One of the worst parts about the UIGEA was the removal of the States of America from the global poker pool. Instead of having chances to earn passage into major international poker tournaments, those in the States have been left to languish (unless they wanted to travel to a friendly country!). PokerStars is trying to alleviate that issue – somewhat – by offering six opportunities for players in the U. S. to get into the 2023 rebirth of the PokerStars Players’ Championship.
Want To Freeroll to the PSPC?
The reason there is a “somewhat” in that last sentence above is that you will have to be in one of the three states that PokerStars is permitted to serve with their product. In Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New Jersey, the state specific PokerStars online sites will be offering their “Golden Ticket” Promotion. Through this promotion, three Platinum Passes – which will cover travel expenses and the $25,000 buy-in to the PSPC – will be awarded, one in each of the mentioned states.
Right now, players in those three states can opt-in to participate in the “Golden Ticket” Promotion. In this promotion, players will have to play one hand of poker with a minimum buy-in of $1. The player then will receive a “mystery chest” which, upon opening, could contain a “Golden Ticket” pass to the Platinum Pass freerolls to be held on November 8. Win the Platinum Pass freeroll, and you’re on your way to the Baha Mar Resort in Nassau, the Bahamas, in January 2023 for the PSPC.
Fall Fest Also Holds Three Platinum Passes
Those lucky players in that triumvirate of states have a second chance to pick up a Platinum Pass during the upcoming PokerStars Fall Fest.
The PokerStars Fall Fest will run between November 11-28, a humongous 120-event series that will feature buy-ins of all levels. There are guaranteed prize pools of $2 million for the players across those three different tournament series. Pennsylvania will get $1 million to offer to its players, while Michigan gets $500,000 and New Jersey gets $400,000 to spread to its players. The Main Event in each state will be a $200 buy-in tournament and guarantees of $150,000 in Pennsylvania, $100,000 in Michigan, and $50,000 in New Jersey have been set.
Each of the Fall Fest tournaments in those three states will have a “Player of the Series” leaderboard. In each of those three leaderboards, a certain number of players will compete for those prized Platinum Passes through a freeroll on November 29. In Pennsylvania, the top 500 on the leaderboard will play in a freeroll, with 300 players in Michigan and 200 players in New Jersey battling it out with their fellow state residents for the right to go to the Bahamas in January 2023.
Return of the PSPC
The PokerStars Players’ Championship was a brilliant concept from the start. A $25,000 buy-in tournament to draw in the “high rollers,” PokerStars wanted to give the Average Joe a shot at taking part. Through the usage of the Platinum Pass, several hundred players got to take part in the tournament in its inaugural year. In 2019, 1,039 players would flood the Atlantis Resort during the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure to take part in the PSPC, making it the biggest $25,000 event in poker history. Ramon Colillas, one of the recipients of a Platinum Pass to enter the tournament, would walk away as the champion of the inaugural tournament.
Colillas has proven to also be the “only” champion of the PSPC. In 2020, PokerStars canceled the PSPC due to the COVID pandemic and, through fits and starts, was not able to have a second PSPC – until 2023. Earlier this year, PokerStars announced that the 2023 PSPC would take place in the Bahamas, and, finally, Colillas would get a shot at defending his title.
If you’re fortunate enough to be in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Michigan, you’ve got your chance at one of the Platinum Passes for the PokerStars Players’ Championship! Head to the state-specific sites (sorry, if you live elsewhere, geolocation will keep you from playing) and get your poker mojo going – perhaps you’ll find yourself in the Caribbean in January!