PokerStars is giving players the chance to win one of poker’s most recognizable titles away from the online tables, with the Sunday Million Live returning this October for only the second time in history.
Running from October 2 to 12 at Casino di Campione in Italy, the €250 buy-in event features a €1 million guaranteed prize pool and combines online and live starting flights before culminating in a live final table.
The event forms part of PokerStars' year-long 25th anniversary celebrations and marks the tournament’s first live appearance since its debut in 2017.
Like the inaugural edition, the tournament will use a hybrid format that combines online and live starting flights. Players can begin their journey through one of three online Day 1s or six live Day 1s before converging in Campione for the later stages.
“We’re delighted to announce that, for the first time in Italy, the Sunday Million is going live in Campione,” said Germano Martucci, PokerStars Italy Customer Acquisition Director. “The event celebrates what makes our community unique: passion, determination, and a competitive spirit.”
“At the same time, it best represents our vision of integrating online and live. We want everyone to feel part of something special, participating in an event that brings together players from all over the world and all realities, transcending geographical and digital boundaries,” Martucci added.
Hybrid Online-Live Day 1 Flights
The online flights are scheduled for September 13, 20, and 27, while the live Day 1s will be played on October 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, and 9 at the PokerStars Live poker room inside Casino di Campione.
All surviving players will return to Campione for Day 2A and Day 2B on October 10. Those advancing will compete on Day 3 on October 11 before the tournament concludes with the final table on October 12.
Players finishing in the top 12.5% of each starting flight after late registration closes will qualify for Day 2. Those players will carry their entire chip stack forward while also securing a minimum cash prize of €500. As is standard in this format, players who qualify for Day 2 will no longer be able to enter another starting flight.
Each of the three online flights falls on a Sunday during the Italian Championship of Online Poker (ICOOP), PokerStars’ flagship online tournament series in the regulated Italian market.
Although the operator has not confirmed which player pool will host the online flights, the schedule strongly suggests they will run on the PokerStars Italy network, which comprises Sisal and Snai skins as well.
Back on the Live Stage
Sunday Million Live made its PokerStars Live debut in 2017 at King’s Resort in Rozvadov, Czech Republic. That event also featured a hybrid structure, combining online and live Day 1s, and carried a €220 buy-in with a €1 million guaranteed prize pool.
The tournament drew 5,045 entries, narrowly falling short of the guarantee and creating an overlay of roughly €50,000. Despite the positive reception, PokerStars never brought the concept back, making this year’s edition the first live Sunday Million in nearly a decade.
PokerStars has largely stuck with the blueprint used in 2017, again mixing online and live starting flights. Players will once again have multiple ways to qualify, with everyone meeting at a single venue for the closing stages.
A Tournament Brand That Keeps Evolving
Although the live version disappeared after 2017, the Sunday Million name has continued to grow online.
The tournament has expanded into several regulated markets, including Italy and the Southern European shared liquidity network, where special editions are held multiple times each year. It also recently reached the United States through FanDuel Poker, where it debuted as two separate tournaments carrying $500,000 guarantees.
The flagship dot-com version has also changed. Rather than running every Sunday as it once did, the tournament is now reserved for selected occasions. This year’s 20th Anniversary edition introduced a lower $109 buy-in, daily Day 1 flights, and a summer schedule in place of its traditional spring date.
Returning During PokerStars’ 25th Anniversary
The return of Sunday Million Live is one of several promotions PokerStars has rolled out during its 25th anniversary year.
Earlier this year, the operator hosted the $50 million guaranteed Anniversary Series, while the online Sunday Million celebrated its own 20th anniversary with a special $5 million guaranteed edition.
Now, one of the game’s best-known online tournament brands is once again making the jump to the live arena.
The Sunday Million Live festival runs from October 2 to 12 at Casino di Campione, with online Day 1 flights beginning on September 13. PokerStars has not yet announced whether any side events will accompany the €1 million guaranteed main event.
