ONLINE POKER TOURNAMENT GUIDE: Weekend of April 3-5, 2020

This weekend (April 3-5) brings plenty of big action for online poker players. There is now shortage of tournament series to battle it out in.

Players can look forward to some nice five- and six-figure guarantees across the poker spectrum. Some of this weekend’s event include:

PokerStars Brazilian Series of Poker – This is available for players across the .COM platform. Sunday’s action brings the $215 Main Event with a $200,000 guarantee.

PokerStars Turbo Series – This festival kicks off on Sunday with five events including a $215 NLHE Progressive KO for $1 million.

888poker God of the Arena PKO Series – The events get underway n Sunday with four big events. The $109 Tune Up NLHE with $150,000 guaranteed highlights the action.

GGPoker – The massive Sunday schedule is highlighted by $150 GGMasters  NLHE with a $500,000 guarantee.

Partypoker Irish Open – The series has shifted online and a €109 event features a €55,000 guarantee.

Here’s a full schedule of this weekend’s major tournament events.

Weekend Poker Events April 3-5, 2020

DaySiteEventBuy-inGuarantee
Friday, April 3PokerStarsBrazilian Series of Poker 01: NLHE (Regular) – Start-Up$109$50,000
Friday, April 3PokerStarsBrazilian Series of Poker 02: 5-Card PLO (Regular)$82$15,000
Friday, April 3PokerStarsBrazilian Series of Poker 03: NLHE (Turbo PKO)$22$50,000
Saturday, April 4PokerStarsBrazilian Series of Poker 04: PLO (Regular)$109$25,000
Saturday, April 4PokerStarsBrazilian Series of Poker 05: NLHE (Regular) – Deep Stack$82$40,000
Saturday, April 4PokerStarsBrazilian Series of Poker 06: NLHE (Turbo PKO) – Win the Button$55$25,000
Saturday, April 4888pokerThe Dragon weekly multi-flight tournament – Day 2$109$100,000
Sunday, April 5PokerStarsBrazilian Series of Poker 07: NLHE (Slow) – MAIN EVENT$215$200,000
Sunday, April 5PokerStarsBrazilian Series of Poker 08: NLHE (Regular) – Mini Main Event$22$75,000
Sunday, April 5PokerStarsBrazilian Series of Poker 09: NLHE (Regular) – High Roller$530$50,000
Sunday, April 5PokerStarsBrazilian Series of Poker 10: NLHE (Turbo)$109$50,000
Sunday, April 5PokerStars (France, Spain, Portugal)Sunday Warm-Up€50€175,00
Sunday, April 5PokerStarsTurbo Series 01: NLHE [Progressive KO]$215$1 million
Sunday, April 5PokerStarsTurbo Series 02: NLHE [8-Max]$109$350,000
Sunday, April 5PokerStarsTurbo Series 03: NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Sunday Supersonic SE]$530$400,000
Sunday, April 5PokerStarsTurbo Series 04: NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Mini Sunday Supersonic SE]$55$300,000
Sunday, April 5PokerStarsTurbo Series 05: NLHE$55$125,000
Sunday, April 5888pokerGod of the Arena PKO Series 01: Daily Kickoff NLHE$44$15,000
Sunday, April 5888pokerGod of the Arena PKO Series 02: Tune Up NLHE$109$150,000
Sunday, April 5888pokerGod of the Arena PKO Series 03: Mini Tune Up$22 $40,000
Sunday, April 5888pokerGod of the Arena PKO Series 04: Late Tune Up$55$30,000
Sunday, April 5GGPokerGGMasters: Freezeout$150$500,000
Sunday, April 5GGPokerHigh Roller Bounty Warm-Up$210$100,000
Sunday, April 5GGPokerHigh Roller Bounty Warm-Up$500$100,000
Sunday, April 5GGPokerSunday Main Event$22$17,500
Sunday, April 5GGPokerSunday Main Event$33$30,000
Sunday, April 5GGPokerPhased: High Rollers [Day1, Turbo]$250$250,000
Sunday, April 5GGPokerSunday Main Event$55$50,000
Sunday, April 5GGPokerHigh Rollers $5K$5,000$100,000
Sunday, April 5partypokerIrish Poker Open€530€26,000
Sunday, April 5partypokerIrish Poker Open€109€55,000
Sunday, April 5PokerStarsSunday Million$109$1 million

POKER WEEK: Massive Events and Prize Pools Set for Partypoker, PokerStars, 888poker

Big turnouts continue for online poker operators around the world. The Coronavirus pandemic has left many players at home with time on their hands.

Online operators have stepped up to meet the demand to play: More big events were announced recently and this week’s guide offers a look at:

  • Partypoker $1 million Leaderboards,WPT Online Series, Irish Open
  • PokerStars Turbo Series, Brazilian Series, SCOOP 2020
  • 888poker Galaxy of Freerolls, God of Arena PKO, Dragon Series
  • GGPoker big weekend action

PokerStars

Blast off this week with Turbo Series

The fast-play poker action returns when the PokerStars Turbo Series kicks off this week. Events run April 5-19 with a total of 114 events and an overall guarantee of $25 million.

As the name implies, the series will feature events all in the turbo format. Event buy-ins range from $11 to $5,200 and are available to play on the .COM site only.

The $1,050 Main Event is set for April 19 and offers a $2 million guarantee. There is also a $55 Low Main Event with a $1 million guarantee.

Events are mostly No Limit Hold’em with a few Omaha variants mixed in as well. Here’s a look at the complete schedule:

DateEvent
13-AprTurbo Series 60: $11 NLHE, $50K Gtd
13-AprTurbo Series 61: $109 NLHE [6-Max], $175K Gtd
13-AprTurbo Series 62: $22 NLHE [Heads-Up, Progressive Total KO, Zoom, Progressive Total KO], $75K Gtd
13-AprTurbo Series 63: $215 NLHE [Progressive KO], $300K Gtd
13-AprTurbo Series 64: $109 PLO8 [6-Max], $65K Gtd
13-AprTurbo Series 65: $55 NLHE [8-Max], $175K Gtd
13-AprTurbo Series 66: $22 NLHE [Progressive KO], $75K Gtd
14-AprTurbo Series 67: $109 NLHE [Progressive KO], $150K Gtd
14-AprTurbo Series 68: $11+R NLO8 [6-Max, Splash], $35K Gtd
14-AprTurbo Series 69: $215 NLHE [4-Max], $200K Gtd
14-AprTurbo Series 70: $55 NLHE [8-Max], $250K Gtd
14-AprTurbo Series 71: $215 NLHE [Fat Tuesday SE], $125K Gtd
14-AprTurbo Series 72: $530 NLHE [6-Max, Progressive KO], $400K Gtd
14-AprTurbo Series 73: $109 NLHE, $135K Gtd
14-AprTurbo Series 74: $11 NLHE [6-Max], $40K Gtd
15-AprTurbo Series 75: $55 NLHE [6-Max, Progressive KO], $135K Gtd
15-AprTurbo Series 76: $530 PLO [6-Max], $100K Gtd
15-AprTurbo Series 77: $22 NLHE, $175K Gtd
15-AprTurbo Series 78: $1,050 NLHE [Progressive KO], $400K Gtd
15-AprTurbo Series 79: $109 NLHE [8-Max, Zoom], $100K Gtd
15-AprTurbo Series 80: $530 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Daily Supersonic SE], $225K Gtd
15-AprTurbo Series 81: $55 NLHE [8-Max], $80K Gtd
16-AprTurbo Series 82: $215 NLHE, $125K Gtd
16-AprTurbo Series 83: $109 FLHE [6-Max], $25K Gtd
16-AprTurbo Series 84: $109 NLHE [Progressive KO], $400K Gtd
16-AprTurbo Series 85: $55 NLHE [6-Max, Win the Button], $75K Gtd
16-AprTurbo Series 86: $215 NLHE [Fat Thursday SE], $125K Gtd
16-AprTurbo Series 87: $530 NLHE [8-Max], $225K Gtd
16-AprTurbo Series 88: $109 NLHE, $175K Gtd
16-AprTurbo Series 89: $11 NLHE [Progressive KO], $40K Gtd
17-AprTurbo Series 90: $11 NLHE [6-Max, Progressive KO], $60K Gtd
17-AprTurbo Series 91: $55 NLHE [Heads-Up, Progressive Total KO, Zoom, Progressive Total KO], $100K Gtd
17-AprTurbo Series 92: $22 NLHE, $150K Gtd
17-AprTurbo Series 93: $109 NLHE [8-Max, Progressive KO], $400K Gtd
17-AprTurbo Series 94: $55 8-Game, $40K Gtd
17-AprTurbo Series 95: $55 NLHE [3-Max, Hyper-Turbo, 5-Stack], $100K Gtd
17-AprTurbo Series 96: $215 NLHE [6-Max], $100K Gtd
18-AprTurbo Series 97: $22 NLHE, $80K Gtd
18-AprTurbo Series 98: $109 NLHE [6-Max, Progressive KO, Zoom], $200K Gtd
18-AprTurbo Series 99: $11+R NLHE [Splash], $125K Gtd
18-AprTurbo Series 100: $530 NLHE, $200K Gtd
18-AprTurbo Series 101: $215 NLO8 [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Progressive KO], $100K Gtd
18-AprTurbo Series 102: $1,050 NLHE [8-Max, Progressive KO, Daily Cooldown SE], $300K Gtd
18-AprTurbo Series 103: $109 NLHE, $80K Gtd
19-AprTurbo Series 104: $109 NLHE [8-Max, Deep Stacks], $150K Gtd
19-AprTurbo Series 105: $22 NLHE [6-Max, Progressive KO], $150K Gtd
19-AprTurbo Series 106: $215 PLO [6-Max], $125K Gtd
19-AprTurbo Series 107: $22 NLHE [8-Max, Double Deuce SE], $275K Gtd
19-AprTurbo Series 108: $5,200 NLHE [8-Max], $750K Gtd
19-AprTurbo Series 109: $1,050 NLHE [Main Event – High], $2M Gtd
19-AprTurbo Series 110: $55 NLHE [Main Event – Low], $1M Gtd
19-AprTurbo Series 111: $109 NLHE [8-Max, Progressive KO], $400K Gtd
19-AprTurbo Series 112: $215 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Sunday Supersonic SE], $275K Gtd
19-AprTurbo Series 113: $22 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Mini Sunday Supersonic SE], $150K Gtd
19-AprTurbo Series 114: $55 NLHE, $135K Gtd

Brazilian Series of Poker moves online this week

The PokerStars Brazilian Series of Poker was recently cancelled because of the Coronavirus pandemic. However, the series has now moved online featuring 11 events from April 3-6 with a total guarantee of $605,000.

The action should be big with the series now available to all players at PokerStars.com. The $215 Main Event brings a $200,000 guarantee. The online series features high roller, Omaha, turbo knockout events, and others.

The online series will also keep some tradition alive from the live series. The Main Event champion will receive a BSOP winner’s bracelet. Here’s the complete schedule of events:

11NLHE (Turbo) – Wrap-UpApril 6$55$25,000

SCOOP rolls on for European players

The Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) plays out through April 9 for players in France, Spain, and Portugal. The series features €12 million in tournament guarantees across 19 days of action.

The series offers a range of buy-ins, including the €250 Main Event on April 5 with a €1 million guarantee. Players can win a seat for a fraction of the cost with hundreds of tickets given away through Depositor Freerolls. These run on March 21, 28 and April 4.

Players can also win their way into the Main Event with special €12.50 Spin & Go’s. Some other highlights of the series include:

  • March 22 – €250 Sunday Special PKO with a €200,000 guarantee
  • March 29 – €50 Special PKO with a €250,000 guarantee
  • April 5 – €50 Warm-Up guaranteeing €175,000

For a complete PokerStars review including an exclusive deposit bonus up to $500, click here.

Partypoker

Another $1 million up for grabs in April Cash Game Leaderboards

Playing online at partypoker pays off in April. The site has extended its $1 million Cash Game Leaderboard promotion for another month.

The promotion runs from March 30 to April 27 with $250,000 awarded each week across 16 separate leaderboards. These include a range of stakes, ensuring everyone has a shot at some extra cash.

The promotion applies to all NLHE and PLO cash and fastforward tables. The only exceptions are heads-up, limit hold’em, and short deck games.

First-place prizes have been raised with top prizes rewarding $10,000. More money is also available for finishing in a “min-cash” position. One cashback point earned at the tables equates to one leaderboard point.

All leaderboards reset every Monday, and prizes are credited within 24 hours. The promotion offers even more reason to play.

Poker Masters Online Series brings more than $15 million guaranteed

Partypoker and Poker Central have announced they are teaming up for the new Poker Masters Online. The series is set for April 12-26 with 30 high roller events featuring $15.25 million in total guarantees.

The two companies have moved the series online because of the Coronavirus pandemic. Most events come in the $10,300 to $25,500 buy-in range. The $51,000 main event is set for April  26 offers players a guaranteed prize pool of $2 million.

The main event champion will also earn a $50,000 bonus and will be awarded a coveted Poker Masters purple jacket.

“We are pleased to be able to give players the chance to continue doing what they love and play the tournament in online format,” partypoker managing director Tom Waters said in a news release. “The Poker Masters brand carries significant weight in the poker community and we believe this innovative online format will be appealing for fans and players alike.”

Partypoker and Poker Central have previously partnered on the partypoker LIVE MILLIONS Tour and Super High Roller Bowl events.

The full Poker Masters schedule can be found below:

DateEventGuaranteeBuy-in
Mon 20-Apr-20Poker Masters #17: $500K Gtd [PLO, 6-Max]$500,000$10,300
Mon 20-Apr-20Poker Masters #18: $250K Gtd [NLH, 6-Max]$250,000$10,300
Tue 21-Apr-20Poker Masters #19: $1M Gtd [NLH, 8-Max]$1,000,000$25,500
Tue 21-Apr-20Poker Masters #20: $250K Gtd [NLH, 6-Max]$250,000$10,300
Wed 22-Apr-20Poker Masters #21: $1M Gtd [NLH, 8-Max]$1,000,000$25,500
Wed 22-Apr-20Poker Masters #22: $250K Gtd [NLH, 6-Max]$250,000$10,300
Thu 23-Apr-20Poker Masters #23: $1M Gtd [PLO, 6-Max]$1,000,000$25,500
Thu 23-Apr-20Poker Masters #24: $250K Gtd [NLH, 6-Max]$250,000$10,300
Fri 24-Apr-20Poker Masters #25: $1M Gtd [NLH, 8-Max]$1,000,000$25,500
Fri 24-Apr-20Poker Masters #26: $250K Gtd [NLH, 6-Max]$250,000$10,300
Sat 25-Apr-20Poker Masters #27: $1M Gtd [NLH, 8-Max]$1,000,000$25,500
Sat 25-Apr-20Poker Masters #28: $250K Gtd [NLH, 6-Max]$250,000$10,300
Sun 26-Apr-20Poker Masters #29: $2M Gtd [NLH, 8-Max, MAIN EVENT]$2,000,000$51,000
Sun 26-Apr-20Poker Masters #30: $250K Gtd [NLH, 6-Max]$250,000$10,300

Irish Poker Open online series kicks off April 6

The Irish Poker Open will now run the entire festival online from April 6-12. The Main Event on April 6 features a €1 million guarantee.

The good news about the online festival is that it will be available to players in all countries on the .COM site.

“Since our announcement last week regarding the postponement of Irish Open 2020, considerable efforts have been made to find an alternative date,” organizer JP McCann said in a news release. “However, as the uncertainty surrounding live poker events continues, we feel that the best decision to take at this point is to cancel the live festival for 2020.

“We would like to thank partypoker for taking the initiative to help ensure Europe’s oldest running Poker Festival goes ahead during these very challenging times.”

Here’s a complete schedule of events:

WPT, partypoker move tour action online

Partypoker also recently teamed up with the WPT to offer the new Online Series. The festival runs May 10-26 and features $30 million in total guarantees including $15 million across 10 headline events.

The WPT and partypoker have teamed up for the new WPT Online Series.The highlight will be a $3,200 WPT Online Championship with a $5 million guarantee, set to begin May 10. The series becomes an official part of the WPT Main Tour.

The new series comes after the WPT was forced to postpone several events. Like a live event, the winner will have his or her name added to the tour’s Champions Cup trophy. Here’s the complete WPT schedule.

DateBuy-InEventGuarantee
May 3$5,000WPT Grand Opener $2 million
May 10$3,200 WPT Online Championship$5 million
May 10$530WPT500$1 million
May 12 $5,200Bounty Hunter NLHE$1 million
May 14$5,200 PLO$500,000
May 18$1,1000 NLHE Six-Max $1 million
May 19 $5,200Mix Max$1 million
May 21$25,500Super High Roller$2 million
May 21 $2,100Turbo PKO$500,000
May 24 $10,300High Roller$2 million
May 25 $1,600WPTDeepStacks$1 million

For a complete partypoker review including an exclusive deposit bonus up to $1,000, click here.

888poker

Rocket through a Galaxy of Freerolls

Everyone enjoys free money and 888poker is giving players plenty of opportunities. The site’s Galaxy of Freerolls promotion runs through June 7 and features more than $500,000 in guaranteed giveaways.

888 offers two daily $2,000 Venus Freerolls Monday through Saturday. On Sunday, a $10,000 Neptune Freeroll will be run with one happy astronaut/champion.

The final freeroll on June 7, aka the Super-Saturn Freeroll, will feature a $100,000 prize pool. Additional surprises, rewards, bonuses, and exclusive freerolls will also be on tap during the Galaxy of Freerolls.

Those looking to earn tickets in the $2,000 Venus need to complete “Space Missions.” Some of those challenges include:

  • The Tournament Voyager – Simply play tournaments with buy-ins of $3 and earn a pair of tickets.
  • Ace-King Apollo Landing – Win a hand holding Ace-King in a cash game and earn two tickets.
  • Casino and Sports Atlantis Orbiter – Place bets totalling $5 or more on any casino game or sports bet and claim but two tickets.

Those hoping to land in a $10,000 Neptune need to complete two or more Space Missions in one week. Players can complete one Space Mission per day and will need at least one more during the week.

How do you play in the $100,000 Super-Saturn Freeroll on June 7? Simply become an 888 astronaut by completing 14 or more Space Missions.

Players can also enjoy a “Daily Spin” to win a ticket to a $1,000 Space BLAST Freeroll.

God of the Arena PKO Series brings plenty of fun

Players can channel their inner Roman God when the God of the Arena PKO Series cranks up April 5-12. The series features 33 tournaments with the $109 Main Event on April 12 offering up a $200,000 guarantee.

Players of all buy-ins will be rewarded however. There is also a $33 Mini Main Event on April 12 with a $50,000 guarantee. The same day also features a $5.50 Micro Main Event with a $15,000 guarantee.

The series kick off this Sunday with five major events:

  • $44 Daily Kickoff – $15,000 guaranteed
  • $109 Tune Up – $150,000 guaranteed
  • $22 Mini Tune Up – $40,000 guaranteed
  • $55 Late Tune Up – $30,000 guaranteed

PKO stands for progressive knockout and the tournaments have grown in popularity recently. In this type of bounty tournament, a player’s bounty increases as they progress through the event.

When a player knocks out another player, he receives a portion of the eliminated player’s bounty. The other portion is added to the price on that winning player.

The deeper a player goes, the more the bounties are worth. The PKO format adds some extra fun to a bounty tournament. Here’s a complete God of the Arena PKO Series schedule:

EventDateBuy-inEventGuarantee
5April 6$44Daily Kickoff$15,000
6April 6$558-Max$30,000
7April 6$8.80Mini 8-Max$10,000
8April 6$22Late 8-Max$10,000
9April 7$44Daily Kickoff$15,000
10April 7$1099-Max$40,000
11April 7$16.50Mini 9-Max$20,000
12April 7$55Late 9-Max$20,000
13April 8$44Daily Kickoff$15,000
14April 8$1098-Max$40,000
15April 8$16.50Mini 8-Max$20,000
16April 8$33Late 8-Max$15,000
17April 9$44Daily Kickoff$15,000
18April 9$1099-Max$40,000
19April 9$16.50Mini 9-Max$20,000
20April 9$33Late 9-Max$15,000
21April 10$44Daily Kickoff$15,000
22April 10$55Freezeout$20,000
23April 10$16.50Mini Freezeout$15,000
24April 10$33Late Freezeout$10,000
25April 11$44Daily Kickoff$15,000
26April 11$1096-Max$30,000
27April 11$16.50Mini 6-Max$20,000
28April 11$55Late 6-Max$15,000
29April 12$44Daily Kickoff$15,000
30April 12$55Warm Up$100,000
31April 12$109Main Event$200,000
32April 12$33Mini Main Event$50,000
33April 12$5.50Micro Main Event$15,000

Players can now slay The Dragon at 888

Another multi-flight tournament series returns to 888poker in April. The Dragon offers plenty of opportunities for players to make a major score.

The $100,000 Dragon features a $109 buy-in with three starting flights daily from Sunday to Friday. Day 2 then plays out on Saturday.

There are two satellites to each flight with five seats guaranteed and sub-satellites with two seats guaranteed.

 The $50,000 Dragon features a $12 buy-in and three starting flights daily from Sunday to Friday. Day 2 then also plays out on Saturday for these events.

Two satellites run daily for each flight with 10 seats guaranteed and five seats via sub-satellites.

Starting flights and satellites to both Dragon events are already running. Grab you chips and slay the beast.

Players earn shot at WSOP package via 888poker

888poker is the only operator offering non-US players the opportunity to qualify online.

The site is offering multi-step satellite tournaments, with buy-ins starting for as little as 1 cent. 

This year, players have the chance to earn a $15,000 Mega Package. That features a $10,000 buy-in to the Main Event and an $888 buy-in to the Crazy Eights tournament. That also includes travel and accommodation. 

Qualifier tournaments are already underway. Here’s a look at the complete $15,000 Mega Package:

  • 12 nights at the luxury Vdara Hotel (June 26 – July 8)
  • $10,000 buy-in to the WSOP Main Event
  • $888 buy-in to the Crazy Eights
  • $1,000 for travel and expenses (paid directly to the winner’s 888poker account)
  • A special welcome session at the Vdara Hotel
  • Transportation from the Vdara to the Rio Hotel and Casino (June 27 – July 6)
  • An 888poker LIVE kit

For a complete 888poker review including an exclusive new player bonus of $88, click here.

GGPoker

Sunday GGMasters and big weekend events attract big numbers

The site also continues to offer huge Sunday GGMasters tournament guarantees. The events feature a $150 buy-in, a $300,000 guarantee, and a freezeout format.

Satellites run throughout the week with numerous on Sunday. Buy-ins begin at only $1.50.

In March, the site also restructured its Sunday lineup with 174 tournaments now offered with $2 million in guarantees. That includes something for every level of player – from $2 to $5,000. Highlights on the schedule include:

  • Sunday Main Events – These events run multiple times throughout the day with buy-ins from $22 to $250. Guarantees range from $12,000 to $65,000.
  • High Roller Bounty Warm-Up – This $210 event guarantees $100,000. There is also a $500 buy-in event with a $100,000 guarantee.
  • Phase tournaments – The site runs these $250 events several times on Sunday.

For a complete GGPoker review including an exclusive new player bonus up to $1,000, click here.

*** Those playing online poker in the US can find a complete list of online poker sites and events for the week of March 30 by clicking here. ***

POKER WEEK: Major online tournament action planned this week for low and high rollers alike

Casino and poker rooms around the world may be closed, but action can be found online this week. Online operators have plenty of tournaments and events planned and some of those include:

  • Partypoker/Poker Central PokerMasters
  • GGPoker High Rollers Week with complete schedule
  • PokerStars SCOOP 2020
  • 888poker WSOP qualifiers
  • Partypoker POWERFEST, WPT Online Series, Irish Open

 

Partypoker

Poker Masters Online Series brings more than $15 million guaranteed

Partypoker and Poker Central have announced they are teaming up for the new Poker Masters Online. The series is set for April 12-26 with 30 high roller events featuring $15.25 million in total guarantees.

The two companies have moved the series online because of the Coronavirus pandemic. Most events come in the $10,300 to $25,500 buy-in range. The $51,000 main event is set for April  26 offers players a guaranteed prize pool of $2 million.

The main event champion will also earn a $50,000 bonus and will be awarded a coveted Poker Masters purple jacket.

“We are pleased to be able to give players the chance to continue doing what they love and play the tournament in online format,” partypoker managing director Tom Waters said in a news release. “The Poker Masters brand carries significant weight in the poker community and we believe this innovative online format will be appealing for fans and players alike.”

Partypoker and Poker Central have previously partnered on the partypoker LIVE MILLIONS Tour and Super High Roller Bowl events.

The full Poker Masters schedule can be found below:

DateEventGuaranteeBuy-in
Mon 20-Apr-20Poker Masters #17: $500K Gtd [PLO, 6-Max]$500,000$10,300
Mon 20-Apr-20Poker Masters #18: $250K Gtd [NLH, 6-Max]$250,000$10,300
Tue 21-Apr-20Poker Masters #19: $1M Gtd [NLH, 8-Max]$1,000,000$25,500
Tue 21-Apr-20Poker Masters #20: $250K Gtd [NLH, 6-Max]$250,000$10,300
Wed 22-Apr-20Poker Masters #21: $1M Gtd [NLH, 8-Max]$1,000,000$25,500
Wed 22-Apr-20Poker Masters #22: $250K Gtd [NLH, 6-Max]$250,000$10,300
Thu 23-Apr-20Poker Masters #23: $1M Gtd [PLO, 6-Max]$1,000,000$25,500
Thu 23-Apr-20Poker Masters #24: $250K Gtd [NLH, 6-Max]$250,000$10,300
Fri 24-Apr-20Poker Masters #25: $1M Gtd [NLH, 8-Max]$1,000,000$25,500
Fri 24-Apr-20Poker Masters #26: $250K Gtd [NLH, 6-Max]$250,000$10,300
Sat 25-Apr-20Poker Masters #27: $1M Gtd [NLH, 8-Max]$1,000,000$25,500
Sat 25-Apr-20Poker Masters #28: $250K Gtd [NLH, 6-Max]$250,000$10,300
Sun 26-Apr-20Poker Masters #29: $2M Gtd [NLH, 8-Max, MAIN EVENT]$2,000,000$51,000
Sun 26-Apr-20Poker Masters #30: $250K Gtd [NLH, 6-Max]$250,000$10,300

POWERFEST powers through 2nd week with six-figure paydays

Players stuck at home will be pleased to see the POWERFEST returning in March. The series runs through March 29 with total guarantees of $20 million.

The series features 488 tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $0.55 to $25,500. The game variants include No Limit Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha. Formats include:

  • 8-Max
  • 6-Max
  • 8-6 Mix-Max
  • 6-4 Mix-Max
  • Rebuy
  • Freezeout
  • Progressive Knockout (PKO)
  • PKO Battle

Events are split into levels ranging from Low to Super High Roller – something for every bankroll. At least 14 players are guaranteed to walk away with $100,000-plus paydays.

Four No Limit Hold’em and four Pot Limit Omaha main events are scheduled. That totals a combined $1.5 million in guaranteed prize money. All main events are scheduled for March 29 with numerous satellites also running and starting at just $0.55.

 

Irish Poker Open online series approaches

The Irish Poker Open will now run the entire festival online from April 6-12. The Main Event on April 6 features a €1 million guarantee.

The good news about the online festival is that it will be available to players in all countries on the .COM site.

“Since our announcement last week regarding the postponement of Irish Open 2020, considerable efforts have been made to find an alternative date,” organizer JP McCann said in a news release. “However, as the uncertainty surrounding live poker events continues, we feel that the best decision to take at this point is to cancel the live festival for 2020.

“We would like to thank partypoker for taking the initiative to help ensure Europe’s oldest running Poker Festival goes ahead during these very challenging times.”

Here’s a complete schedule of events:

WPT, partypoker move tour action online

Partypoker also recently teamed up with the WPT to offer the new Online Series. The festival runs May 10-26 and features $30 million in total guarantees including $15 million across 10 headline events.

The WPT and partypoker have teamed up for the new WPT Online Series.The highlight will be a $3,200 WPT Online Championship with a $5 million guarantee, set to begin May 10. The series becomes an official part of the WPT Main Tour.

The new series comes after the WPT was forced to postpone several events. Like a live event, the winner will have his or her name added to the tour’s Champions Cup trophy. Here’s the complete WPT schedule.

DateBuy-InEventGuarantee
May 3$5,000WPT Grand Opener $2 million
May 10$3,200 WPT Online Championship$5 million
May 10$530WPT500$1 million
May 12 $5,200Bounty Hunter NLHE$1 million
May 14$5,200 PLO$500,000
May 18$1,1000 NLHE Six-Max $1 million
May 19 $5,200Mix Max$1 million
May 21$25,500Super High Roller$2 million
May 21 $2,100Turbo PKO$500,000
May 24 $10,300High Roller$2 million
May 25 $1,600WPTDeepStacks$1 million

For a complete partypoker review including an exclusive deposit bonus up to $1,000, click here.

GGPoker

High Roller Series action rolls on this week

The GGPoker High Rollers continues this week with the series running through March 30. Here is the complete schedule of all 97 events.

That includes a total of $9 million guaranteed and buy-ins range from $210 to $5,000. Players won’t want to miss the $1,000 dailies throughout the series as well as the $250 Phase tournaments, each with a $500,000 prize pool!

The site is also giving out more than 1,000 seats guaranteed in High Roller satellites. There are numerous major events and big guarantees.

Here is the schedule of regular daily events:

  • $210 Bounty Warmup – $75,000 guaranteed
  • Daily $500 – $100,000 guaranteed
  • Daily Main $1,000 – $100,000 guaranteed

In addition, 0.5% of the prize pool will be donated to University Health Network Foundation for COVID-19 support. That will be fully matched by the operator. Here’s a look at the complete schedule:

Tournament nameDateBuy-inGTD
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]March 22, 20201000500000
HR Week #01 Bounty Kick-Off $210March 22, 2020210200000
HR Week #02 $5KMarch 22, 20205000150000
HR Week #03 Sunday $500March 22, 2020500150000
HR Week #04 Bounty $525March 22, 202052575000
HR Week #05 $1KMarch 22, 20201000100000
HR Week #06 Omaha $1KMarch 22, 2020100050000
HR Week #07 Short Deck $500March 22, 202050030000
HR Week #08 Turbo $500March 22, 202050050000
HR Week #09 $5KMarch 22, 20205000200000
HR Week #10 Sunday Main $1KMarch 22, 20201000150000
HR Week #11 Omaha $5KMarch 22, 20205000100000
HR Week #12 Omaha $500March 22, 202050050000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 22, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 22, 2020250500000
HR Week #13 Bounty $1KMarch 22, 20201000100000
HR Week #14 Turbo $500March 22, 202050050000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 22, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 22, 2020250500000
HR Week #15 $5KMarch 23, 20205000150000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 23, 2020250500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]March 23, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 23, 2020250500000
HR Week #16 Bounty Warm-Up $210March 23, 202021060000
HR Week #17 $5KMarch 23, 20205000100000
HR Week #18 Daily $500March 23, 202050075000
HR Week #19 Bounty $525March 23, 202052550000
HR Week #20 Daily Main $1KMarch 23, 20201000100000
HR Week #21 Omaha $1KMarch 23, 2020100035000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 23, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 23, 2020250500000
HR Week #22 Turbo $500March 23, 202050030000
HR Week #23 $5KMarch 23, 20205000100000
HR Week #24 Omaha $500March 23, 202050025000
HR Week #25 Bounty $1KMarch 23, 2020100050000
HR Week #26 $5KMarch 24, 20205000100000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 24, 2020250500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]March 24, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 24, 2020250500000
HR Week #27 Bounty Warm-Up $210March 24, 202021075000
HR Week #28 $5KMarch 24, 20205000100000
HR Week #29 Daily $500March 24, 2020500100000
HR Week #30 Bounty $525March 24, 202052575000
HR Week #31 Daily Main $1KMarch 24, 20201000100000
HR Week #32 Omaha $1KMarch 24, 2020100035000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 24, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 24, 2020250500000
HR Week #33 Turbo $500March 24, 202050050000
HR Week #34 $5KMarch 24, 20205000100000
HR Week #35 Omaha $500March 24, 202050025000
HR Week #36 Bounty $1KMarch 24, 2020100075000
HR Week #37 $5KMarch 25, 20205000100000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 25, 2020250500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]March 25, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 25, 2020250500000
HR Week #38 Bounty Warm-Up $210March 25, 202021060000
HR Week #39 $5KMarch 25, 20205000100000
HR Week #40 Daily $500March 25, 202050075000
HR Week #41 Bounty $525March 25, 202052550000
HR Week #42 Daily Main $1KMarch 25, 20201000100000
HR Week #43 Omaha $1KMarch 25, 2020100035000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 25, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 25, 2020250500000
HR Week #44 Turbo $500March 25, 202050030000
HR Week #45 $5KMarch 25, 20205000100000
HR Week #46 Omaha $500March 25, 202050025000
HR Week #47 Bounty $1KMarch 25, 2020100050000
HR Week #48 $5KMarch 26, 20205000100000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 26, 2020250500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]March 26, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 26, 2020250500000
HR Week #49 Bounty Warm-Up $210March 26, 202021060000
HR Week #50 $5KMarch 26, 20205000100000
HR Week #51 Daily $500March 26, 202050075000
HR Week #52 Bounty $525March 26, 202052550000
HR Week #53 Daily Main $1KMarch 26, 20201000100000
HR Week #54 Omaha $1KMarch 26, 2020100035000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 26, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 26, 2020250500000
HR Week #55 Turbo $500March 26, 202050050000
HR Week #56 $5KMarch 26, 20205000100000
HR Week #57 Omaha $500March 26, 202050025000
HR Week #58 Bounty $1KMarch 26, 2020100075000
HR Week #59 $5KMarch 27, 20205000100000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 27, 2020250500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]March 27, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 27, 2020250500000
HR Week #60 Bounty Warm-Up $210March 27, 202021050000
HR Week #61 $5KMarch 27, 20205000100000
HR Week #62 Daily $500March 27, 202050060000
HR Week #63 Bounty $525March 27, 202052550000
HR Week #64 Daily Main $1KMarch 27, 20201000100000
HR Week #65 Omaha $1KMarch 27, 2020100035000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 27, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 27, 2020250500000
HR Week #66 Turbo $500March 27, 202050030000
HR Week #67 $5KMarch 27, 20205000100000
HR Week #68 Omaha $500March 27, 202050025000
HR Week #69 Bounty $1KMarch 27, 2020100050000
HR Week #70 $5KMarch 28, 20205000100000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 28, 2020250500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]March 28, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 28, 2020250500000
HR Week #71 Bounty Warm-Up $210March 28, 202021050000
HR Week #72 $5KMarch 28, 20205000100000
HR Week #73 Daily $500March 28, 202050060000
HR Week #74 Bounty $525March 28, 202052550000
HR Week #75 Daily Main $1KMarch 28, 20201000100000
HR Week #76 Omaha $1KMarch 28, 2020100035000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 28, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 28, 2020250500000
HR Week #77 Turbo $500March 28, 202050030000
HR Week #78 $5KMarch 28, 20205000100000
HR Week #79 Omaha $500March 28, 202050025000
HR Week #80 Bounty $1KMarch 28, 2020100050000
HR Week #81 $5KMarch 29, 20205000100000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 29, 2020250500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 29, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 29, 2020250500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]March 29, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 29, 2020250500000
HR Week #82 Bounty Warm-Up $210March 29, 2020210150000
HR Week #83 $5KMarch 29, 20205000150000
HR Week #84 Sunday $500March 29, 2020500150000
HR Week #85 Bounty $525March 29, 202052575000
HR Week #86 Main Event $1KMarch 29, 20201000200000
HR Week #87 Omaha $1KMarch 29, 2020100050000
HR Week #88 Short Deck $500March 29, 202050030000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day2]March 29, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day2]March 29, 2020250500000
HR Week #89 Turbo $500March 29, 202050050000
HR Week #90 $5KMarch 29, 20205000250000
HR Week #91 $1KMarch 29, 20201000100000
HR Week #92 Omaha $5KMarch 29, 20205000100000
HR Week #93 Omaha $500March 29, 202050050000
HR Week #94 Bounty $1KMarch 29, 20201000100000
HR Week #95 Turbo $500March 29, 202050050000
HR Week #96 $5KMarch 30, 20205000150000

Sunday GGMasters and big weekend events continue to grow

The site also continues to offer huge Sunday GGMasters tournament guarantees. The events feature a $150 buy-in, a $300,000 guarantee, and a freezeout format.

Satellites run throughout the week with numerous on Sunday. Buy-ins begin at only $1.50.

In March, the site also restructured its Sunday lineup with 174 tournaments now offered with $2 million in guarantees. That includes something for every level of player – from $2 to $5,000. Highlights on the schedule include:

  • Sunday Main Events – These events run multiple times throughout the day with buy-ins from $22 to $250. Guarantees range from $12,000 to $65,000.
  • High Roller Bounty Warm-Up – This $210 event guarantees $100,000. There is also a $500 buy-in event with a $100,000 guarantee.
  • Phase tournaments – The site runs these $250 events several times on Sunday.

For a complete GGPoker review including an exclusive new player bonus up to $1,000, click here.

888poker

Players earn shot at WSOP package via 888poker

888poker is the only operator offering non-US players the opportunity to qualify online.

The site is offering multi-step satellite tournaments, with buy-ins starting for as little as 1 cent. 

This year, players have the chance to earn a $15,000 Mega Package. That features a $10,000 buy-in to the Main Event and an $888 buy-in to the Crazy Eights tournament. That also includes travel and accommodation. 

Qualifier tournaments are already underway. Here’s a look at the complete $15,000 Mega Package:

  • 12 nights at the luxury Vdara Hotel (June 26 – July 8)
  • $10,000 buy-in to the WSOP Main Event
  • $888 buy-in to the Crazy Eights
  • $1,000 for travel and expenses (paid directly to the winner’s 888poker account)
  • A special welcome session at the Vdara Hotel
  • Transportation from the Vdara to the Rio Hotel and Casino (June 27 – July 6)
  • An 888poker LIVE kit

For a complete 888poker review including an exclusive new player bonus of $88, click here.

PokerStars

SCOOP moves into high gear this week for European players

The Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) plays out through April 9 for players in France, Spain, and Portugal. The series features €12 million in tournament guarantees across 19 days of action.

The series offers a range of buy-ins, including the €250 Main Event on April 5 with a €1 million guarantee. Players can win a seat for a fraction of the cost with hundreds of tickets given away through Depositor Freerolls. These run on March 21, 28 and April 4.

Players can also win their way into the Main Event with special €12.50 Spin & Go’s. Some other highlights of the series include:

  • March 22 – €250 Sunday Special PKO with a €200,000 guarantee
  • March 29 – €50 Special PKO with a €250,000 guarantee
  • April 5 – €50 Warm-Up guaranteeing €175,000

For a complete PokerStars review including an exclusive deposit bonus up to $500, click here.

*** Those playing online poker in the US can find a complete list of online poker sites and events for the week of March 23 by clicking here. ***

POKER SCHEDULE: Online Sites Ramp Up Tournaments in Face of COVID-19 (Updated March 20)

Self-quarantined poker players still have numerous options when it comes to online poker. Several operators are offering tournament series, events, and promotions in the coming weeks.

PokerScout offers players this complete guide on where to play and what’s planned. These listings will be updated as more events are announced.

GGPoker

High Roller Series begins this week, Sunday GGMasters and big weekend events continue

The GGPoker High Rollers begin this week with the series running March 22-30. The schedule is expected to be released later this week and will be posted here when available.

That includes a total of $9 million guaranteed and buy-ins range from $210 to $5,000. Players won’t want to miss the $1,000 dailies throughout the series as well as the $250 Phase tournaments, each with a $500,000 prize pool!

The site is also giving out more than 1,000 seats guaranteed in High Roller satellites. There are numerous major events and big guarantees.

Here is the schedule of regular daily events:

  • $210 Bounty Warmup – $75,000 guaranteed
  • Daily $500 – $100,000 guaranteed
  • Daily Main $1,000 – $100,000 guaranteed

In addition, 0.5% of the prize pool will be donated to University Health Network Foundation for COVID-19 support. That will be fully matched by the operator. Here’s a look at the complete schedule:

Tournament nameDateBuy-inGTD
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]March 22, 20201000500000
HR Week #01 Bounty Kick-Off $210March 22, 2020210200000
HR Week #02 $5KMarch 22, 20205000150000
HR Week #03 Sunday $500March 22, 2020500150000
HR Week #04 Bounty $525March 22, 202052575000
HR Week #05 $1KMarch 22, 20201000100000
HR Week #06 Omaha $1KMarch 22, 2020100050000
HR Week #07 Short Deck $500March 22, 202050030000
HR Week #08 Turbo $500March 22, 202050050000
HR Week #09 $5KMarch 22, 20205000200000
HR Week #10 Sunday Main $1KMarch 22, 20201000150000
HR Week #11 Omaha $5KMarch 22, 20205000100000
HR Week #12 Omaha $500March 22, 202050050000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 22, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 22, 2020250500000
HR Week #13 Bounty $1KMarch 22, 20201000100000
HR Week #14 Turbo $500March 22, 202050050000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 22, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 22, 2020250500000
HR Week #15 $5KMarch 23, 20205000150000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 23, 2020250500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]March 23, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 23, 2020250500000
HR Week #16 Bounty Warm-Up $210March 23, 202021060000
HR Week #17 $5KMarch 23, 20205000100000
HR Week #18 Daily $500March 23, 202050075000
HR Week #19 Bounty $525March 23, 202052550000
HR Week #20 Daily Main $1KMarch 23, 20201000100000
HR Week #21 Omaha $1KMarch 23, 2020100035000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 23, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 23, 2020250500000
HR Week #22 Turbo $500March 23, 202050030000
HR Week #23 $5KMarch 23, 20205000100000
HR Week #24 Omaha $500March 23, 202050025000
HR Week #25 Bounty $1KMarch 23, 2020100050000
HR Week #26 $5KMarch 24, 20205000100000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 24, 2020250500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]March 24, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 24, 2020250500000
HR Week #27 Bounty Warm-Up $210March 24, 202021075000
HR Week #28 $5KMarch 24, 20205000100000
HR Week #29 Daily $500March 24, 2020500100000
HR Week #30 Bounty $525March 24, 202052575000
HR Week #31 Daily Main $1KMarch 24, 20201000100000
HR Week #32 Omaha $1KMarch 24, 2020100035000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 24, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 24, 2020250500000
HR Week #33 Turbo $500March 24, 202050050000
HR Week #34 $5KMarch 24, 20205000100000
HR Week #35 Omaha $500March 24, 202050025000
HR Week #36 Bounty $1KMarch 24, 2020100075000
HR Week #37 $5KMarch 25, 20205000100000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 25, 2020250500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]March 25, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 25, 2020250500000
HR Week #38 Bounty Warm-Up $210March 25, 202021060000
HR Week #39 $5KMarch 25, 20205000100000
HR Week #40 Daily $500March 25, 202050075000
HR Week #41 Bounty $525March 25, 202052550000
HR Week #42 Daily Main $1KMarch 25, 20201000100000
HR Week #43 Omaha $1KMarch 25, 2020100035000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 25, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 25, 2020250500000
HR Week #44 Turbo $500March 25, 202050030000
HR Week #45 $5KMarch 25, 20205000100000
HR Week #46 Omaha $500March 25, 202050025000
HR Week #47 Bounty $1KMarch 25, 2020100050000
HR Week #48 $5KMarch 26, 20205000100000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 26, 2020250500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]March 26, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 26, 2020250500000
HR Week #49 Bounty Warm-Up $210March 26, 202021060000
HR Week #50 $5KMarch 26, 20205000100000
HR Week #51 Daily $500March 26, 202050075000
HR Week #52 Bounty $525March 26, 202052550000
HR Week #53 Daily Main $1KMarch 26, 20201000100000
HR Week #54 Omaha $1KMarch 26, 2020100035000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 26, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 26, 2020250500000
HR Week #55 Turbo $500March 26, 202050050000
HR Week #56 $5KMarch 26, 20205000100000
HR Week #57 Omaha $500March 26, 202050025000
HR Week #58 Bounty $1KMarch 26, 2020100075000
HR Week #59 $5KMarch 27, 20205000100000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 27, 2020250500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]March 27, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 27, 2020250500000
HR Week #60 Bounty Warm-Up $210March 27, 202021050000
HR Week #61 $5KMarch 27, 20205000100000
HR Week #62 Daily $500March 27, 202050060000
HR Week #63 Bounty $525March 27, 202052550000
HR Week #64 Daily Main $1KMarch 27, 20201000100000
HR Week #65 Omaha $1KMarch 27, 2020100035000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 27, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 27, 2020250500000
HR Week #66 Turbo $500March 27, 202050030000
HR Week #67 $5KMarch 27, 20205000100000
HR Week #68 Omaha $500March 27, 202050025000
HR Week #69 Bounty $1KMarch 27, 2020100050000
HR Week #70 $5KMarch 28, 20205000100000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 28, 2020250500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]March 28, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 28, 2020250500000
HR Week #71 Bounty Warm-Up $210March 28, 202021050000
HR Week #72 $5KMarch 28, 20205000100000
HR Week #73 Daily $500March 28, 202050060000
HR Week #74 Bounty $525March 28, 202052550000
HR Week #75 Daily Main $1KMarch 28, 20201000100000
HR Week #76 Omaha $1KMarch 28, 2020100035000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 28, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 28, 2020250500000
HR Week #77 Turbo $500March 28, 202050030000
HR Week #78 $5KMarch 28, 20205000100000
HR Week #79 Omaha $500March 28, 202050025000
HR Week #80 Bounty $1KMarch 28, 2020100050000
HR Week #81 $5KMarch 29, 20205000100000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 29, 2020250500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 29, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]March 29, 2020250500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]March 29, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]March 29, 2020250500000
HR Week #82 Bounty Warm-Up $210March 29, 2020210150000
HR Week #83 $5KMarch 29, 20205000150000
HR Week #84 Sunday $500March 29, 2020500150000
HR Week #85 Bounty $525March 29, 202052575000
HR Week #86 Main Event $1KMarch 29, 20201000200000
HR Week #87 Omaha $1KMarch 29, 2020100050000
HR Week #88 Short Deck $500March 29, 202050030000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day2]March 29, 20201000500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day2]March 29, 2020250500000
HR Week #89 Turbo $500March 29, 202050050000
HR Week #90 $5KMarch 29, 20205000250000
HR Week #91 $1KMarch 29, 20201000100000
HR Week #92 Omaha $5KMarch 29, 20205000100000
HR Week #93 Omaha $500March 29, 202050050000
HR Week #94 Bounty $1KMarch 29, 20201000100000
HR Week #95 Turbo $500March 29, 202050050000
HR Week #96 $5KMarch 30, 20205000150000

The site also continues to offer huge Sunday GGMasters tournament guarantees. The events feature a $150 buy-in, a $300,000 guarantee, and a freezeout format.

Satellites run throughout the week with numerous on Sunday. Buy-ins begin at only $1.50.

In March, the site also restructured its Sunday lineup with 174 tournaments now offered with $2 million in guarantees. That includes something for every level of player – from $2 to $5,000. Highlights on the schedule include:

  • Sunday Main Events – These events run multiple times throughout the day with buy-ins from $22 to $250. Guarantees range from $12,000 to $65,000.
  • High Roller Bounty Warm-Up – This $210 event guarantees $100,000. There is also a $500 buy-in event with a $100,000 guarantee.
  • Phase tournaments – The site runs these $250 events several times on Sunday.

For a complete GGPoker review including an exclusive new player bonus up to $1,000, click here.

888poker

Superstorm qualifiers continue this week

The Millions Superstorm Main Event starting flights continue through Sunday, March 22. The site has been running numerous starting flights since March 1 with Day 2 finally playing out March 22 with a big field.

One lucky winner will walk away with a massive payday of $1 million. There are numerous other events and promotions as part of the Superstorm as well.

Earn a trip to the WSOP via 888poker

888poker is the only operator offering non-US players the opportunity to qualify online.

The site is offering multi-step satellite tournaments, with buy-ins starting for as little as 1 cent. 

This year, players have the chance to earn a $15,000 Mega Package. That features a $10,000 buy-in to the Main Event and an $888 buy-in to the Crazy Eights tournament. That also includes travel and accommodation. 

Qualifier tournaments are already underway. Here’s a look at the complete $15,000 Mega Package:

  • 12 nights at the luxury Vdara Hotel (June 26 – July 8)
  • $10,000 buy-in to the WSOP Main Event
  • $888 buy-in to the Crazy Eights
  • $1,000 for travel and expenses (paid directly to the winner’s 888poker account)
  • A special welcome session at the Vdara Hotel
  • Transportation from the Vdara to the Rio Hotel and Casino (June 27 – July 6)
  • An 888poker LIVE kit

For a complete 888poker review including an exclusive new player bonus of $88, click here.

Partypoker

POWERFEST offers huge poker festival for all bankrolls

Players stuck at home will be pleased to see the POWERFEST returning in March. The series runs March 15-29 with total guarantees of $20 million.

The series features 488 tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $0.55 to $25,500. The game variants include No Limit Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha. Formats include:

  • 8-Max
  • 6-Max
  • 8-6 Mix-Max
  • 6-4 Mix-Max
  • Rebuy
  • Freezeout
  • Progressive Knockout (PKO)
  • PKO Battle

Events are split into levels ranging from Low to Super High Roller – something for every bankroll. At least 14 players are guaranteed to walk away with $100,000-plus paydays.

Four No Limit Hold’em and four Pot Limit Omaha main events are scheduled. That totals a combined $1.5 million in guaranteed prize money. All main events are scheduled for March 29 with numerous satellites also running and starting at just $0.55.

Irish Poker Open plays out online

The Irish Poker Open will now run the entire festival online from April 6-12. The Main Event on April 6 features a €1 million guarantee.

The good news about the online festival is that it will be available to players in all countries on the .COM site.

“Since our announcement last week regarding the postponement of Irish Open 2020, considerable efforts have been made to find an alternative date,” organizer JP McCann said in a news release. “However, as the uncertainty surrounding live poker events continues, we feel that the best decision to take at this point is to cancel the live festival for 2020.

“We would like to thank partypoker for taking the initiative to help ensure Europe’s oldest running Poker Festival goes ahead during these very challenging times.”

Here’s a complete schedule of events:

WPT teams with partypoker for massive new series

Partypoker also recently teamed up with the WPT to offer the new Online Series. The festival runs May 10-26 and features $30 million in total guarantees including $15 million across 10 headline events.

The WPT and partypoker have teamed up for the new WPT Online Series.The highlight will be a $3,200 WPT Online Championship with a $5 million guarantee, set to begin May 10. The series becomes an official part of the WPT Main Tour.

The new series comes after the WPT was forced to postpone several events. Like a live event, the winner will have his or her name added to the tour’s Champions Cup trophy. Here’s the complete WPT schedule.

DateBuy-InEventGuarantee
May 3$5,000WPT Grand Opener $2 million
May 10$3,200 WPT Online Championship$5 million
May 10$530WPT500$1 million
May 12 $5,200Bounty Hunter NLHE$1 million
May 14$5,200 PLO$500,000
May 18$1,1000 NLHE Six-Max $1 million
May 19 $5,200Mix Max$1 million
May 21$25,500Super High Roller$2 million
May 21 $2,100Turbo PKO$500,000
May 24 $10,300High Roller$2 million
May 25 $1,600WPTDeepStacks$1 million

For a complete partypoker review including an exclusive deposit bonus up to $1,000, click here.

PokerStars

SCOOP Returns for part of Europe in March

The Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) returns March 22 to April 9 for players in France, Spain, and Portugal. The series features €12 million in tournament guarantees across 19 days of action.

The series offers a range of buy-ins, including the €250 Main Event on April 5 with a €1 million guarantee. Players can win a seat for a fraction of the cost with hundreds of tickets given away through Depositor Freerolls. These run on March 21, 28 and April 4.

Players can also win their way into the Main Event with special €12.50 Spin & Go’s. Some other highlights of the series include:

  • March 22 – €250 Sunday Special PKO with a €200,000 guarantee
  • March 29 – €50 Special PKO with a €250,000 guarantee
  • April 5 – €50 Warm-Up guaranteeing €175,000

Swap Hold’em debuts

PokerStars will soon be offering a new twist on Texas Hold’em. The new cash game variant, Swap Hold’em, is now available at PokerStars.

Swap rules are almost identical to Texas Hold’em. However, before players have the option to fold they can swap out one or both of their hole cards for new ones. Players can swap once per hand, at any point pre- or post-flop.

Players can see which players swapped their cards and how many by looking at the swap icon by each player’s avatar. If a player does swap, they can see the cards they held originally by hovering over their own swap icon.

Swap Hold’em is the latest limited-time cash game from PokerStars. It’s currently available on the .UK and .NET sites and will soon be available on .COM, .EU, .BE, and .EE.

For a complete PokerStars review including an exclusive deposit bonus up to $500, click here.

*** Those playing online poker in the US can find a complete list of online poker sites and events by clicking here. ***

Partypoker Unveils MILLIONS Stops, New Passport Program, and Cash Game Leaderboards

Partypoker recently details the 2020-21 MILLIONS Live schedule and also launched a new Passport program and cash game leaderboards.

After some feedback from the poker community, partypoker recently announced the 2020-21 schedule for its MILLIONS Live events. Five live events were announced as well as one online, and also includes new tour stops in London and Cyprus

Each Main Event on the MILLIONS tour will feature a buy-in of $5,300 (pounds in the UK and Euros in Prague). The globetrotting live and online poker fun fun kicks off in May.

 

A look at the partypoker MILLIONS schedule

Partypoker players have quite a bit to look forward to this year. That includes stops in Europe, North America, and the Caribbean. Players who can’t hop on a plane are also in luck with the return of the popular MILLIONS Online event.

The series offers poker fans a chance to visit some luxury destinations and even a summer visit to Las Vegas. Here’s a look at the complete schedule to start planning those trips.

DateEventLocation
May 2020MILLIONS CyprusMerit Casino
June 2020MILLIONS VegasAria Resort and Casino
August 2020MILLIONS LondonPark Lane Hilton
September 2020MILLIONS OnlineNA
November 2020MILLIONS Caribbean Poker PartyBaha Mar, The Bahamas
2021 (exact date TBA)MILLIONS PragueHilton Prague
 

Partypoker announces new MILLIONS Passports

Along with the new schedule, partypoker also announced its new MILLIONS Passport feature. This is a flexible new satellite package allowing a player to enter any MILLIONS event within 12 months of winning it.

The program aims to get more recreational and amateur players into some of the site’s live events.

“The introduction of the Passport for MILLIONS events in 2020 is the result of player feedback and is also aimed at the amateur game,” partypoker LIVE President John Duthie said in a news release.

“Players can now win a package and choose their event through the passport – for example, a player can secure their package for the MILLIONS Caribbean Poker Party this month – which was never an option before. We have also introduced a number of additional measures we believe helps recreational and amateur players.”

The site will hold $109 buy-in MILLIONS Passport satellites using a “phased” format. In this format, players carry their chips through to a weekly final held on Sundays.

Those Sunday finals don’t offer a direct buy-in option. Instead, all $10,000 Passport packages will be won by players entering the $109 Phase 1 satellites.

Each MILLIONS event is held at a luxury destination where MILLIONS Passport holders will experience true VIP treatment. They’ll enjoy luxury hotels and exclusive extras off the felt with a value of at least $11,000 per event.

Passport holders will also be eligible to play partypoker’s flagship annual MILLIONS Online event. Using the Passport will earn a player $11,000 of event buy-ins to participate in the online leg.

Something extra for MILLIONS Passport winners

Along with a shot at MILLIONS events around the world, partypoker has gone the extra mile for the new Passport program.

The London Hilton on Park Lane will host MILLIONS London in August 2020. However, there won’t be a direct buy-in offered to the £5,300 event. 

Only winners of MILLIONS Passports or those who win direct satellites can participate in this exclusive event. As an added twist, VIP guests will also be invited to play the event. The seat draw will be designed so that every table features at least one VIP.

Features of the MILLIONS Passport program include:

  • Can be used to enter any MILLIONS tournament around the world.
  • Valid for 12 months.
  • Full package value of at least $11,000, covering tournament buy-in, VIP hotel, travel, and exclusive extras.
  • Entry to exclusive tournaments for MILLIONS Passport holders and VIP guests.
  • Allows holders to qualify for daily freerolls.
  • Maximum satellite buy-in is a $109 freezeout.
  • No direct buy-in option for weekly Sunday finals.

Leaderboard prizes extended to cash games

Along with the MILLIONS Live announcement, partypoker also recently extended its leaderboard prize offerings. Cash game, fastforward, and Short Deck players now have the chance to win $150,000 in cash prizes every week.

For the first time, partypoker Diamond Club players will have their own dedicated leaderboards paying out a combined $50,000 per week. Other players will compete for their share of just over $100,000 across eight weekly leaderboards.

The leaderboards run Monday to Sunday each week. Points can be earned across most Hold’em or PLO cash games including fastforward and Short Deck. The only exceptions are: $10/$10 blinds and above; heads-up; and fixed limit hold’em cash games.

Leaderboards will reset every Monday and prizes will be credited within 24 hours of the conclusion of that week’s competition. 

Partypoker will also be launching a new daily cash game promotion to bring total weekly prizes offered to over $180,000. That’s some nice extra cash for those looking to mix it up with a poker party.

Phil Galfond Discusses Run It Once Year 1, Luring PokerStars Players

Phil Galfond spoke with PokerScout about the future of Run It Once Poker.

Launching a new online poker site is no easy task. But that’s the scenario poker player Phil Galfond faced when he launched Run It Once Poker almost a year ago.

In a Jan. 6 Twitter video, Galfond discussed the company’s future. Run Ir Once focused on software in 2019 and now hopes to increase its player pool. The video included a direct appeal to PokerStars cash game players.

The direct appeal to poach Stars players offered a glimpse into the company’s new efforts at growth. RIO is offering several bonuses for new players. Galfond spoke recently with PokerScout about the company and its future.

A look at Run It Once after its first year

Building a player pool and marketing a new online platform is a herculean task. After a beta launch in February, there were some bumps along the way. Galfond says it was a long road to get to the launch point.

That first week went well in terms of traffic, but Galfond admits the software wasn’t as ready as his team hoped. RIO struggled to sustain traffic through the first half of the year because of that. Things improved through the second half of 2019, he says.

“Our software is much stronger now, and we have new updates coming soon with a number of exciting additions,” Galfond says. “The story lately has been more about getting those players who had a bad start with us back to see all the progress we’ve made.”

The site added to its Legends rewards program in November, which helped. Galfond expects traffic to continue growing with the platform and rewards improvements.

Poker promotions and unique features

Run It Once is available in numerous countries around the world including those in Europe, Asia, and South America. What sets it apart from a plethora of online poker sites?

As a player himself, Galfond hoped to build RIO with unique features to solve some problems the industry faces. He notes that most industry standards were created 15 years ago. A few RIO features include:

  • Table Alias and Dynamic Avatar systems – This ties in with the site’s no-HUD policy and protects casual players from feeling preyed upon. It also brings a sense of live poker with avatars that change based on a player’s style at the table.
  • Splash the Pot rewards program – This offers up to 75% rakeback with 30% going to the table in random pots. Galfond believes this adds an exciting element to the game while also serving as a bot deterrent.
  • Legends rewards program – This new program offers generous rewards for high-volume players and us still accessible and fun for casual players.

“In total, I believe we’re giving out higher rewards than anyone by a nice margin,” Galfond says.

This is another thing that we do to set ourselves apart – I make myself accessible to the community and explain exactly why we’ve made the decisions we have for our poker site and what we’re hoping to accomplish.”

Marketing the Run It Once poker brand

Creating unique features and top-notch software is one thing, attracting players is another. The site isn’t among the PokerScout worldwide traffic leaders, but Galfond is hoping to get closer. Some of its recent promotional efforts might help.

What are some challenges to finding space in the online poker market?

“We have an advantage given that the RIO brand is well known and trusted, which is a challenge for many other new sites – getting seen and being trusted,” Galfond says.  “Even with that advantage, the most difficult thing for a new site in a crowded market like this is getting liquidity.

“Having a large player pool makes your product better – the availability of games and stakes at all hours of the day is something that players want, and therefore leads to more players playing.”

It’s a catch-22 for poker sites – the need for a regular group of players to get more players.

“You could have the absolute best software and policies, but if you don’t have players in your games,” Galfond says, “then your product can’t compete with the big guys when it comes to game selection for your players.”

In the first year, almost all RIO marketing was word of mouth. Galfond didn’t feel the product was ready for traditional marketing.

The company has also used its StreamR program as a promotional vehicle. The program offers additional rakeback to players who stream their play on RIO. The site also has an active Discord community of players.

“One big challenge has been that people assume because the RIO brand is associated with expert poker training that our games must be terrible, which is not at all the case,” Galfond says. “Our ambassadors, especially our streamRs, shed some light on that truth.”

Chasing PokerStars players and growing the player pool

Galfond made some waves with his new video directly appealing to PokerStars players. What’s the goal and what does RIO offer them?

“The primary goal is simply to grow our traffic, which I think we’re seeing is working so far over an extremely limited sample,” Galfond said shortly after the effort began.

That includes double Legends rewards for three weeks, followed by 1.5X rewards for five more weeks. Galfond notes that Splash the Pot and Legends give most players between 40-75% rakeback. That could even be higher through short-handed play multipliers.

“The Legends reward multiplier means that reasonably high-volume players will likely be playing near rake-free to start their journey at RIO Poker,” he says. 

New players receive free lifetime access to RIO Training’s “From The Ground Up” course and up to three months of RIO Essential membership.

Every site needs casual and recreational players. Galfond sees RIO’s efforts as a way to keep recreational players in the game and working on their skills. Building a thriving player pool is the focus, not necessarily higher-limit players.

“Through these resources and policies that can protect losing players, we’re hoping to give these players a much better poker experience,” he says. “We’re primarily targeting recreational players, but of course, all players are welcome.

“I don’t think RIO reaches a lot of pure beginners – the type who see a PokerStars ad on TV and play poker for the first time. But I think we do very well attracting recreational players who are already involved in poker. This is a more knowledgeable, sophisticated category of recreational player, who loves the game but doesn’t play it primarily to earn money.”

The efforts have created an ecosystem focused more on sophisticated recreational players than professionals. Galfond sees professional players as less likely to join a new site. Many don’t want to adjust to new software, he says, or leave consistent stakes on sites they’re used to.

“The players who love what we’re doing and who love poker but don’t depend on it for income,” he says, “those are the players who more often jump to Run It Once without hesitation.”

The future of online poker

As a poker player and proprietor of popular training and online poker sites, where does Galfond see the industry? Bringing in more players is obviously important to the health of the industry.

But Galfond also believes in having regular poker players involved in the process is critical.

“I think the future of online poker will be much brighter if there are more poker sites led by poker players,” he says. “Poker players understand the challenges facing the industry, of which there are many.

“I believe they can come up with creative solutions better than anyone. RIO isn’t the only poker site led by a team of people who truly care about online poker, but there aren’t that many others in my opinion.”

Free Money: New partypoker Sit and Go Leaderboards Pay Players $23,500 Weekly

Partypoker recently announced new sit and go leaderboards with free cash on the line.

Playing online at partypoker just became a little more festive. The platform announced last week the launch of new weekly leaderboards for its sit and go tournaments.

Players now have a shot at some nice free cash with $23,500 in prizes awarded every week. Free money is available for leaders at every level of buy-in.

“I started my professional career hunting sit and go leaderboards,” Team partypoker’s Jaime Staples said. “It’s a great way to practice and I love that partypoker is now offering something to shoot for.”

This is another move from partypoker in recent weeks. The site also announced an overhaul of its mobile platform. The addition of sit and go leaderboards should complement that move.

Getting in on the partypoker leaderboard cash

Taking a shot at the new leaderboards is pretty simple. Players simply have to play a sit and go on the site from Monday through Sunday.

Depending on the finish, he or she will earn points to climb up to four separate leaderboards. It’s an opportunity at some free prize pools just for playing online.

All tournaments fall under the following buy-in tiers:

Tiers – 

Leaderboard TierBuy-in RangePrize Pool
Low
$1 – $9.99$1,000
Mid$10 – $49.99$5,000
High
$50 – $199.99$10,000
High Roller
$200 and higher$7,500

What can winners expect from the partypoker leaderboards?

As part of the weekly promotion, partypoker is ponying up some nice money for winners. The top three in each tier will win cash with the remaining players receiving tournament dollars.

https://www.pokerscout.com/world/

The Low and Mid tiers pay out 100 players and the High tier pays out the top 50. The High Roller pays out the top 10 players.

Here’s a look at the payouts for those reaching the top five in each tier:

 

Place LowMidHighHigh Roller
1$150
$750$2,500$2,500
2$100$500$1,500$1,500
3$75$400$1,000$1,000
4T$50T$350T$750T$750
5T$50T$250T$500T$500

It’s important to note that the new leaderboards don’t include heads-up sit and go tournaments. Also, SPINS games don’t count toward the promotion.

Team partypoker’s Steven “DWstevie” Kok believes sit and go tournaments offer players plenty of bang for the buck. They can also help hone skills for tournament play.

“I am a big fan of sit and go’s, they are great practice for short-handed and short-stack play, and for learning ICM as you get into those spots way more often than in large field multi-table tournaments,” Kok says. “They also have lower variance and thus are great to help you build that bankroll.”

The leaderboards are already underway. PokerScout offers some great bonus opportunities for players to get in the action.

Partypoker Product Overhaul Shows Industry’s Move Toward Mobile and Social gaming

The focus on mobile poker and social gaming continues to grow in the industry.

Just 15 years ago most players wouldn’t have imagined how big a role cell phones would play in online poker. Mobile gaming is now a major part of the industry and operators are catering to this growing segment of players.

Partypoker recently announced a new mobile experience for its players. A more social gaming experience is also included – also a growing trend in the industry.

“The new SPINS product shows our commitment to improving the mobile experience for our customers,” partypoker head of product Ross McQuater said. “The new lobby and portrait table for SPINS with new and exciting features … aims to provide our customers with a more fun and engaging playing experience.”

“This is just one of many updates that will be delivered in the coming months as we overhaul our mobile proposition.”

Partypoker brings new landscape design for social gaming

The new partypoker app offers significant changes and appeals to those accustomed to already using a mobile device for gaming. Partypoker SPINS are three-handed sit and go tournaments. A multiplier randomly determines the size of the prizepool before the first card is dealt.

These types of tournaments have become extremely popular since their debut on PokerStars in 2014. They include an added element of luck. That and such a low number of players make them perfect for mobile play.

Along with the focus on SPINS, partypoker players will find a new portrait layout meant to emphasize ease of use. With more players now betting and bluffing a small screen, supporting one-handed gameplay was a major focus.

“This app brings poker on your phone into the modern age,” partypoker Team Online member and Twitch streamer Jaime Staples said. “The experience of just being able to play with one finger is something I have never had the chance to experience before. It’s so simple and intuitive.”

Players will also notice improved table tiling to easily cycle between games. The new platform is pleasing to the eye with easy to use action buttons, graphics, and icons. A player’s hand is easy to see as well as the flop, turn, and river.

Partypoker has taken a minimalist approach to make mobile play simple and efficient. Players won’t need to search among numerous small icons — finding what a player needs is easy.

The company plans to seek player feedback in the coming months to further improve the mobile product.

New mobile poker features include social currency

With 750 million players utilizing social games worldwide, it serves operators well to move in that direction with poker. Zynga Poker boasts hundreds of millions of users around the world.

Partypoker seems to be adopting that approach with hopes of continuing to grow its player base. The first phase of the mobile product overhaul includes a new SPINS interface with some innovative features. 

Gameplay now introduces a new social-friendly currency, known as Diamonds. App designers hope it “offers a more immersive playing experience.”

Diamonds are earned based on the number of hands played. They can be spent on in-game benefits such as rabbit hunting for cards cards or even throwing a variety of animations at opponents.

As an example, throwing an item at a player will cost one Diamond and comes with animated sounds adding to the experience.

Other features designed to provide a social element include:

  • bubble chat
  • emojis and animations
  • enhanced dialogues such as announcing tournament winners, aimed at generating greater excitement among players
  • new hand re-player
  • easier SPINS tournaments search tool
  • a redesigned and more user-friendly lobby
  • a redesigned multiplier animation

Mobile and social are huge parts of online poker’s future

Party certainly isn’t the only operator heading in this direction. PokerStars has emphasized social gaming and mobile poker. Daniel Negreanu mentioned GGPoker’s emphasis on mobile poker this week in his announcement about becoming an ambassador for the site.

“The mobile client is cutting edge,” he said. “It’s super user friendly, fun, and engaging.”

GG has even included a staking feature. Players can offer others the opportunity to buy their action or choose to back others.

While mobile and social has been a focus for years, that appears to be ramping up even more.

“Mobile gaming – on phones and tablets – has been the center of online poker for many years now, and it will likely increase its dominance in the future,” says longtime industry insider Michael Josem, who has worked as senior manager for game security and then as head of public relations for PokerStars.

“We can expect online poker operators to slowly de-prioritize their Windows and Mac downloadable software in the near future as the industry focuses on mobile clients and some sort of online HTML5 client for desktops and laptops.”

Mobile may be a priority now, but laptop players won’t be forgotten anytime soon. Operators remain open to reaching players on any medium.

“I’m surprised that recent online poker entrants like Run It Once even bothered creating a desktop client,” Josem notes, “but that shows a remarkable commitment to the legacy model of online poker.”