PokerStars announces new live event format

PokerStars, an Amaya Inc. brand, today announced two new PokerStars sponsored global live tours, the PokerStars Championship and the PokerStars Festival. With the European Poker Tour (EPT) outgrowing its European borders, PokerStars is making its biggest live events even bigger, by encompassing key PokerStars sponsored events from around the world and bringing players worldwide the much-loved EPT experience.

From 2017 onwards (with the exception of New Jersey in 2016), PokerStars sponsored live events will be split into two categories: PokerStars Championship events and PokerStars Festival events, and will visit cities across the globe, such as New Jersey, Barcelona, London, Macau, Monte-Carlo, Nassau and Panama.

Pokerstars Championship
PokerStars Championship events will take place in major cities, organised by the most prestigious casinos across the globe, and are designed to deliver the best poker experience on the planet for players of all levels. A PokerStars Championship event will typically last 10-11 days and feature extensive schedules of up to 100 tournaments, including a €/$5,000 Main Event and a variety of cash games. The first PokerStars Championship event, the PokerStars Championship Bahamas, will kick off on Jan. 6 until Jan. 14 in the Bahamas, previously known as the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. Other confirmed PokerStars Championship stops are Barcelona, Monte-Carlo, Macau and Panama, with more stops to be announced in the coming months. The PokerStars Championship will feature a revamped Player of the Year competition, featuring a tournament leaderboard for each stop. The player who tops each individual leaderboard will win a VIP package, including accommodation and PokerStars Championship Main Event buy-in for the first PokerStars Championship the following year, plus entry into a special invitational tournament featuring $100,000 winner-takes-all first prize. More information on PokerStars Championships can be found on the website.

Pokerstars Festival
PokerStars Festival events are shorter live events lasting 6-7 days with a fun, holiday feel and a variety of events, mainly tailored for recreational players. The events will feature a more concise schedule of tournaments, including a Main Event with a buy-in in the range of $1,000-$1,500. Confirmed PokerStars Festival stops so far are New Jersey and London, with more stops to be announced in the coming months. More information on PokerStars Festival events can be found on the website.

Technological advances
The PSLive registration system has been enhanced with an online platform for players to register for tournaments prior to events, a new mobile app for all PokerStars Championship events, and self-serve terminals to streamline the registration process. A new website will be launched providing a single stop for everything related to PokerStars sponsored live events, while the various live event social media channels will be merged in January 2017 and renamed @PokerStarsLive.

Full-throttle gaming experience
Players can experience the usual innovation and expertise that comes with a PokerStars-sponsored live event – new formats, packed schedules, high quality staff and a variety of ways to qualify, such as Spin & Go qualifiers for certain events.