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GAME OVER: PokerStars Announces Pullout of Russian Market in Light of Ukraine Invasion

PokerStars announced on Wednesday that the company would no longer be operating in the Russian market.

The fallout of the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to affect business operations around the world. Many international companies have pulled out of Russia in recent days and that includes online poker operators.

The latest came on Wednesday with PokerStars announcing it would be pulling out of the country.

“Important update: we are suspending all our services in Russia,” the company noted on Twitter.

PokerStars, partypoker out in Russia

The withdrawal of one of the world’s largest poker operators will leave many players in the country looking for another option. The move also follows partypoker exiting the market in early February.

Party had legal concerns regarding continued operations in the market.

“It’s correct we are removing services from various locations due to regulatory issues,” party Twitch and community manager Colette Stewart noted on the site’s Discord server.

Stars now seems to be continuing that trend with war raging in Ukraine. As PokerScout reported last week, operators aren’t scheduling live events in the country after the invasion. 

Party, GGPoker, 888poker, and the World Poker Tour have no events planned in the country at the moment. PokerStars also canceled the Sochi stop on the European Poker Tour that was planned in March.

“PokerStars can confirm that EPT Sochi has been canceled,” the company noted in a statement to PokerScout. “An event will not be held in Sochi until such time that it is safe for staff and players, and appropriate to do so.”

Punishing Putin or punishing players?

As more companies exit the Russian market, some critics argue these types of moves are punishing the Russian people instead of President Vladimir Putin. Others argue pressure on the country as a whole might help bring change to the country’s leadership.

As for poker, the country had been a growing market for online poker prior to the arms buildup and invasion. In the wake of increased sanctions on the country, online poker companies may also now see the country as just too challenging to continue operating.

As of now, at least PokerStars and partypoker see too much risk in taking on Russian players. No other operators had yet announced ceasing operations in the country as of Wednesday.

Several players on Twitter urged 888poker and GGPoker to follow the lead of PokerStars and partypoker. However, those companies’ haven’t made any announcements regarding operations in the country.

Poker players follow events in Ukraine

Like many around the world, poker players have watched events play out in Ukraine. Many players recently followed the plight of Ukrainian poker player and entrepreneur Eugene Katchalov. 

The former WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic winner was born in Ukraine, but his family moved to the United States when he was 2 years old. Katchalov moved back to Ukraine five years ago, but sought to get his family out of the country when fighting began.

As he and his family drove to the border, Katchalov gave a first-hand account of what was happening in the country. 

“Just saw two military helicopters fly overhead,” he noted. “Certainly haven’t felt nerves like this since 9/11 in Manhattan.”

The family eventually crossed into Hungary. Katchalov has continued offering updates from friends and family still in the country.

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Online Poker Operators, WPT Schedule Special Events for International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 and poker operators are offering some promotions to celebrate women in the game.

International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 and a few poker operators are offering some promotions in the coming days to celebrate women in the game.

The special day has been celebrated since 1914 and offers a day to reflect on gender equality and women’s role in society. In recent years, poker companies have worked to get more women in the game.

Those efforts continue as female players are recognized on International Women’s Day.

PokerStars celebrates with big Sunday event

Sunday is the biggest day of the week for online poker players and PokerStars is using March 13 as part of the Women’s Day festivities.

The Women’s Sunday tournament will feature even more on the line including €11,500 in live tournament packages and qualifier tickets. On top of the usual prize pool, the top 20 finishers win:

  • 1st – €8,500 EPT Monte Carlo Main Event package
  • 2nd – €2,800 France Poker Series Monte Carlo package
  • 3rd and 4th – €55 live event qualifier ticket
  • 5th – 20th – €5.50 live event qualifier ticket

“We know our community is excited to get back to the live felt and that women’s qualifiers to live events are something our players tell us they would like to see,” Stars associate director of consumer engagement and public relations Rebecca McAdam Willetts said in a news release.

“We’ve taken this on board and to celebrate International Women’s Day as one day in many where we want to engage and improve, we’ve given our female players an extra opportunity to win their way to one of our most loved events. Rewarding and giving opportunities to our communities is something we’re passionate about, and this is just one moment in which we plan to do so, with plenty more to come.”

Even more planned for Women’s Sunday

The weekly $22 Women’s Sunday tournaments provide a platform for players wishing to play with other women. A number of satellites are also offered from Thursday to Sunday, starting at just $0.22.

As part of the festivities, PokerStars ambassador GJ Reggie will play and stream the event on Twitch.

A bounty is also on her head in the form of a $215 ticket to the Sunday Million 16th anniversary event. That event runs March 20 with a $10 million guarantee.

“PokerStars is committed to the growth of the game and to supporting women in poker,” the company noted, “encouraging more to sit down and have fun at the tables, as well as ensuring women have a comfortable and safe place to play both live and online.”

GGPoker teams up with FLIP for special event

The Fantastic Ladies in Poker (FLIP) is also again teaming with GGPoker to offer a special event.

The $25 International Women’s Day Bounty Celebration plays out tonight with a $50,000 guarantee.

The event allows the site to recognize women in the game. GG has also run freerolls over the last week for entries into the tournament.

WPT highlights women’s organizations

The World Poker Tour is also getting in the act for International Women’s Day. The company is spotlighting four organizations advocating for women in poker including:

  • Ladies International Poker Series (LIPS)
  • Poker League of Nations (PLoN)
  • Poker Power
  • Women’s Poker Association (WPA)

LIPS is a nonprofit organization providing greater access to poker for women through live events across the United States.

“LIPS is the first poker tour established for women and expands the game of poker through live and online events across the US,” founder Lupe Soto said.

Poker League of Nations works to increase the participation of women in poker. The organization runs special events, staking opportunities, and an active online community. 

“Our community welcomes all who are aligned with our goal of empowering women through the game of poker,” CEO and founder Lena Evans said. “We aim to make women more confident in all facets of life through honing the skills necessary to be successful at the poker table”

Reaching out to players

Poker Power focuses on the connection between lessons present in the game and real-life application.

“Our organizations share a commitment to bring more women to the table and to empower them with game-changing skills,” Poker Power general manager Erin Lydon said.

“The power of poker is that by playing a game of strategy, we learn to master the game of leadership. As more women learn and play, the impact will be transformational for generations to come. It’s time to stop playing not to lose and start playing to win.” 

The WPA advocates for women in the poker industry by increasing the exposure of current female poker players. The group also hopes to foster new women players in the game. 

“It’s crucial that women, at any stage of their poker journey, always feel welcomed and supported, plus know what resources are available to them within the poker community,” WPA Vice President Tara Windsor-Smith said.

“Through strategic and thoughtful partnerships within the poker industry and purposeful WPA programs, we continue to bring awareness to women in poker within our industry.”

Recognizing women, special tournament

WPT management noted that it was proud to honor the women who have helped build and shape the company. Some of those include: 

  • Angelica Hael – vice president of tour management
  • Hermance Blum – vice president of marketing
  • Deborah Frazzetta – vice president of finance
  • Loc Sondheim – executive director of ad sales and distribution
  •  Cathy Zhao – senior director of tour management
  •  Mandy Glogow – supervising producer
  • Chelsea McGuire – senior director, business and legal affairs
  • Lynn Gilmartin – show anchor

The tour’s online subscription poker site, ClubWPT, is also hosting a special event with all those women above participating. The Women in Poker Bounty Tournament is set for Sunday and awards $9,000 in cash prizes and WPT Prime Passports.

The champion receives a $1,000 Passport. Each participating organization will also enter a designated player with a $1,000 Passport bounty.

The tour is awarding an extra $1,000 to the top tournament finishers. The action will stream live with Lynn Gilmartin as commentator, alongside WPT Honors recipient Linda Johnson and other guests.

“As we celebrate our 20-year anniversary, we are grateful to the women and men who continuously strive to increase the number of women in this game we love,” Hael said.

“We continue to be committed to increasing the number of people in our global poker ecosystem, and one of the ways we will achieve this is to energize, encourage, and empower more women to enjoy the game of poker.”

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PokerStars Streamer ‘Spraggy’ Collects GPI Honor; Stapleton, Hartigan Score Podcast Award

The Global Poker Awards were held recently in Las Vegas and PokerStars' Spraggy took the Streamer of the Year honor.

The Global Poker Awards were held recently in Las Vegas at Aria’s PokerGO Studio and honored some of the best players, media, and leaders in the industry.

As poker streaming continues to grow in popularity, the awards also single out one of the top streamers in the game. The event saw PokerStars ambassador Benjamin “Spraggy” Spragg walk away with the award for “Best Streamer.”

“Thanks to everybody … who watches my stream,” Spragg said during his acceptance speech. “Obviously without them, it’s just me talking to a webcam on my own at my house.”

Since joining Team PokerStars in 2015, Spragg has seen his Twitch poker stream grow in popularity during that time. He’s become one of the most successful streamers in the game.

The streamer category saw a packed field of talented streamers that included Lex Veldhuis, Kevin Martin, and Jonathan “apestyles” Van Fleet.

Spragg also thanked his wife for her support and the moderators who aid in his streaming efforts.

“Thank you everybody who I work with at PokerStars,” he added. “They’ve been great from day one and always given me support and resources to do my thing.

“And thank you everyone outside of PokerStars at other poker rooms, and Poker PROductions, who offer resources and support people making content. It’s a very important part I believe in growing the game. I thank everyone in those positions who make choices to give independent content creators opportunities like I’ve been given.”

Running hot, Spraggy also hits royal flush

Beyond the award and playing online, it looks like Spraggy also headed out for some live poker recently. He stayed in Las Vegas after the awards and Tweeted a hand from his action last week as well.

This particular hand saw the poker streamer land a nice royal flush. No word on the pot size or how the hand played out, but Spragg held the K♥J♥.

The Q♥J♦10♥came on the flop, giving him an open-end royal flush draw. The K♠ came on the river and then he hit the big one with the  A♥ on the river.

Things certainly seem to be going well at the tables and at the streaming mic of late for Spraggy.

Two other team members earn GPI hardware

The awards on the night didn’t stop there for the PokerStars team. The site’s regular commentary team of James Hartigan and Joe Stapleton also walked away with some honors.

The duo earned “Best Podcast” distinction for the “Poker in the Ears” podcast.

“Wow, thank you guys,” Stapleton, who is also a standup comedian, said in accepting the honor. “I did write something, but this was unexpected. This is actually a very cool win because this is not my win. I’m here accepting all the praise and the fanfare, and all the compliments, and hopefully all the sexual energy from this table over here.

“I get to receive all that, but I didn’t really win this. The show did, which is very, very cool. It’s not just me. Me and Hartigan and the people at PokerStars, who trust us and give us the resources to do our thing, all get to share in this. And I want you to know that there are people at PokerStars who care about putting out the best content in the entire poker industry.”

The return of the awards followed a 23-month hiatus, making the night’s celebrations a bit more special for those attending. For a complete look at all the night’s awards, click here.

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

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PokerStars Bounty Builder Series Returns; Live Poker Also Back With EPT-Monte Carlo, Regional Tours

The Bounty Builder Series PokerStars this month and the operator also announced the return of live EPT-Monte Carlo and regional tours.

Plenty of knockout action returns to PokerStars beginning on Sunday with a hefty schedule of events. The Bounty Builder Series is set to run on the international site and in Southern Europe from Feb. 27 to March 13.

Players will find a packed schedule, nice guarantees, and numerous opportunities to become a Bounty Builder champion.

Big guarantees and payouts at PokerStars

For online poker players on the international  PokerStars platform,  the festival features 196 events across two weeks of action. The festival offers a total guarantee of $25 million.

That includes two Main Events on March 13 with low and high buy-ins. The low event comes with a $55 buy-in and a $1 million guaranteed prize pool. The high event features a $530 buy-in with a $2 million guarantee.

Additionally, a $109 Sunday Million Special Edition runs every Sunday throughout the series. The first of those is set for Sunday, Feb. 27, with a $1 million guarantee

The second Sunday Million SE plays out on March 6 with a $215 buy-in and $1 million guarantee.

When the Bounty Builder action gets started, players will find mostly No Limit Hold’em with Omaha, HORSE, and a few other variants mixed in. Tournament types include turbo, heads-up, zoom, deepstack, win the button, and more. Here’s a look at the entire schedule.

2022 PokerStars Bounty Builder

DateTournament
Feb. 27#1: $109 NLHE [8-Max, Series Kickoff], $150K Gtd
Feb. 27#2: $55 NLHE, $150K Gtd
Feb. 27#3: $215 NLHE [8-Max, Warm-Up SE], $225K Gtd
Feb. 27#4: $109 NLHE [8-Max, Sunday Million SE], $1M Gtd
Feb. 27#5: $22 NLHE [8-Max, Sunday Mini Million SE], $275K Gtd
Feb. 27#6: $530 NLHE [8-Max, Bounty Builder HR SE], $500K Gtd
Feb. 27#7: $55 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Adrenaline 40BB], $80K Gtd
Feb. 27#8: $5,200 NLHE [8-Max, Titans Event], $500K Gtd
Feb. 27#9: $215 NLHE [8-Max], $225K Gtd
Feb. 27#10: $109 PLO [6-Max, Sunday KOmania SE], $50K Gtd
Feb. 27#11: $215 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Big Knockouts], $175K Gtd
Feb. 27#12: $530 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Sunday Cooldown SE], $175K Gtd
Feb. 27#13: $55 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Mini Sunday Supersonic SE], $125K Gtd
Feb. 27#14: $22 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Deepstack], $50K Gtd
Feb. 28#15: $55 NLHE [8-Max, Monday Marathon], $100K Gtd
Feb. 28#16: $109 NLHE, $150K Gtd
Feb. 28#17: $22 NLHE [7-Max], $100K Gtd
Feb. 28#18: $109 NLHE [8-Max, Monday Hustle], $200K Gtd
Feb. 28#19: $530 NLHE [8-Max, Bounty Builder HR SE], $175K Gtd
Feb. 28#20: $55 NLHE [8-Max, Mini Bounty Builder HR SE], $150K Gtd
Feb. 28#21: $55 NLHE [6-Max, Turbo, Adrenaline 25BB, Zoom], $60K Gtd
Feb. 28#22: $215 NLHE [6-Max, Monday 6-Max SE], $80K Gtd
Feb. 28#23: $22 HORSE, $12.5K Gtd
Feb. 28#24: $215 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Daily Cooldown SE], $100K Gtd
Feb. 28#25: $22 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo], $80K Gtd
Feb. 28#26: $109 NLHE [7-Max, Hyper-Turbo], $60K Gtd
Feb. 28#27: $55 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Adrenaline 15BB], $45K Gtd
March 1#28: $22 NLHE [8-Max, Freezeout], $50K Gtd
March 1#29: $109 NLHE [8-Max, Session Starter], $125K Gtd
March 1#30: $22 NLHE, $80K Gtd
March 1#31: $55 NLHE [8-Max, Mini Bounty Builder HR SE], $200K Gtd
March 1#32: $215 NLHE [8-Max, Tuesday Throwdown], $150K Gtd
March 1#33: $22 NLHE [8-Max], $125K Gtd
March 1#34: $55 NLHE [Heads-Up, Turbo, Heads-Up, Total KO, Zoom], $80K Gtd
March 1#35: $215 NLHE [8-Max, Mini Super Tuesday SE], $175K Gtd
March 1#36: $55 PLO8 [6-Max], $30K Gtd
March 1#37: $109 NLHE [Turbo, The Sprint SE], $100K Gtd
March 1#38: $22 NLHE [7-Max, Turbo], $60K Gtd
March 1#39: $109 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Supersonic SE], $70K Gtd
March 1#40: $55 NLHE [Hyper-Turbo], $45K Gtd
March 2#41: $109 NLHE [8-Max], $100K Gtd
March 2#42: $55 NLHE [Wednesday Marathon], $150K Gtd
March 2#43: $22 NLHE [8-Max, Big Knockouts], $100K Gtd
March 2#44: $215 NLHE [8-Max], $125K Gtd
March 2#45: $530 NLHE [8-Max, Midweek Rumble], $125K Gtd
March 2#46: $109 NLHE [8-Max], $100K Gtd
March 2#47: $55 NLHE [6-Max, Turbo, Adrenaline 25BB], $50K Gtd
March 2#48: $215 NLHE [Battle Royale SE], $125K Gtd
March 2#49: $11 6+ Hold'em [6-Max], $10K Gtd
March 2#50: $22 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo], $45K Gtd
March 2#51: $11 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Big Knockouts], $35K Gtd
March 2#52: $109 NLHE [8-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Deepstack], $60K Gtd
March 2#53: $55 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo], $45K Gtd
March 3#54: $22 NLHE [8-Max], $80K Gtd
March 3#55: $215 NLHE [7-Max, Session Starter], $100K Gtd
March 3#56: $109 NLHE [Freezeout], $100K Gtd
March 3#57: $55 NLHE [8-Max], $225K Gtd
March 3#58: $215 NLHE [8-Max, Mini Thursday Thrill SE], $225K Gtd
March 3#59: $1,050 NLHE [8-Max, Thursday Thrill SE], $250K Gtd
March 3#60: $55 NLHE [7-Max, Turbo, Last Player Standing], $60K Gtd
March 3#61: $109 NLHE, $150K Gtd
March 3#62: $55 NLO8 [8-Max], $25K Gtd
March 3#63: $22 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo], $60K Gtd
March 3#64: $215 NLHE [6-Max, Turbo, Big Knockouts], $80K Gtd
March 3#65: $55 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Supersonic SE], $40K Gtd
March 3#66: $11 NLHE [Hyper-Turbo], $25K Gtd
March 4#67: $109 NLHE [Friday Marathon], $100K Gtd
March 4#68: $55 NLHE [6-Max, Big Knockouts, Zoom], $65K Gtd
March 4#69: $22 NLHE [8-Max], $80K Gtd
March 4#70: $215 NLHE [8-Max], $100K Gtd
March 4#71: $530 NLHE [8-Max, Bounty Builder HR SE], $125K Gtd
March 4#72: $11 NLHE [8-Max], $100K Gtd
March 4#73: $55 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Adrenaline 25BB, Win The Button], $50K Gtd
March 4#74: $109 NLHE [7-Max], $150K Gtd
March 4#75: $22 PLO [6-Max], $30K Gtd
March 4#76: $215 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Daily Cooldown SE], $60K Gtd
March 4#77: $55 NLHE [3-Max, Turbo, Triple Threat SE, Zoom], $45K Gtd
March 4#78: $109 NLHE [7-Max, Hyper-Turbo], $60K Gtd
March 4#79: $22 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Flash Hyper], $35K Gtd
March 5#80: $55 NLHE [Saturday Eliminator SE], $80K Gtd
March 5#81: $109 NLHE, $100K Gtd
March 5#82: $215 NLHE [8-Max, Session Starter], $80K Gtd
March 5#83: $22 NLHE [8-Max, Deepstack], $200K Gtd
March 5#84: $109 NLHE [8-Max], $100K Gtd
March 5#85: $215 NLHE [8-Max, Big Knockouts], $150K Gtd
March 5#86: $55 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Total KO], $100K Gtd
March 5#87: $22 NLHE, $80K Gtd
March 5#88: $109 8-Game, $20K Gtd
March 5#89: $109 NLHE [6-Max, Turbo, The Sprint SE], $80K Gtd
March 5#90: $215 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Saturday Cooldown SE], $60K Gtd
March 5#91: $22 NLHE [8-Max, Hyper-Turbo], $35K Gtd
March 5#92: $55 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Adrenaline 15BB], $50K Gtd
March 6#93: $109 NLHE [8-Max, Sunday Kickoff SE], $175K Gtd
March 6#94: $55 NLHE [8-Max, Sunday Marathon SE], $125K Gtd
March 6#95: $11 NLHE [Win The Button], $60K Gtd
March 6#96: $109 NLHE, $175K Gtd
March 6#97: $215 NLHE [8-Max, Sunday Million SE], $1M Gtd
March 6#98: $22 NLHE [8-Max, Sunday Mini Million SE], $250K Gtd
March 6#99: $530 NLHE [8-Max, Bounty Builder HR SE], $350K Gtd
March 6#100: $55 NLHE [7-Max, Turbo, Last Player Standing], $60K Gtd
March 6#101: $109 NLHE [8-Max, Mini Sunday HR], $200K Gtd
March 6#102: $55 PLO [6-Max], $50K Gtd
March 6#103: $109 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Sunday Cooldown SE], $200K Gtd
March 6#104: $215 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Deepstack], $200K Gtd
March 6#105: $55 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Mini Sunday Supersonic SE], $125K Gtd
March 6#106: $109 NLHE [Hyper-Turbo, Big Knockouts], $80K Gtd
March 7#107: $55 NLHE [Session Starter], $100K Gtd
March 7#108: $22 NLHE [8-Max], $60K Gtd
March 7#109: $215 NLHE [8-Max], $100K Gtd
March 7#110: $11 NLHE [Total KO], $80K Gtd
March 7#111: $109 NLHE [Monday Deepstack], $200K Gtd
March 7#112: $530 NLHE [Bounty Builder HR SE], $160K Gtd
March 7#113: $55 NLHE [6-Max, Turbo, Zoom], $60K Gtd
March 7#114: $215 NLHE [8-Max], $100K Gtd
March 7#115: $22 NLO8 [8-Max], $15K Gtd
March 7#116: $109 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Daily Cooldown SE], $100K Gtd
March 7#117: $215 NLHE [7-Max, Turbo, Big Knockouts], $80K Gtd
March 7#118: $11 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Adrenaline 25BB], $35K Gtd
March 7#119: $22 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo], $40K Gtd
March 8#120: $55 NLHE [Tuesday Marathon], $60K Gtd
March 8#121: $109 NLHE [8-Max], $80K Gtd
March 8#122: $22 NLHE [6-Max, Win The Button], $80K Gtd
March 8#123: $109 NLHE [7-Max, Big Knockouts], $125K Gtd
March 8#124: $22 NLHE [8-Max], $125K Gtd
March 8#125: $215 NLHE [8-Max], $175K Gtd
March 8#126: $55 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Total Adrenaline 25BB], $60K Gtd
March 8#127: $109 NLHE [8-Max, Mini Super Tuesday SE], $100K Gtd
March 8#128: $55 NLO [6-Max], $30K Gtd
March 8#129: $215 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Bubble Rush], $50K Gtd
March 8#130: $22 NLHE [Turbo], $45K Gtd
March 8#131: $109 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Supersonic SE], $70K Gtd
March 8#132: $11 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo], $25K Gtd
March 9#133: $11 NLHE [8-Max], $60K Gtd
March 9#134: $215 NLHE [Session Starter], $100K Gtd
March 9#135: $22 NLHE [7-Max], $100K Gtd
March 9#136: $11 NLHE, $80K Gtd
March 9#137: $55 NLHE [Mini Bounty Builder HR SE], $150K Gtd
March 9#138: $215 NLHE [Midweek Marathon], $175K Gtd
March 9#139: $55 NLHE [3-Max, Turbo, Last Player Standing], $50K Gtd
March 9#140: $530 NLHE [8-Max], $125K Gtd
March 9#141: $55 PLO8 [6-Max], $20K Gtd
March 9#142: $109 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Daily Cooldown SE], $100K Gtd
March 9#143: $22 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Zoom], $45K Gtd
March 9#144: $109 NLHE [7-Max, Hyper-Turbo], $70K Gtd
March 9#145: $11 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Flash Hyper], $25K Gtd
March 10#146: $55 NLHE [8-Max], $80K Gtd
March 10#147: $215 NLHE [Thursday Marathon], $100K Gtd
March 10#148: $109 NLHE [8-Max, Deepstack], $100K Gtd
March 10#149: $55 NLHE [8-Max, Mini Bounty Builder HR SE], $200K Gtd
March 10#150: $215 NLHE [8-Max], $200K Gtd
March 10#151: $22 NLHE, $125K Gtd
March 10#152: $55 NLHE [Heads-Up, Turbo, Heads-Up TKO Zoom], $75K Gtd
March 10#153: $530 NLHE [8-Max, Half Price Thursday Thrill SE], $125K Gtd
March 10#154: $109 6+ Hold'em [6-Max], $12.5K Gtd
March 10#155: $109 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Daily Cooldown SE], $100K Gtd
March 10#156: $22 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Adrenaline 15BB], $40K Gtd
March 10#157: $55 NLHE [8-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Big Knockouts], $60K Gtd
March 10#158: $11 NLHE [Hyper-Turbo], $25K Gtd
March 11#159: $22 NLHE [8-Max], $80K Gtd
March 11#160: $55 NLHE [Session Starter], $100K Gtd
March 11#161: $11 NLHE [8-Max], $80K Gtd
March 11#162: $215 NLHE [8-Max, Friday Battle], $100K Gtd
March 11#163: $22 NLHE [6-Max], $100K Gtd
March 11#164: $109 NLHE [8-Max, Big Knockouts], $125K Gtd
March 11#165: $55 NLHE [Turbo, Adrenaline 25BB], $80K Gtd
March 11#166: $530 NLHE [8-Max], $100K Gtd
March 11#167: $11 PLO [6-Max], $20K Gtd
March 11#168: $55 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Last Player Standing], $60K Gtd
March 11#169: $109 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Daily Cooldown SE], $80K Gtd
March 11#170: $215 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Supersonic SE], $60K Gtd
March 11#171: $11 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Total KO], $35K Gtd
March 12#172: $55 NLHE [Saturday Marathon], $80K Gtd
March 12#173: $109 NLHE [Win The Button], $100K Gtd
March 12#174: $215 NLHE [8-Max], $100K Gtd
March 12#175: $22 NLHE [8-Max, Deepstack], $180K Gtd
March 12#176: $55 NLHE [8-Max, Mini Bounty Builder HR SE], $200K Gtd
March 12#177: $530 NLHE [8-Max, Bounty Builder HR SE], $125K Gtd
March 12#178: $55 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Big Knockouts], $80K Gtd
March 12#179: $109 NLHE, $125K Gtd
March 12#180: $215 NLO8 [6-Max], $35K Gtd
March 12#181: $22 NLHE [Turbo], $50K Gtd
March 12#182: $109 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Daily Cooldown SE], $80K Gtd
March 12#183: $22 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Last Player Standing], $50K Gtd
March 12#184: $55 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Flash Hyper], $45K Gtd
March 13#185: $55 NLHE [Deepstack], $150K Gtd
March 13#186: $109 NLHE [8-Max], $200K Gtd
March 13#187: $22 NLHE [6-Max], $150K Gtd
March 13#188: $215 NLHE, $350K Gtd
March 13#189: $55 NLHE [8-Max, Main Event - Low], $1M Gtd
March 13#190: $530 NLHE [8-Max, Main Event - High], $2M Gtd
March 13#191: $109 PLO [6-Max, PLO Main Event], $100K Gtd
March 13#192: $55 NLHE [8-Max, Big Knockouts], $200K Gtd
March 13#193: $109 NLHE, $175K Gtd
March 13#194: $215 NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Final Cooldown SE], $250K Gtd
March 13#195: $55 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Mini Sunday Supersonic SE], $125K Gtd
March 13#196: $109 NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Adrenaline 25BB, Big Knockouts], $80K Gtd

Bounty action also heads to Southern Europe

Players in Southern Europe are also in luck with a Bounty Builder Series. The festival promises 174 events all in the progressive knockouts (PKO) format.

In a PKO, players who eliminate another only earn a portion of that opponent’s bounty. The other portion is placed on the winning player’s head. This sees larger and larger bounties on players through the tournament.

PokerStars Southern Europe is available to players in:

The series guarantees more than €6 million, including three Main Events for a combined guarantee of €1 million. The €10 Main Event is set for the first day of action and guarantees €200,000.

The €50 Medium then runs on March 6 with a €300,000 guarantee and €250 High Main Event plays out on the last day for €500,000. Here’s a look at the complete schedule.

2022 PokerStars Southern Europe Bounty Builder

EventDateBuy-InTournamengGuarantee
1Feb. 27€ 108-Max€ 50,000
2Feb. 27€ 308-Max€ 50,000
3Feb. 27€ 1008-Max€ 50,000
4Feb. 27€ 50Warm Up€ 75,000
5Feb. 27€ 309-Max€ 60,000
6Feb. 27€ 10Main Event Low€ 200,000
7Feb. 27€ 30Sunday Slam€ 100,000
8Feb. 27€ 100Sunday Special - 2 day€ 150,000
9Feb. 27€ 250High Roller€ 40,000
10Feb. 27€ 20Turbo€ 20,000
11Feb. 27€ 506-Max Turbo€ 20,000
12Feb. 27€ 10Frenetik 6-Max€ 15,000
13Feb. 27€ 20Frenetik 8-Max€ 15,000
14Feb. 27€ 30Cooldown 6-Max€ 15,000
15Feb. 28€ 10Ultra KO 6-Max€ 20,000
16Feb. 28€ 306-Max€ 30,000
17Feb. 28€ 106-Max€ 40,000
18Feb. 28€ 208-Max€ 40,000
19Feb. 28€ 508-Max€ 30,000
20Feb. 28€ 100Super Monday€ 60,000
21Feb. 28€ 10Turbo€ 20,000
22Feb. 28€ 30Total KO 6-Max Turbo€ 12,500
23Feb. 28€ 20Adrenaline S (10BB)€ 10,000
24Feb. 28€ 50Frenetik 8-Max€ 15,000
25Feb. 28€ 30Cooldown Zoom Total KO€ 12,500
26March 1€ 209-Max€ 25,000
27March 1€ 50Total KO 6-Max€ 17,500
28March 1€ 10One Shot 8-Max (Freezeout)€ 25,000
29March 1€ 206-Max€ 35,000
30March 1€ 308-Max€ 30,000
31March 1€ 1006-Max€ 30,000
32March 1€ 20Ultra KO 6-Max Turbo€ 20,000
33March 1€ 30Turbo€ 20,000
34March 1€ 10Frenetik 8-Max€ 15,000
35March 1€ 50Frenetik 6-Max€ 15,000
36March 1€ 10Cooldown 6-Max€ 12,500
37March 2€ 108-Max€ 20,000
38March 2€ 30Ultra KO 6-Max€ 15,000
39March 2€ 109-Max€ 30,000
40March 2€ 206-Max€ 30,000
41March 2€ 30One Shot 9-Max (Freezeout)€ 25,000
42March 2€ 1006-Max€ 25,000
43March 2€ 108-Max Turbo€ 20,000
44March 2€ 30Total KO 6-Max Turbo€ 17,500
45March 2€ 10Adrenaline M (20BB)€ 10,000
46March 2€ 50Frenetik 8-Max€ 12,500
47March 2€ 10Cooldown Zoom€ 12,500
48March 3€ 20Total KO 6-Max€ 15,000
49March 3€ 1006-Max€ 25,000
50March 3€ 108-Max€ 40,000
51March 3€ 209-Max€ 40,000
52March 3€ 50Thursday Thrill 6-Max€ 60,000
53March 3€ 2506-Max€ 35,000
54March 3€ 20Ultra KO 6-Max Turbo€ 20,000
55March 3€ 30Turbo€ 20,000
56March 3€ 10Frenetik 8-Max€ 15,000
57March 3€ 20Frenetik 6-Max€ 15,000
58March 3€ 30Cooldown 6-Max€ 15,000
59March 4€ 20Ultra KO 6-Max€ 20,000
60March 4€ 508-Max€ 30,000
61March 4€ 106-Max€ 30,000
62March 4€ 208-Max€ 30,000
63March 4€ 306-Max€ 35,000
64March 4€ 1008-Max€ 30,000
65March 4€ 10Survivor 6-Max Turbo€ 10,000
66March 4€ 306-Max Turbo€ 20,000
67March 4€ 20Frenetik 6-Max€ 15,000
68March 4€ 50Adrenaline M (20BB)€ 10,000
69March 4€ 30Cooldown Zoom€ 12,500
70March 5€ 106-Max€ 25,000
71March 5€ 20Total KO 6-Max€ 15,000
72March 5€ 109-Max€ 40,000
73March 5€ 206-Max€ 35,000
74March 5€ 508-Max€ 30,000
75March 5€ 1006-Max€ 30,000
76March 5€ 10Ultra KO 6-Max Turbo€ 20,000
77March 5€ 506-Max Turbo€ 20,000
78March 5€ 20Frenetik 8-Max€ 15,000
79March 5€ 30Adrenaline L (30BB)€ 10,000
80March 5€ 10Cooldown 6-Max€ 12,500
81March 6€ 108-Max€ 50,000
82March 6€ 308-Max€ 50,000
83March 6€ 1008-Max€ 50,000
84March 6€ 50Warm Up€ 75,000
85March 6€ 309-Max€ 60,000
86March 6€ 10Classico€ 75,000
87March 6€ 30Sunday Slam€ 75,000
88March 6€ 50Main Event Medium€ 300,000
89March 6€ 250High Roller€ 40,000
90March 6€ 20Turbo€ 20,000
91March 6€ 506-Max Turbo€ 20,000
92March 6€ 10Frenetik 6-Max€ 15,000
93March 6€ 20Frenetik 8-Max€ 15,000
94March 6€ 30Cooldown 6-Max€ 15,000
95March 7€ 108-Max€ 25,000
96March 7€ 30Ultra KO 6-Max€ 20,000
97March 7€ 106-Max€ 40,000
98March 7€ 208-Max€ 40,000
99March 7€ 50One Shot 8-Max (Freezeout)€ 25,000
100March 7€ 100Super Monday€ 60,000
101March 7€ 10Total KO 6-Max Turbo€ 12,500
102March 7€ 30Turbo€ 20,000
103March 7€ 20Frenetik 6-Max€ 15,000
104March 7€ 50Frenetik 8-Max€ 15,000
105March 7€ 30Cooldown Zoom Total KO€ 12,500
106March 8€ 20Total KO 6-Max€ 15,000
107March 8€ 509-Max€ 30,000
108March 8€ 108-Max€ 35,000
109March 8€ 206-Max€ 35,000
110March 8€ 308-Max€ 35,000
111March 8€ 100One Shot 6-Max - Freezeout€ 20,000
112March 8€ 20Turbo€ 20,000
113March 8€ 30Survivor 6-Max Turbo€ 10,000
114March 8€ 10Frenetik 8-Max€ 15,000
115March 8€ 50Frenetik 6-Max€ 15,000
116March 8€ 10Cooldown 6-Max€ 12,500
117March 9€ 10Ultra KO 6-Max€ 15,000
118March 9€ 308-Max€ 30,000
119March 9€ 109-Max€ 30,000
120March 9€ 20One Shot 6-Max - Freezeout€ 20,000
121March 9€ 309-Max€ 35,000
122March 9€ 1006-Max€ 30,000
123March 9€ 10Total KO 6-Max Turbo€ 12,500
124March 9€ 308-Max Turbo€ 20,000
125March 9€ 10Adrenaline S (10BB)€ 10,000
126March 9€ 50Frenetik 8-Max€ 12,500
127March 9€ 10Cooldown Zoom€ 12,500
128March 10€ 20Total KO 6-Max€ 15,000
129March 10€ 1006-Max€ 25,000
130March 10€ 108-Max€ 40,000
131March 10€ 209-Max€ 40,000
132March 10€ 50Thursday Thrill 6-Max€ 60,000
133March 10€ 250One Shot 6-Max - Freezeout€ 25,000
134March 10€ 20Turbo€ 20,000
135March 10€ 30Ultra KO 6-Max Turbo€ 20,000
136March 10€ 10Frenetik 8-Max€ 15,000
137March 10€ 20Frenetik 6-Max€ 15,000
138March 10€ 30Cooldown 6-Max€ 15,000
139March 11€ 20Ultra KO 6-Max€ 20,000
140March 11€ 508-Max€ 30,000
141March 11€ 106-Max€ 30,000
142March 11€ 208-Max€ 30,000
143March 11€ 306-Max€ 35,000
144March 11€ 1008-Max€ 30,000
145March 11€ 106-Max Turbo€ 15,000
146March 11€ 30Total KO 6-Max Turbo€ 12,500
147March 11€ 20Frenetik 6-Max€ 12,500
148March 11€ 50Adrenaline L (30BB)€ 10,000
149March 11€ 30Cooldown Zoom€ 12,500
150March 12€ 10Total KO 6-Max€ 15,000
151March 12€ 206-Max€ 25,000
152March 12€ 109-Max€ 40,000
153March 12€ 206-Max€ 35,000
154March 12€ 508-Max€ 30,000
155March 12€ 1006-Max€ 30,000
156March 12€ 10Ultra KO 6-Max Turbo€ 20,000
157March 12€ 506-Max Turbo€ 20,000
158March 12€ 20Frenetik 8-Max€ 15,000
159March 12€ 30Frenetik 6-Max€ 15,000
160March 12€ 10Cooldown 6-Max€ 12,500
161March 13€ 108-Max€ 50,000
162March 13€ 308-Max€ 50,000
163March 13€ 1008-Max€ 50,000
164March 13€ 50Warm Up€ 75,000
165March 13€ 309-Max€ 60,000
166March 13€ 10Classico€ 75,000
167March 13€ 30Sunday Slam€ 100,000
168March 13€ 100Sunday Special - 2 day€ 150,000
169March 13€ 250Main Event High€ 500,000
170March 13€ 20Turbo€ 20,000
171March 13€ 506-Max Turbo€ 20,000
172March 13€ 10Frenetik 6-Max€ 15,000
173March 13€ 20Frenetik 8-Max€ 15,000
174March 13€ 30Cooldown 6-Max€ 15,000
TOTAL GUARANTEE€ 6,002,500

PokerStars Live returns with Monte Carlo event, online qualifying begins

In other news, PokerStars announced another live series on Wednesday as well as the return of the operator’s regional tours. The Monte Carlo stop returns to the European Poker Tour (EPT) from April 28 – May 7.

“The PokerStars community has been awaiting the return of more live events, and PokerStars’ ambition for 2022 is to provide players with the best experiences possible, while keeping health and safety a top priority,” the company noted in a news release.

Online qualifiers for the Monte Carlo stop as well as EPT Prague, which runs from March 5-16, are already underway. For Prague, players will find mega satellites over the next two weekends. Those events guarantee 10 tournament packages.

Monte Carlo qualifiers also begin on Wednesday including free opportunities and low buy-in events. Daily freerolls are available and feeder satellites start at just €1.10. Some highlights from the Monte Carlo series include:

  • €100,000 Super High Roller – May 1-3
  • €5,300 Main Event – May 2-7
  • €25,000 High Roller – May 5-7

As at the Prague event, PokerStars has numerous extras planned for EPT-Monte Carlo players. That includes exclusive merchandise, ambassador interaction, competitions for prizes such as helicopter transfers and Ferrari rides, and more.

Live regional tours also return

Beyond the EPT, players around the world will also find PokerStars’ regional tours returning after a five-year hiatus. The Eureka (Europe), UKIPT (United Kingdom), ESPT(Spain), and FPS (France, Europe) are all back for 2022. The tours will kick off next month with:

  • Eureka Prague – March 6-10
  • ESPT Madrid Gran Via – March 28 to April 3
  • UKIPT London – April 4-10
  • FPS Monte-Carlo – April 28 to May 2
  • Eureka Rozvadov – May 20-29
  • FPS Divonne – Oct. 4-9
  • FPS Aix-en-Provence – Nov. 22-27

PokerStars officials are pleased to see the live action return to the EPT and regional tours.

“EPT Monte Carlo is a favorite for many, and we’re pleased we can now share details for the event along with the exciting announcement that regional tours are back,” Stars managing director and commercial officer Severin Rasset said in a news release.

“We understand that these are uncertain times for everyone. The health and safety of our players and staff is paramount to our plans and we’ll continue to communicate openly with players as each event approaches. Live events have always been a big part of PokerStars, and we can’t wait to get back to the live felt and hope to see many of our players at events soon.”

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Skill Building: PokerStars Teams Up With Raise Your Edge Training Site; SCOOP Dates Announced

PokerStars announced a new partnership with the Raise Your Edge training site on Thursday, revamping its poker education efforts.

PokerStars announced a new partnership with the Raise Your Edge training site on Thursday. The news comes after the company added German poker pro and Raise Your Edge founder Benjamin “Bencb” Rolle as a poker ambassadors last year.

The signing aligned with changes and additions to the company’s poker training program. That included the transition of the former PokerStars School to the PokerStars Learn program.

“I am excited to utilize both of our brands to build the game of poker,” Rolle said in a news release. “Wherever you are in the poker journey, I believe we have created something that can provide value to all players and look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together.

”And for those who have decided to learn more of the game’s concepts, they are going to benefit greatly from this partnership.”

Transitioning poker training at PokerStars

As part of the agreement, PokerStars and Raise Your Edge combine to provide current and new players with exclusive content. Players will find live training and courses to improve their poker skills and strategy.

Raise Your Edge will “support the community in improving their game,” Stars notes. The companies will produce weekly videos with topics ranging from mindset to basic strategies for all PokerStars games. New free courses will also focus on:

  • Multi-table tournaments
  • Cash games
  • Sit & Go’s
  • Live poker

Raise Your Edge was founded in 2016 and has assisted more than 100,000 players around the world. The companies will utilize the PokerStars Discord, allowing students to ask strategy-related questions directly.

Rolle has a deep history of online poker success. He won the SCOOP (Spring Championship of Online Poker) main event in 2014 for $250,000.

In 2016, Rolle took down a WCOOP (World Championship of Online Poker) Super High Roller title for $1.2 million. From 2013-15 he was among the top 10  players at the Sit & Go tables, according to SharkScope. He took the top spot in those rankings in 2015.

Along with serving as a coach and ambassador, streaming on his Twitch channel is also part of his role with Stars. He also regularly offers poker advice on Twitter as well.

A growing trend in strategy and coaching from online poker sites

Bringing more players into the game is obviously a major goal for online poker operators. Keeping those players winning at least to some degree also gives operators the chance to keep these new customers.

Poker training and education has become a bigger part of that equation for poker sites in recent years. Those players who find some success, rather than losing continually, remain happier and have more fun at the tables.

Stars also recently introduced the Level Up With Lex training feature. These videos make use of artificial intelligence with PokerStars ambassador Lex Veldhuis offering players strategy advice as a virtual coach.

Level Up is geared toward Sit & Go play for now. The concept naturally gears tips based on a player’s own style of play. 

Most major operators also offer some form of training to varying degrees. Partypoker offers the MyGame Whiz, a training tool offering advice and reporting a player’s strengths and weaknesses. GGPoker offers its own Online Poker School for players of all levels.

PokerStars Learn is now hoping to grow its training options with Raise Your Edge. Beginning on Wednesday, players at the company’s international, United Kingdom, Brazilian, German, Russian, Spanish (Latin American), and Italian sites will find three new training videos.

Several courses are available for players of all levels and learners can learn at their own pace.

PokerStars announces SCOOP dates

In other PokerStars news, the site also announced the dates for this year’s SCOOP.  The series has become one of the biggest online poker festivals in the world.

This year’s festivities are set to begin on May 8 and run through June 1. The 2021 SCOOP featured  more than 1.7 million entries across 102 low, medium, and high buy-in events.

SCOOP paid out almost $140 million to players last year, easily topping the $100 million. That total helped the series top $1 billion in payouts since its inception.

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Video Vibes: Lex Veldhuis Talks About His Role in PokerStars’ New ‘Level Up With Lex’ Feature

Lex Veldhuis spoke with PokerScout about his role with PokerStars new "Level Up With Lex" training tool and the feedback so far.

PokerStars launched the “Level Up With Lex” training option in early December. The feature gives players personalized strategy advice from site ambassador Lex Veldhuis using artificial intelligence and personalized videos.

Level Up WIth Lex offers a high-tech approach to honing a player’s skills. Veldhuis’s tips focus on improvement and education based on that player’s actual playing style. 

After two months, players from around the world have had a chance to check out the feature. Veldhuis recently spoke with PokeScout about Level Up and his role in developing the strategy tool.

A unique PokerStars training development

Level Up With Lex offers PokerStars players their own virtual coach. The technology reads and analyzes hand histories to detect mistakes as players play at the online tables.

Veldhuis believes the feature doesn’t just offer players a chance to improve, but is also an entertaining way for players to work on their skills.

“I think what really sets Level Up With Lex apart is that it’s a player-supporting tool that makes the community’s experiences in poker more pleasurable and fun,” he says, “while giving them highly personalized advice that’s easy to take on board, using innovative technology.”

The option can also be especially helpful to new players and shorten the time needed to see tangible results.

“I think that when you start playing poker it can be very daunting,” he says. “What hands do you play? What’s the strategy for a good starting hand – especially in real money games? I think the learning curve can be quite imposing.”

Veldhuis also likes the personalized aspect – giving players a coach in their corner.

“I think something that can help you not feel alone is getting the video from Level Up With Lex that points out some mistakes,” he says. “It also triggers a little bit of thinking about the depth of the strategy and really shows the depth of the game.”

Lending his voice

As one of the most popular Twitch poker streamers, educating other players is a big part of Veldhuis’s platform. PokerStars thought those aspects made the Dutch poker pro a good fit.

He also likes new players being able to watch one of his Level Up strategy videos and then heading to his Twitch stream to ask for even more advice.

“I think it’s a really cool first step to show them that they can find more information elsewhere, be helped and taught, and that they can share their interest in poker with like-minded people,” he says.

The actual video and voice production was a lengthy process. Beyond recording, he also made suggestions on voice lines and helped work on the wording in certain contexts.

“But all the learning content was done by the wonderful team that has a lot of experience working with the tool, knowing what works best and giving the right information for players,” Veldhuis says.

“I did about 20 hours of voice recording, which was quite funny. I must admit, it felt a little bit awkward at first – being on a Zoom call with four other people and having to say the line three or four times with different types of emotions. It was a fun process.”

The Level Up With Lex host battling it out at the live poker tables. The new toolk has received positive feedback so far. (photos courtesy PokerStars)

A helping hand

Educating other players has always been a part of Veldhuis’s platform. That motivation may come from his own days as a beginner in the game.

Early in his career while playing $1/$2 tables, Veldhuis wrote to a few poker pros asking for some advice. Some actually responded and Veldhuis found that extremely motivational and appreciated their efforts. The Level Up With Lex feature now allows him to extend some of his own efforts to help other players as well. The response may even serve as a springboard for even more strategy content from Veldhuis.

“It was an ‘all in this together’ kind of feeling and I think that’s really powerful,” he says. “I already have that through Twitch because I give people a lot of advice, which I enjoy, but Level Up With Lex is in a more traditional educational way.

“It’s not as reactive as when I’m streaming live, I’m speaking and interacting with the audience. Level Up With Lex is actually something that people use without me knowing and the most surprising thing is that it’s really triggered some sort of creativity for me and a sense of new things I would like to try.



Feedback and leveling up

There’s no shortage of strategy content available to players. However, Level Up brings something new to an online poker platform. Players get a video review of their play right in the software client.

So far, Veldhuis has been pleased with some of the feedback he’s received on the feature. For example, a friend playing Spin & Go’s and watched the video advice.

The player found the option a non-intrusive way of receiving feedback and a nice way to examine his playing habits.

“He said what it showed in the video was that what he was doing was actually a big mistake and he felt the challenge to play better next time,” Veldhuis says. “So that was pretty much the best feedback I could have gotten, so I was glad to hear that, and online in the Twitch chat I’ve had community members who have had experience with it and really liked it too.”

Appealing to new players

Level Up is currently available for players at PokerStars Sit & Go tables. The company continues taking in feedback from players. For now, the tool is meant for beginners looking to improve their experience.

As more operators look to bring in new players and appeal to recreational players, Level Up With Lex offers a unique part of those efforts. The tool is meant to make players’ first poker experiences more pleasurable, safe, and fun.

Those who see improvements have a better chance of cashing in tournaments. That offers operators a chance to keep more players in the game and having fun.

“Generally, the thing I hear is that it’s a playful way to try and get better and I really think that poker should be like that,” Veldhuis says. “I think if you keep it as easy access for people and give them tips and point out bigger mistakes in a playful way, I think that goes a long way. So I’m really glad it’s being received that way.”

Lex Veldhuis encourages players to visit his Twitch channel and offer their own feedback on Level Up With Lex. he notes: “I have a very welcoming, chilled community, so there’s always plenty of advice from them as well.”

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PokerStars MicroMillions Coming to Southern Europe, Italy; ‘True Geordie’ Brings Back Live Series

PokerStars' MicroMillions series is set for Southern Europe and Italy from Jan. 30 to Feb. 13 with €6 million in guaranteed prize pools.

The lower roller action returns to PokerStars in January and February for players in Southern Europe and Italy. The MicroMillions series is set for these two platforms from Jan. 30 to Feb. 13.

Players will find more than €6 million in guaranteed prize pools across the two series. PokerStars Southern Europe is available to players in Spain, France, and Portugal. The Italian platform is a ringed-in environment for players in that country.

The site has also announced that site ambassador, YouTube sensation, and Twitch streamer Brian “True Geordie”Davis is bringing back his live poker series.

What to expect from PokerStars’ MicroMillions Southern Europe

The MicroMillions has become a popular series for PokerStars. The festival allows players to find some nice prize pools at bargain price points.

Players will find a packed schedule of 198 events in Southern Europe with a total guarantee of more than €4 million. The €50 Six-Max progressive knockout Main Event highlights the series on Feb. 6 with a €300,000 guarantee.

Buy-ins start at just €2 and players can win their way into the series via qualifiers starting at just €0.20. New depositors can also win an entry into a MicroMillions Depositor Freeroll. That event offers €25,000 worth of Main Event tickets up for grabs. Here’s a look at the complete series.

PokerStars’ MicroMillions Southern Europe 2022

EvDateEventBuy-in Guarantee
1Jan. 30Deep PKO 8-Max€ 30€ 75,000
2Jan. 30Deep PKO 8-Max€ 10€ 40,000
3Jan. 30SuperStack€ 5€ 17,500
4Jan. 30Total KO 6-Max€ 20€ 35,000
5Jan. 30Bounty Builder 8-Max€ 2€ 7,500
6Jan. 30Ultra KO 6-Max€ 5€ 17,500
7Jan. 30The Classic PKO€ 10€ 75,000
8Jan. 30Sunday Slam€ 30€ 125,000
9Jan. 30High Roller 6-Max - 2 Day€ 50€ 75,000
10Jan. 30Bounty Builder 8-Max€ 20€ 35,000
11Jan. 30Bounty Builder€ 5€ 10,000
12Jan. 306-Max Turbo€ 30€ 20,000
13Jan. 30Bounty Builder 8-Max Turbo€ 10€ 20,000
14Jan. 30Bounty Builder 6-Max Turbo€ 20€ 25,000
15Jan. 31Total KO 8-Max€ 5€ 10,000
16Jan. 31SuperStack 6-Max€ 10€ 17,500
17Jan. 31NLHE€ 5€ 10,000
18Jan. 31Bounty Builder€ 20€ 30,000
19Jan. 316-Max€ 5€ 10,000
20Jan. 31Bounty Builder 8-Max€ 10€ 30,000
21Jan. 31High Roller Bounty Builder 6-Max€ 50€ 40,000
22Jan. 31Bubble Rush€ 5€ 7,500
23Jan. 31PLO PKO 6-Max€ 10€ 5,000
24Jan. 31Alternating Blinds PKO Turbo€ 10€ 12,500
25Jan. 31Ultra KO 6-Max Turbo€ 20€ 17,500
26Jan. 31Bounty Builder 8-Max Turbo€ 5€ 10,000
27Jan. 31Total KO 6-Max Turbo€ 20€ 10,000
28Feb. 1Ultra KO 6-Max€ 10€ 17,500
29Feb. 1NLHE€ 5€ 10,000
30Feb. 1SuperStack PKO 8-Max€ 20€ 30,000
31Feb. 1PLO 6-Max€ 5€ 3,000
32Feb. 16-Max€ 2€ 5,000
33Feb. 1Bounty Builder 6-Max€ 30€ 40,000
34Feb. 18-Max€ 5€ 10,000
35Feb. 1SuperStack 6-Max€ 10€ 17,500
36Feb. 1Bounty Builder€ 5€ 12,500
37Feb. 1Total KO 8-Max Turbo€ 20€ 17,500
38Feb. 1Turbo€ 10€ 10,000
39Feb. 16-Max Turbo€ 5€ 7,500
40Feb. 1Bounty Builder 6-Max Turbo€ 10€ 17,500
41Feb. 26-Max€ 20€ 17,500
42Feb. 2Bounty Builder€ 5€ 15,000
43Feb. 26-Max€ 10€ 10,000
44Feb. 2Ultra KO 8-Max€ 30€ 20,000
45Feb. 2Total KO 6-Max€ 10€ 17,500
46Feb. 2Bounty Builder 8-Max€ 10€ 25,000
47Feb. 2NLHE€ 5€ 10,000
48Feb. 26-Max€ 10€ 17,500
49Feb. 2SuperStack PKO 8-Max€ 5€ 12,500
50Feb. 26-Max Turbo€ 10€ 15,000
51Feb. 2PLO PKO 6-Max Turbo€ 20€ 5,000
52Feb. 2Ultra KO 6-Max Turbo€ 5€ 10,000
53Feb. 2Ultra KO 6-Max Turbo€ 20€ 17,500
54Feb. 3Bounty Builder 8-Max€ 20€ 30,000
55Feb. 3PLO PKO 6-Max€ 10€ 4,000
56Feb. 3Bubble Rush PKO 6-Max€ 5€ 10,000
57Feb. 3NLHE€ 10€ 15,000
58Feb. 36-Max€ 5€ 10,000
59Feb. 3Bounty Builder 8-Max€ 10€ 25,000
60Feb. 3High Roller Bounty Builder 6-Max€ 50€ 40,000
61Feb. 38-Max€ 20€ 17,500
62Feb. 3Ultra KO 6-Max€ 10€ 17,500
63Feb. 3SuperStack PKO 8-Max Turbo€ 5€ 12,500
64Feb. 3Bounty Builder 6-Max Turbo€ 30€ 20,000
65Feb. 3Total KO 6-Max Turbo€ 5€ 7,500
66Feb. 3Bounty Builder 8-Max Turbo€ 10€ 15,000
67Feb. 4Total KO 6-Max€ 30€ 20,000
68Feb. 4SuperStack PKO€ 5€ 15,000
69Feb. 4SuperStack PKO 6-Max€ 10€ 20,000
70Feb. 4NLHE€ 20€ 15,000
71Feb. 4PLO 6-Max€ 5€ 3,000
72Feb. 46-Max€ 10€ 17,500
73Feb. 4Bounty Builder 6-Max€ 20€ 40,000
74Feb. 4Total KO 8-Max€ 5€ 15,000
75Feb. 48-Max€ 10€ 10,000
76Feb. 4Alternating Blinds PKO Turbo€ 20€ 20,000
77Feb. 4Bounty Builder 6-Max Turbo€ 5€ 15,000
78Feb. 48-Max Turbo€ 5€ 10,000
79Feb. 4Bounty Builder 6-Max Turbo€ 20€ 20,000
80Feb. 5Ultra KO 6-Max€ 20€ 25,000
81Feb. 58-Max€ 5€ 10,000
82Feb. 5Total KO 8-Max€ 10€ 15,000
83Feb. 56-Max€ 5€ 12,500
84Feb. 5Bounty Builder 6-Max€ 30€ 35,000
85Feb. 5Bounty Builder 8-Max€ 10€ 30,000
86Feb. 56-Max€ 20€ 12,500
87Feb. 58-Max€ 5€ 12,500
88Feb. 5Bounty Builder€ 20€ 25,000
89Feb. 5PKO 8-Max Turbo€ 5€ 15,000
90Feb. 5Ultra KO 6-Max Turbo€ 10€ 17,500
91Feb. 5Bounty Builder 6-Max Turbo€ 5€ 10,000
92Feb. 5Bounty Builder 8-Max Turbo€ 10€ 17,500
93Feb. 6Deep PKO 8-Max€ 30€ 75,000
94Feb. 6Deep PKO 8-Max€ 10€ 40,000
95Feb. 6SuperStack€ 5€ 17,500
96Feb. 6Total KO 6-Max€ 20€ 40,000
97Feb. 6Bounty Builder 8-Max€ 2€ 5,000
98Feb. 6Ultra KO 6-Max€ 5€ 17,500
99Feb. 6The Classic PKO€ 10€ 75,000
100Feb. 6Main Event PKO 6-Max€ 50€ 300,000
101Feb. 6Super High Roller Bounty Builder 6-Max€ 100€ 100,000
102Feb. 6Bounty Builder 8-Max€ 20€ 40,000
103Feb. 6NLHE€ 5€ 12,500
104Feb. 66-Max Turbo€ 30€ 20,000
105Feb. 6Bounty Builder 8-Max Turbo€ 10€ 25,000
106Feb. 6Bounty Builder 6-Max Turbo€ 20€ 25,000
107Feb. 7Total KO 8-Max€ 10€ 12,500
108Feb. 7SuperStack 6-Max€ 20€ 17,500
109Feb. 7NLHE€ 10€ 12,500
110Feb. 7Bounty Builder€ 5€ 12,500
111Feb. 76-Max€ 10€ 10,000
112Feb. 7Bounty Builder 8-Max€ 20€ 40,000
113Feb. 7High Roller Bounty Builder 6-Max€ 50€ 40,000
114Feb. 7Bubble Rush€ 5€ 10,000
115Feb. 7PLO PKO 6-Max€ 10€ 5,000
116Feb. 7Alternating Blinds PKO Turbo€ 5€ 10,000
117Feb. 7Ultra KO 6-Max Turbo€ 30€ 20,000
118Feb. 7Turbo€ 5€ 5,000
119Feb. 7Ultra KO 6-Max Turbo€ 20€ 17,500
120Feb. 8Ultra KO 6-Max€ 5€ 10,000
121Feb. 8NLHE€ 10€ 12,500
122Feb. 8SuperStack PKO 8-Max€ 20€ 30,000
123Feb. 8PLO 6-Max€ 20€ 4,000
124Feb. 86-Max€ 2€ 4,000
125Feb. 8Bounty Builder 6-Max€ 10€ 25,000
126Feb. 88-Max€ 5€ 10,000
127Feb. 8SuperStack 6-Max€ 30€ 17,500
128Feb. 8PKO€ 10€ 17,500
129Feb. 8Bounty Builder 8-Max Turbo€ 10€ 17,500
130Feb. 8Total KO 6-Max Turbo€ 20€ 12,500
131Feb. 8Bounty Builder 8-Max Turbo€ 5€ 10,000
132Feb. 86-Max Turbo€ 10€ 10,000
133Feb. 96-Max€ 30€ 17,500
134Feb. 9Bounty Builder€ 5€ 12,500
135Feb. 96-Max€ 10€ 10,000
136Feb. 9Ultra KO 8-Max€ 20€ 17,500
137Feb. 9Total KO 6-Max€ 5€ 10,000
138Feb. 9Bounty Builder 8-Max€ 20€ 30,000
139Feb. 9NLHE€ 10€ 12,500
140Feb. 96-Max€ 5€ 10,000
141Feb. 9SuperStack PKO 8-Max€ 10€ 20,000
142Feb. 96-Max Turbo€ 10€ 10,000
143Feb. 9PLO PKO 6-Max Turbo€ 30€ 5,000
144Feb. 9Ultra KO 8-Max Turbo€ 5€ 10,000
145Feb. 9Bounty Builder 6-Max Turbo€ 20€ 20,000
146Feb. 10Bounty Builder 8-Max€ 20€ 40,000
147Feb. 10PLO PKO 6-Max€ 5€ 4,000
148Feb. 10Bubble Rush PKO 6-Max€ 10€ 15,000
149Feb. 10NLHE€ 10€ 12,500
150Feb. 106-Max€ 5€ 10,000
151Feb. 10Bounty Builder 8-Max€ 20€ 35,000
152Feb. 10High Roller Bounty Builder 6-Max€ 50€ 40,000
153Feb. 108-Max€ 5€ 10,000
154Feb. 10Ultra KO 6-Max€ 10€ 17,500
155Feb. 10SuperStack PKO 8-Max Turbo€ 30€ 25,000
156Feb. 10Bounty Builder 6-Max Turbo€ 10€ 20,000
157Feb. 10Bounty Builder 6-Max Turbo€ 5€ 12,500
158Feb. 106-Max Turbo€ 10€ 10,000
159Feb. 11Total KO 6-Max€ 30€ 20,000
160Feb. 11SuperStack PKO€ 5€ 15,000
161Feb. 11SuperStack PKO 6-Max€ 10€ 20,000
162Feb. 11NLHE€ 20€ 15,000
163Feb. 11PLO 6-Max€ 5€ 3,000
164Feb. 116-Max€ 10€ 17,500
165Feb. 11Bounty Builder 6-Max€ 20€ 40,000
166Feb. 11Total KO 8-Max€ 5€ 15,000
167Feb. 11NLHE€ 10€ 10,000
168Feb. 11Alternating Blinds PKO Turbo€ 20€ 20,000
169Feb. 11Bounty Builder 6-Max Turbo€ 5€ 15,000
170Feb. 118-Max Turbo€ 5€ 10,000
171Feb. 11Bounty Builder 6-Max Turbo€ 20€ 20,000
172Feb. 12Ultra KO 6-Max€ 20€ 25,000
173Feb. 128-Max€ 5€ 10,000
174Feb. 12Total KO 8-Max€ 10€ 15,000
175Feb. 126-Max€ 5€ 12,500
176Feb. 12Bounty Builder 6-Max€ 30€ 35,000
177Feb. 12Bounty Builder 8-Max€ 10€ 30,000
178Feb. 126-Max€ 20€ 12,500
179Feb. 128-Max€ 5€ 12,500
180Feb. 12Bounty Builder€ 20€ 25,000
181Feb. 12PKO 8-Max Turbo€ 5€ 15,000
182Feb. 12Ultra KO 6-Max Turbo€ 10€ 17,500
183Feb. 12Bounty Builder 6-Max Turbo€ 5€ 10,000
184Feb. 12Bounty Builder 8-Max Turbo€ 10€ 17,500
185Feb. 13Deep PKO 8-Max€ 30€ 75,000
186Feb. 13Deep PKO 8-Max€ 10€ 40,000
187Feb. 13SuperStack€ 5€ 17,500
188Feb. 13Total KO 6-Max€ 20€ 35,000
189Feb. 13Bounty Builder 8-Max€ 2€ 7,500
190Feb. 13Ultra KO 6-Max€ 5€ 17,500
191Feb. 13The Classic PKO€ 10€ 75,000
192Feb. 13Sunday Slam€ 30€ 125,000
193Feb. 13High Roller 6-Max - 2 Day€ 50€ 75,000
194Feb. 13Bounty Builder 8-Max€ 20€ 35,000
195Feb. 136-Max€ 5€ 10,000
196Feb. 136-Max Turbo€ 30€ 20,000
197Feb. 13Bounty Builder 8-Max Turbo€ 10€ 20,000
198Feb. 13Bounty Builder 6-Max Turbo€ 20€ 10,000

MicroMillions also comes to Italy

Italian players also have a lot to look forward to with the MicroMillions series. The schedule runs on the same dates as in Southern Europe and features 140 events and €2 million guaranteed.

The €50 Main Event is set for Feb. 13 with a €200,000 guarantee. Players can qualify for the series through satellites starting at just €0.50.

A Depositor Freeroll is also planned for Italy with another €25,000 in Main Event tickets given away to players. Here’s a look at the complete series.

PokerStars’ MicroMillions Italy 2022

DateEventGuarantee (€)Buy-In (€)
Jan. 30777 THE FLEX125007
Jan. 30THE TRADITIONAL40002
Jan. 30THE GLORIOUS200005
Jan. 30COLOSSAL STACK3000020
Jan. 30THE BIG4000010
Jan. 30THE SHARK GENERATOR50002
Jan. 30ROYAL RUMBLE2500020
Jan. 30MICRO RACE1250010
Jan. 30HEADS UP ZOOM TOTAL KO50005
Jan. 30BOUNTY HUNGER1500020
Jan. 31777 THE FLEX100007
Jan. 31THE TRADITIONAL30002
Jan. 31THE GLORIOUS150005
Jan. 31COLOSSAL STACK2500020
Jan. 31THE BIG3000010
Jan. 31THE SHARK GENERATOR40002
Jan. 31ROYAL RUMBLE2000020
Jan. 31MICRO RACE1000010
Jan. 316MAX HYPER50005
Feb. 1777 THE FLEX100007
Feb. 1THE TRADITIONAL30002
Feb. 1THE GLORIOUS150005
Feb. 1COLOSSAL STACK2500020
Feb. 1THE BIG3000010
Feb. 1THE SHARK GENERATOR40002
Feb. 1ROYAL RUMBLE2000020
Feb. 1MICRO RACE1000010
Feb. 1BOUNTY QUADS50005
Feb. 2777 THE FLEX100007
Feb. 2THE TRADITIONAL30002
Feb. 2THE GLORIOUS150005
Feb. 2COLOSSAL STACK2500020
Feb. 2THE BIG3000010
Feb. 2THE SHARK GENERATOR40002
Feb. 2ROYAL RUMBLE2000020
Feb. 2MICRO RACE1000010
Feb. 2BOUNTY HIBERNATE50005
Feb. 3777 THE FLEX100007
Feb. 3THE TRADITIONAL30002
Feb. 3THE GLORIOUS150005
Feb. 3COLOSSAL STACK2500020
Feb. 3THE BIG3000010
Feb. 3THE SHARK GENERATOR40002
Feb. 3ROYAL RUMBLE2000020
Feb. 3MICRO RACE1000010
Feb. 3TRIO50005
Feb. 3ADRENALINE1000020
Feb. 4777 THE FLEX77777
Feb. 4THE TRADITIONAL20002
Feb. 4THE GLORIOUS125005
Feb. 4COLOSSAL STACK2000020
Feb. 4THE BIG2000010
Feb. 4THE SHARK GENERATOR30002
Feb. 4ROYAL RUMBLE2000020
Feb. 4MICRO RACE1000010
Feb. 4OMAHA30005
Feb. 5777 THE FLEX77777
Feb. 5THE TRADITIONAL20002
Feb. 5THE GLORIOUS125005
Feb. 5COLOSSAL STACK2000020
Feb. 5THE BIG2000010
Feb. 5THE SHARK GENERATOR30002
Feb. 5ROYAL RUMBLE2000020
Feb. 5MICRO RACE1000010
Feb. 56MAX TOTAL KO30005
Feb. 6777 THE FLEX125007
Feb. 6THE TRADITIONAL40002
Feb. 6THE GLORIOUS200005
Feb. 6COLOSSAL STACK3000020
Feb. 6THE BIG4000010
Feb. 6THE SHARK GENERATOR50002
Feb. 6ROYAL RUMBLE2500020
Feb. 6MICRO RACE1250010
Feb. 6HEADS UP ZOOM TOTAL KO50005
Feb. 6BOUNTY HUNGER1500020
Feb. 7777 THE FLEX100007
Feb. 7THE TRADITIONAL30002
Feb. 7THE GLORIOUS150005
Feb. 7COLOSSAL STACK2500020
Feb. 7THE BIG3000010
Feb. 7THE SHARK GENERATOR40002
Feb. 7ROYAL RUMBLE2000020
Feb. 7MICRO RACE1000010
Feb. 76MAX HYPER50005
Feb. 8777 THE FLEX100007
Feb. 8THE TRADITIONAL30002
Feb. 8THE GLORIOUS150005
Feb. 8COLOSSAL STACK2500020
Feb. 8THE BIG3000010
Feb. 8THE SHARK GENERATOR40002
Feb. 8ROYAL RUMBLE2000020
Feb. 8MICRO RACE1000010
Feb. 8BOUNTY QUADS50005
Feb. 9777 THE FLEX100007
Feb. 9THE TRADITIONAL30002
Feb. 9THE GLORIOUS150005
Feb. 9COLOSSAL STACK2500020
Feb. 9THE BIG3000010
Feb. 9THE SHARK GENERATOR40002
Feb. 9ROYAL RUMBLE2000020
Feb. 9MICRO RACE1000010
Feb. 9BOUNTY HIBERNATE50005
Feb. 10777 THE FLEX100007
Feb. 10THE TRADITIONAL30002
Feb. 10THE GLORIOUS150005
Feb. 10COLOSSAL STACK2500020
Feb. 10THE BIG3000010
Feb. 10THE SHARK GENERATOR40002
Feb. 10ROYAL RUMBLE2000020
Feb. 10MICRO RACE1000010
Feb. 10TRIO50005
Feb. 10ADRENALINE1000020
Feb. 11777 THE FLEX77777
Feb. 11THE TRADITIONAL20002
Feb. 11THE GLORIOUS125005
Feb. 11COLOSSAL STACK2000020
Feb. 11THE BIG2000010
Feb. 11THE SHARK GENERATOR30002
Feb. 11ROYAL RUMBLE2000020
Feb. 11MICRO RACE1000010
Feb. 11OMAHA30005
Feb. 12777 THE FLEX77777
Feb. 12THE TRADITIONAL20002
Feb. 12THE GLORIOUS125005
Feb. 12COLOSSAL STACK2000020
Feb. 12THE BIG2000010
Feb. 12THE SHARK GENERATOR30002
Feb. 12ROYAL RUMBLE2000020
Feb. 12MICRO RACE1000010
Feb. 126MAX TOTAL KO30005
Feb. 13777 THE FLEX125007
Feb. 13THE TRADITIONAL20002
Feb. 13THE GLORIOUS200005
Feb. 13COLOSSAL STACK3000020
Feb. 13THE BIG6000010
Feb. 13THE SHARK GENERATOR50002
Feb. 13MAIN EVENT20000050
Feb. 13MICRO RACE1250010
Feb. 13HEADS UP ZOOM TOTAL KO50005
Feb. 13BOUNTY HUNGER1500020

‘True Geordie’ Showdown series returns

PokerStars ambassador True Geordie Brian “True Geordie” Davis.

In other PokerStars news, English YouTube star and site ambassador Brian “True Geordie” Davis is bringing back his live-streamed poker series “The Showdown.”

The series is part of True Geordie’s journey with PokerStars to go from amateur to professional poker player. The series was set to return Jan. 27 with several more episodes planned.

The 2021 version saw 10 episodes including several special guests such as James Buckley, Spencer Owen, and Jody Morris. PokerStars ambassadors Ben “Spraggy” Spragg and Mason “Pye_Face21” Pye also made an appearance.

“We’re so excited about bringing the series back and making more and more improvements to really make it the best online poker show it can be,” Davis said in a news release. We have more big guests lined up and more shows, so people can expect to see a lot more of The Showdown.”

Social media star to PokerStars

With 3.5 million social media followers, True Geordie’s streams regularly attract thousands of viewers. He often reaches the top spot in the Twitch “poker” category. One highlight from 2021 was cashing for more than $7,000 in a SCOOP event.

After each Showdown episode, fans can join the True Geordie Home Game Club to practice their skills in regular tournaments. Davis even drops in to play from time to time.

True Geordie fans can also improve their skills by visiting PokerStars Learn. The educational hub offers tutorials to suit players of all levels.


PokerStars’ renewed partnership with Davis follows the True Geordie x PokerStars event in October at Hippodrome Casino in London. More than 80 fans participated in a shootout tournament with finalists playing against Geordie himself at the final table.

Davis considers the event the highlight of his time working with PokerStars so far.

“We got the chance to meet loads of fans and have a proper night out with them,” he says. “The tournament was great, and we had so many messages afterwards from people saying how much they enjoyed it and asking for another event.”

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

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VROOM, VROOM: Online Poker’s Formula One Love Affair Continues With PokerStars-Red Bull Deal

PokerStars announced a partnership with Formula One’s Red Bull Racing team on Friday, adding to a growing trend.

Online poker operators continue expanding their footprints into the world of auto racing. PokerStars announced a partnership with Formula One’s Red Bull Racing on Friday.

The deal offers the company increased promotion in a growing international sport. Operators have seen Formula One as an opportunity to attract new players to the industry. The thinking goes that racing fans who enjoy action on the track may also enjoy some action on the virtual poker felt as well.

“Red Bull Racing is an ideal fit for PokerStars because it’s not just about what you offer fans and players but the ethos and vision behind how you offer it,” PokerStars’ parent company Flutter International CEO Dan Taylor said in a news release. “Part of our vision for PokerStars is to create the world’s most epic casino, built on player experiences, giving our community moments they’ll never forget.

“Red Bull Racing’s phenomenal success is built on their bold, innovative, and passionate ethos, which has led to incredible success both on the track and in becoming one of the world’s most popular sports brands. We’re looking forward to working with the Team and sharing further developments as the 2022 season approaches. We wish the Red Bull Racing team all the best for their new campaign.”

 

PokerStars adds to its Formula One presence

This isn’t the first foray into Formula One for PokerStars. The company’s parent group, Flutter International, announced in June 2021 that it had partnered with Interregional Sports Group (ISG) and Formula One.

That agreement sees the Stars brand featured exclusively throughout the European broadcast market for each season through 2023. The Red Bull deal comes ahead of the 2022 Formula One season and now links Stars not just to the racing circuit but to an individual team.

“The new relationship enables both Red Bull Racing and PokerStars to reach audiences who share similar passions and interests, while rewarding and engaging existing fans and players in new and unique ways with Formula One-fueled entertainment, as well as epic experiences, promotions, competitions, and content,” the company notes.

Red Bull will feature PokerStars branding on the RB18 car and race suits. F1 remains the most popular auto racing circuit in the world.

“Following last year’s blockbuster Formula One season, I am delighted to kick off 2022 by announcing PokerStars as a new partner,” Red Bull racing team principal and CEO Christian Horner said. “In our sport we see constant evolution, not only applied to the cars but also to new technologies that are focused on reaching the sport’s global fanbase to provide new and interactive experiences for them to enjoy.”

Growing promotional and content opportunities

The Formula One opportunity offers some unique content and promotional possibilities for PokerStars. The company envisions a wide-ranging promotional and content-creation campaign.

That will be seen across PokerStars’ full poker, casino, and sports betting platforms. The Reb Bull brand trends to a younger audience, a market rife for adding new players.

Stars isn’t the only online operator in the Formula One fold. Partypoker announced a deal in May 2021 with McLaren Racing.

The company has used the partnership to create contests for players as well as racing-themed tournaments. Party has also created a video series offering behind-the-scenes insight and interviews with McLaren insiders.

The need for sponsorship dollars is a symbiotic relationship. Running a Formula One team costs tens of millions of dollars each year. Sponsors are critical and help subsidize a team’s budget.

In turn, sponsors gain access to a passionate fan base. In the case of online poker companies, bring in new players is key. Formula One adds to the industry’s efforts at converting some of those race fans to poker fans.

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