I’ve been part of plenty of major series over the years, but what excites me about the BetRivers Poker Championship 2025 is how much thought has gone into making it rewarding for every type of player
Every regulated online poker operator in the US hosts its own Championship series, and BetRivers Poker will now follow suit. The operator, which is the most recent entrant in the US online poker market, has announced its BetRivers Poker Championship (BPC) series.
The series begins on September 21 and continues through October 5, running directly alongside BetMGM’s Online Championships, which is scheduled for the exact same dates.
This will only be the operator’s second tournament series since going live, but it is much larger than its debut. The BPC will feature more than $500,000 in guaranteed prize pools, more than double the $200,000 offered in the inaugural series.
The BPC series will be available to players in all four states where BetRivers Poker currently operates: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Delaware, and West Virginia. Players in New Jersey will have to wait a little longer, as BetRivers Poker has not yet gone live in that state. However, the launch is expected before the end of the year, which will mark its fifth regulated US market.
BetRivers Poker Championship Series 2025 At a Glance:
- Runs from September 21 – October 5
- $545,150 in total guaranteed prize money
- 112 total tournaments across Gold & Silver tiers
- 32 trophy tournaments
- $200 Main Event with $40,000 guarantee
- $20,000 in side promotions
- Available to players in PA, MI, DE & WV
- The best online poker software in the US with the lowest cash game rake.
- Generous 100% deposit match bonus up to $1000 ($250 in Delaware)
- Now live for players in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Delaware & West Virginia!
“I’ve been part of plenty of major series over the years, but what excites me about the BetRivers Poker Championship 2025 is how much thought has gone into making it rewarding for every type of player,” Phil Galfond, three-time WSOP gold bracelet winner and the man behind the origins of BetRivers Poker, told pokerfuse. “With trophies every night, a wide range of formats, and adding value with series promos, leaderboards and freerolls, it shows BetRivers is committed to building something lasting for the online poker community.”
Jesse Wilke, Director of Poker Marketing at Rush Street Interactive, echoed that sentiment, noting that “with the BetRivers Poker Championship 2025, we’re delivering our biggest and most ambitious online series yet: over $500,000 guaranteed across 112 events, 32 trophy tournaments, and a format mix that players have been asking for, including PKOs, PLO, 6-max, and more.”
“We’ve built a broad buy-in ladder from $ 2 to $ 500, paired with our flagship Rakeback Revolution program, so that every player can find real value,” Wilke added.
BPC: Trophies, PKOs, and New High Rollers
The BPC schedule consists of 56 numbered events, totaling 112 tournaments, split evenly between Silver and Gold tier events, as seen in the inaugural Multi-State Series format. Out of these tournaments, 32 will award physical trophies to the winners.
Leaderboard competitions will also be part of the action, with over $ 8,000 in prize money to be awarded across the two tiers. Additionally, the series will be supported by three Encore Freerolls, collectively offering another $ 12,000 in prize pools. As Wilke emphasized, “between nightly trophy events, Series Leaderboards with more than $ 8,000 in prizes, and our Encore Freeroll Series adding $ 12,000 in extra value, players will have more ways than ever to compete, celebrate, and win.”
As befitting a Championship series, the buy-ins are a bit higher than in regular series. They begin at $2 and go up to $500, with $300 and $500 price points newly introduced for this series. Silver tier buy-ins will range from $2 to $50, while Gold tier buy-ins will range from $20 to $500.
The flagship Main Event, carrying a $200 buy-in, will guarantee $40,000, an increase from the $30,000 guarantee seen in the previous series. This will make it the site’s single largest guaranteed tournament to date. Alongside it, a Silver-tier Main Event will run with a $20 buy-in and a $6,000 guarantee. Both Main Events will take place on October 5, and each will award a trophy to the winner.
For Wilke, these headline events represent the heart of the operator’s vision: “Our finale on October 5 will showcase a $200 Main Event with $40,000 guaranteed alongside a $500 Super High Roller with $20,000 guaranteed. Between nightly trophy events, Series Leaderboards with more than $8k in prizes, and our Encore Freeroll Series adding $12,000 in extra value, players will have more ways than ever to compete, celebrate, and win.”
For the first time, Progressive Knockout (PKO) tournaments will be included. During the first series, PKOs were absent, as the operator had not yet launched this format. Now integrated, PKOs will account for 44 out of the 112 tournaments, nearly 40% of the schedule.
The operator has intentionally limited the PKO share to avoid oversaturation. Among these is a special event where 70% of the bounty goes into the bounty pool, featured in both a $30 and $3 turbo PKO on September 26. Another new addition is the Slobberknocker PKO, a format recently introduced into BetRivers’ weekly tournament lineup. It will appear in both $10 and $100 buy-in versions on October 5, offering a combined $18,000 guarantee.
The schedule includes a wide mix of structures, starting stacks, and seating formats, ensuring variety for players. Site’s favorite formats, such as Monsterstack, Deepstack, Midnight Madness, and Classic, all return with boosted guarantees. Eight Omaha events are also included in the schedule.
Key highlights beyond the Main Events include:
- The $100 Series Starter on opening day with a $15,000 guarantee.
- A $300 High Roller the same day with a $20,000 guarantee.
- A $100 Deepstack PKO also on opening day, carrying another $20,000 guarantee.
- On September 28, a $100 Deepstack boasting $25,000 guarantee.
- A $300 High Roller in PKO format on September 28 with $20,000 guaranteed.
On average, the series will run at least six tournaments daily, expanding to eight on Saturdays and ten on Sundays. The final Sunday alone will guarantee $115,000 in prize pools. Every day, one Silver tier and one Gold tier event will award a physical trophy. Leaderboard winners will also receive trophies, bringing the total number of trophies awarded across the series to 34.
Side Promotions Worth $20,000
As with any major series, leaderboard promotions will be a central part of the offering. Two leaderboards will be in play, one for each tier. The Gold tier leaderboard will distribute $6,850 in tournament tickets, while the Silver tier will distribute $1,210, totaling more than $8,000 in added value.
Each leaderboard will pay the top ten finishers. The Gold tier winner will earn $1,000 in tickets, while the Silver tier winner will earn $200 in tickets. Both winners will also receive a trophy. Leaderboard scoring will be based on finishing position, prize pool size, and number of entries, consistent with standard poker leaderboard formulas.
In addition, three freerolls will be available:
- Players entering five series events will receive access to a $3,000 freeroll.
- Players entering ten events will receive access to a $4,000 freeroll.
- Players entering 20 events will receive access to a $5,000 freeroll.
These freerolls combine to add another $12,000 in prize pools.
Coverage of the Championship will be provided via live Twitch streams hosted by BetRivers-affiliated streamers, including Keith Becker (AccidentalGrenade) and Dan (DrDadPoker).
Second Series Since Going Live
This marks only the second major tournament series for BetRivers Poker since its US launch in late October 2024. The first was the Multi-State Summer Series (MSS), which ran in August, followed once the operator had expanded into multiple states. BetRivers remains the only regulated operator offering online poker in both Delaware and West Virginia, while also being live in Pennsylvania and Michigan.
The MSS paid out $255,455 across 71 tournaments, with its $200 Main Event attracting 173 entries and generating a $32,251 prize pool.
Interestingly, the timing for the BPC is seen as a move to fill the void left by PokerStars’ absence. Indeed, when PokerStars confirmed COOP would not run in the US market, many players called on BetRivers to step in. The operator teased the possibility, later delivering on it.
On social media, BetRivers framed its announcement as a subtle jab at PokerStars with the message: “No fall series? We’ll take it from here.”
Wilke framed the approach clearly: “Too often, US poker players have seen their favorite events cut back or felt left out of major opportunities because of limited player pools. At BetRivers, we are taking the opposite path by expanding into Michigan, West Virginia, and Delaware. We are raising guarantees, introducing PKOs, and delivering consistent, community-focused promotions. With Phil Hellmuth and Phil Galfond as our ambassadors, we are committed to listening to players, delivering on what they ask for, and continuing to build a truly player-first online poker experience in the U.S.”
With PokerStars out, the BetRivers Poker Championship not only fills the gap but also seeks to redefine expectations for what a regulated multi-state series can deliver in the US market.
