PokerStars Resurrects the EPT with a PokerStars Players Championship

6 years ago
PokerStars Resurrects the EPT with a PokerStars Players Championship
09:24
18 Dec

PokerStars announced the return of the regional tours and a brand new $25k Tournament with $9 million of added value. 

Not long after the celebrated return of the PCA, PokerStars announced the return of the European Poker Tour (EPT), the Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) and the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) in 2018. No word yet on the status of the UKIPT and the NAPT but they will likely remain canceled. 

The LAPT and the APPT are very important regional events and their return will be celebrated, the EPT, however, is the third most important series of the global poker calendar. When the EPT brand was replaced it had a popular TV broadcast, one of the most viewed poker live streams in multiple languages and a podcast, it has a high status, even amongst casual poker fans, that the PokerStars Championship brand could never achieve.

The return of the regional tournament series, particularly the EPT, would be huge news on its own, but a second announcement has overshadowed it, on these events, players will get a chance to win a seat to a brand new PokerStars tournament - the PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC)



Introducing the PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship

The PSPC will have a $25,000 buy-in and will take place for four days starting January 6 at the Bahamas, serving as a lead-in to the 2019 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. PokerStars will add $9 million to the pot, $1 million guaranteed for the champion and $8 million in the form of "Platinum Passes"

Platinum Passes are packages valued $30,000 each, they will cover the buy-in to the PSPC and six-night accommodation at Atlantis Resort Nassau plus travel expenses

The most ingenious aspect about this Willy Wonka like promotion is how Platinum Passes will be awarded, both Online and Live players will compete to qualify for only 320 Platinum Passes throughout the 2018 PokerStars tournament schedule. 

Every entrant in a major online tournament series such as the Championships Of Online Poker (WCOOP, SCOOP, TCOOP), the MicroMillions, Sunday Million and the Sunday Storm will receive a ticket to take part in a Platinum Pass freeroll. 

Meanwhile, all major online and live Main Event winners will receive a platinum pass automatically, meaning that live tournament players will have to win a main event from the resurrected EPT, LAPT, or APPT to qualify.

Online Cash game and Sit & Go players will get a chance to win a Platinum Pass through challenges, special promotions, and the loyalty program. PokerStars will announce other qualifying methods sometime next year.

This event comes as an attempt to regain the trust of the poker community after a series of very unpopular and anti-consumer business decisions by Stars Group (formerly Amaya).


NOTE: Despite the positive tone of this article, it was not sponsored or requested by Stars Group, they actually did something cool for once.


Articles 96

Latin American Poker and Film Blogger. When he's not playing Stud 8, he's complaining that not many people play Stud 8.Read more

Comments

You need to be logged in to post a new comment

No Comments found.