionaire Maker event later this year. Those winning a ring also add a special GGPoker ring badge reward as well.

Winners also earn access to the GGPoker Platinum Lounge at the live WSOP. The Main Event winner also scores GGPoker “Team Champions” status. Numerous bargain-priced qualifiers are available throughout the Spring Circuit.

“There are piles of cash prizes and WSOP gold rings to be snagged, and you can win your way in from just $1,” Negreanu added.

Throughout the Spring Circuit and the month of March, GG is also running the $300,000 “GG x WSOP Giftbox.” The promotion rewards players with leaderboard prizes for participation in series events and other tournaments through March 31. Here’s a look at the complete ring schedule.

2023 GGPoker WSOP Spring Circuit

DateEventBuy-inGuarantee
March 5#2: $210 Secret Bounty NLH - $100K Top Bounty$210$1,000,000
March 6#1: BIG 500 NLH Spring Kick-Off [Final Day]$500$2,500,000
March 7#3: $800 Pot-Limit Omaha Spring Championship$800$500,000
March 9#4: $800 Bounty Hunters NLH Spring Championship$800$1,000,000
March 11#5: $320 Bounty GIANT No Limit Hold'em$320$500,000
March 12#6: $365 GIANT No Limit Hold'em$365$1,000,000
March 13#7: BIG 25 Mystery Bounty - $100K Top Bounty [Final Stage]$25$1,000,000
March 14#8: $800 Deepstack NLH Spring Championship$800$1,000,000
March 16#9: $320 March Mayhem Bounty 6-Max NLH$320$500,000
March 18#10: $525 MONSTER STACK Bounty NLH$525$500,000
March 19#11: $1,050 GGMasters NLH Circuit Championship$1,050$1,000,000
March 20#12: $10,300 Super MILLION$ High Rollers NLH [Day 2]$10,300$6,000,000
March 21#13: $800 6-Max NLH Championship$800$1,000,000
March 23#14: BIG 500 PLO Bounty$500$500,000
March 25#15: $108 DOUBLE STACK Bounty NLH$108$500,000
March 26#16: $1,500 The Closer Bounty No Limit Hold'em$1,500$1,000,000
March 27#17: WSOP Spring Circuit MAIN EVENT, $5M GTD [Day 2]$525$5,000,000
March 28#18: $400 Ultra Deepstack Turbo NLH [Series Saver]$400$500,000

Overlay Edition coming to a close

In other GGPoker news, the $150 Overlay Edition concludes this week. Day 3 begins Tuesday with the winner taking home $806,385. A player named “wrJke@” returns as chip leader with 27.5 million.

GG doubled the guarantee for this year’s event to $10 million, promising an automatic overlay of at least $1 million. The tournament’s final numbers saw 64,622 entries for an $8.9 million prize pool. That means $1.1 million added to the prize pool for the overlay.

The tournament will pay out to 6,383 players with $362 paid out for players scoring a min-cash. Stay tuned to PokerScout for tournament results.

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No Need for a ‘Real Job’ – A Life in Streaming With PokerStars Ambassador Ben ‘Spraggy’ Spragg

PokerStars ambassador Ben "Spraggy" Spragg spoke with PokerScout about his transition from university to poker streamer and more.

Ben “Spraggy” Spragg has never had a “real job” and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Life as an online poker Twitch streamer and poker player certainly worked out for the longtime PokerStars ambassador.

During his studies at university, Spragg wasn’t sure what career would be a good fit. Poker seemed to interest him most and those college years actually proved to be his poker education.

“I had no real career plans,” he says. “I never really knew what I wanted to do. I was a first year politics student. And then I dropped politics because there’s just too much politics.”

Eventually, Spragg switched to a journalism, film, and TV degree, all the while playing semi-professionally. After graduating at age 22, the player from the United Kingdom transitioned into card playing full time.

The new media landscape presented a way to play poker and express his personality. Eight years later Spragg has one of the most popular poker channels on Twitch and continues to roll without that “real job.”

“I kept playing once I graduated, and then started streaming when I was 25,” he told PokerScout while at the PokerStars No Limit Hold’em Players Championship (PSPC). “I had an audience of 10 people, but thought it’d be a fun thing to do, but then it just kind of snowballed. And then PokerStars saw the audience and they’re like, ‘why don’t you work with us?’”

Spragg has now worked with PokerStars for six years and lives the life many players dream of. He represents the new breed of poker site ambassador – having an audience in place, building content, and engaging with other players.

“Now I get to travel around the European Poker Tour and here in the Bahamas, and play all these big events,” he says, “and be a real part of a very fun team and a lot of fun projects.”

Online poker streaming with PokerStars

An affable personality and humorous approach is a major reason for Spragg’s success. His Twitch channel has more than 150,000 followers with 38,000 on YouTube.

He’s now been streaming for eight years. Looking back, could he have imagined playing poker full time representing PokerStars and achieving a major following online? Probably not, but there are some challenges that can come with managing his streaming enterprise and hitting the poker road so frequently.

“It’s very unique to not have had a job, straight from university into poker, and then into streaming,” he says. “Obviously, there are ups and downs. Poker is a very stressful situation because you don’t have a guaranteed paycheck, and you have to be very strict and responsible with yourself. And everything that I do now is streaming and commitments and traveling. I’m not going to sit here and say the job that I do is really hard. But there is a lot of work that goes into streaming.

“So whilst there are stressful days, there are days where I’ve got a lot going on or you lose at poker, and then people get on your back perhaps in chat or dealing with people or whatever. I’m extremely fortunate to be able to do what I do. I do think that comes from a certain amount of disgusting luck. But then you’ve got to work at it. It’s not just ‘come to the Bahamas and sit by the pool and play poker.’”

New projects in the works

Beyond simply streaming on Twitch, Spragg enjoys new experiences and opportunities to keep his creativity flowing. He’s now moving beyond online poker and appearing at more live events. That includes playing a full European Poker Tour schedule this year.

In the Bahamas, Spragg recorded three cashes and is hoping to build on that. He’ll also be building his YouTube platform as part of those travels.

Some new content with fellow PokerStars ambassador Parker Talbot. The Canadian streamer recently spent a few weeks at Spragg’s home and the two are fleshing out some ideas.

“Parker and I are working on a YouTube-type show that’s in its infancy at the moment and hopefully grows into something really fun,” he says. “I love making stuff with Parker because we’re not only very good friends, but I think we have a really good rapport when we’re on stream together.

“I’ve been streaming for a long time and still love streaming. It’s kind of the core of what I do, but I think we can do a lot more fun stuff.”

Considering his current role, those media skills learned in college actually helped after all. Spragg believes Twitch fits well for his personality and talents.

“I think it suits me very well in terms of just being off the cuff and riffing, and I can feel eight hours and hopefully have fun with it.,” he says. “But it can get repetitive after eight years. So it’s nice to engage in perhaps more creative stuff and try my hand at different things or working with some different people.”

Bringing Will Jaffe to the PSPC

Perhaps the recent Will Jaffe-PokerStars controversy serves as an example of Spragg’s wit and how he thinks on his feet. Jaffe is known for his fun “tough conversations” videos on Twitter and created one when he found out he’d been blocked by PokerStars for some reason.

Spragg was enlisted to help ease the tension and created his own video in response. What seemed like his own “tough convo” instead turned into quite a fun ending.

“That was one take, I didn’t script anything,” he says. “I had kind of had an idea of what I wanted to say, but I was on a tournament break. So I had 20 minutes. With a video like that, I think the more takes you do and the more you try and script it or plan it, the worse it’s going to end up because you sort of to be off the cuff.”

Spragg offered Jaffe a Platinum Pass if the poker pro could find his way to the Bahamas. But he didn’t spill the beans in the video until right at the end.

“He sort of did this whole bit of being upset with PokerStars,” Spragg says. “So I thought I’d scold him a little bit first. But then the big reveal at the end was that he won the Platinum Pass.”

Some fun but striking out

The two then found some synergy at the PSPC. That all didn’t quite work out as hoped, however, and the Twitch streamer uses some of that typical humor to describe how everything turned out.

“I really like a lot of Will’s videos,” Spragg says. “I think he’s a very funny guy. And I think poker is more entertaining when you have characters like Will doing things like that. So it was quite an honor really to be a part of that and be able to invite Will down here to play the PSPC.

“But he busted. So I mean, what a loser really. I busted, he busted, we had a lot of swaps so that we could sweat each other and then we’re both just out. He did some great videos. We had some fun with the video back to him. But ultimately, zero dollars ahead.”

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Nightclubs, Pool Halls, & Playing Cards: PokerStars Ambassador Sam Grafton’s Wild Poker Journey 

Sam Grafton spoke with PokerScout at the PCA about his journey from playing in pool halls to becoming a PokerStars ambassador.

On a warm afternoon in the Bahamas, Sam Grafton is sporting a Phoenix Suns jersey as he sits outside the tournament area of the PokerStars No Limit Hold’em Players Championship (PSPC). The poker pro from the United Kingdom isn’t necessarily a fan of the team or even claims to be a follower of the NBA. He simply enjoys collecting jerseys, no matter the sport or how obscure.

“I don’t know anything about the Phoenix Suns,” he says. “It’s a great jersey though. When I’m in Vegas, I just buy some throwback sportswear and stuff like this.”

His interest in American sports gear occasionally leads to some humorous interactions.

“I’ve got like this Pittsburgh Steelers letterman jacket with all their championships on it,” he says. “I’ll be walking down the street sometimes and someone will be like ‘Steelers!” And I’m looking around and going, ‘Oh, yeah, go Steelers!’ Because to me, it’s just like nice clothing while I don’t really know so much about it.”

While Grafton may not know the ins and outs of the NFL and NBA, the Stars ambassador certainly knows his way around the poker table. He has $13.2 million in live tournament winnings and recently spoke with PokerScout at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, where he found a deep run in the PSPC.

Grafton discussed his life in the game, including learning the ropes in a pool hall and cash games after late night working in a London club.

Competitiveness & PokerStars PSPC success

Grafton’s interest in sports jerseys may come with some ulterior motives. He brings a few on the road for poker tournaments and feels a bit more of a competitive mindset come with donning some basketball or football gear.

That seemed to work out in the Bahamas. He took 12th in the PSPC for $238,700 , but that came with some mixed emotions after such a huge 2022 and coming so close to another massive final table appearance. He also scored 52nd in the PCA Main Event for $29,400.

“In one sense, it’s really nice to run deep to day three, so you feel like you’re deeper in the tournament,” he says. “You feel like ‘I’m in with a chance of winning this thing.’ Obviously with 1,000 runners, to get 12th is a very, very deep finish.

“So in one sense, it gives me a sense that I’m playing well and very proud of how I played. On the other hand, it’s a little bit of a crossbar moment, not quite getting there, not quite finishing things off.”

Despite some of those misgivings, Grafton loved the experience in the Bahamas

“I think the atmosphere is unbelievable,” he told PokerScout. “Because people are bringing their families, girlfriends, partners, husbands, and loved ones. So that’s really nice – being able to just spend the morning on the beach, get the sand between your toes before you go and play poker.

“There’s just a very convivial atmosphere at the tables. And then I think, not to blow our own trumpet, but I think we’ve done a really good job of making this a great event. We’re setting the gold standard for how live events are conducted and I really think that we’ve done that here.”

A massive 2022 tournament record

Last year proved to be a big time for Grafton. In November, he scored a runner-up finish in the €50,000 Diamond High Roller in the World Series of Poker Europe for $465,852.

September came with a win in the $200,000 Triton Poker Coin Rivet Invitational, taking down a massive $5.5 million. In the same series, Grafton grabbed a runner-up in a $50,000 event for another $994,500.

In May he landed a fifth-place finish in a €100,000 Triton event for $756,631. March included a win and runner-up in European Poker Tour Prague events for a combined $300,000. Throughout much of the year, deep tournament runs kept heading Grafton’s way.

Winning pool hall poker sessions

Many of those skills at the poker table came after learning the game late in his 20s. After graduating from university, Grafton moved back home for a while. His brothers regularly played cards and some snooker at a local billiards hall. Grafton soon joined in.

“I used to go down there with the little bit of money I’d earned and play,” he says. “And I was always interested in winning because I couldn’t really afford to lose. I needed it to be a sort of self-sustaining hobby where I could at least break even, so straight away I was interested in the strategy of things.”

Grafton joins a long list of players who found poker at the pool hall. That includes legends like Bobby Baldwin, Thomas “Amarillo Slim” Preston, and Daniel Negreanu.

In his autobiography The Godfather of Poker, Doyle Brunson even described playing in the back of a billiards hall when someone was shot. He escaped through a creek behind the building. Grafton’s games were a bit more docile than that story.

Sam Grafton battling on Day 2 of the PokerStars Players Championship in the Bahamas. (photos courtesy PokerStars/Joe Giron)

Sober guy at the poker table

After moving to London, Grafton took a job at a nightclub making about £80 a night. After those late night hours, he’d then hit a poker room. Working the front of the club instead of being a patron came with an advantage. 

“It was probably a good time to play because I was stone cold, sober having finished my shift and everyone else was drunk,” he says.

At the end of the night, Grafton often came out ahead. While doing an unpaid internship at an NGO, poker seemed like a nice way to pay the rent. He’d play up to five nights a week and just seemed to keep winning.

“I came to love it,” he says. “I’d finish my shift and I’d get the train from south London to east London, and go in and play and get the last tube home. During the days, I’d just be thinking about poker hands and I’d be so excited to go and keep playing. When the internship finished, I just kept going.”

With millions of dollars in winnings and now representing PokerStars, that looks to have been a wise decision.

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Triton Vietnam Features GGPoker Qualifiers, Live Super MILLION$; Overlay Edition Now Underway

After announcing a partnership with Triton Poker last year, GGPoker is now sending online qualifiers to the upcoming stop in Vietnam.

After announcing a partnership with Triton Poker last year, GGPoker is now sending online qualifiers to the high stakes series’ upcoming stop in Vietnam.

The series will see Average Joe online poker qualifiers taking a shot on one of poker’s biggest stages. These players will take on some of the best and well-heeled players in the world, adding a unique twist to the nosebleed stakes festival. The event also marks GG’s first live Super MILLION$ tournament. 

In other news, the Overlay Edition event is now underway, offering players a shot at a big payout for a small buy-in. The event features several days of starting flights and an eight-figure guarantee.

Previewing the Triton Vietnam series

The Triton Super High Roller Series Vietnam is set for March 1-13 at the Hoiana Resort. Players will find 13 events with buy-ins ranging from $$15,000 to $100,000.

Events feature No Limit Hold’em as well as Short Deck, and two championship events highlight the schedule. The $100,000 NLHE Main Event begins on March 8 with the $100,000 Short Deck Main Event set for March 12. The series also includes a $20,000 Mystery Bounty event on March 3 as well.  

Triton has become a popular series for poker fans to check out online. Organizers offer viewers a high-quality streaming production available on the Triton YouTube and Twitch channels.

As organizers told PokerScout in August, the company has also invested heavily in the Triton app. This allows poker fans to easily follow the action at home as well with updates, chip counts, and more. Here’s a look at the entire Vietnam schedule.

Triton Super High Roller Series Vietnam

DateEventBuy–inDay
March 1#1 GG SUPER MILLIONS LIVE$25,0001
March 2#1 GG SUPER MILLIONS LIVE$25,0002
March 2#2 NLHE – 7 HANDED$15,0001
March 3#2 NLHE – 7 HANDED$15,0002
March 3#3 NLHE – 8 HANDED MYSTERY BOUNTY$20,0001
March 4#3 NLHE – 8 HANDED MYSTERY BOUNTY$20,0002
March 4#5 NLHE – 7 HANDED$30,0001
March 5#5 NLHE – 7 HANDED$30,0002
March 5#6 NLHE – 8 HANDED$50,0001
March 6#6 NLHE – 8 HANDED$50,0002
March 6#7 NLHE – 8 HANDED$75,0001
March 7#7 NLHE – 8 HANDED$75,0002
March 7#8 NLHE – TURBO$25,000single
March 8#9 NLHE – MAIN EVENT$100,0001
March 9#9 NLHE – MAIN EVENT$100,0002
March 9#10 NLHE – TURBO$50,000single
March 10#9 NLHE – MAIN EVENT$100,000final table
March 10#11 SHORT DECK ANTE ONLY$25,0001
March 11#11 SHORT DECK ANTE ONLY$25,0002
March 11#12 SHORT DECK ANTE ONLY$50,0001
March 12#12 SHORT DECK ANTE ONLY$50,0002
March 12#13 SHORT DECK MAIN EVENT$100,0001
March 13#13 SHORT DECK MAIN EVENT$100,0002
March 13#15 SHORT DECK ANTE ONLY$20,0001

Triton online qualifying at GGPoker

Once again, GGPoker is a Triton title sponsor for the Vietnam stop. The site has run numerous satellites, allowing players to potentially score a hefty five-figure buy-in for a much lower price point.

Players can begin in a $25 Road to Triton qualifier, which then leads to a $250 satellite. Players advancing in those then move into $2,625 Road To Triton super satellites.

Those guarantee one live tournament seat for every $26,500 in the prize pool. These lucky players will then take a seat in Event 1: $25,000 GGPoker Super MILLION$ Live on March 1.

“As the event is a high roller tournament, there’s not massive numbers going but I would expect a dozen or so GGPoker players will qualify,” company head of media relations Paul Burke said.

This is the first of the new live GGPoker Super MILLION$ events as well. Players can earn points for the SuperRanking leaderboard, which GG announced in January.

The leaderboard combines live and online Super MILLION$ results. The top players at the end of the year is designated as a “SuperPro” and receives:

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

The second- and third-place finishers also earn the same benefits (except for the SuperPro avatar).

Overlay Edition kicks off, $10 million guaranteed

Along with a chance to get in the Triton action at a small buy-in, GG is also offering the GGMasters Overlay Edition for players with smaller bankrolls. The event features a $150 buy-in and offers a $10 million guarantee, meaning plenty of bang for the buck.

The site is also offering numerous qualifiers starting at just $2. GG is promising at least $1 million of overlay no matter if the tournament meets the guarantee or not.

Starting flights began on Sunday with numerous opportunities to enter until Day 2 gets started on Feb. 27.

“We’re happy with the participation so far,” Burke said. “We are still confident there will be a big overlay, a minimum of $1 million to be added by either GGPoker or (site ambassador) Daniel Negreanu, depending on the final prize pool generated by players. There is still lots of time for players to take part though, so we won’t know numbers for sure until after the weekend.”

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