PokerStars Announces US-Based “Moneymaker PSPC Tour
Here’s a story with several sub-threads lurking just beneath the surface: World online-poker market leader PokerStars has announced a new “Moneymaker PSPC Tour”, a US-based live-event tour commemorating Chris Moneymaker’s World Series of Poker Main Event win fifteen years ago.
According to a PokerStars announcement, the new tour is “designed to give players the chance to emulate Chris’ win back in 2003 when he turned $86 into $2,500,000 by beating 838 players at the WSOP Main Event, sparking the famous ‘Moneymaker Effect’.”
It won’t be a WSOP Main Event seat up for grabs in these events, of course; the WSOP clamped down years ago on non-partner sites offering such seats and freerolling on the WSOP brand, not that Stars was the only one doing it back in the day. Instead, according to PokerStars, “Players will have the chance to follow in [Moneymaker’s] footsteps and win life-changing sums of money by parlaying their initial $86 Moneymaker PSPC Tour buy-in into a Platinum Pass, worth $30,000, to the PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC).”
That non-transferable pass includes $5,000 of travel expense and spending-around money, plus a $25,000 seat into the PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC), to be held in the Bahamas this winter. The whole package is called a “Platinum Pass”, and Stars is distributing more than 200 of these poker-vacation packages via promotional pushes around the globe.
This Moneymaker Tour concept is unique, though, so let’s add some detail. At least eight live stops plus one live event at PokerStarsNJ.com have already been created for this new tour, which will debut next month in California. PokerStars says more stops may be announced in the near future.
Moneymaker was a down-on-his-luck sports bettor and occasional online-poker player when he binked an $86 Stars satellite into the 2003 WSOP Main Event. At the time, virtually every major online site offered unauthorized satellite seats into the WSOP’s ME, with several thousand players qualifying last decade in that manner.
These days, of course, with the notable exception of New Jersey, PokerStars doesn’t have an online presence in the US, though that’s not for lack of desire or effort. However, that doesn’t matter much if the door remains closed. The Moneymaker Tour, as such represents a change of tactics; it’s more about rebuilding PokerStars’ brand value, as well as establishing and expanding working relationships with casino venues across the US. Sure, there a lot of Platinum Passes to be awarded, but there’s a lo more in play than just the Bahamas event.
The tour is designed to give players the chance to emulate Chris’ win back in 2003 when he turned $86 into $2,500,000 by beating 838 players at the WSOP Main Event, sparking the famous ‘Moneymaker Effect’.
“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,” said Moneymaker. “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.”
According to that Stars announcement, the “”‘Moneymaker PSPC Tour’ will debut in Sacramento this Summer from August 4 – 5, 2018 and bring a unique poker experience to Stones Gambling Hall for fans and poker enthusiasts.” Venues and tour dates confirmed* at the time of the release include:
Date / Venue / Geographic Area
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
*Dates/venues subject to change
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