Bahamas Poker Tournament January 2019

1. Bahamas Poker Tournament
2. Bahamas Poker Tournament January 2019 2020
3. Bahamas Poker Tournament January 2019 Predictions

By: 10xTravel Reader Crystal Robens The idea for this trip began with an offer in my mailbox for 4 free nights at Atlantis. My brother-in-law told me that the biggest poker tournament of the year is held there in January, the Player’s Championship, with buy-ins upwards of $100,000 per person and celebrities galore. On Sunday, January 6, 2019 we hosted our first $230 Buy-In, Bounty tournament! We had a total of 46 entries in our first event and are looking to only go up from here! Please be on the lookout for changes coming this New Year with the relocation of our Poker Room to the Casino of the Earth in the Hall of Lost Tribes.

The PokerStars Players NL Hold’em Championship (PSPC) is set to be one of the largest poker tournaments ever. PokerStars is hosting what is sure to be a memorable event in the Bahamas. Below is a helpful guide to all of its relevant information.

Key Details

• What: PokerStars Players NL Hold’em Championship (PSPC)
• When: January 6-10, 2019
• Where: Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island, Bahamas
• Game: No-limit Texas Hold’em
• Buy-in: $25,000
• Guaranteed prize pool: $8 million (plus $1 million guarantee for winner)
• Number of entrants: At least 320

Background

PokerStars officially announced the tournament’s presence in late December 2017. At the core of the tournament’s ethos is ambition.

In its own words, PokerStars wants the PSPC to be “the richest and most exciting $25,000 live event in poker history.” For that reason, PokerStars wanted the entirety of 2018 to be a slow build on the road to Atlantis.

Obviously, a $1 million guarantee for first place will turn some heads. Even beyond the final spot, a tournament of this size will certainly yield life-changing money for several players.

However, PokerStars, which has made significant efforts to appeal to recreational players in the past few years, does not want this tournament to be a gathering of top professionals only. Rather, the site wants a celebration of poker at all skill levels. Or, as the announcement declared:

“We want to bring the poker world together in a one-of-a-kind live poker experience, presenting players of all skill levels the chance to win millions of dollars. We mean everyone, whether you’re a poker rookie, fledgling amateur, established local pro, or a bonafide superstar.”

Of course, few poker players have the bankroll or desire to wager $25,000 on a poker tournament. So, PokerStars needed a solution for the high buy-in, particularly if rookies and amateurs were to compete.

PokerStars Platinum Pass

Enter the Platinum Pass. The Platinum Pass is a self-contained ticket to the January tournament and has all the extras that amateurs might need.

A Platinum Pass consists of:

• $25,000 tournament ticket
• $2,000 spending cash
• 6 nights of accommodations at Atlantis Resort

Altogether, the Pass is worth $30,000. The cash and accommodations are sufficient to allow any player to attend with their families.

PokerStars will also be doling out goodies at the actual event itself. Each player will receive a player bag filled with great gifts and prizes. Players can also visit the Players Lounge for drinks and additional prize draws.

PokerStars began distributing these Passes through various events throughout the year. The vast majority of them went to online players, obviously, but PokerStars Live also awarded some of them at live events.

In keeping with the theme of mixing the professional with the amateur, the conditions to receive a Pass varied from event to event. In fact, some players won their Passes as a consolation for busting out of another tournament on the bubble. PokerStars awarded the very first pass to a Romanian player who missed the money at the 2017 Prague Main Event.

Since then, PokerStars has doled out over 300 of these prize packages to players around the world. Some of the lucky winners live right here in the United States.

US Platinum Pass Winners

Bahamas Poker Tournament

In fact, 31 American players have a seat waiting for them at Atlantis. The majority of them won their passes in live events.

Oddly enough, these players have Chris Moneymaker to thank for their good fortune. Moneymaker toured the United States and awarded Platinum Passes at casinos all over the country throughout 2018.

Bahamas Poker Tournament January 2019 2020

Here is a list of all the US Platinum Pass winners. Click any underlined player’s name for our feature story about their journey to the Bahamas:

Of course, not all of the Pass winners are going to be rank amateurs. In fact, just about anyone who wins a Pass can play pretty well.

There are also some notable players on the list. Professional players like Kenny Tran and David Peters will be headed to the Bahamas next month.

Still, the PSPC should go down not only as one of the richest poker tournaments of all time, but also one of its most democratic. In contrast to other high-profile, high buy-in events, the home game players will rub shoulders with the best in the world.

Bahamas Poker Tournament January 2019 Predictions

Of course, that fact is one of the great things about the game. In few other endeavors can the novice play in the same game as the elite.

However, on Jan. 6 in the Bahamas, that’s exactly what will happen.