PokerStars announced on Tuesday the launch of a new live poker tour, but unlike most live tours, this one will be affordable for just about everybody. And I’m not talking “affordable” as in “poker affordable” like $565 buy-ins. No, the newly created Moneymaker PSPC Tour will feature headlining tournaments with buy-ins of just $86.
The 2018 World Series of Poker Main Event got underway this week and it just so happens that this year is the 15th anniversary of the moment that changed poker forever: Chris Moneymaker’s triumph in the most prestigious poker tournament on the planet. When the amateur from Tennessee beat Sammy Farha heads-up (including arguably the most memorable bluff in poker history), the poker boom was set off.
Moneymaker’s win blew up the intersection of televised and internet poker. He was the first player to win the WSOP Main Event after gaining entry via an online satellite, that legendary $86 qualifier on PokerStars that turned into a $2.5 million payday. And when poker fans and heck, non-fans, watched this nobody amateur beat the intimidating pro on ESPN, poker took off. It was the Moneymaker Effect.
So to celebrate, Chris Moneymaker and PokerStars have created a live poker tour (plus one online event) called the Moneymaker PSPC Tour in which each stop will feature an $86 buy-in tournament where the winner will receive a Platinum Pass.
“It’s been 15 years since the big win and it only feels like yesterday. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life and I want to give someone else the opportunity to feel that #winningmoment,” Moneymaker said in a press release (yes, the hashtag was included).
““I’ve played a lot of poker for years and during that time I’ve got to know lots of people at live events and meet-ups. Now U.S. fans will have the chance to win an amazing prize and have some fun along the way. Come join me to play, you never know, this could lead to a life-changing moment like I had. I am looking forward to playing with some familiar faces at every stop.”
The prize pool of each tournament will of course depend on how many people play, but the winner, in addition to prize money, will receive a $30,000 Platinum Pass prize package. This package includes a $25,000 seat in January’s PokerStars Player NL Hold’em Championship (PSPC) in the Bahamas, six nights’ accommodation, and $2,000 for travel and other expenses.
The first stop on the Moneymaker PSPC Tour will be at the Stones Gambling Hall in Citrus Heights, California, August 4th and 5th. Pokerstars has released the dates and locations of eight more tour stops, including the online event; an expanded schedule is expected in the coming months.
Below are the dates that are currently set:
August 4 – 5, 2018 – Stones Gambling Hall – Citrus Heights, California
August 19 – 26, 2018 – Lucky Chances – Colma, California
September 9, 2018 – Foxwoods Resort Casino – Mashantucket, Connecticut
September 15, 2018 – MGM National Harbor – Oxon Hill, Maryland
September 22, 2018 – Gardens Casino – Hawaiian Gardens, California
September 23, 2018 – Talking Stick – Scottsdale, Arizona
September 30, 2018 – PokerStarsNJ.com – ONLINE
October 7, 2018 – Mohegan Sun – Uncasville, Connecticut
October 10 – 14, 2018 – Maryland Live – Hanover, Maryland