One PokerStars Live event down — many, many more to come in 2023. The PokerStars Players NL Hold’em Championship and PokerStars Caribbean Adventure are in the books, with the attention now turning to EPT Paris and beyond.

The year looks to be an action-packed one, not just for poker players and fans, but the diverse team that works behind the scenes to ensure events can be enjoyed by everyone.

A team that includes commentators such as Ambassador Nick Walsh who says he’s extremely excited about the live plans PokerStars has for the future.

The PokerStars Ambassador is the face of the PokerStars Twitch Channel, and recently joined forces with commentary veterans James Hartigan and Joe Stapleton. Whether inside or outside of the commentary booth, Walsh is predicting a really good year on the live felt.

Looking Ahead to Paris

“Particularly with Paris and Cyprus,” he told PokerNews. “The fact that there seems to be such an appetite for live poker, coming out of a prolonged time where we didn’t really have any live poker is so exciting.

“I’m not just the only person saying this! I’ve seen a lot of people in the industry, who I really respect, saying the same thing. It looks like things are heading in a really good direction and it just seems like live poker isn’t dead and it’s here to stay!”

Team PokerStars’ Nick Walsh Shares His 5 Tips for Tournament Package Winners

“But the French — they absolutely love poker. I’m still expecting a very, very large event”

The year kicked off with the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and the PokerStars Players NL Hold’em Championship — two massive events that Walsh was a part of.

“They were absolutely ginormous! I hope that persists [for the rest of the year]. And now it’s time for Paris after only a couple of weeks. But the French — they absolutely love poker. I’m still expecting a very, very large event.

Head to the EPT Paris Live Reporting Hub

“Not just because of where live poker is right now, but I know it’s been a while since we’ve had a stop close enough for the French to attend that wasn’t Monte Carlo. It’s a much more affordable destination — compared to Monaco at least!

“The events in the Bahamas really set the right tone for 2023, and heading into Paris I hope it continues just like that. I think we’re gonna have a really good year.”

Learning From the Best

Last year saw Walsh make moves from being just a streamer to joining the PokerStars Live commentary team, alongside veteran commentators James Hartigan and Joe Stapleton. Walsh says that this where the majority of his focus will lie for the coming year.

“Last year there was the evolution, so this year the focus is to smash [the live events] out of the park”

“With my new contract, I ceased to be purely a streamer and I started to take on a more official role as a commentator and actually being an official member of the team with James and Joe.

“Last year there was the evolution, so this year the focus is to smash [the live events] out of the park, bring the energy every single time and find my confidence a little bit as well.

“Getting to learn from James and Joe has just been a complete honor. I really consider those guys my mentors because they both have a certain style and a certain flair for commentary that I’m sort of slowly picking up, while trying to find my own voice at the same time.”

The Team Behind the Stream

Away from the commentators, Walsh says that there is a huge team working towards making the production the best as possible, whether that’s the camera operators, producers, backroom staff, or even just the dealers and tournament officials.

He says that no matter the event, the entire team put in the effort and the hours to ensure that productions and live events run smoothly.

“When we have big events like the PSPC, in particular, we have the staff to actually do things that we just don’t at other smaller events. But in all honesty, none of our events are small! All of them take a huge effort.

“But having that additional feature table at the PSPC just meant double the action for our viewers! Additionally, we had the staff for outer-table action, the editing staff putting together highlight or key hand montages — there’s a huge team of people all working together.”

The Complete Guide to PokerStars Spin and Go Poker

Even at smaller events, Walsh says that the production quality is so good, viewers scarcely notice any differences.

“I’m just really proud of everyone on the staff”

“Behind the scenes, we know when we’re a smaller team, but the interesting thing is that the viewer doesn’t and I think that’s a testament to how powerful the production team is. There may notice little elements that are missing from event to event, but a Prague EPT looks very similar to a Monte Carlo EPT.

“I’m just really proud of everyone on the staff. They are the production team that powers this beautiful thing that we create, and we’re just the ones that voice it. I’m just so grateful to work with those guys.”

Seeking Creative Opportunities for 2023

In addition to commentary, Walsh is looking to 2023 to get creative and perhaps create new streaming formats that seek to take the focus away from poker and put them more on people.

“I’ve been thinking of some sort of cash game situation,” he explained. “Where you have six cards up, six cameras — something like that. And the whole point is it’s more about asking guests their opinions on things, and poker is secondary. PokerStars such a big company, sometimes people forget that there are real people that really care about the game behind the scenes.

“A lot of the stuff that I’m creating for my own brand tries to take technical terms and ideas and really trying to make them a little bit more accessible, I think that’s really important.”

European Executive Editor

Will Shillibier is based in the United Kingdom. He started working for PokerNews as a freelance live reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time staff in 2019.

He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German, and then studied for a NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism at Sportsbeat in Manchester.

After wrapping up at Jamul Casino in San Diego, the award-nominated RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) will stick around in California and will head up to Graton Casino in the Bay Area for the latest stop in its “Checkpoint” season taking place Feb. 28-March 8.

It’s an exciting time for the RGPS team as they once again have been nominated for “Best Mid-Major” at the annual Global Poker Awards and RunGood founder Tana Karn is also on the shortlist for “Industry Person of the Year.” It’s also a busy time for the team as RGPS Horseshoe Tunica will be taking place alongside the Bay Area stop Feb. 28-March 5.

The RGPS Bay Area stop will feature several Ring Events and will culminate with the $800 buy-in Main Event with a guaranteed $250,000 prize pool up for grabs March 3-5, which PokerNews will be on-site to report on.

Read about Pete Petree’s victory in the RGPS Hard Rock Tulsa Main Event!

Mixed Game and Bounty Events

Ahead of the $250,000 guaranteed Main Event will be a series of Ring Events, kicking off on Feb. 28 with a $250 Seniors 50+ NLH Ring Event, a $250 6-Max NLH Ring Event and a $200 Guest Bounty NLH Ring Event.

The Guest Bounty event is one of several bounty tournaments at the Bay Area stop, which will also feature a $360 Black Chip Bounty Ring Event and a $200 Double Green Chip Bounty Ring Event.

There will also be plenty of Omaha and mixed game action throughout the stop, including a Pot Limit Omaha Ring Event, a Limit 08 Ring Event, an Omaha 8/Stud 8 Ring Event and a Mixed Omaha (Big O, PLO, PLO8) Ring Event, all of which cost $300 to enter.

Other highlights of the RGPS stop include a $125 NLH Survivor Event where one in ten players will win $1,000 cash and a two-day $250 Monster Stack Ring Event with a $25,000 guaranteed prize pool.

The RGPS Bay Area Main Event will feature four starting flights as it looks to crack the $250,000 guarantee. The event will play down to a winner on March 5 alongside several other Ring Events as the series closes out.

Previous Winners

Last year, the RGPS Bay Area $600 Main Event drew a record-setting field of 1,144 runners for a prize pool of $594,880. Omaha specialist Kulwant Singh took down the event for $100,070 after defeating heads-up opponent Bryan Saltzman, who in turn took home $69,115.

Other highlights of the 2022 Bay Area stop included Kevin Goldman taking down Event #1: $250 Seniors for $12,100 and Svetlana Meinikova winning Event #2: 250 6-Max for $5,690 after an even chop with Ashkun Latevardi and Angelo Kratsas.

RGPS Bay Area Main Event Final Table Results

After wrapping up the Bay Area and Tunica stops, the RunGood team will head to bestbet Jacksonville in Florida for the next “Checkpoint” stop taking place March 23-April 2.

The full schedule for the upcoming RGPS Bay Area stop is available in the table below.

2023 RGPS Bay Area Full Schedule

The Galfond Challenge between Phil Galfond and Dan “Jungleman” Cates is over long before it was supposed to end … for now.

With less than one-third of the high-stakes pot-limit Omaha heads-up competition complete, “Jungleman” has decided to take a break. Galfond said he’s taking a “wait and see” approach but isn’t sure when his opponent will return to action. The reason why Cates is stepping away, at least for the time being, isn’t clear.

Galfond and Cates began a $100/$200 battle on WSOP.com last week. They’ve been playing at $10/$20 stakes due to deposit issues but the losing player will owe the winner the difference after the challenge ends, assuming it ever does.

Check out our player profile on Phil Galfond here!

Where the Galfond Challenge Stands

Day 1 of the Galfond Challenge kicked off at 8 a.m. PT on Feb. 2. Galfond booked a modest win of around $10,000, the equivalent of half of one buy-in, in what was a competitive match.

The following day, Cates controlled most of the contest and booked a $50,000 win. One day later, he won again, this time for a $35,000 profit. That was the last time the two have been in action.

As it stands, “Jungleman” holds a lead of about $77,500 through 2,250 hands. They had agreed to play 7,500 hands before determining a winner, so we’ll wait and see if and when the competition resumes. Galfond sent out a sarcastic tweet on Thursday seeking a new opponent, but he made it clear the current challenge against Cates isn’t officially over.

Complete Galfond Challenge History and Results

PartyPoker recently revamped its multi-table tournament (MTT) schedule, adding hundreds of new tournaments, and increasing weekly guarantees to more than $3 million. The new-look schedule has a trio of brand-new majors for you to get your teeth into. Today, PokerNews takes a deeper look into all three of those events.

The Big Saturday

It is no longer only Sundays that have massive tournaments taking place at PartyPoker because The Big Saturday changes that fact. The Big Saturday is a $215 buy-in affair that guarantees $30,000 will be one by those navigating their way to the money-awarding finishing positions.

Cards are in the air from 6:05 p.m. GMT, and you sit down with one million chips. Blinds start at 5,000/10,000/1,250a and increase every 12 minutes throughout, and you can purchase two re-entries during the first 12 levels, which is when late registration slams shut.

The Big Saturday First 12 Levels

You can buy into The Big Saturday direct for $215 or play your way in via $0.01, $1.10, $5.50, and $22 buy-in phased satellites. Play your way into The Big Saturday from the $22 Phase 2, and you’ll take your stack through with you, meaning you can sit down with more than one million chips! Foe example, “Arrascaceta” is playing in the February 12 edition of The Big Saturday armed with a 1,822,968-starting stack.

The February 4 edition of The Big Saturday saw 160 PartyPoker players sit down and fight it out over the $32,255 prize pool. “Brapan30” was the last player standing; they turned their $215 investment into $6,158.

The Festival Series Comes to Dusk Till Dawn; Satellites at PartyPoker

The Sunday Party

The Sunday Party is PartyPoker’s flagship tournament, one costing $109 to enter and that guarantees at least $150,000 in its prize pool. The Sunday Party is a progressive knockout tournament where you win at least $25 cash for each opponent you send to the rail, and there are plenty of villains to send packing.

First run on February 5, The Sunday Party attracted 1,608 players who created a guarantee-busting $160,800 prize pool. Both the first and second place finishers padded their bankrolls with five-figure scores during that inaugural event. “BinkusMaximus” reeled in a $15,955 score and the title of champion, while “KKaugustoKK” banked $13,233.

Whether you pay the full $109 to buy into the Sunday Party directly or you win your way in from only $0.01, you start with 100,000 chips and play to a 12-minute clock for the first 20 levels before those levels extend to 15-minutes thereafter; late registration remains open for 12 levels, during which time up to three re-entries are permitted.

The Sunday Party First 12 Levels

The Sunday Party is a two-day tournament, where Day 1 ends when only 16 players remain. Day 2 kicks off at 8:05 p.m. GMT on Monday, here’s to you still being in the mix then.

The Sunday Carnival

The Sunday Carnival is a cut-price version of the Sunday Party, one that costs $22 to enter, and guarantees a $50,000 prize pool. The Sunday Carnival mirrors the Sunday Party in almost every way, except the first 20 levels increase every 10 minutes before extending to 12 minutes from Level 21 onwards. Being able to win your way into the Sunday Carnival from only one cent makes it all the more attractive.

The Sunday Carnival First 12 Levels

Help Yourself to a PartyPoker Welcome Package

Download PartyPoker via PokerNews and deposit at least $10 to receive a 100% match up to $600 welcome bonus in addition to up to $30 worth of free play.

A $10 deposit yields $10 worth of tickets over the course of a week:

• Day 1: 2x $1 SPINS tickets + 1x $5.50 MTT ticket
• Day 2: 4x $0.25 SPINS tickets
• Day 4: 1x $3.30 MTT ticket
• Day 6: 4x $0.25 SPINS tickets

Increase your deposit to at least $20, and the following ticket package is yours:

• Day 1: 1x $5.30 MTT ticket
• Day 2: 2x $1 SPINS ticket
• Day 3: 1x $5.50 MTT ticket
• Day 4: 1x $5.50 MTT ticket
• Day 5: 3x $2.20 MTT tickets
• Day 6: 2x $3 SPINS tickets + 1x$3.30 MTT ticket

Residents of the United Kingdom enjoy a slightly different welcome from PartyPoker. Their deposit of at least £10 comes with a 100% match up to £400 first deposit bonus plus $10 worth of Party Dollars, which can be used in any of the site’s games, every day for six days.

To release the full Deposit Bonus amount, you must accumulate four-times the Deposit Bonus amount in loyalty points. Each time the player accumulates 10% of the Total Loyalty Points required, they will receive a 10% increment of the Deposit Bonus

It was barely a month into his time as a PokerStars Ambassador that David Kaye was met by the biggest PokerStars news story to come out of the United States in a number of years.

The announcement that the player pools in Michigan and New Jersey were to merge was met by an overwhelmingly positive response, and as Kaye attests the impact on the online tables has been a noticeable one.

The Importance of a Regulated Market

“It’s been a huge change,” he told PokerNews. “Shared liquidity is just a huge deal in America and for PokerStars players in Michigan and New Jersey. There are more games running, tournament prize pools are bigger and there are bigger guarantees.

“A lot of Michiganders and people in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, just love playing on PokerStars US and it’s important to them that they have a good regulated market with safe games to play. I’m excited to be part of that, to keep growing it and moving forward.”

Top Stories of 2022, #9: Michigan Matures, Ontario Launches, and is Texas in Trouble?

As an Ambassador, Kaye hopes to inspire not just players in Michigan but across the United States, and he’s already noticed how re-energized players from far and wide are through the merging of the player pools.

“Combining the players [in Michigan and New Jersey] wasn’t just great for those already playing, it got others re-energized about the new numbers that we were seeing. People want to play in big tournaments with big guarantees, and people were just excited about the number of players that were active.

“Not only that, but as an American, I obviously noticed and follow the legislative landscape a bit more than most, but it’s been really exciting to see players from Pennsylvania asking when they’re gonna merge, or people from other states like New York and Illinois asking when they’re gonna get in.”

Detroit Red Wings, PokerStars Form Online Poker Partnership in Michigan

Momentum and a Bright Future for PokerStars US?

With momentum going in the right direction, at least according to Kaye, he can’t help but imagine how bright the future can be for players on PokerStars US.

“Just imagine if we can get even 20% of the states into one player pool I just think it’s going to be incredible”

“It’s just been really cool to see online poker flourishing in America. There are just so many games running at all different stakes. And this is just with two out of 50 states. Just imagine if we can get even 20% of the states into one player pool I just think it’s going to be incredible.

“We know the end goal isn’t just two states. Two states is great, but this is just the groundwork to get where we really want to be when we have all the states under one umbrella — or as many states as possible!

“We’re working our way back! The merge of the markets in Michigan and New Jersey — which is where I play — it’s just very exciting times. And hopefully, more states get legalized in the coming years and hopefully get them into one player pool.

“Blown Away” by Michigan Numbers

Michigan has grown into the largest regulated poker pool in the US, and the merger has only helped that to grow even further.

“People have heard of PokerStars, they know the reputation, and they know that they’re looking out for the players’ best interests”

“Even before the merge happened between Michigan and New Jersey, I was blown away by the number of games we had in Michigan. With the sheer number of players playing the cash games and tournaments and the interaction and excitement on social media, I’ve genuinely been blown away.

“I think that there’s so much potential and there are so many exciting things going forward in this new wave of online poker in the US and especially the brand recognition. PokerStars brings a lot of real validity to online poker across America.

“People have heard of PokerStars, they know the reputation, and they know that they’re looking out for the players’ best interests. So I think overall, that hopefully sets up good things further down the road.”

Is Poker legal in Michigan? Online Poker Laws in Michigan Explained

Kaye says he does feel a certain amount of responsibility to help shape the future of PokerStars in the United States, but he’s unequivocal in the fact that the way forward is for more player pool mergers to happen.

“It’s all about me playing my part in educating people and sharing the huge positives that can come from having these state-regulated markets. That’s the biggest point to get across. Yes, a state might have legally regulated online poker, but the really important thing is merging the player pool. Michigan and New Jersey starting that off is just such an important first step, and we’ll really see the benefits down the road in the medium to long term.

“Even now, it’s super exciting now, but in the medium to long-term, this is really big news and it has me excited and optimistic for the future.”

European Executive Editor

Will Shillibier is based in the United Kingdom. He started working for PokerNews as a freelance live reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time staff in 2019.

He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German, and then studied for a NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism at Sportsbeat in Manchester.

Anyone looking for some high-octane poker action should look at the upcoming 2023 Tampa Poker Classic. Held at the famous Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa, Florida, the 2023 Tampa Poker Classic builds on a hugely successful 2022 edition, which saw guarantees blown out of the water.

The 2023 Tampa Poker Classic takes place between March 8-20, precisely a year after the 2022 version. Events have buy-ins ranging from $400 to $1,700, and guaranteed prize pools weighing in from $10,000 up to a whopping $500,000, the latter reserved for the eagerly anticipated $1,700 Championship Event.

A $400 buy-in $250,000 guaranteed Deep Stack event kicks off the 2023 Tampa Poker Classic in style. This re-entry tournament features six Day 1s between March 8-11, with the final day running on March 12. Last year, a similarly-sized event got the festival underway. Some 1,463 players turned out in force and created a $490,105 prize pool, more than double the size of the advertised guarantee. George Allen emerged victoriously that day, taking home $63,071 after a four-way deal.

The popular $1,100 buy-in One Day Challenge returns with a $50,000 guarantee on its prize pool. Like the opening event of 2022, last year’s $1,100 One Day Challenge smashed its $50,000 guarantee thanks to 177 players buying in and creating a $171,690 pot. The United Kingdom’s Stuart Taylor and Pasquale Hudson of New York, USA, chopped when heads-up, and both collected $38,395.

Corey Wade Wins WPT Seminole Hard Rock Tampa for $471,686

$500,000 Guaranteed Championship Event

$500,000 is guaranteed to be won in the 2023 Tampa Poker Classic Championship Event, which runs from March 16-20. The Championship Event costs $1,700 to enter, has a trio of starting flights, and will almost certainly obliterate the guarantee.

Championship Event players sit down with a generous helping of 40,000 chips and play eight-handed (nine-handed on the final table) to a 40-minute clock on each Day 1, with levels extending to 60 minutes on Day 2 and 3. Unlimited re-entries are permitted until the start of Level 10 on each flight, and the tournament operates a “Best Stack Forward” policy if you progress from more than one of the start days.

Last year’s Championship Event commanded a larger $2,500 buy-in, but the $500,000 guarantee remained the same. Some 440 players bought in, and 55 of those starters bagged a slice of the $990,000 prize pool. Paul Snead of New York is the reigning champion after he received the $198,150 top prize, resigning runner-up Bryce McVay of Tampa, Florida, to the $132,095 consolation prize. Expect similar payouts in 2023 thanks to the more affordable buy-in and the many satellites feeding into the Championship Event.

Where Are They Now: 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event Bad Beat Victim Paul Snead

2023 Tampa Poker Classic Schedule

Feast your eyes on the full 2023 Tampa Poker Classic schedule, and use it to plan your action if you are heading to Tampa for the series.

The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) released the complete online poker revenue results from 2022, and they show an 8.5% decline year-over-year. But that isn’t cause for concern nor should it be viewed as a downward trend for the industry.

Instead, it was simply a return to normalcy for online poker in the Garden State coming down from the COVID boom.

Back in 2020, starting with March when casinos were shut down, the state generated a record $3.6 million in revenue from its three New Jersey poker operators. The following two months were even better, reaching as high as $5.1 million in April 2020 and $4.8 million in July before leveling off to figures that were closer to previous years to close out the year.

In 2021, as more live poker rooms began to reopen in Atlantic City and in neighboring states (Pennsylvania, mostly), online poker revenue was still a bit higher than pre-COVID figures, with most months in the $2.3 million to $2.4 million range. For the year, the seven legal poker sites generated a combined $29,923,710 in revenue, the best overall year, excluding 2020, since internet poker was legalized in 2013.

Here are the Best New Jersey Poker Apps!

How 2022 New Jersey Online Poker Compared to 2021

There are three poker operators with a combined seven poker sites licensed to operate in New Jersey — Borgata (Partypoker, BetMGM, PalaPoker, Borgata Poker), Resorts Atlantic City (PokerStars), and Caesars Atlantic City (WSOP, 888poker).

Each of the three poker operators generates a solid amount of revenue, exceeding $500,000 monthly, with Caesars reaching close to the $1 million mark during the World Series of Poker due to hosting online bracelet events.

In 2022, New Jersey online poker revenue hit $27,374,502, down approximately 8.5% compared to 2021 ($2,549,208). That’s not so bad when you consider live poker was mostly back to full strength in 2022.

When compared to 2019, pre-COVID, 2022’s revenue was more than a 30% improvement. The largest drop-off year-over-year when comparing 2022 to 2021 results was July, which saw a 25.9% decline. But that was almost certainly due to the 13 online bracelet events hosted last summer in New Jersey. The full month-by-month comparison is below.

Best Online Poker Sites in New Jersey

Exactly half of the events on the PokerStars 50/50 Series schedule have crowned their champions, and more than $2.33 million has been paid out across those first 25 tournaments. With another 25 events yet to play, including the $500,000 guaranteed 50/50 Series Main Event, it is possible the total prize money awarded could surpass $5 million, which s incredible considering each tournament only costs $50 to enter.

The three biggest, in terms of prize money, events so far have all been the 8-Max PKO Mini Bounty Builder HR. PokerStars has slapped some juicy guarantees on these particular tournaments, with the one running on the opening night of the 50/50 Series coming with $400,000 guaranteed!

#03 8-Max PKO Mini Bounty Builder HR Final Table Results

More than 9,000 players turned out in force for the first 8-Max PKO Mini Bounty Builder, ensuring the $400,000 guaranteed prize pool was surpassed by $10,731. All that extra prize money in the pot resulted in the top four finishers walking away with five-figure scores for their $50 investment; sixth place was only just short of $10,000+, too.

“Rakete222” of Germany finished fourth and walked away with $11,102, third-place went to Brazil’s “ricardorfn,” a finish worth $15,543. The runner-up was “Sm0k3_I_T799” of Germany; they banked $24,848. “Jakub_Odvar” was the tournament’s champion. Victory came with $34,810, which is still the largest single cash of the 50/50 Series through the opening 25 events.

Aliaksandr Shylko Keeps Composure to Win 2023 PSPC ($3,121,838)

#10 8-Max PKO Mini Bounty Builder HR Final Table Results

The 10th event of the schedule saw 4,428 players buy in and create a $201,252 prize pool. This time around, the top two finishers got heir hands on five-figure sums. Runner-up “Juster02” of Belarus netted $11,751 while “prOvinzia1” reeled in a $20,267 score and the title of 50/50 Series champion.

Michel Dattani Conquers First PCA Main Event in Four Years for First Live Major Title ($1,316,963)

#22 8-Max PKO Mini Bounty Builder HR Final Table Results

More recently, Event #22 paid out $185,890, with the lion’s share going to “Mrpecooo” of Brazil. The Brazilian came out on top of a 4,091-strong field to receive a $17,763 payday, leaving second-place finisher “sessezinho,” also of Brazil, to head into the night with $11,278 reasons to be cheerful.

PokerStars 50/50 Series Results So Far

It is not only low-to-mid-stakes grinders hitting the 50/50 Series events because the fields are frequented by some stellar names. For example, Hungarian superstar Peter “Belabacsi” Traply took down the opening event for $15,202, while Brazil’s Caio “Pessagno” Pessagno won The Marathon for $7,685.

*includes bounty payments

Remaining PokerStars 50/50 Series Schedule

Twenty-five remain on the schedule, and each one will be fiercely contested, especially the two-day Main Event that comes with a $500,000 guaranteed prize pool. The Main Event commences at 5:30 p.m. GMT this Sunday, which is February 12. Will you become the 50/50 Series Main Event champion?

The eagerly anticipated 2023 Kings of Tallinn festival is on the horizon, with the luxurious Olympic Park Casino and Hilton Tallinn Park set to host a schedule of 53 poker tournaments between February 23 and March 5.

Renowned tournament director and Kings of Tallinn founder Teresa Nousiainen has created a fantastic 2023 Kings of Tallinn schedule that features more than half a dozen poker variants, including No-Limit Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha, Open Face Chinese Pineapple, 8-Game Mix, and one of the craziest poker games of them all Sviten Special.

Buy-ins for the 53 scheduled events start at an affordable €60 and increase to a €3,000 High Roller, with plenty of levels between those two extremes. Of course, there are satellites taking place throughout the festival, and some of those Kings of Tallinn satellites are free to enter, which is not something you see every day! The Olympic Casino Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovakia also have a large selection of live satellites, meaning players from these countries can secure a seat before they head to the Kings of Tallinn festival.

Estonian, Finnish, and Latvian players can play online satellites at OlyBet Poker, while some other Nordic players, Maltese, and Polish grinders can find satellites online at GGPoker.

€500,000 Guaranteed Kings of Tallinn Main Event

The crown jewel on the 2023 Kings of Tallinn schedule is the €1,100 buy-in €500,000 guaranteed Main Event. Running from March 1-5, the Kings of Tallinn Main Event features a trio of starting flights, each seeing entrants sit down with 30,000 chips and play to 60-minute levels on Day 1a and Day 1b, with Day 1c featuring a 30-minute clock. Unlimited re-entries are available until the start of the second level on Day 2, giving you plenty of opportunity to take another bite at the €500,000 cherry.

The last time the Kings of Tallinn Main Event featured a €500,000 prize pool was in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic. Some 674 players created a guarantee-busting prize pool of €640,300, with Sweden’s Johan Karlsson collecting €126,900 of that juicy pot.

Past Kings of Tallinn Main Event Champions

Adam Kharman is the reigning Kings of Tallinn Main Event champion, having outlasted 327 opponents in 2022. Kharman, who hails from Australia, received €64,280 for his impressive victory. Kharman was also part of the winning team in the Team Challenge alongside Zachary Duce, Rasmus Sepping, and Michael Behnert.

The Team Challenge returns for the 2023 Kings of Tallinn festival and could see your team walk away with approximately €20,000. Enter the Team Challenge via the Kings of Tallinn website before the first break of the Main Event Day 1b, which will be 2:15 p.m. local time on March 2, and you stand a chance of winning some additional prize money.

Your team of four earns points for just playing in any of the non-satellite and non-ladies Kings of Tallinn events and even more points for cashing in those events. Some 75% of the Team Challenge prize pool goes to the winning team, with the runner-up scooping the remaining 25%. That prize pool is funded by 2% of all Kings of Tallinn tournament prize pools going towards it.

2023 Kings of Tallinn Schedule

Check out the bustling Kings of Tallinn schedule and plan which events you plan on taking down in Estonia.