The soaring online poker industry considers to crush estimates. Operators around the world are reporting massive events and PokerStars is the latest.
The site’s Summer Series ran from June 7-21 and generated a scorching $34 million prize pool. That easily topped the $25 million guarantee.
As the industry continues to explode, even more events are on the horizon with major tournament poker at a standstill.
PokerStars dives in the deep end of the pool
The Summer Series offers yet another glimpse into how many players are getting online. The festival attracted 931,000 entries across 167 events.
British pro Sam Grafton took down the $530 Main Event for more than $200,000.
“It’s an exhilarating feeling to get first in such a big tournament,” he told the Poker in the Ears podcast afterward. “I like to win in poker. It’s still a very unique and special feeling. Obviously, financially it’s very important when you’re playing so high and playing so many events.”
Germany’s Fedor Holz added yet another to his title as well. He took down the $5,200 High Roller for $156,000.
Stadium Series is next up for PokerStars
The action isn’t slowing down yet. The Stadium Series kicks off this weekend, running from July 5 to Aug. 2. The series brings yet another massive guarantee – this time $50 million.
That includes plenty of free cash. The site is awarding more than $2 million in tournament tickets. The series brings a bit of sporting dynamics to the virtual poker felt.
Players can compete in three-tiered “Heat” tournaments throughout the week. They can then qualify for weekly Sunday Finals tournament in each tier.
Buy-ins and guarantees of the finals increase weekly until the Grand Final on Aug. 2. That event features a $5,200 buy-in and $5 million guarantee.
Fast track tickets will also award five seats to the $5,200 Stadium Series Grand Final every day.
Poker fans will find plenty of coverage on PokerStars Twitch stream beginning July 13. James Hartigan, Joe Stapleton, and Grafton will all be providing commentary.
This will also be the first PokerStars online series featuring cards-up coverage. Twitch viewers will find $250,000 worth of Stadium Series tickets given away.
For a complete preview of the Stadium Series, click here. Here’s a look at the complete schedule.
| Date | Stakes | Buy-In | Guarantee | PKO | Speed | Special add-on contents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-Jul | Low | $ 5.50 | $125,000 | N | Regular | Top 100 receive $55 |
| 5-Jul | Medium | $ 55.00 | $400,000 | N | Regular | Top 50 receive $530 |
| 5-Jul | High | $530.00 | $750,000 | N | Slow | |
| 5-Jul | Low | $5.50 | $75,000 | Y | Semi-Turbo | Top 100 receive $55 |
| 5-Jul | Medium | $55.00 | $300,000 | Y | Semi-Turbo | Top 50 receive $530 |
| 5-Jul | High | $530.00 | $500,000 | Y | Semi-Turbo | |
| 6-Jul | Low | $5.50 | $75,000 | Y | Regular | Top 100 receive $55 |
| 6-Jul | Medium | $55.00 | $200,000 | Y | Regular | Top 50 receive $530 |
| 6-Jul | High | $530.00 | $350,000 | Y | Slow | |
| 7-Jul | Low – Freezeout | $5.50 | $50,000 | N | Regular | Top 100 receive $55 |
| 7-Jul | Medium – Freezeout | $55.00 | $150,000 | N | Regular | Top 50 receive $530 |
| 7-Jul | High – Freezeout | $530.00 | $250,000 | N | Slow | |
| 8-Jul | Low | $5.50 | $75,000 | N | Regular | Top 100 receive $55 |
| 8-Jul | Medium | $55.00 | $150,000 | N | Regular | Top 50 receive $530 |
| 8-Jul | High | $530.00 | $250,000 | N | Slow | |
| 9-Jul | Low | $5.50 | $75,000 | Y | Regular | Top 100 receive $55 |
| 9-Jul | Medium | $55.00 | $250,000 | Y | Regular | Top 50 receive $530 |
| 9-Jul | High | $530.00 | $500,000 | Y | Slow | |
| 10-Jul | Low – Deep Stack | $5.50 | $50,000 | N | Regular | Top 100 receive $55 |
| 10-Jul | Medium – Deep Stack | $55.00 | $150,000 | N | Regular | Top 50 receive $530 |
| 10-Jul | High – Deep Stack | $530.00 | $250,000 | N | Slow | |
| 11-Jul | Low | $5.50 | $75,000 | Y | Regular | Top 100 receive $55 |
| 11-Jul | Medium | $55.00 | $200,000 | Y | Regular | Top 50 receive $530 |
| 11-Jul | High | $530.00 | $350,000 | Y | Slow | |
| 12-Jul | Low – Freezeout Final | $5.50 | $150,000 | N | Regular | Top 9 receive $5,200 |
| 12-Jul | Medium – Freezeout Final | $55.00 | $500,000 | N | Regular | Top 9 receive $5,200 |
| 12-Jul | High – Freezeout Final | $530.00 | $1,000,000 | N | Slow | Top 9 receive $5,200 |
| 12-Jul | Low | $11.00 | $175,000 | N | Semi-Turbo | Top 100 receive $109 |
| 12-Jul | Medium | $109.00 | $400,000 | N | Semi-Turbo | Top 20 receive $1,050 |
| 12-Jul | High | $1,050.00 | $500,000 | N | Semi-Turbo | |
| 13-Jul | Low | $11.00 | $175,000 | Y | Regular | Top 100 receive $109 |
| 13-Jul | Medium | $109.00 | $350,000 | Y | Regular | Top 20 receive $1,050 |
| 13-Jul | High | $1,050.00 | $500,000 | Y | Slow | |
| 14-Jul | Low – Freezeout | $11.00 | $125,000 | N | Regular | Top 100 receive $109 |
| 14-Jul | Medium – Freezeout | $109.00 | $250,000 | N | Regular | Top 20 receive $1,050 |
| 14-Jul | High – Freezeout | $1,050.00 | $400,000 | N | Slow | |
| 15-Jul | Low | $11.00 | $125,000 | N | Regular | Top 100 receive $109 |
| 15-Jul | Medium | $109.00 | $250,000 | N | Regular | Top 20 receive $1,050 |
| 15-Jul | High | $1,050.00 | $500,000 | N | Slow | |
| 16-Jul | Low | $11.00 | $200,000 | Y | Regular | Top 100 receive $109 |
| 16-Jul | Medium | $109.00 | $500,000 | Y | Regular | Top 20 receive $1,050 |
| 16-Jul | High | $1,050.00 | $750,000 | Y | Slow | |
| 17-Jul | Low – Deep Stack | $11.00 | $125,000 | N | Regular | Top 100 receive $109 |
| 17-Jul | Medium – Deep Stack | $109.00 | $250,000 | N | Regular | Top 20 receive $1,050 |
| 17-Jul | High – Deep Stack | $1,050.00 | $400,000 | N | Slow | |
| 18-Jul | Low | $11.00 | $200,000 | Y | Regular | Top 100 receive $109 |
| 18-Jul | Medium | $109.00 | $350,000 | Y | Regular | Top 20 receive $1,050 |
| 18-Jul | High | $1,050.00 | $500,000 | Y | Slow | |
| 19-Jul | Low – Freezeout Final | $11.00 | $500,000 | N | Slow | Top 9 receive $5,200 |
| 19-Jul | Medium – Freezeout Final | $109.00 | $ 1,500,000 | N | Slow | Top 9 receive $5,200 |
| 19-Jul | High – Freezeout Final | $1,050.00 | $1,500,000 | N | Slow | Top 9 receive $5,200 |
| 19-Jul | Low | $22.00 | $275,000 | N | Semi-Turbo | Top 75 receive $215 |
| 19-Jul | Medium | $215.00 | $500,000 | N | Semi-Turbo | Top 10 receive $2,100 |
| 19-Jul | High | $2,100.00 | $500,000 | N | Semi-Turbo | |
| 20-Jul | Low | $ 22.00 | $275,000 | Y | Regular | Top 75 receive $215 |
| 20-Jul | Medium | $ 215.00 | $500,000 | Y | Regular | Top 10 receive $2,100 |
| 20-Jul | High | $ 2,100.00 | $500,000 | Y | Slow | |
| 21-Jul | Low – Freezeout | $22.00 | $200,000 | N | Regular | Top 75 receive $215 |
| 21-Jul | Medium – Freezeout | $215.00 | $400,000 | N | Regular | Top 10 receive $2,100 |
| 21-Jul | High – Freezeout | $2,100.00 | $500,000 | N | Slow | |
| 22-Jul | Low | $22.00 | $200,000 | N | Regular | Top 75 receive $215 |
| 22-Jul | Medium | $215.00 | $400,000 | N | Regular | Top 10 receive $2,100 |
| 22-Jul | High | $2,100.00 | $500,000 | N | Slow | |
| 23-Jul | Low | $22.00 | $300,000 | Y | Regular | Top 75 receive $215 |
| 23-Jul | Medium | $215.00 | $750,000 | Y | Regular | Top 10 receive $2,100 |
| 23-Jul | High | $2,100.00 | $1,000,000 | Y | Slow | |
| 24-Jul | Low – Deep Stack | $22.00 | $200,000 | N | Regular | Top 75 receive $215 |
| 24-Jul | Medium – Deep Stack | $215.00 | $400,000 | N | Regular | Top 10 receive $2,100 |
| 24-Jul | High – Deep Stack | $2,100.00 | $500,000 | N | Slow | |
| 25-Jul | Low | $22.00 | $300,000 | Y | Regular | Top 75 receive $215 |
| 25-Jul | Medium | $215.00 | $500,000 | Y | Regular | Top 10 receive $2,100 |
| 25-Jul | High | $2,100.00 | $500,000 | Y | Slow | |
| 26-Jul | Low – Freezeout Final | $22.00 | $500,000 | N | Slow | Top 9 receive $5,200 |
| 26-Jul | Medium – Freezeout Final | $215.00 | $1,500,000 | N | Slow | Top 9 receive $5,200 |
| 26-Jul | High – Freezeout Final | $2,100.00 | $1,500,000 | N | Slow | Top 9 receive $5,200 |
| 26-Jul | Low | $55.00 | $300,000 | N | Semi-Turbo | Top 50 receive $530 |
| 26-Jul | Medium | $530.00 | $750,000 | N | Semi-Turbo | Top 5 receive $5,200 |
| 26-Jul | High | $5,200.00 | $1,000,000 | N | Semi-Turbo | |
| 27-Jul | Low | $55.00 | $250,000 | Y | Regular | Top 50 receive $530 |
| 27-Jul | Medium | $530.00 | $500,000 | Y | Slow | Top 5 receive $5,200 |
| 27-Jul | High | $5,200.00 | $500,000 | Y | Slow | |
| 28-Jul | Low – Freezeout | $55.00 | $200,000 | N | Regular | Top 50 receive $530 |
| 28-Jul | Medium – Freezeout | $530.00 | $500,000 | N | Slow | Top 5 receive $5,200 |
| 28-Jul | High – Freezeout | $5,200.00 | $500,000 | N | Slow | |
| 29-Jul | Low | $55.00 | $200,000 | N | Regular | Top 50 receive $530 |
| 29-Jul | Medium | $530.00 | $500,000 | N | Slow | Top 5 receive $5,200 |
| 29-Jul | High | $5,200.00 | $500,000 | N | Slow | |
| 30-Jul | Low | $55.00 | $400,000 | Y | Regular | Top 50 receive $530 |
| 30-Jul | Medium | $530.00 | $1,000,000 | Y | Slow | Top 5 receive $5,200 |
| 30-Jul | High | $5,200.00 | $500,000 | Y | Slow | |
| 31-Jul | Low – Deep Stack | $55.00 | $200,000 | N | Regular | Top 50 receive $530 |
| 31-Jul | Medium – Deep Stack | $530.00 | $500,000 | N | Slow | Top 5 receive $5,200 |
| 31-Jul | High – Deep Stack | $5,200.00 | $500,000 | N | Slow | |
| 1-Aug | Low | $55.00 | $250,000 | Y | Regular | Top 50 receive $530 |
| 1-Aug | Medium | $530.00 | $500,000 | Y | Slow | Top 5 receive $5,200 |
| 1-Aug | High | $5,200.00 | $500,000 | Y | Slow | |
| 2-Aug | Low – Freezeout Grand Final | $55.00 | $1,000,000 | N | Slow | |
| 2-Aug | Medium – Freezeout Grand Final | $530.00 | $2,000,000 | N | Slow | |
| 2-Aug | High – Freezeout Grand Final | $5,200.00 | $5,000,000 | N | Slow | |
| 2-Aug | Low | $109.00 | $500,000 | N | Semi-Turbo | |
| 2-Aug | Medium | $1,050.00 | $1,000,000 | N | Semi-Turbo | |
| 2-Aug | High | $10,300.00 | $1,000,000 | N | Semi-Turbo |
PokerStars casts new fishing lure Throwable
Throwables are one of the social-gaming aspects PokerStars recently added to its platform. These are virtual objects that can be tossed at an opponent to 
add some more fun to the action.
Players can already make use of fireworks, tissues, and alarm clocks.
PokerStars has now added a fishing lure feature. This Throwable is unlocked by knocking out three players from a tournament or busting three players in a cash game. Here’s a look at how the new feature works.
Want to have some fun with an opponent? Simply cast a line and reel in a fish.
