The 15th edition of the PokerStars Sunday Million Anniversary Event will attract the second-biggest turnout in history and has already created a prize pool of more than $13 million.
More than 65,000 players have entered the fray to surpass the $12.5 million guarantee in one of the most well-known regular tournaments in the world of online poker.
A new record for the weekly mid-stakes phenomenon may not be set, but it has already become the fifth-biggest online poker event of all time in terms of the overall prize pool.
The exact amount is not locked up yet as the late registration remains open until five minutes prior to the start of Day 2. Until then, hopefuls can join the action by buying in directly or taking advantage of last-minute satellites.- For more than a decade, PokerStars has led the industry with the best software, largest player pool and safest environment to play
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Extensive Satellites and Ticket Giveaway for Second-Biggest Sunday Million Anniversary
It seems very likely that the field size will surpass 70,000 entries in total—last year’s record-setting edition also grew by nearly 10% before the virtual cards went back in the air. A look at the current numbers reveals that nearly one-third of the 65,000-entry plus strong field consisted of re-entries. Up to five re-entries were allowed for each participant in order to compete for a life-changing payday.
Players can still take a shot at a potential seven-figure payday for a fraction of the $215 price tag as PokerStars runs several satellites prior to the start of Day 2. That even includes Freerolls or low-stakes buy-ins of just $5.50. On demand SNG with guaranteed seats are available as well.
For the 15th anniversary of the most-anticipated mid-stakes tournament of the year, PokerStars gave away $500,000 worth of tickets in the Ticket Machine. After opting in for the promotion in the challenges window, up to three entries could be obtained by completing daily challenges.
Another opportunity to win the $215 entry awaited in the $4 and $22 buy-ins Spin & Gos, which offer jackpots up to $1 million. The operator added Sunday Million seats, satellites and cash prizes to give even more players the chance to be part of history.
A Closer Look at the History of the Sunday Million Anniversary
On March 5, 2006, PokerStars debuted a new Sunday major with a $1 million guarantee and it quickly became a staple of the weekend schedule. However, the name Sunday Million was only attached to it later in the same year.
In 2007, the Anniversary Edition took place for the first time and resulted in a field of 10,508 entries. It was the first time the attendance broke five figures. The event came with a $1.5 million guarantee but easily surpassed that to surpass $2 million for the first time and pay out $2,101,600.
Fast forward three years from there on, the far-biggest Sunday Million emerged in the 4th Anniversary edition. It bolstered a massive $4 million guarantee but surpassed $7.2 million thanks to the huge 36,169-entry strong field.
One year later in 2011, the Sunday Million set new records. In the 5th Anniversary Edition, the attendance skyrocketed to 59,128 entries and paid out $11,825,600 in prize money. On December 18, 2011, the operator commemorated the 10th anniversary of going online. It resulted in a new record field of 62,116 entries and massive $12,432,200 prize pool.
Since then, there were a few bumps on the road and it took until 2015 for the Anniversary Edition to surpass $10 million in prize money once more. PokerStars also recorded the biggest overlay in the history of online poker as they had to fork out more than $1.2 million on the house.
The recent history of the PokerStars Sunday Million Anniversary
| Date/Year | Prize Pool Awarded | Guaranteed | Guarantee Exceeded | Overlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2010 | $7,233,800 | $4,000,000 | $3,233,800 | 0 |
| Mar 2011 | $11,825,600 | $5,000,000 | $6,825,600 | 0 |
| Mar 2012 | $6,746,400 | $6,000,000 | $746,400 | 0 |
| Mar 2013 | $9,857,400 | $7,000,000 | $2,857,400 | 0 |
| Mar 2014 | $9,317,200 | $8,000,000 | $1,317,200 | 0 |
| Mar 2015 | $10,086,400 | $9,000,000 | $1,086,400 | 0 |
| Mar 2016 | $11,011,800 | $10,000,000 | $1,011,800 | 0 |
| Apr 2017 | $11,167,000 | $10,000,000 | $1,167,000 | 0 |
| Feb 2018 | $10,000,000 | $10,000,000 | $0 | $1,205,000 |
| Apr 2018 | $11,262,000 | $10,000,000 | $1,262,000 | 0 |
| Apr 2019 | $12,268,400 | $10,000,000 | $2,268,400 | 0 |
| Mar 2020 | $18,602,300 | $12,500,000 | $6,352,300 | 0 |
| Mar 2021 | $12,500,000 | 0 |
As the COVID-19 pandemic grasped the entire world and caused a major surge in online poker traffic, PokerStars upped the guarantee of the Sunday Million 14th Anniversary Edition to $12.5 million. The outcome was indeed spectacular as it became the third-biggest online poker tournament of all times until then.
- 93,016 entries: Biggest field in an Anniversary Event or Sunday Million in general
- $12.5 million: Biggest guarantee in the history of the Sunday Million
- $18,602,300: Biggest tournament held on PokerStars
While it seems very unlikely that the 15th Anniversary Edition will surpass that, it nonetheless becomes a part of online poker history.
