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 name	Date	Buy-in	GTD
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]	March 22, 2020	1000	500000
HR Week #01 Bounty Kick-Off $210	March 22, 2020	210	200000
HR Week #02 $5K	March 22, 2020	5000	150000
HR Week #03 Sunday $500	March 22, 2020	500	150000
HR Week #04 Bounty $525	March 22, 2020	525	75000
HR Week #05 $1K	March 22, 2020	1000	100000
HR Week #06 Omaha $1K	March 22, 2020	1000	50000
HR Week #07 Short Deck $500	March 22, 2020	500	30000
HR Week #08 Turbo $500	March 22, 2020	500	50000
HR Week #09 $5K	March 22, 2020	5000	200000
HR Week #10 Sunday Main $1K	March 22, 2020	1000	150000
HR Week #11 Omaha $5K	March 22, 2020	5000	100000
HR Week #12 Omaha $500	March 22, 2020	500	50000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]	March 22, 2020	1000	500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]	March 22, 2020	250	500000
HR Week #13 Bounty $1K	March 22, 2020	1000	100000
HR Week #14 Turbo $500	March 22, 2020	500	50000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]	March 22, 2020	1000	500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]	March 22, 2020	250	500000
HR Week #15 $5K	March 23, 2020	5000	150000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]	March 23, 2020	250	500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]	March 23, 2020	1000	500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]	March 23, 2020	250	500000
HR Week #16 Bounty Warm-Up $210	March 23, 2020	210	60000
HR Week #17 $5K	March 23, 2020	5000	100000
HR Week #18 Daily $500	March 23, 2020	500	75000
HR Week #19 Bounty $525	March 23, 2020	525	50000
HR Week #20 Daily Main $1K	March 23, 2020	1000	100000
HR Week #21 Omaha $1K	March 23, 2020	1000	35000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]	March 23, 2020	1000	500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]	March 23, 2020	250	500000
HR Week #22 Turbo $500	March 23, 2020	500	30000
HR Week #23 $5K	March 23, 2020	5000	100000
HR Week #24 Omaha $500	March 23, 2020	500	25000
HR Week #25 Bounty $1K	March 23, 2020	1000	50000
HR Week #26 $5K	March 24, 2020	5000	100000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]	March 24, 2020	250	500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]	March 24, 2020	1000	500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]	March 24, 2020	250	500000
HR Week #27 Bounty Warm-Up $210	March 24, 2020	210	75000
HR Week #28 $5K	March 24, 2020	5000	100000
HR Week #29 Daily $500	March 24, 2020	500	100000
HR Week #30 Bounty $525	March 24, 2020	525	75000
HR Week #31 Daily Main $1K	March 24, 2020	1000	100000
HR Week #32 Omaha $1K	March 24, 2020	1000	35000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]	March 24, 2020	1000	500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]	March 24, 2020	250	500000
HR Week #33 Turbo $500	March 24, 2020	500	50000
HR Week #34 $5K	March 24, 2020	5000	100000
HR Week #35 Omaha $500	March 24, 2020	500	25000
HR Week #36 Bounty $1K	March 24, 2020	1000	75000
HR Week #37 $5K	March 25, 2020	5000	100000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]	March 25, 2020	250	500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]	March 25, 2020	1000	500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]	March 25, 2020	250	500000
HR Week #38 Bounty Warm-Up $210	March 25, 2020	210	60000
HR Week #39 $5K	March 25, 2020	5000	100000
HR Week #40 Daily $500	March 25, 2020	500	75000
HR Week #41 Bounty $525	March 25, 2020	525	50000
HR Week #42 Daily Main $1K	March 25, 2020	1000	100000
HR Week #43 Omaha $1K	March 25, 2020	1000	35000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]	March 25, 2020	1000	500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]	March 25, 2020	250	500000
HR Week #44 Turbo $500	March 25, 2020	500	30000
HR Week #45 $5K	March 25, 2020	5000	100000
HR Week #46 Omaha $500	March 25, 2020	500	25000
HR Week #47 Bounty $1K	March 25, 2020	1000	50000
HR Week #48 $5K	March 26, 2020	5000	100000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]	March 26, 2020	250	500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]	March 26, 2020	1000	500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]	March 26, 2020	250	500000
HR Week #49 Bounty Warm-Up $210	March 26, 2020	210	60000
HR Week #50 $5K	March 26, 2020	5000	100000
HR Week #51 Daily $500	March 26, 2020	500	75000
HR Week #52 Bounty $525	March 26, 2020	525	50000
HR Week #53 Daily Main $1K	March 26, 2020	1000	100000
HR Week #54 Omaha $1K	March 26, 2020	1000	35000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]	March 26, 2020	1000	500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]	March 26, 2020	250	500000
HR Week #55 Turbo $500	March 26, 2020	500	50000
HR Week #56 $5K	March 26, 2020	5000	100000
HR Week #57 Omaha $500	March 26, 2020	500	25000
HR Week #58 Bounty $1K	March 26, 2020	1000	75000
HR Week #59 $5K	March 27, 2020	5000	100000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]	March 27, 2020	250	500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]	March 27, 2020	1000	500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]	March 27, 2020	250	500000
HR Week #60 Bounty Warm-Up $210	March 27, 2020	210	50000
HR Week #61 $5K	March 27, 2020	5000	100000
HR Week #62 Daily $500	March 27, 2020	500	60000
HR Week #63 Bounty $525	March 27, 2020	525	50000
HR Week #64 Daily Main $1K	March 27, 2020	1000	100000
HR Week #65 Omaha $1K	March 27, 2020	1000	35000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]	March 27, 2020	1000	500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]	March 27, 2020	250	500000
HR Week #66 Turbo $500	March 27, 2020	500	30000
HR Week #67 $5K	March 27, 2020	5000	100000
HR Week #68 Omaha $500	March 27, 2020	500	25000
HR Week #69 Bounty $1K	March 27, 2020	1000	50000
HR Week #70 $5K	March 28, 2020	5000	100000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]	March 28, 2020	250	500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]	March 28, 2020	1000	500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]	March 28, 2020	250	500000
HR Week #71 Bounty Warm-Up $210	March 28, 2020	210	50000
HR Week #72 $5K	March 28, 2020	5000	100000
HR Week #73 Daily $500	March 28, 2020	500	60000
HR Week #74 Bounty $525	March 28, 2020	525	50000
HR Week #75 Daily Main $1K	March 28, 2020	1000	100000
HR Week #76 Omaha $1K	March 28, 2020	1000	35000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]	March 28, 2020	1000	500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]	March 28, 2020	250	500000
HR Week #77 Turbo $500	March 28, 2020	500	30000
HR Week #78 $5K	March 28, 2020	5000	100000
HR Week #79 Omaha $500	March 28, 2020	500	25000
HR Week #80 Bounty $1K	March 28, 2020	1000	50000
HR Week #81 $5K	March 29, 2020	5000	100000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]	March 29, 2020	250	500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]	March 29, 2020	1000	500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1, Turbo]	March 29, 2020	250	500000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day1]	March 29, 2020	1000	500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day1]	March 29, 2020	250	500000
HR Week #82 Bounty Warm-Up $210	March 29, 2020	210	150000
HR Week #83 $5K	March 29, 2020	5000	150000
HR Week #84 Sunday $500	March 29, 2020	500	150000
HR Week #85 Bounty $525	March 29, 2020	525	75000
HR Week #86 Main Event $1K	March 29, 2020	1000	200000
HR Week #87 Omaha $1K	March 29, 2020	1000	50000
HR Week #88 Short Deck $500	March 29, 2020	500	30000
Phased: HR Week $1K, $500K GTD [Day2]	March 29, 2020	1000	500000
Phased: HR Week $250, $500K GTD [Day2]	March 29, 2020	250	500000
HR Week #89 Turbo $500	March 29, 2020	500	50000
HR Week #90 $5K	March 29, 2020	5000	250000
HR Week #91 $1K	March 29, 2020	1000	100000
HR Week #92 Omaha $5K	March 29, 2020	5000	100000
HR Week #93 Omaha $500	March 29, 2020	500	50000
HR Week #94 Bounty $1K	March 29, 2020	1000	100000
HR Week #95 Turbo $500	March 29, 2020	500	50000
HR Week #96 $5K	March 30, 2020	5000	150000

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 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.

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

February 17, 2020September 19, 2024

PokerStars Offers Live Events, Platinum Passes, Big Online Action in Coming Months

The Platinum Pass parade continues for PokerStars and the site announced plans for even more chances to win on Thursday.

From live events to a huge Carnaval Series, PokerStars has plenty of events and online opportunities for players over the next few weeks. That includes numerous opportunities to win a Platinum Pass.

The EPT Sochi also approaches as well as the 14th anniversary of the Sunday Million. There will also be numerous major online tournaments in the coming months. Here’s a look at what to expect from PokerStars.

Southern Europe ready to party with massive PokerStars Carnaval series

Online players in southern Europe are in store for more than two weeks of online poker action Feb. 16 to March 2. The PokerStars Carnaval Series features a guaranteed prize pool of more than €8 million. The 166-event schedule will be for for players in France, Spain, and Portugal.

The €250 buy-in Main Event on March 1 features a €500,000 guarantee. PokerStars is offering players some nice qualifying options:

Depositor Freeroll – €25,000 worth of Main Event tickets will be awarded in a special freeroll on Feb. 29. Players must make a deposit of €25 from Feb. 16-29.
Spin & Go’s – €12.50 Spin & Go’s begin running Feb. 16 awarding €250 Main Event tickets.

The inaugural Carnaval Series in 2019 drew more than 34,500 players and a €11.2 million prize pool.

At the same time, Italian players can jump in their own “Carnival Series” from Feb. 16 to March 2. The festivities feature €5 million guaranteed with 110 events. The €250 buy-in Main Event on March 1 features a €400,000 guarantee. That should have plenty of players in a festive spirit.

Platinum Passes on the line in Germany

Poker players in Germany have the chance to play for a Platinum Pass on their home turf March 10-15. The Road to PSPC: Hamburg will be held at Casino Schenefeld.

In addition to the first-place prize money, the winner of the €200 Main Event takes home a Platinum Pass. As many poker players know, that means a free trip and €22,500 entry into the PokerStars Players No Limit Championship (PSPC) in Barcelona Aug. 20-24.

Platinum Pass packages are valued at €26,000 and also include six nights’ luxury hotel accommodation, flights, and other travel expenses for the winner and guest.

Players can earn entry online for free through Freebuy satellites awarding tickets to even bigger qualifying tournaments. Online satellites are underway and run through March 8. Players can win complete tournament packages that include the Main Event entry and travel expenses.

Road to PSPC tournaments have been awarding Platinum Passes to players throughout the United Kingdom, France, and Spain since last year. The low buy-ins and fun atmosphere have make them popular events.

PokerStars Platinum Madness Challenge continues with 21 passes awarded

The PokerStars 21-day Platinum Madness Challenge continues through March 1. The promotion will award 21 Platinum Passes and a total of more than $1 million in prizes.

The challenge is available across .com markets. Separate challenges are also offering €500,000 in prizes including 21 Platinum Passes on the .fr and .es sites.

Players who like challenges and board games are in for a treat with the new promotion. Here’s how players can get in the action:

Opt-in via the Challenges Window.
Play real money games and earn Stars Rewards Chests containing dice rolls.
Roll the dice to move that number of spaces across the playing board and land on PSPC Chests to earn prizes. That includes a chance to win a Platinum Pass. Land on a ladder to climb upward and make it to the end of the board faster.
Complete the board and win additional prizes and more chances for a Platinum Pass.

Those making it all the way to Square 49 receive an additional PSPC Chest. This will contain a shot at one of five Platinum Passes and a larger reward than other PSPC Chests.

Players reaching the final square on the board also receive a ticket to the Last Chance Freeroll on March 2. The event offers the last pass opportunity as part of Platinum Madness.

PokerStars, EPT heading to Sochi with numerous online qualifiers

Hundreds of players will head to Russia’s Casino Sochi for one of PokerStars’ flagship events of 2020, EPT Sochi. The event is set for March 20-29 and special Freebuy feeder tournaments are already underway online.

These events have unlimited $0.11 rebuys, run every weekend, and each award one seat to the $215 qualifier. Those then take place on Sundays and guarantee up to eight Main Event seats.

PokerStars is also giving away EPT Sochi Main Event packages. These include accommodations in a five-star hotel, expenses, and the $4,500 Main Event buy-in. Players can take their shot in a $5 Spin & Go.

EPT Sochi features 25 events with the Main Event set for March 24-29. A Platinum Pass is also up for grabs for those who qualify for the Main Event online.

There is also plenty for players to enjoy off the felt in the mountain ski resort of Krasnaya Polyana. PokerStars will host the Bowling Cup on March 26 and Karaoke Battle on March 27.

Get online now for a chance at some big money and big fun at this EPT prestigious event.

Sunday Million anniversary celebration features $12.5 million guaranteed

PokerStars’ celebrates the 14th anniversary of the Sunday Million tournament in style on March 22. The $215 event features $12.5 million guaranteed, the site’s biggest guarantee and prize pool ever for a single event.

Players can win their way into this iconic tournament via satellites starting at less than $1. There will also be a late-registration period of 24 hours, giving players extra time to sign up.

The Sunday Million tournament launched on March 6, 2006. It remains the world’s biggest $1 million guaranteed weekly poker tournament.

The first tournament attracted 5,893 players, a total prize pool of $1.2 million. Canadian player “aaaaaaaa” won that event for $173,843. Another player will make some more Sunday Million history when this event concludes..

Click here for a complete review of PokerStars including the exclusive opportunity to earn $30 in Free Play and a 100% Deposit Match up to $600.

February 11, 2020

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.

Date	Event	Location
May 2020	MILLIONS Cyprus	Merit Casino
June 2020	MILLIONS Vegas	Aria Resort and Casino
August 2020	MILLIONS London	Park Lane Hilton
September 2020	MILLIONS Online	NA
November 2020	MILLIONS Caribbean Poker Party	Baha Mar, The Bahamas
2021 (exact date TBA)	MILLIONS Prague	Hilton 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.

January 22, 2020January 27, 2020

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?

PokerStars cash game players 👋🏻 – now’s the time to make your jump to @RunItOncePoker.#StarsBecomeLegends https://t.co/oE7znrCLrk pic.twitter.com/OBn5ZhBZH2

— Phil Galfond (@PhilGalfond) January 6, 2020

“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.”

December 12, 2019December 12, 2019

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 Tier	Buy-in Range	Prize 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	Low	Mid	High	High Roller
1	$150	$750	$2,500	$2,500
2	$100	$500	$1,500	$1,500
3	$75	$400	$1,000	$1,000
4	T$50	T$350	T$750	T$750
5	T$50	T$250	T$500	T$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.

November 29, 2019November 28, 2019

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.”

I have a BIG announcement to make! Details in the video below: pic.twitter.com/1xDTkglYmD

— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) November 20, 2019

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.”

April 29, 2019

China Bans Mobile Poker, But The Chinese Poker Scene Will Go On

Playing poker in China became much tougher this month. The country’s video game licensing bureau, the State Administration of Press and Publications, effectively banned mobile poker, leaving millions of players out of the game.

How the Chinese mobile poker ban happened

Last year, the government agency suspended the licensing of games for nine months. Officially, the suspension came as part of a government initiative to combat youth video game addiction.

The State Administration of Press and Publications, which is overseen by the Communist Party‘s propaganda department, has approved 795 new video games in the first quarter of 2019. However, none of those approved games include poker.

The effect of the hiatus on approvals has already shown. As the South China Morning Post noted,

“China’s gaming market, the world’s largest, recorded its slowest revenue growth in 2018 in at least a decade.”

Any company hoping to market a game in China must be licensed by the government. So, unfortunately, those titles featuring poker or card games are out of luck.

At a time when the game is an upswing, the ban certainly disappoints players and those in the industry.

Poker in China WAS a growing market

With 1.3 billion people, China represents a huge opportunity to grow the poker industry. Poker’s popularity in China had been growing in recent years, mostly online as a social game.

Gambling is illegal in the country, but social poker offered an alternative to heading to Macau or Hong Kong. In a 2016 Business Insider article, Global Poker League founder Alex Dreyfus said:

“Texas Hold’em is not part of the cultural roots of China, but this has changed in the last few years thanks to the introduction of free poker applications on mobile phones. Therefore, you have new generations of white-collar, educated and influential individuals that love the game and play regularly.”

At the time, he estimated 100 million Chinese citizens had downloaded poker games onto their devices. However, the Chinese government is now looking to stop that.

According to Niko Reports, regulators launched a “crackdown on titles in the poker and mah-jong genre after China’s government became concerned about real world money being used in these games.”

Beyond the ban, as of June 1, even discussing or promoting the game on social media will be outlawed. Some in the industry expect the moves to have a major negative impact on the Asian poker market. As Hong Kong Poker Players Association managing director Stephen Lai told the Morning Post,

“(The Asian market) was growing very fast, (but) now it is going to be more difficult for operators in Asia to organise poker events. Chinese players make up over half of the field.”

An inside perspective about the Chinese poker scene

Professional poker player Xuan Liu and her family immigrated to Toronto when she was 5. Born in Tianjin, China, Liu has almost $2 million in live tournament winnings and has played regularly in Asia.

On mainland China, poker has flourished even in a live atmosphere. Gambling is illegal on the mainland, but underground card rooms and even casinos do exist.

Liu believes those operations will continue.

“There has been significant interest in poker in China for awhile, but it’s always operated in the mainland in various shades of gray,” she said. “Those who really want to play will always find places to do so, whether it’s through the various local clubs that hold games, or online through VPNs and cashless play money sites.”

Liu also emphasized the importance of Chinese nationals playing in high profile events. A Chinese face at the EPT or the WSOP is critical to the growth of the game’s popularity on the mainland.

February 15, 2019September 20, 2022

Several US States Are Considering Launching Online Poker Sometime Soon

While the growing sports betting market has gotten plenty of news in recent months, poker players in the U.S. received some welcome news recently. A few states are making moves to launch online poker in the near future.

Pennsylvania

Most notably, Pennsylvania is in the process of trying to roll out online gaming, including poker, by the spring.

Only Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware currently have legal online poker. All three states share their player pools through a multi-state compact.

Pennsylvania hopes to become the fourth state to join that compact, which would expand the US player pool to almost double its current size. However, a recent reinterpretation of the Wire Act by the Department of Justice has thrown a wrench into that plan.

The DOJ opinion declares that the Act’s purview covers all types wagering across state lines, rather than just sports betting. The fallout from this opinion could potentially affect the existence of the compact, payment processing, and online poker itself.

As a result, Pennsylvania is likely to begin with intrastate poker only.

Kentucky

Nevertheless, other states appear to be interested in getting in the poker businesss. Kentucky is one of them.

State lawmakers have introduced a bill that would legalize sports betting, online poker, and fantasy sports. Even though there aren’t any casinos in the state, many feel the addition of sports betting fits in well with the state’s horse racing industry.

Rep. Adam Koenig (R – Erlanger) is chairman of the House Committee on Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations and introduced the legislation. Koenig told WDBR,

“You can bet on sports on this right now illegally. We have an opportunity now to make sure this is done legally, safely, and in a regulated fashion.”

According to Koenig’s bill, players over 18 would be allowed to play and operators would face a 6.75 percent tax on revenue. Lawmakers see online poker as a possible solution to the state’s broken pension system.

So far, the bill has several sponsors. Koenig believes it could pass the House. Movement on the issue may be slow, but offers the state’s poker players a glimmer of hope.

West Virginia

West Virginia was quick to get on the sports betting bandwagon in 2018. The Mountain State is now looking to add poker to the mix.

A new house bill, H 2178, would legalize online gambling in all forms including poker. The state’s lottery commission, which already oversees sports betting, would be charged with overseeing the expanded gaming options.

The bill also makes provisions for possibly joining interstate compacts if the issue became clearer in the courts. Similar to its sports betting expansion law, H 2178 would only allow five online gambling licenses, matching the same number of casinos in the state.

Thus, the state’s casinos would have the opportunity to run their own online games. They could also partner with other operators as has been seen in other states.

There might be a bit of delay in passing the bill, however. In January 2019, lottery officials announced that they would focus on the expansion of keno and limited video lottery terminals for right now.

They pledged to return to online gambling soon, though. The lottery just wants sports betting to be a bit more settled before piling on.

New York

In New York, it’s been a bit of a roller coaster ride for supporters of online gaming in the last few years. State Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. is hoping that recent news of a $2.3 billion budget deficit would propel his three-year plan to bring online poker and gaming to the state.

“When the governor is behind something, it moves. I would really hope to have the governor have an initiative behind the legalized expansion of gaming in our state. To maximize our potential as a state in this industry and for the recreational purposes of our residents, we need an initiative.”

It is possible that the state can legalize online poker as a game of skill. With a population of almost 20 million, the Empire State would become the largest state with legalized online poker.