Pokerstars takes over Latin America in March with double down on sponsored live events

POKERSTARS TAKES OVER LATIN AMERICA IN MARCH WITH DOUBLE DOWN ON SPONSORED LIVE EVENTS

Win a seat to Brazil Series of Poker Main Event from as little as $11

ONCHAN, Isle of Man – February 2017 – PokerStars is giving players another opportunity to experience Latin America’s thriving poker scene this March with the PokerStars sponsored  Brazil Series of Poker (BSOP) São Paulo that runs March 23-28. With online qualifiers for the inaugural PokerStars Championship Panama event having now come to an end, players still have time to win packages to BSOP São Paulo, which takes place just a few days after. Online qualifiers start from as little as $0.33 at PokerStars, an Amaya Inc. (NASDAQ:AYA; TSX:AYA) brand.

POKERSTARS TAKES OVER LATIN AMERICA IN MARCH WITH DOUBLE DOWN ON SPONSORED LIVE EVENTSOnline satellites to PokerStars Championship Panama continue to run until March 5. including a special $11 satellite running on February 26 giving away five packages worth more than $40,000 in total.

Players who have already qualified for PokerStars Championship Panama, which takes place from March 10-20 at the Sortis Hotel, Spa & Casino, Panama City, can use this as an opportunity to take in more of Latin America by qualifying for BSOP São Paulo, which takes place at the Sheraton São Paulo WTC Hotel, from March 23-28. Brazilian Team PokerStars Pro Andre Akkari commented: “Players attending the BSOP São Paulo can expect a fantastic, professional event. Poker is incredibly popular in Brazil and the carnival BSOP atmosphere really has to be experienced to be believed.”

ROUTES TO ENTRY

Seats to the $930 Main Event and packages worth $1,520 can be won via a wide range of satellites at PokerStars from just $0.33 to $215. Packages include a Main Event buy-in worth $930, six nights’ accommodation at the Sheraton São Paulo WTC Hotel with free internet and breakfast from March 23-29, and $590 spending money.

BSOP: “LIKE PLAYING AT THE MARACANÔ

Earlier this month in Uruguay, Akkari made his first appearance on a BSOP Main Event final table, having narrowly missed out a few times before, at Punta del Este. The Team PokerStars Pro finished in seventh place when his AQ lost out to pocket threes leaving him with $15,340 for his efforts.

POKERSTARS TAKES OVER LATIN AMERICA IN MARCH WITH DOUBLE DOWN ON SPONSORED LIVE EVENTSHe said: “I felt really proud to make it to the final table of BSOP Uruguay, especially as BSOP is the biggest tournament in Latin America and brings great players to the felt. Playing in BSOP is like playing at the Maracanã Stadium for me. In São Paulo, with my supporters, I’ll take it down and keep the BSOP São Paulo title at home!”

BSOP SÃO PAULO
Location: March 23–28, Sheraton São Paulo WTC Hotel
Qualify: Online satellites run until March 23 at PokerStars
Package: Main Event buy-in worth $930, six nights at the Sheraton WTC from March 23-29 with free internet and breakfast included, and $590 spending money

BSOP returns to São Paulo in July before heading to Foz Do Iguazu in August and back to São Paulo for the BSOP Millions in November offering plenty more opportunity for poker action in 2017.

POKER CHIPS FOR A GOLD CHIP AND A CHAIR

In addition to qualifying for the BSOP and PokerStars Championship Panama live events, players have been converting online poker chips into solid gold Special Edition poker chips that commemorate Brazilian football hero Neymar Jr’s Olympic gold medal in the Rio games. More than 360 gold chips have been won via limted edition Spin & Go tournaments so far, to the value of more than $290,000. Players who have won a unique piece of PokerStars memorabilia have until February 28 to redeem their gold poker chips .

For more information about PokerStars Championship Panama visit site.

Find out more about BSOP.

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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 165 billion hands have been dealt on PokerStars, which is more than any other site.

PokerStars is the flagship brand of Rational Group, which is ultimately owned by Amaya Inc. (Nasdaq: AYA; TSX: AYA) and operates gaming-related businesses and brands, including PokerStars, PokerStars Casino, BetStars, Full Tilt, StarsDraft, and the PokerStars Championship and PokerStars Festival live poker tour brands (incorporating the European Poker Tour, PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, Latin American Poker Tour and the Asia Pacific Poker Tour). Amaya, through certain subsidiaries, is licensed, approved to offer, or offers under third party licenses or approvals, its products and services in various jurisdictions throughout the world, including in Europe, both within and outside of the European Union, the Americas and elsewhere. In particular, PokerStars is the world’s most licensed online gaming brand, holding licenses or related operating approvals in 17 jurisdictions. PokerStars.com and PokerStars.eu operate globally under licenses from the Isle of Man and Malta governments, respectively.

Play Responsibly! For more information on responsible gaming please visit our website at http://www.pokerstars.com/about/responsible-gaming/

PokerStars Championship & PokerStars Festival

The PokerStars Championship, sponsored by PokerStars, is the world’s richest and most popular poker tour. Bringing together some of the world’s most exciting and prestigious poker tournaments, the PokerStars Championship incorporates some stops previously part of the European Poker Tour, North American Poker Tour, Latin American Poker Tour and Asia-Pacific Poker Tour. Collectively, these events have paid out well over $1 billion in tournament prize pools globally on five continents since 2004. Confirmed PokerStars Championship stops announced so far in 2017 includes the Bahamas, Panama, Macau, Monte-Carlo and Barcelona, with more stops to be announced in the coming months.

PokerStars Festival events, sponsored by PokerStars, are mainly tailored for recreational players and incorporate some stops previously part of the UK & Ireland Poker Tour, France Poker Series, Italian Poker Tour, Estrellas, Eureka, Asia-Pacific Poker Tour and Latin American Poker Tour. Confirmed PokerStars Festival stops announced so far in 2017 includes London and Rozvadov, with more stops to be announced in the coming months.

PokerStars Championship and PokerStars Festival poker tour brands are ultimately owned by Amaya Inc. (Nasdaq: AYA; TSX: AYA). Further information on the PokerStars Championship and PokerStars Festival is available online at http://www.pokerstarslive.com/.

Play Responsibly! For more information on responsible gaming please visit our website at http://www.pokerstars.com/about/responsible-gaming/