Poker players in Pennsylvania and New Jersey didn’t have to be too concerned about being cooped up indoors this winter because of PokerStars’ recently concluded online winter event. PokerStars and FOX Bet’s Winter Series was open to PokerStars PA and PokerStars NJ. The online winter event kicked off on January 21st and ended on the 31st.
The Online winter series was hosted separately by PokerStars PA and PokerStars NJ and featured more than $1.5 million in guaranteed prize pools. The Winter Series featured 45 events with buy-ins ranging from $10 to $1,000. The Main Event touted a $300 buy-in and $200,000 guaranteed.
In addition to the events and the prize guarantees, both PokerStars PA and PokerStars NJ also featured Depositor Freerolls, satellites, Second Chance Freerolls, and a lot more winter fun for participants. PokerStars PA’s Winter Series awarded players more than $1 million in prizes, a boost of $325,000 compared to the first PokerStars PA Winter Series which was held for the first time in 2020.
The events on this year’s Winter Series also went up from 30 to 45. Buy-in options varied between $10 and $1,000. The Main Event at PokerStars PA also featured a bigger haul- double to be exact- from last year’s $100,000 to this year’s $200,000. Other noteworthy highlights from PokerStars PA’s Winter Series included a $50 Mini Main Event with a $35,000 guarantee, as well as the $1,000 High Roller event boasting a $50,000 guarantee.
On the other hand, PokerStars NJ players were also treated to improvements as well. PokerStars NJ consisted of 40 events with $500,000 in guaranteed prize pools, which was an increase from last year’s $200,000. Buy-ins for PokerStars NJ players ranged from $20 up to $750 across all 40 events. PokerStars NJ’s $300 Main Event offered players a $100,000 guarantee, while the $50 Mini Main Event featured a $20,000 guarantee.
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* New customers only. 100% match bonus based on first deposit of up to $500.
As mentioned earlier, both PokerStars PA and PokerStars NJ offered their signature side action that allowed punters in both states to win tournament tickets. Both PokerStars PA and PokerStars NJ offered participants a special Depositor Freeroll on the last day of the event. Additionally, those taking part on the PokerStars NJ site also had the option to take part in a special $3 Spin & Go as a way to earn an entry.
What we cover
PokerStars continues to soar this year
PA and NJ are one of the most vibrant markets in the country for online poker as mentioned here. PokerStars has been active in the Garden State since 2016. Even though the market has since become crowded with competitor after competitor as we’ve covered here, PokerStars has managed to stand tall and it is largely due to the popularity of its tournaments. Some of PokerStars’ competitors in New Jersey include WSOP/888, as well as Partypoker and Borgata.
The scenario in PA, on the other hand, is vastly different. PokerStars only launched in 2019 and it has been wildly successful since its launch. Unlike PokerStars NJ however, PokerStars PA doesn’t really have any competitors and maintains a monopoly over the region. Now that Michigan also enjoys legal and regulated online poker, PokerStars is finally back in the Michigan market after exiting 10 years ago.
PokerStars MI will also be keen on maintaining its monopoly in the region just as its predecessor PokerStars PA has managed to do. PokerStars MI is the first online poker room to join the newly launched market and is currently the only operator for poker players in the Wolverine State.
Poker players in the state have had a positive response overall to PokerStars MI with thousands flocking to register for the first time. Like poker players in PA and NJ, PokerStars MI customers are sure to be treated to an array of events, the very first being the Michigan Championship of Online Poker (MICOOP), whose dates are yet to be announced.
Championship of Online Poker or COOP is PokerStars’ most popular tournament series. COOP runs in all the markets that PokerStars operates and has set the records for the largest prize guarantees in all its markets. As such, Michigan should be no exception.
While no official date has been released for Michigan poker players to look forward to, analysts predict that MICOOP should take place sometime in February although this could change depending on circumstances. Michigan customers have been missing out on the massive guaranteed online tournament prize pools that PokerStars is known for. So this should be an exciting period for poker players in the state.
PokerStars’ first tournament series in Pennsylvania or PACOOP, which was held in late 2019 initially guaranteed customers $1 million in prize money. The amount later shot up to $1.225 million following an enormous customer turnout. In 2016, PokerStars NJ’s first NJSCOOP offered $1.1 million guaranteed prize money to celebrate its entry in the Garden State.
However back then, New Jersey had already had 2 established poker rooms before PokerStars’ entry. Michigan is expected to perform just as well as these other markets considering it has an estimated population size of just over 10 million residents. This may be a little smaller than Pennsylvania’s 13 million residents, but it’s more than New Jersey.
Final Thoughts
Even though PokerStars’ online winter event was a huge plus to poker players in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the Winter Series is a small affair compared to some of PokerStars’ other events. Namely, the New Jersey Championship of Online Poker (NJCOOP) and its spring version New Jersey Spring Championship of Online Poker (NJSCOOP) are some of the other bigger events that poker players in both states have to look forward to.
PokerStars is one of the most popular online poker products in the world today. Its capacity to continuously offer customers a wide range of real money online gambling and betting options is the reason it will continue to succeed in the coming years.
$1025
Welcome Package
$25 free bonus + deposit match, first deposit up to $500.
$600
Welcome Package
* New customers only. 100% match bonus based on first deposit of up yo $600.
$500
Welcome Package
* New customers only. 100% match bonus based on first deposit of up to $500.
