The countdown is on for the return of the biggest $25k live game in history. The poker world is just three weeks away from the return of the PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC) at the legendary PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA).
It was supposed to happen in Barcelona in 2021, but the unprecedented COVID-19 lockdowns of that year prevented the originally scheduled second running of the epic PSPC game. After a record-setting first run at the PCA in 2019, the original plan was a biennial game that offered peak poker every two years.
While that schedule was unexpectedly interrupted, it is now back on, nearly four years to the day after the inaugural event. The storied PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship, to use its full title, will be returning to the Bahamas from January 30 to February 3 — but this year there will be a few changes, with the PCA moving to the Baha Mar resort.
The full PCA festival runs from Jan 22 to Feb 3, with the PSPC headlining the event near the end of the series. Besides the PSPC, there will also be the PCA Main Event running from Jan 23 to 29, and players’ first shot at the latest craze in poker, the Mystery Bounty format, will start on Jan 26.
- Deposit $20 and get $30 worth of free play
- One of the best mobile apps
- Biggest MTT guarantees
Poker in the Bahamas
January in most of the northern hemisphere is a pretty bleak affair, but the Caribbean is a rare sunny spot in an otherwise wintery scene. While the PCA offers some of the hottest live poker action of the year with typically huge Main Event fields, there are a lot of reasons for poker players to head to the Bahamas in January that reach beyond the action on the green felt.
Of course, it will be the poker that is top-of-mind for players descending on the Caribbean island resort for the PCA. There are events to fit most bankrolls at the Baha Mar resort with full-fledged tournaments as low as $330, and flip qualifiers as cheap as $30.
There are multiple games in the sub-$1000 range sprinkled throughout the schedule, but there are also tournaments for players with deeper pockets. The schedule will feature $100k and $250k super high rollers, a few $50k games, and some other $25k events to go along with the marquee PSPC.
PCA is a festival for everyone, with players of all levels able to find good games to play. The full schedule is available from PokerStars, but below are a few highlights to look out for.
Key Games to Watch for at PCA
- PCA:
- PCA Super High Roller: January 22-24, $100,000
- PCA Main Event: January 23-29, $10,300
- PCA Mystery Bounty: January 26-28, $3000
- PCA PLO High Roller: January 27-28, $25,000
- PCA High Roller: February 1-3, $25,000
- PSPC:
- PSPC Warm Up!: January 28-29, $10,000
- PSPC Main Event: January 30 – February 3, $25,000
- PSPC Mystery Bounty: February 1-3, $550
Platinum Passes Big Factor Yet Again
There have been over 400 Platinum Passes handed out so far for the second running of the PSPC, and that is one thing that makes this event special. In most cases, the field for a $25k game comprises many “usual suspects” as the buy-in prices out many recreational and smaller-stakes players.
With the PSPC, though, Platinum Passes help put a lot of players into the game who otherwise could never fathom playing $25k tournament. Platinum Passes for the 2023 PSPC were won through a variety of means, including online tournaments, live events, and giveaways through social media. Passes won for the canceled game in Barcelona have also carried forward to this year’s event.
- Deposit $20 and get $30 worth of free play
- One of the best mobile apps
- Biggest MTT guarantees
Details on Platinum Passes
- Buy-in to the $25,000 PSPC
- Six nights hotel accommodation for winner and a guest in the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar hotel
- Airport transfer
- $1900 expense money
- Platinum Pass Winner experiences during the event
The start of the PCA is less than three weeks away now, It is the perfect chance to escape the winter for some poker fun in the sun, and there is still enough time to book your flights and perhaps even win one a seat via one of the satellites running on PokerStars.
