The winds of change are blowing across the poker landscape as PokerStars has announced a WSOP-themed promotion for the first time in more than a decade. Cash game players at PokerStars’ premier live venue in London, The Hippodrome Casino, are getting the chance to win a trip to Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker WSOP 2022.
The prize is part of the in-house loyalty race run at the Hippodrome, host of the PokerStars LIVE room and regulars get a free shot at winning this incredible prize. As quoted in Poker Industry PRO, Kerryjane Craigie, Director of Poker at PokerStars Live at The Hippodrome Casino, called the loyalty race one unlike any other.
“We don’t ask players to contribute, we don’t take anything from the pot, it’s a complimentary offering from The Hippodrome directly to the player,” she said of the program.
The special promotion will include tournament buy-ins, as well as accommodation, flights, and access to exclusive players’ parties. The likely value of the package will be around $7,500, but the exact events to be included are not yet decided. Given the $7,500 expected value though, players can be fairly certain it will not include the Main Event.
- Play one hand & get $150 in bonus play funds
- Top-quality mobile app
- Best online MTT schedule
PokerStars Returns to its Roots
While PokerStars has not had any association with the WSOP since Black Friday in 2011, the operator is no stranger to WSOP qualifiers. In fact, prior to Black Friday, it was responsible for sending hundreds of players to the WSOP through qualifiers, with the most famous being 2003 winner Chris Moneymaker.
Moneymaker famously turned a $86 satellite ticket from PokerStars into $2.5 million, the 2003 Main Event Bracelet, and a new poker boom. Moneymaker’s story was the most famous one written by the PokerStars satellite tree back in the day, but his was far from the only story.
That all ended in 2011 when Black Friday made it legally untenable for WSOP to partner with the operator. 888poker stepped into the void left behind, acting as official WSOP event sponsor and also online satellite host until 2021.
2021 was the year GGPoker stepped into the role, forging a tight-knit partnership with the WSOP after hosting a huge Online WSOP 2021 in response to the pandemic. French operator Winamax is another operator that has close ties with the WSOP brand and has hosted online satellites on its platform.
- Up to $100 in free play with first deposit*
- Top-quality software
- Compete for WSOP bracelets & rings
New Stories from PokerStars
Now, PokerStars can once again offer players the chance to write their own Moneymaker-style story. To get a shot at the estimated $7,500 prize, players just have to play cash poker.
Players will earn one point for every two hours played monthly, with top 40 point-earners getting a ticket to the loyalty tournament at the end of the month. The top eight players in the tournament get a chance to spin the prize wheel, with one spot on the wheel reserved for the Las Vegas package.
Craigie seemed on board with the idea of new stories, calling the prize “aspirational”. “Our latest race is for an adventure to Las Vegas and the WSOP 2022. Full of activities, parties, and of course tournament buy-ins as well as flights and accommodation in a top hotel — it’s going to be a great week for our lucky players who secure a spot! Just our way of giving it back!”
Cash game players at Hippodrome have a chance to play for that amazing adventure.
