The first leg of the newly launched PokerStars Open has officially concluded. Hosted at Casino Campione in Italy from March 10 to last Sunday, the seven-day series was a massive success, highlighted by a record-breaking turnout in the Main Event.
The €1,100 Main drew 2,423 entries, shattering its €1 million guarantee by an additional €1.3 million, bringing the total prize pool to €2.3 million. PokerStars is touting it as the largest Main Event ever held at a non-EPT PokerStars festival.
No one expected this kind of turnout for the event. With a €1 million guarantee, organizers anticipated around 1,000–1,100 entries. Instead, the event exceeded all projections, drawing 1,423 unique players and an additional 1,000 re-entries.
Given that Casino Campione hadn’t hosted a major poker event in six or seven years, such conservative estimates were understandable. But with the final numbers in, the organizers couldn’t be happier. This result adds to the ongoing resurgence of live poker, as record-breaking attendance continues to be a trend worldwide, even in 2025.
PokerStars Open Campione 2025 By the Numbers:
- 2,423 — Total entries in the €1,100 Main Event, smashing the €1M guarantee.
- €2,326,080 — Final prize pool for the Main Event after exceeding expectations.
- 300+ — Online qualifiers in the Main Event, making up nearly 15% of the field.
- €363,000 — First-place prize won by Adrian-Sorel State from Romania.
- 6,048 — Total entries across 16 events at PokerStars Open Campione.
- €4,495,584 — Total prize money generated during the festival.
- 6 years — PokerStars’ long-awaited return to hosting a live event in Italy.
Remarkably, the Main Event field outnumbered the entire population of Campione d’Italia, an Italian exclave in Switzerland with just 1,961 residents. While the tournament spanned four Day 1 flights and allowed re-entries, it remains an impressive feat.
PokerStars Open Campione Main Event Day Turnout
| Day | Uniques | Re-entries | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1A | 500 | 144 | 644 |
| 1B | 139 | 24 | 163 |
| 1C | 895 | 229 | 1124 |
| 1D | 193 | 15 | 208 |
| 2 | 284 | ||
| Total | 2423 |
A key driver of the high turnout may have been the launch of the PokerStars Live League, which rewards players for competing in multiple PokerStars Open events. The league offers up to €150,000 in live event tickets and a chance for a coveted one-year PokerStars ambassador deal worth $100,000. It appears the incentive was too good to ignore for many players and a similar response is likely at upcoming PokerStars Open stops.
In the end, Romania’s Adrian-Sorel State, 38, took down the Main Event, defeating Italy’s Giorgio Soceanu to claim the title and a €363,000 payday.
“Nobody expected such big numbers and the PokerStars staff did extremely well to finish the tournament in time,” State told PokerStars after winning the event. “Amazing organisation and staff, super professionals.”
Online Qualifiers Shined at the Main Event
Interestingly, Spain’s Manel Montalbán, who finished in fourth place, secured his €123,760 payday after qualifying through an online satellite on PokerStars. He wasn’t the only online qualifier to reach the final table—Italy’s Gaspare Sposato, who finished seventh, also earned his seat via a PokerStars satellite.
According to the operator, more than 200 players secured their spots in Campione through direct seat-only satellites. An additional 74 players qualified via Power Path, each winning $2,500 packages from an investment as low as $11—many starting from the free 50-cent Step 1 tickets that PokerStars distributes daily.
Including both direct satellites and Power Path winners, over 300 of the 2,423 Main Event entries—nearly 15% of the field—came from online qualifiers,
The Main Event was one of 16 tournaments held during the PokerStars Open Campione festival. Originally slated for 20 events, four were presumably canceled to accommodate the overwhelming demand for the Main Event.
Other standout tournaments included the €2,200 High Roller, which attracted 354 entries (255 unique players) and generated a €679,680 prize pool. The €550 PokerStars Open Second Chance event drew 589 players and 127 re-entries, building a €343,680 prize pool, while the €400 Mystery Bounty saw 934 entries (733 unique, 201 re-entries), awarding €322,790 in prize money.
The festival’s biggest buy-in event, the €4,975 Super High Roller, featured 85 players and 23 re-entries, creating a prize pool of €492,372.
In total, the series generated €4,495,584 in prize money across 16 events, drawing 6,048 entries.
PokerStars Campione to Host Another Festival in 2025?
Organizers will undoubtedly be thrilled with the final numbers. PokerStars’ return to Italy after six years was met with an overwhelming response, proving that selecting Campione d’Italia as the venue for the first-ever PokerStars Open was a fantastic decision. Nestled along the shores of Lake Lugano and surrounded by Switzerland, this picturesque town offers breathtaking views of the Swiss Alps, making it an ideal setting for a major poker festival.
Indeed, the last time Campione hosted a poker series was six or seven years ago. However, with PokerStars now managing the poker room at Casinò di Campione—under the guidance of Italian poker legend and former Team PokerStars Pro Luca Pagano—the stage is set for a potential resurgence.
Whether this success paves the way for another PokerStars Open Campione festival in 2025 or PokerStars EPT stop in 2026 remains to be seen. The last time EPT Campione was held was in 2012, but given the strong turnout, organizers are surely eager to bring another festival to the venue later this year or next year.
Up next, PokerStars Open heads to Namur, Belgium, from May 28 to June 9. Before that, all eyes will be on EPT Monte-Carlo, running from April 30 to May 10.
