A triple barrel’s worth of PokerStars tales including a round-up from their inaugural Online High Roller Series, we check in with the PokerStars Championship in Prague and tip you off about a new PokerStars shop on Amazon.
I often wonder if partypoker was standing next to a geyser, and nobody was looking, if PokerStars would push them in, grinning as their bones were boiled clean?
Yes, I get it, it’s good for poker that partypoker have finally got their act together and are applying some severe pressure on Stars’ cranial nerves, but things must have been a lot chirpier in Stars Towers when they had everything their own way.
While partypoker was proving their capability of migrating their MILLIONS brand to the online realm, handing out $1m to Jon Van Fleet, the largest online poker room this side of the cobweb that connects fan blades in my hotel room, was finishing off their online High Roller Series.
I like to think that PokerStars $11m GTD 22-event series was more of a Minimal Viable Product (MVP), a toe in the water, to see if anything bites. The series was a success with over $14m paid out over the course of the series, and a few familiar names were taking down titles.
We already know that Fedor ‘CrownUpGuy” Holz took down Event #1 $2,100 NLHE, beating 442 entrants, to bank $178,498, but he didn’t repeat. T-Macha and MITS 304 did. MITS 304 beat 257 entrants to win Event #8: $2,100 NLHE 8-Max for $82,615.05, and then went on to win Event #20: $2,100 PLO 6-Max topping 220 entrants to stick another $85,020.23 in the bank. T-Macha from the UK won two of the biggest tournaments of the series taking down Event #11: $10,300 NLHE Progressive KO, overcoming 130 entrants to win the $142,470.84 first prize, and then Event #15: $5,200 NLHE 8-Max, outlasting 149 entrants to take home another $156,377.32.
The UK was the most prolific country in the series, taking down three titles, those two from T-Macha, and a third from Talal ‘raidalot’ Shakerchi. The philanthropist wasn’t in a very giving mood when he outmanoeuvred 233 entrants in Event #4: $2,100 NLHE 8-Max Progressive KO for $45,470.53.
Other well-known names who grabbed a prize or two were Simon “C.Darwin2” Mattsson, who beat 510 entrants to take the first prize of $45,290.72 in Event #3. $1,050 NLHE 8-Max Turbo Progressive KO. And Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) hero, Pedro “Zagalo87” Zagalo, continued his impressive year by adding $130,390,08 to his bank account after winning Event #9: $5,200 PLO 6-Max. Zagalo won the $25,000 buy-in PLO High Roller at the World Championships of Online Poker (WCOOP) earlier this year for $419,038.62.
Finally, the $2m Guaranteed $2,100 Main Event attracted 1135 entrants, and Sanderssi from Finland earned $294,685.23 after cutting a four-way deal in a top four that eventually looked like this.
Main Event Top Four
1. Sanderssi – $294,685.23
2. Jutrack – $226.162.26
3. Maz&Yauskas – $226,501.89
4. MATT HOLVIK – $225,689.88.
Full List of Results
1. $2,100 NLHE (442 entrants) – Fedor ‘CrownUpGuy’ Holz – $178,498
2. $2,100 5-Card PLO 6-Max (121 entrants) BlackFortuna – $54,404.19
3. $1,050 NLHE 8-Max Turbo Progressive KO (510 entrants) Simon “C.Darwin2” Mattsson – $45,290.72
4. $2,100 NLHE 8-Max Progressive KO (233 entrants) Talal “raidalot” Shakerchi – $45,470.53
5. $1,050 NLHE 6-Max Shootout (166 entrants) 23noraB – $44,000,000
6. $10,400 NLHE (118 entrants) Robert “PlayaPlz” Lipkin $258,639.41
7. $2,100 NLHE Turbo Progressive KO (331 Entrants) SiiliSuhonen – $62,269.79
8. $2,100 NLHE 8-Max – (257entrants) MITS 304 – $82,615.05
9. $5,200 PLO 6-Max (116 entrants) Pedro “Zagalo87” Zagalo – $130,390,08
10. $2,100 NLHE 6-Max Turbo (229 entrants) GotURead $88,498.31
11. $10,300 NLHE Progressive KO (130 entrants) T-Macha – $142,470.84
12. $2,100 NLHE Turbo (265 entrants) hello_totti – $101,912.30
13. $2,100 NLHE 6-Max (204 entrants) Graftekkel – $80,061.07
14. $1,050+R NLHE (100 entrants) VbV1990 – $64,291.42
15. $5,200 NLHE 8-Max (149 entrants) T-Macha $156,377.32
16. $2,100 NLO8 6-Max (114 entrants) BERRI SWEET – $51,256.82
17. $1,050 NLHE 3-Max Zoom PKO (497 entrants) OLD TIME GIN – $37,309.92
18. $5,200 NLHE Progressive KO (246 entrants) Dimitar “Kuul” Danchev – $118,256.62
19. $2,100 NLHE Main Event (1135 entrants) Sanderssi – $294,685.23
20. $2,100 PLO 6-Max – (220 entrants) MITS 304 – $85,020.23
21. $1,050 NLHE 8-Max Turbo (722 entrants) ruthless848 – $122,913.93
22. $1,050 NLHE Wrap Up (424 entrants) Storimos – $76,354.04
Jasper Van Putten Wins the €10,300 NLHE 8-Handed
Meanwhile, in a freezing part of the world known as Prague, the PokerStars Championship is making an appearance for the very first time. Last year, Prague was the final resting place of the European Poker Tour (EPT) and the team will be hoping things pick up after only 49 entrants took part in the opening €10,300 NLHE 8-Handed High Roller.
The winners check went to a man who feels quite at home in Prague, the winner of that last ever EPT Main Event, Jasper Van Putten, who beat Preben Stokkan in heads-up action earning €150,000 in the process. Norwegian Stokkan is on a bit of a roll after winning the $10,300 High Roller at the partypoker Caribbean Poker Party for $275,000, before finishing sixth in the Main Event at that festival for $150,000. Sam Greenwood, who won that Main Event for $1m, finished seventh in this one.
Final Table Results
1. Jasper Van Putten – €150,000
2. Preben Stokkan – €108,000
3. Timothy Adams – €69,000
4. Markus Dürnegger – €52,200
5. Quan Zhou – €40,400
6. Bean Heath – €30,800
7. Sam Greenwood – €24,900
PokerStars Set Up Shop on Amazon
Finally, PokerStars is offering poker fans the opportunity to buy some branded goods this yuletide season after setting up shop on Amazon. For the time being, only people residing in the UK can purchase the chipsets, dealer buttons and playing cards. PokerStars aim to roll out the shop to more countries shortly. It’s the first time PokerStars has sold their merchandise for cash value.
