PokerStars has announced its first US stop of 2025, returning to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the third consecutive year. The event will take place at Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia from April 21 and will run for a week.
This stop will be part of the newly launched PokerStars Open, which is making its North American debut. Announced in late December 2024, PokerStars Open consolidates several regional tours, including the Eureka Poker Tour, France Poker Series, UK & Ireland Poker Tour, and Estrellas Poker Tour in Spain.
The series kicked off this month in Campione, Italy, where it proved to be a major success, drawing over 6,000 entries and awarding more than €4.5 million in prize money.
Until now, PokerStars Open had been exclusive to European locations. With the addition of Philadelphia, the series is officially expanding beyond Europe and into the North American market.
While Philadelphia is the only confirmed stop in the region so far, there could be additional North American locations later in the year, including Maryland and possibly Ontario, Canada.
“We’re super excited to bring the PokerStars Open to Philadelphia, a city that knows what it means to compete, fight, and never give up,” said Steve Priess, VP of North America in a press release. “Poker is about heart, strategy, and knowing when to take your shot, and there’s no better place to showcase that spirit than in Philly.”
- Runs from April 21 to 27
- Takes place at Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia
- $500,000 guaranteed Main Event
- Online qualifiers start at $10 and available in PA, MI, NJ and Ontario
- Features Bounty event, Ladies Event, High Roller and PokerStars Cup
- Eligible for PokerStars Live League
The inaugural PokerStars Open Philadelphia will feature a $1,100 buy-in Main Event with a $500,000 guarantee, running from April 23 to 27. The schedule also includes a $2,200 High Roller, a $400 PokerStars Cup on April 27 with a $40,000 guarantee, a $300 Women’s Event on April 24 with a $10,000 guarantee, and a special $300 NLH Bounty event on April 23. Adding extra excitement, players who eliminate a PokerStars Team Pro in the bounty event will receive an additional cash prize.
The full schedule has yet to be released, but players can expect a decent lineup of events with accessible buy-ins.
PokerStars Open Philadelphia should also be part of PokerStars Live League, which rewards players for participating in multiple PokerStars Open stops. The league offers up to €150,000 in live event tickets and the chance to win a prestigious one-year PokerStars ambassador deal worth $100,000. As per the terms of the PS Live League, all PokerStars Open events are eligible.
Online Qualifiers to Get Underway this Week
Online qualifiers for PokerStars Open Philadelphia will kick off on March 26, open to all PokerStars players in regulated markets in North America. This includes those in Pennsylvania, the shared liquidity network of Michigan and New Jersey, and Ontario, Canada’s largest province. Online satellites will start at just $10.
“We’re so excited to be the first North American host location for this year’s PokerStars Open live series,” said Anne Tran, Director of Poker at Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia. “Our Poker Room and all our dedicated team members are ready to welcome poker enthusiasts from across the region to deliver an unforgettable experience during this world class tournament.”
It will be PokerStars’ first US live event in 2025 once again taking place at Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia, a venue the operator is quite familiar with. This marks the third consecutive year PokerStars is hosting a live event in Pennsylvania, though it will be the first under the PokerStars Open branding.
The venue played a key role in PokerStars’ return to the US live poker scene in 2023 after a six-year hiatus, hosting the PokerStars Summer Series. That series spanned three weeks, featuring three week-long tournaments with a combined $1 million in guarantees—ultimately doubling that figure to award over $2 million in prize money and attract nearly 2,200 entries.
In 2024, PokerStars returned to the same venue under the NAPT regional banner, offering over $1.1 million in guarantees across 14 events. The series introduced the first-ever Pennsylvania State Poker Championship, a $2,200 buy-in tournament with a $500,000 guarantee across four starting flights. It drew 243 entries, narrowly missing its guarantee. The festival also awarded NAPT Las Vegas packages.
Now in 2025, the operator is back at the Philadelphia venue, this time under its newly launched PokerStars Open. While details have yet to be confirmed, it wouldn’t be surprising if the series once again offers NAPT 2025 Las Vegas packages, assuming the tour returns for its third consecutive year.
