The global poker community had a lot to celebrate in 2017 and one of the exciting announcements came in December when PokerStars announced the launch of its PokerStars Players No-Limit Hold'em Championship (PSPC).
The online poker giant announced that it would hold its inaugural PSPC in 2019 and confirmed that it will take place right before the 2019 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. One of the most noticeable features of the PSPC is that it has a $25,000 buy-in.
This means that the eventual guaranteed prize pool could turn into one of the largest guaranteed prize pools in poker history, depending on the number of player registrations.
PokerStars has given itself more than a year to promote and advertise this unique tournament and expects it to be a game changer in the global poker industry.
The lure of a possibly large payday is going to draw in a lot of the high-rolling professional poker players out there. However, PokerStars is also interested in attracting the normal player. This is why PokerStars will be releasing over 300 PSPC passes over the entirety of 2018.
These packages will be each worth $30,000, meaning that the company will be pumping in around $8 million into the PSPC over the coming year. Out of this total amount, $25,000 will be the buy-in, with the remaining $5,000 used for tickets and accommodation.
PokerStars has also confirmed that they will also be throwing in an additional $1 million to the prize pool in 2019.
In a statement, David Carrion, PokerStars Marketing Director said the PSPC is
an opportunity to put a show together for the poker fans and the poker players of all skill levels and of all countries. We want to create something that stands out in the entry level, in the prize pool, in the mix of players, for recreational players, for serious players, and for professional players. It’s our event for the players.
PokerStars will be releasing a number of PSPC passes each month which can be won at specified tournaments. The first path involves online players. On the PokerStars site, the winners of the Winter Series Main Event will each be getting a Platinum Pass. Four in total will be awarded. Next, the winners of the Winter Series All-in Shootout and the Monthly Sunday Cashers Final will each both get a pass.
There will also be several live paths to earn passes this January. There will be five passes available in this year's PCA Bahamas. Three Platinum Passes will be awarded in the PokerStars festival in London and another two in the BSOP Sao Paulo event. Additionally, the winners of the Italian Poker Open, the ACOP Platinum Series, and PokerStars MEGASTACK Ulster will each get one pass each. To find out more information on these tournaments and their dates, please visit the PokerStars website.
