Tonight is the night. PokerStars’ iconic Sunday Million finally makes its debut in the US market, open to players in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Michigan. It marks a historic moment for the US online poker players.
It’s not a single $1 million tournament, but rather two events with $500,000 guarantees each, combining for the full $1 million headline figure. One comes with a $100 buy-in and the other at $1,000, both kicking off at 18:00 ET as two-day events, where Day 1 concludes once the field is trimmed down and the payouts begin to carry real weight.
The $1,000 buy-in is ambitious in its own right, but it’s the $100 event that stands out as truly historic. Never before has a $500,000 guaranteed prize pool been attached to a $100 buy-in in the regulated US online poker market. And early signs suggest the tournament could be headed for a massive overlay.
The $100 event is structured as $91.80 + $8.20, with $91.80 from each entry going into the prize pool and $8.20 taken as the tournament fee, reflecting an 8.2% rake. To meet the guarantee, the tournament requires at least 5,447 entries. If it falls short, PokerStars x FanDuel will need to cover the difference out of its own pocket.
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Debutant Sunday Million Heading for a Huge Overlay
Right now, it appears that may very well happen. At the time of writing, fewer than 2,000 entries have been registered, meaning only about 35% of the guarantee has been covered. The tournament begins in roughly 225 minutes, with late registration remaining open for the first 17 levels, which spans 4 hours and 15 minutes.
In terms of format, it’s a straightforward, no-frills tournament. There are no progressive knockouts or mystery bounties, just a standard 8-handed structure with re-entries allowed and no bounty element.
For players on the fence, missing this could mean passing up huge value. The new PokerStars Exclusively on FanDuel platform is also rolling out a generous welcome offer, matching 100% of a player’s first deposit up to $1,000.
So, a $1,000 deposit brings an extra $1,000 in bonus funds. The bonus clears at a 20% rakeback rate—$5 released for every $25 in rake paid—and players have 120 days to unlock the full amount. The minimum deposit required is $10. You’ll need to opt in to qualify, and full details are available on our PokerStars FanDuel page.
Cheaper Paths to Sunday Million
If a $100 buy-in feels too steep, there are still lower-cost ways to get involved. All new sign-ups receive $30 in free tickets, including two $5 Spin & Go tickets and one $20 Sunday Million satellite ticket. Several satellites are scheduled in the coming hours, collectively awarding dozens of seats into the $100 Sunday Million.
On top of that, the operator has already distributed thousands of dollars in Sunday Million tickets through its No Sweat Series, effectively a freeroll-style series with no entry fee. Players receive entry tickets randomly in their accounts, with no opt-in required.
There are also qualifiers running for the $1,000 Sunday Million, which carries its own $500,000 guarantee. Its buy-in is set at $950 + $50. So far, just over 100 entries have been recorded, meaning it too is on track for a substantial overlay, with only about a quarter of the guarantee currently covered.
At this stage, it seems increasingly unlikely that either event will reach its required numbers before late registration closes.
Still, the Sunday Million isn’t the only action on the schedule tonight on FanDuel Poker. A full slate of tournaments is running, including the $100 Nightly Stars at 15:00 ET with a $40,000 guarantee, the $25 Big Starter at 18:15 ET offering $15,000, and the $30 Mini Battle Royale at 20:05 ET, also featuring $15,000 in guaranteed prize money. There’s also the mystery bounty event, Afternoon Mystery, priced at $30 with a $5,000 guarantee.
Looking ahead to the rest of the week, the schedule includes a $50 Mini Thrill on Wednesday with a $20,000 guarantee, the $50 Mini Super Tuesday offering $15,000, and the $30 Mini Friday Night Fight, also guaranteeing $15,000.
Even so, today is all about the launch. It’s a landmark day for the new PokerStars US platform, and the spotlight will firmly be on the final entry numbers and just how large those overlays end up being.
