On Sunday, April 30, PokerStars guaranteed $1.5 million in prize pools to United States players. That’s because it was Million Dollar Sunday for players in the merged market of New Jersey and Michigan, meaning $1 million in GTDs were offered across 10 tournaments. As if that wasn’t enough, players in Pennsylvania will enjoy $500,000 in GTDs over nines tournaments..
Since early April, PokerStars had been qualifying players for various Million Dollar Sunday events via Spin and Go’s, All-in Shootouts, Depositor Freerolles, and other PokerStars exclusive promotions.
The headline event in both markets was the two-day $200 buy-in Sunday Special, which was a $500K GTD tournament in NJ/MI and a $250K GTD event in Pennsylvania.
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Korby & Halter Both Nab Titles on Sunday
The merged market of New Jersey and Michigan set a lofty $1 million in combined guaranteed prize pools across 10 events, and they squeaked by it as a combined 11,708 entrants competed for $1,017,547 in prize money was awarded.
“It was a magical way to end an amazing day of tournaments put on by PokerStars.”
Andrew “autokorekt” Korby was a big winner topping a massive field of 5,333 runners to take down the $10 Million Dollar Sunday Monster for $13,181.10, while Jared “beamdoctor” Halter, who has established himself as one of Michigan’s best online poker players, bested a 1,073-entry field to win the $50 Million Dollar Sunday Mini Special for $8,034.36.
“I am very grateful for being able to maximize the positive variance to win the Million Dollar Sunday Mini Special,” Halter told PokerNews. “It had been a really rough session and I was quite frustrated a few hours earlier. To shake off the frustration and find some heat was incredible. It was a magical way to end an amazing day of tournaments put on by PokerStars.”
In the $200 Million Dollar Sunday Special, 1,989 entrants competed for a $500,000 prize pool, which was reserved for the top 287 finishers. Among those to make deep runs were “NoEndgame” (37th – $1,310.55), “Pennies444” (27th – $1,508), “LucyCallsMePops” (17th – $1,806.30), “shivadadi” (10th – $3,554.80), “Dublistic” (6th – $13,767.90), and “DLBTheShow7” (3rd – $38,010.40).
In the end, it was “oleironhelm” defeating “Tagubhai” in heads-up play to win the tournament outright for $74,804.20.
NJ/MI Million Dollar Sunday Special Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “oleiornhelm” | $74,804.20 |
| 2 | “Tagubhai” | $53,323 |
| 3 | “DLBTheShow7” | $38,010.40 |
| 4 | “ashwing8” | $27,095.15 |
| 5 | “1WINATATIME” | $19,314.35 |
| 6 | “Dublistic” | $13,767.90 |
| 7 | “cbauer6789” | $9,814.20 |
| 8 | “WellWaterWendel” | $6,995.90 |
| 9 | “tslate21” | $4,986.90 |
Pennsylvania Surpasses Half Million Guarantees
In Pennsylvania’s nine tournaments, a combined 6,351 entrants competed and it just snuck by the $500,000 in guarantees as $518,630 in prize money was awarded.
The $1,000 Half Million Dollar Sunday High Roller attracted 101 runners and saw “PokerkingAAfold” take it down for $23,043.48, while “JoeyBets68” bested a 269-entry field to win the $50 Half Million Dollar Sunday Adrenaline for $2,714.72.
In the $200 Half Million Dollar Sunday Special Main Event, 1,205 entrants competed for their piece of a $250,000 prize pool, which was paid out to the top 175 finishers. Among those to make deep runs were “saulgoodman2011” (50th – $773.37), “bigcuban72” (40th – $913.25), “SFC41377” (27th – $1,078.45), “TryptophanMan” (17th – $1,273.47), and “fan_buzgon” (13th – $1,503.80).
At the final table, “CleggsOnGG” defeated “sloyer57” in heads-up play to claim the title and $39,316.07 first-place prize. If the champion sounds familiar, that’s because back on January 21, “CleggsOnGG” topped a field of 225 runners to win the PSPC Online Event #35: $100 NLH [Deepstack Turbo] for $4,028.
PA Half Million Dollar Sunday Special Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “CleggsOnGG” | $39,316.07 |
| 2 | “sloyer57” | $28,025.35 |
| 3 | “rungooder68” | $19,977.45 |
| 4 | “izaill1” | $14,240.62 |
| 5 | “TrippyTribal” | $10,151.22 |
| 6 | “NULL ID ERROR” | $7,236.15 |
| 7 | “benton324” | $5,158.20 |
| 8 | “Huggers23” | $3,676.95 |
| 9 | “eldawgrr” | $2,621.07 |
Million Dollar Sunday Winners
| State | Tournament | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MI/NJ | $50 Million Dollar Sunday Marathon, $25K GTD | 621 | $28,256 | “Archeron42” | $4,487.01 |
| MI/NJ | $25 Million Dollar Sunday Warm Up, $15K GTD | 759 | $17,267.25 | “Blunce” | $2,930.39 |
| MI/NJ | $50 Million Dollar Sunday Phase II, $100K GTD | 316 | $102,102 | JT “jTizzle450” Thompson | $15,237.61 |
| MI/NJ | $10 Million Dollar Sunday Monster, $100K GTD | 5,333 | $100,000 | Andrew “autokorekt” Korby | $13,181.10 |
| MI/NJ | $50 Million Dollar Sunday Mini Special, $50K GTD | 1,073 | $50,000 | Jared “beamdoctor” Halter | $8,034.36 |
| MI/NJ | $1,000 Million Dollar Sunday High Roller, $150K GTD | 149 | $150,000 | “tkfly1324” | $29,221.89 |
| MI/NJ | $100 Million Dollar Sunday Progressive KO, $20K GTD | 405 | $37,179 | “rkellyishere” | $5,592.17 |
| MI/NJ | $25 Million Dollar Sunday Turbo, $15K GTD | 710 | $16,152.50 | :BENN DOVERR” | $2,786.04 |
| MI/NJ | $50 Million Dollar Sunday Adrenaline PKO, $15K GTD | 353 | $16,591 | “pozniak.andrei” | $3,088.47 |
| MI/NJ | $200 Million Dollar Sunday Special Main Event, $500K GTD | 1,989 | $500,000 | “oleironhelm” | $74,804.20 |
| PA | $50 Half Million Dollar Sunday Marathon, $15K GTD | 426 | $19,383 | “ChrundleTheGr8” | $3,324.46 |
| PA | $50 Half Million Dollar Sunday Phase II, $50K GTD | 144 | $52,643.50 | “TrippyTribal” | $8,545.36 |
| PA | $10 Half Million Dollar Sunday Monster, $20K GTD | 2,552 | $23,223.20 | “sbeales” | $3,402.47 |
| PA | $50 Half Million Dollar Sunday Mini Special, $35K GTD | 817 | $37,173.50 | “OMC Escher” | $6,308.23 |
| PA | $1,000 Half Million Dollar Sunday High Roller, $100K GTD | 101 | $100,000 | “PokerkingAAfold” | $23,043.48 |
| PA | $50 Half Million Dollar Sunday Progressive KO, $15K GTD | 408 | $18,564 | “uwillmiss” | $3,118.57 |
| PA | $10 Half Million Dollar Sunday Turbo, $5K GTD | 429 | $5,000 | “tobey180” | $898.02 |
| PA | $50 Half Million Dollar Sunday Adrenaline, $10K GTD | 269 | $12,643 | “JoeyBets68” | $2,714.72 |
| PA | $200 Half Million Dollar Sunday Special Main Event, $250K GTD | 1,205 | $250,000 | “CleggsOnGG” | $39,316.07 |
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Executive Editor U.S.
Executive Editor US, PokerNews Podcast co-host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.