PokerStars recently announced two new ambitious tournaments set to run on Sundays starting with this upcoming Sunday, and entries into the tournament are selling like … well, hotcakes.
PokerStars put up a news bulletin on its site last weekend touting the institution of both the
High Stakes Showdown, a $10,300 buy-in no-limit hold'em heads-up tournament limited to just 16 entrants, and the
Sunday Hundred Grand, a $100,000-guaranteed freezeout tournament with an unprecedented low buy-in of $11 (meaning they expect at least 10,000 entrants).
The
High Stakes Showdown had its 16 entrants within hours, which goes to show how many serious players with big bankrolls are playing online poker. PokerStars expanded the tournament to 16 entrants from an initial maximum of eight entrants after players e-mailed support asking to be allowed admittance, which bodes well for the tournament expanding even further in the coming months. Among those currently registered for the tournament are Scott "emptyseat88" Fischman, recent
World Series of Poker bracelet winner Steve "MrSmokey1" Billirakis, Internet notable "ActionJeff" (who has asked that his real name not be published), and Online Player of the Year top 10 contender Isaac "westmenloAA" Baron. Along with a huge prize pool, the tournament will be an excellent spectacle for railbirds.
The
Sunday Hundred Grand is already showing an equally good reception. The tournament requires 10,000 entrants to meet the posted guarantee and already has more than 10,350 as of this story's publication, with three days left for registration. Those interested in the tournament should register soon, as the tournament allows a maximum of only 15,000 entrants, which it will likely have well before the tournament's start. If the tournament has more than 12,000 entrants (which looks probable), the top 2,000 players will get paid and the first-place finisher will win between $15,000 and $19,000. The tournament looks like a shoo-in to set the world record for the largest field ever in a real-money tournament, a record currently held by the PokerStars
Sunday Million tournament on May 20 of this year when 10,894 entrants played.
For more information on the tournaments or to register for the
Sunday Hundred Grand (while there's still space left) can click
here.
