PokerStars Players Championship Makes History as Richest and Biggest-ever $25,000 Poker Tournament

ONCHAN, Isle of Man, January 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

Ground-breaking PokerStars event generates record-breaking $26,455,500 prize pool including life-changing $5.1 million top prize

PokerStars, the flagship poker brand of The Stars Group, has shattered live poker records as 1,039 players entered to compete in the PokerStars Players No Limit Hold'em Championship (PSPC), generating the largest-ever prize pool for a $25,000 buy-in poker tournament. The PSPC will award more than $26,455,500 to 181 players, including $5.1 million for the winner, who will be crowned when the tournament concludes later this week. The final table alone will produce a total of six millionaires.

"Passion and interest in poker is alive and well in 2019, and this tournament highlights the global excitement for the game," said Eric Hollreiser, PokerStars Director of Poker Marketing. "Tens of thousands of players participated in a year of unique promotions leading up to the event and that enthusiasm delivered one of the most exciting events in poker history."

Players descended upon the Atlantis Resort & Casino on January 6 and 7 and were registering up to the very last minute to participate in the historic event. The massive field is comprised of diverse players from all over the world and a spectrum of experience from some of the game's best professionals to novices who won entry through one of the dozens of low buy-in and free-to-play competitions and giveaways PokerStars held in 2018. Over the past 13 months, PokerStars awarded 320 Platinum Pass packages, each worth $30,000, covering the player's buy-in, travel and accommodation.

"This tournament has been in the works for over a year and it's been super exciting to follow the journey of the many Platinum Pass winners," said Daniel Negreanu, PokerStars Ambassador. "I had a chance to meet many of them, and their excitement for this event is truly what poker is all about. The turnout was simply unbelievable! Over 1,000 players in a $25k buy-in. PokerStars did a fantastic job making this event happen, and the players themselves had input into everything from the blind structures to the payouts. It's truly been the No-Limit Holdem Players Championship."

The tournament broke records without counting the 320 Platinum Pass winners, smashing the previous attendance record for a $25,000 buy-in event, which was 639 entries, and the previous highest prize pool of $15,495,000.

The PSPC has brought together a mix of players who would not normally be found seated alongside each other in an event of this level of buy-in. Highly regarded players from online and live poker communities around the world took their seats alongside some of the finest and most familiar names in the game such as Patrick Antonius, Phil Hellmuth and Erik Seidel, not to mention PokerStars Ambassadors Chris Moneymaker, Daniel Negreanu, Jason Somerville, Randy Lew, Jennifer Shahade and Lex Veldhuis, as well as Twitch streamers, poker vloggers, and an abundance of recreational, and even new, players.

Adding some extra sparkle to the first event of its kind are some faces (and voices) well known outside of the poker tables such as the voice of the UFC Octagon Bruce Buffer, who kicked off the tournament by announcing 'Shuffle Up and Deal', former NBA star and ESPN analyst Paul Pierce, pro skateboarder Tony Hawk, and comedian, actor and writer Norm Macdonald. Golf pro Sergio Garcia also joined the event, although was among the casualties in day 1.

Many colourful, and often emotional, stories have arisen along the way, including those of Jacki Burkhart, Oliver Biles, and Nikhil Segel who all won their ticket to the Bahamas via the Platinum Pass Adventure. Shaun Lennon from Ireland and Dominique Lamy from France were also nominated to represent their country by their fellow countrymen.

Entry to the tournament is now closed. To keep up to date with all live reports from the PSPC visit the PokerStars Blog or watch the live stream daily from 12:30 ET at PokerStars.TV.

For further information, please contact press@pokerstarslive.com

About PokerStars
PokerStars operates the world's most popular online poker sites, serving the global poker community. Since it launched in 2001, PokerStars has become the first choice of players all over the world, with more daily tournaments than anywhere else and with the best online security. More than 182 billion hands have been dealt on PokerStars, which is more than any other site.

The Stars Group owns or licenses gaming and related consumer businesses and brands, including PokerStars, PokerStars Casino, BetStars, Full Tilt, Sky Bet, Sky Vegas, Sky Casino, Sky Bingo, Sky Poker and BetEasy as well as live poker tour and event brands, including the PokerStars Players No Limit Hold'em Championship, European Poker Tour, PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, Latin American Poker Tour, Asia Pacific Poker Tour, PokerStars Festival and PokerStars MEGASTACK. The Stars Group is one of the world's most licensed online gaming operators with its subsidiaries collectively holding licenses or approvals in 21 jurisdictions throughout the world, including in Europe, Australia, and the Americas.

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