- Six months ago, the Sunday Million buy-in was reduced to $109 from the usual $215.
- As summer approached, the numbers started to decline with some weeks barely managing to avoid an overlay.
- The switch to three re-entries led to a 32% increase in numbers, attracting 11,863 total entries in its first week.
- Although the participation did drop in the following weeks, numbers have steadied.
The Sunday Million, PokerStars’ iconic weekly tournament, has undergone various tweaks in its ten-year history, but none more significant than the change six months ago: The reduction of the buy-in to $109 from the usual $215.
The guarantee remains the same—meaning it needs to attract 10,000 entrants each week to cover its $1 million guarantee. The idea behind the drop in price tag was to make the Sunday Million more accessible to players with limited bankrolls, the operator said at the time.
The immediate response to the price reduction was very positive: Participation soared to 15,000 total entries to amass a prize pool of over $1.5 million in its first week, nearly 33% up on the prize from the previous week. However, as the summer approached, the numbers started to decline. Some weeks barely managed to avoid an overlay.
