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STADIUM STORIES: Player Scores Five Figures With Promo Entry; PokerStars Series Tops Guarantee

The 2020 Stadium Series produced big numbers for PokerStars.

The PokerStars Stadium Series turned into quite an event for John “99rocks” Vallis. The 52-year-old was among those who cashed in. His $57,000 score didn’t come from hours and hours at the table, however. 

Instead, this recreational player turned a $22 ticket from a promotional chest into a five-figure online poker payday. That’s just one interesting story coming out of a huge Stadium Series, which wrapped up on Sunday.

From free money player to PokerStars satellite success story

John Vallis

At home in Surrey, United Kingdom, Vallis works as a compliance manager. Married with two daughters ages 18 and 19, poker isn’t a big part of his routine.

In fact, he usually plays with free tokens rather than real money. Occasionally Vallis might jump in a micro tournament, but real money tables aren’t a regular part of his online life. Before last week, his biggest win was around $70.

Then a $22 promotional satellite ticket popped in his inbox. If he advanced in the satellite it would then be on to another $109 qualifier.

If he advanced in that, an entry into a $2,100 Heat Deepstack was next. Vallis did just that and was primed for the biggest event of his life.

“I hadn’t played a single real money game in over four months going into the tournament,” he tells PokerScout.

The run of his life at PokerStars

Going into the event, Vallis kept his expectations low. Throughout both satellites as well as Day 1 of the tournament, an online quiz game occupied much of his time as well.

He played both qualifiers and the deepstack event, as well as the quiz, on his mobile phone. After reaching Day 2, however, Vallis shifted to playing on his computer but other duties still occupied much of his time.

“I still found time to cook the family supper, steak and chips, while we were closing in on the final table,” says Vallis, who enjoys running and cycling when not playing poker or spending time with family. “I think those distractions actually worked in my favor as I didn’t have time to think about the amount of money at stake.”

Those efforts paid big dividends. Vallis ultimately finished third for $57,229 out of a field of 234 entries. That’s a big score – all from a freeroll.

“Playing in the tournament was an amazing experience – I did not even contemplate the potential outcome until relatively late,” he says. 

How did it feel to turn his promo ticket into such a massive score?

“Extremely strange,” Vallis says. “I have absolutely no experience playing high stakes poker, so I have never really considered the money angle. I think that removed the pressure as I got deeper into the tournament, as I felt absolutely no expectation to actually convert the result into a prize.”

Ever the family man, wife and children come to mind when Vallis considers what he’ll do with the winnings.

“There’s some things I want to get done to the house,” he says, “a car for my kids to use and a spectacular holiday when COVID permits.”

Considering his massive finish, it’s fortuitous that PokerStars email didn’t land in the spam folder. For Vallis, it definitely paid to check his email.

PokerStars Stadium Series brings out plenty of competitors

Speaking of Stadium Series success, the festival came right after an unprecedented Summer Series. That scorched the $25 million guarantee by paying out $34 million.

The Stadium Series also produced plenty of bang for the buck. Wrapping up on Aug. 2, the festival brought some big numbers. The series paid out $54.3 million – more than $4 million above the guarantee.

The series attracted 698,964 entries across 102 events. In the $10,000 Grand Final, “Lena900” came out on top for a score of $230,435.

The France, Spain, and Portugal version of the series saw 228,799 entries and a prize pool of €6.6 million. Spain’s “Sick2BeatMe” won the €250 Grand Final for €66,882 plus €44,273 in bounty bucks.

In Italy, the series attracted 127,252 players and a €4 million prize pool. “NNWPT” took the €250 Grand Final for €34,792 plus €17,002 in bounties.

The action continues this week with several Stadium Series after party events. PokerStars is offering several phase tournaments featuring these buy-ins with hefty guarantees:

  • $1.10 – $100,000 guaranteed
  • $11 – $250,000 guaranteed
  • $109 – $500,000 guaranteed
  • $1,050 – $1 million guaranteed

Team PokerStars streamers score big, reach impressive Twitch numbers

Along with a massive score by a recreational player, some PokerStars ambassadors also produced during the Stadium Series.

PokerStars streamers Fintan “Easywithaces” Hand and Ben “Spragg” Spragg made deep runs in the $5,200 event on July 29.

Spragg’s stream reached more than 30,000 viewers, who saw him finish third for $70,633. That became the largest score of his career.

Hand took 10th in the event for $14,732. It’s been quite the run for these two poker streamers.

A year ago, both were streaming their play in $5, $11, $55, and $109 events on the main PokerStars channel. Spragg Tweeted his delight at the progress he’s made in his own game.

 

In other action, Stars streamer Jens “TheRealKnossi” Knossalla broke the Twitch Poker record for concurrent viewers. His stream peaked at more than 91,000 and is part of a growing presence on the platform for streamers during the pandemic.

Knossalla wasn’t playing himself, instead calling the action as his moderator Frank “Knueppel” Stockhaus played for a Platinum Pass. He ultimately finished runner-up in the $1,000 event for more than $117,000.

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What the DOJ Opinion Means for Online Poker in NJ and PA

Poker players across the country, including in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, are wondering what this week’s Department of Justice opinion on the Wire Act means for online poker. The new opinion reversed a previous department opinion of the act, which stated that the Wire Act affected sports betting only.

The new opinion stands in stark contrast to the previous one. As Online Poker Report noted:

“The new opinion now makes the Wire Act applicable to any form of gambling that crosses state lines, including online gambling and online lottery. Several states have legalized online gambling in the wake of the 2011 opinion, including New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware and Pennsylvania.”

The DOJ finalized the opinion in November 2018, but it wasn’t released until Jan. 14. The department has delayed implementation of the new opinion of the act for 90 days to give operators time to comply. A department official told Reuters:

“DOJ will continue to prioritize the most egregious conduct, including gambling activity that is part of a larger criminal scheme.” 

The Impact in NJ and PA

New Jersey

Legal experts believe the opinion will be challenged in court soon. New Jersey officials have shown particular stubborness in challenging gaming laws in court as of late.

In fact, New Jersey led the fight for state-by-state sports betting to the US Supreme Court. Now, less than a year after the state’s triumphant Supreme Court victory, there may be another major legal case about gambling taking shape.

“The opinion acknowledges that the decision will likely be tested judicially,” tweeted gaming attorney Daniel L. Wallach. “I think we could be headed toward the next big gambling case that reaches the Supreme Court, or at the very least, the U.S. Court of Appeals.”

Wallach, a Florida-based attorney and a founding director of the sports wagering program at the University of New Hampshire School of Law, believes several entities will look to challenge the DOJ. Potential challenges possibly range from online poker operators and their land-based casino partners, as in New Jersey, to vendors and suppliers.

Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, the online poker industry appeared to be gaining a bit of traction after the state passed legislation last year. Online gaming, including poker, expected to come online in the early part of this year.

Observers also expect that Pennsylvania will want to share liquidity with New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware. However, Monday’s opinion casts considerable doubt on the viability of the Keystone State’s plan. For that matter, it casts doubt on the existing compact itself.

There are many possible scenarios for the outcome of this opinion

It may become hard to play and hard to pay

The DOJ’s move could be quite a setback for the industry. The opinion casts uncertainty on the future of online poker operators and support companies.

One possible scenario is that operators may revert solely to intrastate poker offerings until the legal situation can be clarified. Obviously, that would be a setback for what had been a slowly burgeoning industry. The effects would manifest in the form of lower player pools and smaller prizes.

Unfortunately, it is even possible that the opinion would affect intrastate online poker and gaming.  Even though the start and end point of a signal could be in the same state, it is possible that it could go out of state during its travel. Hence, a court could conceivably classify the transmission as an interstate transaction, and subject to the Wire Act.

Payment processing might also suffer due to this opinion. Some banking institutions may fear DOJ action for taking payments that might cross state lines. In states like New Jersey and Delaware, payment processing has already been problematic from time to time.

The silver lining to a rather dark cloud

However, online poker players don’t need to start closing their accounts just yet. In past rulings, the 1st and 5th Circuit Courts of Appeal have defined the scope of the Wire Act to sports betting only – in direct opposition to the DOJ opinion.

The DOJ may also choose not to enforce its own opinion. Several states have passed recreational marijuana usage laws in recent years, but the practice remains technically against federal law. On the other hand, a federal solution via Congress seems highly unlikely.

Investors Business Daily notes that the DOJ may have difficulty justifying its opinion, too. There is considerable legal opposition, which includes previous court opinions, regarding the Wire Act.

That could offer some hope for online poker. As Deutsche Bank managing director Carlo Santarelli said,

“Given the genie has left the bottle, we think the DOJ will have a somewhat uphill battle to successfully defend its new position. We think it will require considerable leg work to undo what’s been done, and we think the process will take an extended period of time.”

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Poker Players Team Up For QLASH Esports Team Ownership

Some of the biggest names in poker have teamed up to invest in the QLASH esports team. They're betting on big things to come.

As a whole, video gaming is a $180 billion industry and competitive events have attracted huge crowds and sponsorship deals. Experts now expect the global esports market to top $1 billion this year.

The idea of a video game player “going pro” is no longer a foreign concept. And team owners are lining up to become the next Jerry Jones or Robert Craft.

That includes a group of five poker players looking to see the QLASH esports team and organization become a household name in the space. Some of these are among the biggest names in poker and hope to see the team follow a familiar path.

“To describe in a simple way, we’re trying to do for gaming and esports what PokerStars did for poker during its heyday,” says Eugene Katchalov, one of the key owners of the team and winner of a World Series of Poker bracelet and World Poker Tour title.

The industry is growing at over 14% year over year and even professional sports teams have begun launching their own e-counterparts.

“We see a lot of these trends continuing, mainly because of some of the statistics that I’ve seen about sports where fanbases continue to get older,” Katchalov says.

“This means that kids are watching less and less sports and are instead interested in games and esports. This is who we are focused on and hence our mission to build ‘the go-to place for gamers’ with our platform.”

Launching the platform

Katchalov founded the organization in 2017 along former PokerStars ambassador Luca Pagano, who has $2.2 million in live poker tournament winnings. Both invested $4 million between them in the project.

“Luca and I became close in 2016 and realized that we were both very interested in esports,” Katchalov says.

“We were longtime gamers, even before poker. Considering our experience in PokerStars and Luca’s experience with Pagano events, which ran all live events for PokerStars in Italy and Malta for 12-plus years, we thought we had the right tools to transfer some of that knowledge into the exploding esport industry and see which aspects could be applicable.”

The pair’s first endeavor involved a simple competitive Hearthstone esports organization. The game exploded in popularity over the last few years, attracting players around the world.

Katchalov and Pagano travelled with the team to events to network and learn about the industry. The more they learned, the more they believed there was an opportunity.

“We realized no one was properly focused on the community and decided this is where we should focus,” Katchalov says.

Within the poker industry, many have already seen a possible crossover between the two games. The WPT began an esports arm a few years ago and others within the industry have also focused on esports.

Many players also see the potential and other players investing in the team include Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, and Jeff Gross. Former PokerStars CEO and CFO Michael Hazel also serves as one of the company’s top advisors.

“I love the esports space and Eugene’s reputation, and my experience with him as a professional made it an easy choice,” Gross says. “Also, with Daniel and Phil being involved, I knew they also did their due diligence and had believed the same.”

Building a gaming brand, following the PokerStars online poker path

That idea of building a community comes from years of serving as PokerStars ambassadors. For Katchalov and Pagano, their duties included:

  • attending live events
  • interacting with the poker community
  • representing the brand throughout the world
  • inviting others to play on the PokerStars platform

They now hope to bring some of those aspects to the esports space with QLASH.

“Essentially we were a marketing tool for PokerStars rather than an end goal on its own,” Katchalov says. “This is approximately the approach we’re taking with QLASH, albeit through quite a different starting route and with a very different business model.” 

That includes focusing on building communities in different games. QLASH then connects with those by organizing differing live and online events.

Katchalov says QLASH has signed deals with professional esport players, influencers, and streamers. These help promote the brand and engage with player communities.

Since its founding, QLASH has focused on building the brand through social media channels and a large Discord community.

The company has now moved on to developing its own event platforms. The “QLASH Community” platform launched in November 2020 and is available on iOS and Android. 

“It’s still in early beta,” Katchalov says, “but we’ve already accomplished quite a lot of traction by using it for event organization for our existing community.”

Unique funding approach

Part of the QLASH concept is a daily schedule of events that run for different games, much as PokerStars or other online poker sites might offer.

“Our monetization will, however, be quite different and will consist of things like sponsorships with global brands, providing marketing and event creation for game publishers, subscription models, skin and badge sales, et cetera,” Katchalov says. “We cover 15 different games with varying levels of focus.”

The most popular communities so far are for the games Clash Royale, Brawl Stars, Fifa, Fortnite, and League of Legends. 

The company is also now undergoing its funding round with the goal of continuing to invest in platform development. Owners believe it’s important to allow community members to become owners as well.

Players and fans can invest for as little as €10. QLASH recently launched an equity crowdfunding campaign on the British platform Seedrs to help make the funding effort a success.

US-based players can’t use the funding platform, but QLASH offers other investment options.

Success in a growing market

Finding a foothold in a crowded market isn’t easy. There are now numerous teams, organizations, and players. Dallas Mavericks owner and Shark Tank investor Mark Cuban even owns a piece of a team.

QLASH has had some success stories so far. As a brand, the team has become the top esports organization in Italy and among the top five in Spain.

The team has also done well in the actual competitive video game environment as well. Its FIFA soccer player was the No. 1 player in the world on PS4 in 2020.

The current Brawl Stars team is also considered by many to be the best. QLASH’s Starcraft 2 pro, Reynor, is also considered No. 1 in the world.

In Italy, the company has even created a separate brand in partnership with the AC Milan football club. Milan QLASH serves as an esports arm for the club, splitting revenues between the two organizations. 

“All this success has allowed us to create important relationships with game publishers and big brands that we work with,” Katchalov says. “Likewise, it has brought many new people to our communities.”

Owners are hoping the market continues to grow, but even Cuban offers some words of warning. He recently noted that there’s not much revenue for US-based teams but believes there’s plenty of opportunity in the future.

That potential is what these poker-playing esports team owners are betting on. As Gross notes: “I really think esports is just scratching the service and I am a big believer in the future.”

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Online Poker Gives Canadian Twitch Streamer Deborah ‘QueenBee’ Vanneste A Buzz

Deborah "QueenBee" Vanneste discovered online poker while recovering from an injury in the Canadian Naval Reserves. Twitch streaming has now become a passion. 

Injuries can come with major setbacks. But for Deborah Vanneste, an injury ended up changing her life. Vanneste was on leave from the Canadian Naval Reserves recovering from an injury and decided to give online poker a shot to pass the time. 

“I deposited onto PokerStars to Celebrate New Year’s that year,” says Vanneste, who lives on Prince Edward Island, Canada. “In my first week playing online poker I won a seat to the Vanessa Rousso boot camp and the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure tournament.” 

On that trip, Vanneste was introduced to poker legends like Daniel Negreanu, Vanessa Selbst, and Bertrand “ Elky” Grospellier. She was hooked by the poker experience.

​​

Meet the QueenBee

If her name doesn’t sound familiar, then “QueenBeePoker” might ring a bell. She’s a Twitch poker streamer on and has almost 7,000 followers.

Vanneste plays poker online weekly and started streaming poker after seeing Jaime Staples on Twitch. 

“I thought there would be a good opportunity for streaming some low stakes at the same time representing women in poker,” she says.

Streaming brought some luck to her early on in the game. On just her second live stream, Vanneste won a PokerStars MicroMillions title live on Twitch. 

The QueenBee currently has over $150,000 in online tournament cashes, including two titles in the recent MicroMillions. 

Some of her notable online cashes include:

  • $3.30 PokerStars MicroMillions (2014) – 1st, $12,685
  • $8.80 PokerStars MicroMillions Pot Limit Omaha 6-Max (2015) – 1st, $3,517
  • $210 GGPoker Bounty Hunter Special (2021) – 2nd, $2,138
  • $82 partypoker Powerfest PKO (2020) – 5th, $2,323

 

Staying a busy bee

Vanneste currently considers poker a hobby, not a profession. Besides being a mom and a poker player, she has a day job and is pursuing some educational goals. 

“I currently work full time with Veterans Affairs,” she says. “I am back at university at the moment, pursuing my bachelor’s of business and public administration degrees.”

The QueenBee feels like her stream stands out because she isn’t the typical Twitch streamer. 

“I think representing women in poker sets me a bit apart, especially being mature,” she says. “Also the diversity of games I play, I love adding some mixed games and PLO into the lineup.”

Live poker goals

Twitch streamer Deborah Vanneste showing off her Run It Up Reno trophy,

While she plays mostly online, Vanneste would like to play more in a live setting. She has achieved some success at brick and mortar casinos however. 

In 2017, she was able to attend the Run It Up Reno IV, hosted by Jason Somerville. The QueenBee won a PokerStars satellite for only $27 and punched her ticket to the event. 

At the series she secured some nice cashes and a win as well. She took the top spot in a $125 Triple Stud Six-Max event for $2,625. She also notched two more cashes.

“Getting to play with Jason Somerville was a dream,” she says. “Also bluffing him, showing the bluff, and going on to win felt pretty good too!”

Travel in Canada has been restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vanneste feels the positive side of this situation is that it’s created a mini online poker boom in the country. She still wants to play live and plans on traveling when it’s safe to do so.

“I want to incorporate a trip to Vegas once per year for the World Series of Poker as I have never been yet,” she says.

Vanneste wants that schedule to start soon. The Queen hopes to add some gold.

★★★ Ready to get in the action at WSOP.com in Nevada or New Jersey? Click here for a complete site review with exclusive USPoker bonus offers. ★★★

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New Twitch Show ‘Seat Wide Open’ Ramps Up Poker Talk – And Fun

The team behind the new Twitch poker show "Seat Wide Open" are hoping to find a niche and offer something new in the poker media landscape.

In a packed poker media landscape, there’s no shortage of websites, publications, and video options for poker fans. The team behind the new Twitch poker show Seat Wide Open are hoping to find a niche and offer something new.

Riffld, the production company behind the industry series The Orbit, debuted the new show last week. The pilot featured hosts Des Duffy and Leigh Wiltshire interviewing Unibet ambassador Dara O’Kearney.

A unique aspect of the game is seeing each guest play online poker while chit chatting with the hosts. O’Kearney, who co-hosts The Chip Race podcast and is also an author, played a Unibet cash game session while discussing topics ranging from his play on the virtual felt to cryptocurrency to writing and blogging.

Duffy recently spoke with PokerScout about the show and how Riffld hopes to offer some twists to the typical poker production.

What to expect from the show

Seat Wide Open works in some additional features to add to the entertainment value. Viewers ride along as each week’s guest battles it out online.

That effort includes some multitasking for a wide ranging interview with Duffy and Wiltshire. The hosts also use some fun game show segments to add to turn up the fun.

Those features include: Stake a Shark, Sing a Long, Hot or Not, and Review a Flick. Each of these segments is meant to bring a television variety show feel. It’s a late night talk show mixed with a bit of The Gong Show and some Twitch poker thrown in.

On the poker side, viewers get a detailed insight into each player’s approach to the game. Each guest plays for 100 minutes with hole cards visible for viewers.

The show also keeps a leaderboard for show guests throughout the season. Producers hope this accomplishes two things:

  • Allowing viewers to see some varied thought processes and strategies across a full season.
  • Players are really working hard to post a great session to challenge at the top of the leaderboard.

“This absolutely lends itself to the competitive nature of poker players and it’ll be interesting to see what impact the leaderboard has on decision making live on the show,” Duffy says of the leaderboard.

“While all of this is going on, we are also conducting a deep interview with the guest through direct questions and some unique game show style segments, which will occasionally take the guest out of their comfort zone.

“There’s quite a mix of things going on, but they segued together well in our pilot episode with Dara O’Kearney and we’ve come out feeling confident that the format can find an audience. Plus, we had fun making it and that’s important to us too.”

 

A passion for poker

The show becomes the latest program for twitch.tv/poker. The Riffld team, which also includes Cardplayer Lifestyle blog founder Robbie Strazynski, hope to inform and entertain at the same time.

The team’s previous effort, The Orbit, received some nice buzz among players and fans. Seat Wide Open is meant to build on that momentum.

While entertainment is a big part of the show, the hosts bring plenty of industry knowledge. 

Duffy formerly worked as head of product at SkyBet and in other roles with online gaming operators. He also co-founded the Amateur Poker Association and Tour with Wiltshire.

“Robbie, Leigh and I are recreational players with a great passion for poker,” Duffy says. “We come from a mix of backgrounds. I’ve worked for industry operators, for example. We do have a lot in common, particularly a wish to promote poker as the great social game that it is.”

“The Orbit was our first format and it had a great response from the industry. We evolved the format by adding a complimentary Orbit Extra, which was a live reaction show to what was discussed on the show. We’ve had some outstanding guests on both of those shows.”

Growing a poker channel

Seat Wide Open streams live each Thursday and fans can tune in to ask each guest questions. Hosts and viewers can inquire why certain hands were played in certain ways as well as other strategy questions. With the casual format, some of those questions may evolve outside the poker realm as well.

With so many operators and streamers on Twitch, Duffy, Wiltshire, and Strazynski hope the channel reaches all types of players.

“We see an opportunity for a more highly-produced show, with less emphasis on single operators or platforms,” Duffy says.”We want to showcase the best streamers, the best players and operators at any given time – whether through a news, game show, or live reporting format.

“Ultimately we’d like to build up a weekly schedule of shows and become a destination for viewers who want to add greater variation into what they watch. Everyone’s time is valuable these days and we just want to add a little more choice into the mix.”

O’Kearney believes the team is moving in the right direction and says he had a great time on the show.

“The show was tremendous fun,” he says. “Leigh and Des are great at keeping the chat flowing. I really enjoyed it and it reminded me how much fun live poker is.”

The next episode of Seat Wide Open streams live July 29 and features Jesse Sylvia, 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event runner-up. Riffld is seeking players or streamers interested in taking part in future episodes. Contact producers at [email protected] or @riffld via Twitter.

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Partypoker MILLIONS Online Returns with Huge Payouts; KO Series Main Events Wrap Up

Partypoker’s MILLIONS Online returns Feb. 13 to March 9 with 28 events and features an overall guarantee of $17.55 million.

After record-breaking prize pools in two previous editions, partypoker’s MILLIONS Online returns in February. The festival runs Feb. 13 to March 9 with 28 events and features $17.55 million guaranteed.

In recent years, the MILLIONS series has become one of partypoker LIVE’s most successful tours. The online version is designed to replicate the live poker experience as much as possible. Just like in a live tournament, real names are used at the tables.

Partypoker is also again making it easy for players of every bankroll to get in the action with numerous satellites. There should be plenty of action for all kinds of players.

“We’re extremely proud to be hosting yet another online leg of the world-renowned MILLIONS tour,” partypoker’s head of poker room management Chris Donnachie said in a news release.

“The satellite framework this year has been designed with a view to make both the Main Event and Mini Main Event even more accessible to players of all buy-in levels.”

Highlights from partypoker MILLIONS

The $5,300 Main Event highlights the MILLIONS Online series with a $5 million guaranteed prize pool. Day 1A kicks off Feb. 21 with Day 1B on Feb. 28. There will then be three more days of play with the final table set for March 3.

On top of the first-place cash, the winner also receives a trophy to mark his or her achievement. Benjamin “frenchsniperr” Chalot walked away with the top prize of $2.3 million in the last MILLIONS Online Main Event. All four top finishers claimed seven-figure prizes.

Players with smaller bankrolls also can look forward to several smaller buy-in events. The series begins with Day 1A of the $1,100 Mini Main Event on Feb. 13 with a $1 million guarantee.

Two flights will be held on consecutive days before three more days of action. That culminates in the final table playing out on Feb. 17.

Mini Main Event qualifiers start at just one cent, with 20 seats currently offered in satellite finals on Sundays. The centrolls feed into $1.10 and $11 phases with no direct buy-in to the phase tournament finals.

Players can look forward to several other big events. A few of those on the schedule include:

  • $1,050 Opener – A two-day Progressive Knockout (PKO) event running Feb. 19-21, with a $500,000 guarantee.
  • $1,600 NLHE Six-Max Knockout – A two-day event on Feb. 17 with a $250,000 guarantee.
  • $1,050 NLHE Warmup – This two-day PKO event with $500,000 guaranteed features three starting flights beginning on Feb. 26.
  • $1,050 NLHE Closer – One of the final events with three starting flights beginning March 5. The PKO event features $500,000 guaranteed.
  • High Rollers – The series features several big buy-in events including a $102,000 Mega High Roller with a $3 million guarantee.

Here’s a look at the complete schedule.

partypoker MILLIONS Online 2021

DateEventBuy-InTournamentGuaranteeDayFormatNumber of days
Feb. 13#01$1,100Mini Main Event$1,000,000Day 1A8-Max[3-Day Event + FT Wednesday]
Feb. 14#01$1,100Mini Main Event-Day 1B8-Max[3-Day Event + FT Wednesday]
Feb. 15#01-Mini Main Event-Day 28-Max[3-Day Event + FT Wednesday]
Feb. 15#02$530Mini Second Chance$50,000-8-Max[1-Day Event]
Feb. 16#01-Mini Main Event-Day 38-Max[3-Day Event + FT Wednesday]
Feb. 16#03$10,3006-Max High Roller$500,000-6-Max[1-Day Event]
Feb. 16#04$5,2006-Max High Roller Turbo$200,000-6-Max[1-Day Event]
Feb. 17#01-Mini Main Event-Final Table8-Max-
Feb. 17#05$1,6006-Max Knockout$250,000Day 16-Max PKO[2-Day Event]
Feb. 18#06$3,200Omaha High Roller$150,000-7-Max[1-Day Event]
Feb. 19#07$1,050Opener$500,000Day 1A6-Max PKO[2-Day Event]
Feb. 20#07$1,050Opener-Day 1B6-Max PKO[2-Day Event]
Feb. 21#07$1,050Opener-Day 1C6-Max PKO[2-Day Event]
Feb. 21#07-Opener-Day 26-Max PKO[2-Day Event]
Feb. 21#08$5,300Main Event$5,000,000Day 1A8-Max[3-Day Event + FT Wednesday]
Feb. 21#09$2,100High Roller Turbo$100,000-7-Max[1-Day Event]
Feb. 22#10$2,100Omaha$200,000Day 17-Max[2-Day Event]
Feb. 23#11$25,5006-Max Super High Roller$1,000,000Day 16-Max[2-Day Event]
Feb. 23#12$5,2006-Max High Roller Turbo$200,000-6-Max[1-Day Event]
Feb. 24#13$1,600Knockout$250,000Day 18-Max PKO[2-Day Event]
Feb. 25#14$3,2006-Max$300,000Day 16-Max[2-Day Event]
Feb. 25#15$5,200Omaha High Roller$200,000-7-Max[1-Day Event]
Feb. 26#16$1,050Warm Up$500,000Day 1A8-Max PKO[2-Day Event]
Feb. 27#16$1,050Warm Up-Day 1B8-Max PKO[2-Day Event]
Feb. 28#16$1,050Warm Up-Day 1C7-Max PKO[2-Day Event]
Feb. 28#16-Warm Up-Day 28-Max PKO[2-Day Event]
Feb. 28#08$5,300Main Event-Day 1B8-Max[3-Day Event + FT Wednesday]
Feb. 28#17$2,100High Roller Turbo$100,000-7-Max[1-Day Event]
March 1#08-Main Event-Day 28-Max[3-Day Event + FT Wednesday]
March 1#18$2,600Second Chance$250,000Day 18-Max[2-Day Event]
March 2#08-Main Event-Day 38-Max[3-Day Event + FT Wednesday]
March 2#19$2,100Omaha Knockout$200,000Day 16-Max PKO[2-Day Event]
March 2#20$25,500Super High Roller$1,000,000Day 17-Max[2-Day Event]
March 2#21$5,200High Roller Turbo$200,000-7-Max[1-Day Event]
March 3#08-Main Event-Final Table8-Max-
March 3#22$1,600Turbo Knockout$200,000-7-Max PKO[1-Day Event]
March 4#23$3,200Mix-Max$300,000Day 1Mix-Max[2-Day Event]
March 4#24$5,2006-Max Omaha High Roller$200,000-6-Max[1-Day Event]
March 5#25$1,050Closer$500,000Day 1A7-Max PKO[2-Day Event]
March 6#25$1,050Closer-Day 1B7-Max PKO[2-Day Event]
March 7#25$1,050Closer-Day 1C7-Max PKO[2-Day Event]
March 7#25-Closer-Day 27-Max PKO[2-Day Event]
March 7#26$10,300High Roller$1,000,000Day 17-Max[2-Day Event]
March 7#27$5,200High Roller Turbo$200,000-7-Max[1-Day Event]
March 8#28$102,000Mega High Roller$3,000,000Day 17-Max[2-Day Event]
March 9#28$102,000Mega High Roller-Final Table7-Max-

Partypoker ramping up MILLIONS qualifying opportunities again

Once again, partypoker is hoping to provide MILLIONS opportunities to players of all levels. In 2018, “Scarmak3r” showed exactly how lower buy-ins can turn into large prizes.

Scarmak3r banked $1.4 million after qualifying for just $5.50 and then finishing third in the Main Event.

Satellites feeding into the series are ongoing with 10 Main Event seats guaranteed this Sunday. More satellites will also be added before the start of the tournament.

Players can qualify for the Main Event for as little as $0.01 with centrolls running multiple times daily. These events feed into $5.50 satellites and then a $55 phase, which leads to the Sunday final. There isn’t a direct buy-in into the final, so no player qualifying in this route will spend more than $55.

UK-based Christian Galvan has already scored big via qualifiers. After placing first in the centroll, $5.50, and $55 stages, he finished fifth in last Sunday’s final for a Main Event seat.

“One of my favorite things about poker is the zero-to-hero stories we hear on a regular basis,” Team partypoker’s Patrick Leonard said. “When I started playing, somebody would qualify for a $5,000 event from a $1,000 satellite and it was a great story when they went on to the final table.

“Recently, at partypoker, we’ve seen numerous people qualify for huge events for as little as a penny and win life-changing amounts. MILLIONS Online is always an amazing tournament and any player with a bankroll of $0.01 or more should get ready.”

KO Series wraps up with big scores for Main Event winners

It’s been a busy time for partypoker. The KO Series concluded on Jan. 19 with three main events crowning a champion and taking home a combined $185,003.

In the $1,050 Main Event, “Kabuzzz” came out on top for $76,013. With bounties of $68,049, Kabuzzzz’s payout reached $144,062.

In the $109 Mini Main Event, “Scelevco” took the title for a total of $35,800. “Somuchfun” took down the $11 Micro Main Event for $5,141.

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888poker Sunday Sale Offers 50% Off Major Tournament Entries; Turbo Gift Drops Underway

The 888poker Sunday sale if back Jan. 24.

The popular Sunday Sale returns to 888poker’s major tournaments this Sunday, Jan. 24. The site is leaving its guarantees the same but dropping buy-ins by up to 50%.

This all adds up to plenty of value for online poker players. There’s plenty of the bang for the tournament buck with guarantees ranging from $20,000 to $100,000.

The popular buy-in discounts are just part of several 888 promotions running in January and February.

Big payouts for smaller buy-ins at 888poker

Those looking to get in the action have three Sunday majors with major guarantees to choose from. Here’s a look at the tournaments seeing discounts:

  • $27.50 Monsoon (normally $55) – $20,000 guaranteed
  • $55 Mega Deep (normally $109) – $100,000 guaranteed
  • $215 Whale (normally $530) – $30,000 guaranteed

888 is also adding some nice opportunities to play these events at an even bigger bargain. The site’s “Pennybuy” satellites offer a chance to qualify for the Sunday Mega Deep for just one cent.

There are also low-priced sub-satellites and other qualifiers offering a guaranteed number of seats. To find these events simply look for the “Tournaments” category in the software client.

Players will then find a “Sunday Sale” section to find an event that fits their bankroll.

Turbo Drops bring free money for 888 players

888 is giving players another reason to check out the new 888poker Made To Play software. The site’s “Turbo Gift Drops” promotion offers players some free money and other prizes to get in the action.

Through Feb. 9, the site will be depositing a Gift Drop on one lucky table every 10 seconds. Some of the prizes up for grabs include:

  • $1,000 in BLAST Tickets
  • Cash awards
  • Daily freeroll tickets

How do players qualify for Turbo Gift Drops? Players simply have to play cash games, BLAST and SNAP tournaments, and multi-table tournaments.

Any players at a table that gets hit with a Turbo Gift Drop has a chance to win a prize.

Players also shouldn’t forget their two daily free spins in the “Winner Spinner” promotion. Every spin wins a prize, which also includes tickets to Turbo Gift Drop freerolls.

These freerolls range in prize pools from $200 to $1,090. Plenty of rewards await players getting in the action at 888poker this winter.

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AMATEUR HOUR: Partypoker Hosts World Championship of Amateur Poker With $750,000 Guaranteed

The partypoker World Championship of Amateur Poker (WCOAP) is set for Jan. 23 to Feb. 7 with $750,000 guaranteed.

The major tournament action continues this month at partypoker. The World Championship of Amateur Poker (WCOAP) is set for Jan. 23 to Feb. 7 with $750,000 guaranteed.

The series features 30 events with 16 championship events and buy-ins ranging from $55 to $530. There are also mini versions of each championship starting at just $5.50.

The Amateur Poker Association and Tour (APAT) is hosting the series. Partypoker promises affordable buy-ins, no re-entries, and earlier finish times than most other tournament series.

These features make it a nice series for amateur players to jump in the action at partypoker.

APAT, partypoker appealing to non-professionals

Founded in 2006, APAT began as the United Kingdom’s first national poker tour. The group now runs live events in Europe and North America well.

The organization is dedicated to the development of amateur players. APAT provides affordable events for members to enhance their poker skills in a fun, competitive environment.

The series comes at a time when partypoker is working to bring more amateurs and recreational players into the game.

“It’s incredibly exciting to be working alongside APAT to bring our players the first fully online version of the World Championship of Amateur Poker,” partypoker poker room manager Chris Donnachie said.

“APAT is dedicated to the development of amateur poker players and this partnership perfectly complements our strategy of leveling the playing field and providing all players with a safe, exciting and fun environment in which to play poker.”

Shifting the action online to partypoker

The series is in its 12th year, but will be held in full online for the first time due to COVID-19 concerns. Events are open to all partypoker players and some hardware will be on the line in the championship events.

Winners take home a WCOAP bracelet or gold, silver, or bronze medal. Players can sign up for free for APAT to receive their winning hardware.

The two-day Main Event closes our the series  on Feb. 7 and highlights the championship event. That tournament features a $109 buy-in and $150,000 guarantee.

The Main Event winner becomes the World Amateur Poker Champion. This player also earns an APAT amateur national ranking on top of a big cash payout.

There will also be a mini-series of 15 events for the first time. The Mini Main Event comes with s $11 buy-in and guarantee of $20,000.

Partypoker WCOAP series highlights

Players will find No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and Seven Card Stud events. Some of the highlights include:

  • $55 Six-Max Knockout Championship (Event 2, Jan. 24) – $75,000 guaranteed
  • $265 High Roller Championship (Event 5, Jan. 27) – $75,000 guaranteed
  • $27.50 Mini High Roller (Event 5, Jan. 27) – $15,000 guaranteed
  • $55 Knockout Championship (Event 9, Jan. 31) – $75,000 guaranteed
  • $5.50 Mini Heads Up (Event 11, Feb. 2) – $1,000 guaranteed
  • $530 Super High Roller (Event 12, Feb. 3) – $100,000 guaranteed
  • $55 PLO Championship (Event 13, Feb. 3) – $10,000 guaranteed

The series kicks off with another unique event. The International Team Championship begins on opening day with numerous countries invited to compete. Non-playing team captains will select players to represent their country.

Satellites for the series are already underway. Partypoker will also be awarding the most consistent player across the series. The highest-ranked WCOAP player snags a $5,300 MILLIONS Online Main Event seat, which is set for Feb. 21.

Partypoker plans more APAT events throughout 2021. Here’s a look at the complete schedule.

2020 World Championship of Amateur Poker

DateEventBuy-inGuarantee
Saturday, January 23, 2021#1 International Team Championship [Invitational] - Online 1 Day Eventnonenone
Sunday, January 24, 2021#2 6-Max Knockout Championship - Online 1 Day Event : $75K GTD [2-Day Event]$55$75,000
Sunday, January 24, 2021Mini - 6-Max Knockout - Online 1 Day Event : $10K GTD [2-Day Event]$5.50$10,000
Monday, January 25, 2021Mini - Mix-Max - Online 1 Day Event : $5K GTD [2-Day Event]$5.50$5,000
Monday, January 25, 2021#3 Mix-Max Championship - Online 1 Day Event : $25K GTD [2-Day Event]$55$25,000
Tuesday, January 26, 2021#4 PLO8 Knockout Championship - Online 1 Day Event : $15K GTD [2-Day Event]$55$15,000
Tuesday, January 26, 2021Mini - PLO8 Knockout - Online 1 Day Event : $3K GTD [2-Day Event]$5.50$3,000
Wednesday, January 27, 2021Mini - High Roller - Online 1 Day Event : $15K GTD [2-Day Event]$27.50$15,000
Wednesday, January 27, 2021#5 High Roller Championship - Online 1 Day Event : $75K GTD [2-Day Event]$265$75,000
Thursday, January 28, 2021Mini - FL 7 Card Stud - Online 1 Day Event [2-Day Event]$5.50none
Thursday, January 28, 2021#6 FL 7 Card Stud Championship - Online 1 Day Event : $2.5K GTD [2-Day Event]$55$2,500
Friday, January 29, 2021#7 PLO Knockout Championship - Online 1 Day Event : $15K GTD [2-Day Event]$55$15,000
Friday, January 29, 2021Mini - PLO Knockout - Online 1 Day Event : $3K GTD [2-Day Event]$5.50$3,000
Saturday, January 30, 2021#8 6-Max Championship - Online 1 Day Event : $25K GTD [2-Day Event]$55$25,000
Saturday, January 30, 2021Mini - 6-Max - Online 1 Day Event : $5K GTD [2-Day Event]$5.50$5,000
Sunday, January 31, 2021#9 Knockout Championship - Online 1 Day Event : $75K GTD [2-Day Event]$55$75,000
Sunday, January 31, 2021Mini - Knockout - Online 1 Day Event : $10K GTD [2-Day Event]$5.50$10,000
Monday, February 1, 2021#10 PLO8 Championship - Online 1 Day Event : $10K GTD [2-Day Event]$55$10,000
Monday, February 1, 2021Mini - PLO8 - Online 1 Day Event : $2.5K GTD [2-Day Event]$5.50$2,500
Tuesday, February 2, 2021#11 Heads Up Championship - Online 1 Day Event : $10K GTD [No Late Reg, 2-Day Event]$55$10,000
Tuesday, February 2, 2021Mini - Heads Up - Online 1 Day Event : $1K GTD [No Late Reg, 2-Day Event]$5.50$1,000
Wednesday, February 3, 2021#12 Super High Roller - Online 1 Day Event : $20K GTD$55$20,000
Wednesday, February 3, 2021#12 Super High Roller - Online 1 Day Event : $100K GTD [2-Day Event]$530$100,000
Thursday, February 4, 2021#13 PLO Championship - Online 1 Day Event : $10K GTD [2-Day Event]$55$10,000
Thursday, February 4, 2021Mini - PLO - Online 1 Day Event : $2.5K GTD [2-Day Event]$5.50$2,500
Friday, February 5, 2021#14 Turbo Knockout Championship - Online 1 Day Event : $40K GTD$55$40,000
Friday, February 5, 2021Mini - Turbo Knockout - Online 1 Day Event : $7.5K GTD$5.50$7,500
Saturday, February 6, 2021#15 Turbo Championship - Online 1 Day Event : $20K GTD$55$20,000
Saturday, February 6, 2021Mini - Turbo - Online 1 Day Event : $4K GTD$5+0.50$4,000
Sunday, February 7, 2021#16 Main Event - Online 1 Day Event : $150K GTD [2-Day Event]$109$150,000
Sunday, February 7, 2021Mini - Main Event - Online 1 Day Event : $20K GTD [2-Day Event]$11$20,000

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