Here’s everything you need to know about the return of the NAPT, details on the first stop of the tour taking place in Las Vegas in November, plus predictions for 2024 and ways to win a NAPT seat via NACOOP.
Last updated: November 17, 2023
The North American Poker Tour (NAPT) from PokerStars is back!
Over a decade later, the NAPT is starting its third season. The first stop on the NAPT 2023-24 was at Resorts World in Las Vegas, NV, in November 2023.
We have put together everything you need to know about what PokerStars has planned for the NAPT in 2023 and our predictions for 2024.
In this guide, we cover:
The North American Poker Tour, or NAPT as it is more commonly known, is a live poker tour run by online poker operator PokerStars in North America.
The tour abruptly ended twelve years ago with the advent of Black Friday. Now picking up where it left off, the NAPT will return for its third season, offering players the chance to take part in a PokerStars NAPT live event for the first time in over a decade. The first stop on the third season of the tour has played out — it took place at Resorts World in Las Vegas, NV, in November 2023.
The NAPT made a triumphant return after a 12-year hiatus.
Action kicked off in Las Vegas in November 2023. PokerStars chose the iconic Resorts World Las Vegas as the perfect setting for the first stop of the 2023 NAPT. There was a High Roller, Super High Roller, and Mystery Bounty events, a PokerStars Cup, and a Main Event for players to choose from.
Event | Buy-In | When |
---|---|---|
NAPT Main Event | $1,650 | November 6 to 11 |
NAPT NLH Super High Roller | $10,300 | November 5 to 6 |
NAPT NLH PokerStars Cup | $550 | November 9 to 12 |
NAPT NLH High Roller | $5,300 | November 10 to 12 |
NAPT NLH Mystery Bounty | $1,100 | November 11 to 12 |
The Main Event took place between November 6 to 11 and smashed its $1.5 million guarantee. There were six Day 1 flights, allowing players their chance to get a seat at the table.
New Yorker, Samuel Laskowitz, lifted the High Roller trophy and took home $180,850 for his troubles
To date, Las Vegas is the only stop announced on the tour, but we expect PokerStars to announce more dates for the tour before the year is out.
We will update this page with all the latest information as soon as it becomes available to us.
PokerStars North American Poker Tour 2023: Stop 1 – Las Vegas | |
---|---|
📅 2023 NAPT Las Vegas: Dates | November 4 – 12, 2023 |
🎰 2023 NAPT Las Vegas: Venue | Resorts World Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, US |
🎪 2023 NAPT Las Vegas: Scheduled Events | Main Event, PokerStars Cup, High Roller, Super High Roller & Mystery Bounty |
💰 2023 NAPT Las Vegas: Buy-Ins | $550 to $10,300 |
🗽 Years Since Last PokerStars NAPT Ran in US | 12 |
The streaming schedule for the Las Vegas NAPT stop supported High Roller and the Main Event! Live coverage was streamed for the Main Event, Day 3 onwards. High Roller action was streamed as the final table plays out.
The was available on PokerStars YouTube and Twitch channels with commentary from PokerStars alumni, James Hartigan and Joe Stapleton. Maria Ho, Nick Walsh, and Griffin Benger also made guest appearances during the stream.
In addition to the English stream, a Brazilian-Portuguese broadcast was available on the operator’s Brazilian channels and commentated by Felipe de Paulo and Flavio del Valle.
Both brands of PokerStars and Oracle Red Bull Racing (ORBR) have been heavily intertwined in the run up, during and post the NAPT Las Vegas stop.
Since 2022, PokerStars has been an official sponsor of Oracle Red Bull Racing, but 2023 saw the partnership strengthen more than ever, as the hotly anticipated Las Vegas Formula 1 stop runs in Vegas just a week after the conclusion of the NAPT Las Vegas stop.
Not only did PokerStars and ORBR work together to give fifty lucky players Vegas Gold Passes worth over $20k, allowing them not only to join the NAPT action but also to stay after the event, watch all races, and enjoy a full-scale Oracle Red Bull Racing fan experience. But now, PokerStars are giving players a once in a lifetime chance to win bespoke F1 wheel covers that will be signed by three-time World Champion Max Verstappen and his ORBR teammate, Sergio Perez
These charity initiatives support ORBR’s official charity partner, Wings for Life, founded by Red Bull’s Dietrich Mateschitz, who was committed to advancing spinal cord injury research through funding world-class scientific studies and clinical trials.
The Las Vegas stop saw the return of PokerStar’s popular poker show The Big Game — this time dubbed The Big Game on Tour.
How it works:
During the NAPT Las Vegas stop both loose cannon spots went to female players Lily Newhouse and Nikki Limo. Both ladies successfully made their way through qualifying freerolls during NAPT Las Vegas, beating their respective tables and moving to the audition stage.
The NAPT Las Vegas stop is in the books, having made a triumphant return in Vegas this November.
The full schedule of what PokerStars laid on can be found below.
Date | Event Number | Event | Buy-In |
---|---|---|---|
4-Nov | #1 | Qualifier to $1,100 NLH Deepstack – Win Your Seat 50,000 Chips – Single Re-Entry | $265 |
#2 | Qualifier to $1,650 Main Event – Win Your Seat 50,000 Chips’ – Single Re-Entry – 10 Seats Guaranteed | $390 | |
5-Nov | #3 (day 1) | $1,100 NLH Deepstack – Unlimited Re-Entry – $125,000 Guarantee Day 1 | $1,100 |
#4 (day 1) | Womens – Single Re-Entry – $20,000 Guarantee | $360 | |
#5 (day 1) | NAPT Super High Roller – Unlimited Re-Entry Day 1 | $10,300 | |
#6 | Qualifier to $1,650 Main Event – Win Your Seat 50,000 Chips – Single Re-Entry – 10 Seats Guaranteed | $390 | |
#8 | Qualifier to $1,650 Main Event – Win Your Seat 50,000 Chips – Single Re-Entry – 10 Seats Guaranteed | $390 | |
6-Nov | #9 (1/A) | NAPT Main Event – Unlimited Re-Entry – $1,500,000 Guarantee | $1,650 |
#10 | Qualifier to $1,650 Main Event – Win Your Seat 50,000 Chips – Single Re-Entry – 10 Seats Guaranteed | $390 | |
#11 (day 1) | Seniors (50 Years or Older) – Single Re-Entry – $20,000 Guarantee | $550 | |
#3 (Final) | $1,100 NLH Deepstack – Unlimited Re-Entry – $125,000 Guarantee Final | $1,100 | |
#4 (Final) | Womens – Single Re-Entry – $20,000 Guarantee | $360 | |
#5 (day 2) | NAPT Super High Roller – Unlimited Re-Entry Day 2 | $10,300 | |
#12 | PL Omaha – Single Re-Entry – $20,000 Guarantee | $550 | |
#9 (1/B) | NAPT Main Event – Unlimited Re-Entry – $1,500,000 Guarantee | $1,650 | |
#14 | Qualifier to $1,650 Main Event – Win Your Seat 50,000 Chips – Single Re-Entry – 10 Seats Guaranteed | $390 | |
#13 | Qualifier to $5,300 PLO – Win Your Seat 100,000 Chips – Single Re-Entry | $600 | |
7-Nov | #15 | Qualifier to $1,650 Main Event – 'Win Your Seat @ 50,000 Chips’ – Single Re-Entry – 10 Seats Guaranteed | $390 |
#9 (1/C) | NAPT Main Event – Unlimited Re-Entry – $1,500,000 Guarantee | $1,650 | |
#11 (Final) | Seniors (50 Years or Older) – Single Re-Entry – $20,000 Guarantee | $550 | |
#5 (Final) | NAPT Super High Roller – Unlimited Re-Entry Final | $10,300 | |
#16 (day 1) | PL Omaha – Single Re-Entry Day 1 | $5,300 | |
#17 | $250 NLH – Unlimited Re-Entry – $20,000 Guarantee | $250 | |
#9 (1/D) | NAPT Main Event – Unlimited Re-Entry – $1,500,000 Guarantee | $1,650 | |
#18 | Qualifier to $1,650 Main Event – Win Your Seat 50,000 Chips – Single Re-Entry – 10 Seats Guaranteed | $390 | |
8-Nov | #19 | Qualifier to $1,650 Main Event – Win Your Seat 50,000 Chips – Single Re-Entry – 10 Seats Guaranteed | $390 |
#9 (1/E) | NAPT Main Event – Unlimited Re-Entry – $1,500,000 Guarantee | $1,650 | |
#16 (Final) | PL Omaha – Single Re-Entry Final | $5,300 | |
#20 | 8-Game – Single Re-Entry – $20,000 Guarantee | $550 | |
#9 (1/F) | NAPT Main Event Last Chance Turbo – Unlimited Re-Entry – $1,500,000 Guarantee | $1,650 | |
#21 | Qualifier to $5,300 8-Game Mix – Win Your Seat 100,000 Chips – Single Re-Entry | $600 | |
9-Nov | #22 (1/A) | PokerStars Cup – Unlimited Re-Entry – $300,000 Guarantee Day 1/A | $550 |
#9 (day 2) | NAPT Main Event – Unlimited Re-Entry – $1,500,000 Guarantee | $1,650 | |
#23 (day 1) | 8 Game – Single Re-Entry Day 1 | $5,300 | |
#22 (1/B) | PokerStars Cup – Unlimited Re-Entry – $300,000 Guarantee Day 1/B | $550 | |
#24 | Qualifier to $5,300 NAPT High Roller – Win Your Seat 100,000 Chips – Single Re-Entry | $600 | |
10-Nov | #22 (1/C) | PokerStars Cup – Unlimited Re-Entry – $300,000 Guarantee Day 1/C | $550 |
#9 (day 3) | NAPT Main Event – Unlimited Re-Entry – $1,500,000 Guarantee | $1,650 | |
#25 (day 1) | NAPT High Roller – Single Re-Entry – $500,000 Guarantee Day 1 | $5,300 | |
#23 (Final) | 8 Game – Single Re-Entry Final | $5,300 | |
#22 (1/D) | PokerStars Cup – Unlimited Re-Entry – $300,000 Guarantee Day 1/D | $550 | |
#26 | Qualifier to $1,100 Mystery Bounty – Win Your Seat 50,000 Chips – Single Re-Entry | $265 | |
11-Nov | #27 (1/A) | Mystery Bounty ($500 Mystery Bounty) – Unlimited Re-Entry – $250,000 Guarantee Day 1/A | $1,100 |
#28 | Qualifier to $1,100 Mystery Bounty – Win Your Seat 50,000 Chips – Single Re-Entry | $265 | |
#25 (day 2) | NAPT High Roller – Single Re-Entry – $500,000 Guarantee Day 2 | $5,300 | |
#9 (Final) | NAPT Main Event – Unlimited Re-Entry – $1,500,000 Guarantee | $1,650 | |
#22 (Final) | PokerStars Cup – Unlimited Re-Entry – $300,000 Guarantee Final | $550 | |
#29 | Omaha 8B – Single Re-Entry – $20,000 Guarantee | $550 | |
#27 (1/B) | Mystery Bounty ($500 Mystery Bounty) – Unlimited Re-Entry – $250,000 Guarantee Day 1/B | $1,100 | |
#30 | $250 NLH – Unlimited Re-Entry – $20,000 Guarantee | $250 | |
12-Nov | #31 | $360 NLH – Unlimited Re-Entry – $20,000 Guarantee | $360 |
#25 (Final) | NAPT High Roller – Single Re-Entry – $500,000 Guarantee Final | $5,300 | |
#27 (Final) | Mystery Bounty ($500 Mystery Bounty) – Unlimited Re-Entry – $250,000 Guarantee Final | $1,100 | |
#32 | Last Chance Super Hyper Turbo – Unlimited Re-Entry – $50,000 Guarantee | $1,100 |
The NAPT Las Vegas stop has come to a close! NAPT qualifiers ran online, around the globe — but until more stops are announced there are no upcoming qualifiers for further stops at this stage.
These included:
Ahead of the NAPT Las Vegas stop PokerStars published a list of live satellites that helped players avoid paying the full sticker price of these events.
As more NAPT stops are announced we will update this section with live satellite information as soon as it is announced.
Ahead of the NAPT Las Vegas stop, PokerStars have been busy signing talent.
A partnership with NextGen Poker, a team of poker enthusiasts running a YouTube channel with over 200,000 subscribers is one such signing. Jack, Rosey, and Frankie, the faces behind NextGen Poker, will become brand ambassadors for the US markets and help provide a unique coverage of operator’s live events to new audiences.
Someone else to join the ambassador ranks, is a name familiar to PokerStars, New York Times Bestselling author Maria Konnikova. Konnikova returns as a brand ambassador to PokerStars after a 4 year hiatus.
Konnikova will highlight the operator’s ongoing investment in the US and Ontario markets.
“I’m very happy to once again be joining the PokerStars team as an ambassador,” said Maria Konnikova, via press release. “Poker is a game of skill that can teach us so much about our minds and ourselves — and I can’t wait to share my passion for it along with the incredible team at PokerStars. I’m quite excited for the vision that PokerStars has for U.S. expansion and am thrilled to play a small part in helping the world appreciate the true beauty and promise of a game I have come to love.”
So far, PokerStars has only revealed details around the first stop in Vegas for the NAPT return. But, as this is a tour and not a stand-alone event, we expect 2024 to be peppered with more stops in North America as part of this brand resurgence.
PokerStars classifies North America to include the Caribbean and Canada, so could a stop in the newly minted Ontario online poker market and a stop in the Caribbean be in the cards for next year?
Our prediction will be that, as per prior tours, the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) that takes place in the Bahamas annually in January could now sit within the NAPT brand.
However, PokerStars usually announces the PCA stop by now (September) — and as the operator remains tight-lipped, there may be an outside chance the PCA will be on ice until 2025.
PokerStars’ Caribbean Adventure (PCA) is one of the longest-running tours in the poker world and, between 2010 and 2011, sat within the NAPT brand as the first stop on the tour. It has had its ups and downs, though.
The series made its debut in 2004 on a cruise ship, and from 2005 to 2022, it took place in the Atlantis Casino & Resort on Paradise Island, kicking off traditionally every January.
In between that time during 2019 to 2022, PokerStars canned the event putting the PCA on ice with it unclear if the brand had been retired or that only its run at the Atlantis was over.
That doubt was cleared last year when the operator announced the return of PCA and PSPC in 2023 in the Bahamas in a brand new location. The PCA is now found at the luxurious Baha Mar in Nassau in the Bahamas.
“This is definitely a better venue for sure,” the poker live streamer well-known by his moniker “tonkaaaa” aka PokerStars Team Pro member Parker Talbot told pokerfuse earlier this year. “I always liked the Atlantis; I did enjoy it. I also went one time outside of the [PCA], but this is a much nicer venue.”
Over its nearly two-decade of history, the 17 editions of PCA Main Event have produced $137.5 million in prize pools and racked up total entry figures of 15,823. The winners of the Main have taken home over $25 million.
With no schedule released for the 2024 PCA installment, we think that it will top the NAPT billing for 2024, returning to the tour as part of PokerStar’s efforts of re-entering the North American market with gusto.
It is highly unlikely that the PSPC will take place in 2024 and, therefore, will not be a part of the 2023-24 NAPT. This is because PokerStars spends the better part of a year getting poker players to qualify for the PSCP via its Platinum Pass promotion — which covers the $25,000 entry fee, accommodation, and spending money.
At the time of writing, with only four months to go until the end of the year and what would be the start of the PSPC, no such promotions are in place — so it’s hard to imagine PokerStars will suddenly announce a PSPC this year.
If it were to return, we predict it won’t be until 2025 at the earliest.
The landscape in 2023 looks very different from what it did in 2011 when the last NAPT took place. Today, PokerStars operates in the regulated US markets of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New Jersey. As such, live stops in these states can be expected.
Already this year, PokerStars has run a live poker event at the Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the grand US return of its Summer Series. A stop at Live! in Philly could definitely be expected for 2024.
PokerStars has land-based partners in Michigan with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians — who own a casino called the Odawa Casino, which is affiliated with the Resorts Hotel and Casino in New Jersey — so stops at both these casinos might also be in the cards.
Stops elsewhere in the US could be likely — with PokerStars following the path seen on the Moneymaker Tour in 2019 that stopped in eleven locations across the entirety of the US. The stops that formed part of the Road to PSPC promotion in 2022 would also indicate that stops in Philly are highly likely.
Back in 2010, the NAPT debuted with stops in the Caribbean, Las Vegas, Connecticut, and Los Angeles.
The events on the 2011 NAPT were as follows:
Season 2 was scheduled to run throughout 2011, but only a January stop in the Bahamas and an April stop in Connecticut were successfully completed:
NAPT Mohegan Sun ran for five days, concluding on April 13, 2011 — just two days before Black Friday on April 15.
PokerStars is known for its live poker brands that run under the PokerStars Live umbrella, such as the European Poker Tour (EPT) and Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT), which take place each year. Each tour now holds iconic status within the poker community with its reputation as a must-play live poker event.
For the upcoming EPT Prague, Unibet brand ambassador David Lappin says, “PokerStars have always put on excellent events there and seem to break records almost every year. “
EPT Prague has been a staple of the end-of-year poker calendar since 2007, with over €60 million in Main Event prizes distributed between then and 2021.
“Prague in December is a jewel in the poker tourn crown,” PokerStars Ambassador Ben Spragg added. “A city that softens the blow of busting out of your favorite EPT event better than almost anywhere else. In particular, in December, the winter weather and festive mood add even more charm to one of Europe’s most historic locations. Goulash, poker, architecture, Christmas markets, and time with friends… EPT Prague is a must-play stop!”
The North American Championship of Online Poker (NACOOP) played out online in the Fall of 2023, and Main Event winners were gifted NAPT Las Vegas Main Event entry, plus a seat at the NAPT High Roller event.
It was the first time ever that PokerStars ran a NACOOP series across Ontario, Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Series | Jurisdiction | Shared Liquidity | Site | No. of Events | Total Guarantee |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PACOOP | Pennsylvania, US | No | PokerStars PA | 19 | $2,500,000 GTD |
USCOOP | Michigan & New Jersey, US | Yes | PokerStars MI & NJ | 19 | $3,000,000 GTD |
ONCOOP | Ontario, Canada | No | PokerStars Ontario | 17 | $1,500,000 ($2M CAD) GTD |
The 2023 NACOOP Championships included a total of 89 events, with every market featuring a $300 Main Event and a $50 Mini Main Event. Across all markets, over $6 million is guaranteed in prize money.
There where 19 events in Pennsylvania and Michigan/New Jersey and 17 events in Ontario.
PACOOP and USCOOP Main Events winners received a “Vegas Gold Pass” worth $20,300. Including the Main Event buy-in, the Gold Pass covered players with a seat at the NAPT High Roller event and grandstand tickets for the Formula 1 race in Las Vegas.
Date | Tournament | Buy-In | GTD |
---|---|---|---|
September 20 | $250 USCOOP PLO Championship | $250 | $30,000 |
September 29 | $100 USCOOP Heads Up Championship | $100 | $20,000 |
October 1 | $300 USCOOP Main Event | $300 | $350,000 |
October 1 | $50 USCOOP Mini Main Event | $50 | $60,000 |
October 1 | $2500 USCOOP High Roller Championship | $2500 | $150,000 |
October 2 | $200 USCOOP 8-Game Godfather Championship | $200 | $25,000 |
Date | Tournament | Buy-In | GTD |
---|---|---|---|
September 20 | $250 PACOOP PLO Championship | $250 | $30,000 |
September 29 | $100 PACOOP Heads Up Championship | $100 | $17,500 |
October 1 | $300 PACOOP Main Event | $300 | $250,000 |
October 1 | $50 PACOOP Mini Main Event | $50 | $50,000 |
October 1 | $2500 PACOOP High Roller Championship | $2500 | $150,000 |
October 2 | $200 PACOOP 8-Game Godfather Championship | $200 | $25,000 |
The NAPT took place in Resorts World, Las Vegas which can be found on the north end of the Las Vegas strip near the Wynn and Encore properties.
Resorts World officially opened under its new brand on June 24, 2021 after it replaced the now demolished Stardust Resort and Casino. (The original Stardust sign can be found at the Neon Museum, Las Vegas).
Accordingly to Wikipedia, Resorts World cost $4.3 billion to build currently making it the most expensive resort property in Las Vegas. The resort includes:
NAPT stands for North American Poker Tour — it is a tour of live poker events run by PokerStars, taking place across North America. Past stops have included Las Vegas, Connecticut, and the Bahamas. The first stop of the 2023-24 NAPT takes place from November 4 to 12, 2023 in Las Vegas.
The 2023 NAPT stop will take place at Resorts World Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, in the USA.
Online qualifiers for the NAPT Las Vegas stop ran in almost every market.
Yes! There were live streams of the Main Event Day 3 and Final Table plus the High Roller Final Table.
No. At the time of writing, the first stop in Las Vegas, ahead of the Formula 1 stop in November, is scheduled. However, we predict stops in the Caribbean, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Michigan will all be announced soon.
PokerStars has no word yet on this, but as the PCA was traditionally part of the NAPT schedule, we expect it to be included in 2024. The PCA has not been announced at the time of writing — it may be that the operator wants the Las Vegas event to happen before announcing any more stops.
Again, no word from PokerStars on this, but we think this is highly unlikely.
NACOOP stands for the North American Championship of Online Poker — an umbrella term encompassing ONCOOP, PACOOP, and USCOOP, which run in Ontario, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey/Michigan, sharing the same player pool.
NACOOP took place from September 15 to October 2, 2023, in all markets.
Online qualifiers ran in respective markets: Ontario, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New Jersey for NACOOP from $1 to $60.
USCOOP guaranteed $3 million. PACOOP guaranteed $2.5 million. ONCOOP guaranteed $1.5 million or $2 million CAD.
The Vegas Gold Pass package grants winners of NACOOP entry into the NAPT Main Event and High Roller events. The Vegas Gold Pass Package is worth $20,300 and includes: