PA’s Hottest Online Poker Tournaments This Summer

The weather is warming, and summer is on the horizon, so you better stock the freezer with ice cream and get ready to crank that AC, as there is loads of hot summer action coming to the virtual felt in Pennsylvania. Across all operators and all budget sizes, there will be chances for everyone to win big in some sizzling PA online poker tournament action.

Pennsylvanians have much to look forward to this summer, no matter what room they choose to play in. BetMGM Poker PA has a couple of shots at huge live games lined up, PokerStars PA just wrapped SCOOP and will give you plenty of opportunities to prepare for PACOOP, and WSOP PA offers the chance to win the most coveted prize in poker — Gold Bracelets — from the comfort of your home.

While most people’s attention may be turned to live poker in Las Vegas, online players in PA will also have many opportunities to play and win big. In 2022, the run-up to PokerStars’ iconic PACOOP series in September saw nearly $3.5 million in summer guarantees, so while the weather outside might be tempting, the rewards for those who stay inside will be huge.

Pennsylvania Online Poker Tournaments This Summer

If history is any indication, this summer will be a hot one in PA — and we don’t just mean outside. Based on 2022, PokerStars PA is likely to have series throughout the summer, like Summer Stacks, leading into the summer closer, PACOOP.

BetMGM Poker PA will be looking to the live games this summer, with two shots at huge live tournaments on either side of the country, while WSOP PA does what it does best, handing out WSOP Gold Bracelets to winners.

BetMGM Poker PA

For players on BetMGM Poker PA, sights will be set on the live felt, even while playing in the virtual setting. The operator is hosting two big live games this spring and summer — one in Atlantic City, NJ, and the other in Las Vegas, NV.

First on the docket is the Almighty Millions event at Atlantic City’s Borgata May 7 – 14. The tournament will feature a cool $1,000,000 guarantee for a very affordable buy-in of $800.

Daily satellites are running in the client until May 7, awarding $2000 packages to the Almighty Millions event. Each package includes an $800 seat as well as travel expenses. You can also buy a seat directly online and skip waiting in lines at the casino.

• The Almighty Million
  • Live Series
    • When: May 7 — 13
    • Where: Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa, Atlantic City, NJ
  • Online Qualifiers from April 23
    • Online Prizes: $2000 Package to The Almighty Million

After that, you will have opportunities to qualify online for the next big BetMGM Poker tournament at Aria in Las Vegas this June. The BetMGM Poker Championship will feature a $3500 Main Event and several side events.

Online qualifiers will be available throughout May, offering a shot at a $6300 Championship package. Each prize package consists of a Main Event buy-in, an entry into the $800 Mystery Bounty event, and cash for travel and accommodations.

• BetMGM Poker Championship At ARIA
  • Live Series
    • June 9 — 13
    • ARIA Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, NV
  • Online qualifiers from May 1
    • Online Prizes: $6500 package including $4300 in ticket value
• PA State Championship
  • Online Series
    • Dates TBA

For those who prefer online action, there is even more to look forward to. While it has not been announced for this year, BetMGM threw state championship events in the summer of last year, featuring rather generous prize pools. Given their successful run in the sun last summer, there is no reason to think they will not be returning in 2023 after the dust settles in the live arena.

PokerStars PA

Undoubtedly, the two biggest games of the year on PokerStars PA are the two Championships of Online Poker in the spring and late summer/early fall. However, there is never a shortage of hot tournament series on Pennsylvania’s leading online poker provider.

To start, the Half Million Dollar Sunday is just around the corner. Taking place on April 30, this is a single-day mini-series that will see $500k in guaranteed prizes. A bulk of that number is reserved for the Half Million Dollar Sunday Special, which guarantees at least $250,000. For those with deeper pockets, there is also a $1000 High Roller event with a nice $100k guarantee.

• Half Million Sunday
  • Online Series
    • When: April 30
    • $500,000 GTD

In 2022, PokerStars PA also hosted several smaller series in the run-up to the main event, the PACOOP. The Bounty Builder Series in May featured $1,000,000 in guarantees and was a massive success, so we can definitely expect it to make a comeback in 2023.

• Bounty Builder Series
  • Online Series
    • When: TBA

The Summer Stack Series is another event we could see make a return in July. Last year, it featured close to 100 events, most of them managing to handsomely break their guarantees. The Main Event promised $100,000 but blew the guarantee out of the water as the final prize pool exceeded $130,000.

• Summer Stack Series
  • Online Series
    • When:TBA

All of these will lead to the Pennsylvania Championship of Online Poker (PACOOP), likely to take place in early September. The 2022 version featured $2,000,000 in guarantees across several dozen tournaments (including 19 Championship events), and we expect the 2023 PACOOP to be just as big, if not bigger.

• PACOOP
  • Online Series
    • When: Expected in September
    • At least $2,000,000 GTD expected

WSOP PA

When poker players hear the letters WSOP, their thoughts immediately turn to the world’s biggest live poker festival — the annual World Series of Poker in Las Vegas — and the dream of winning a WSOP Gold Bracelet.

For those who can’t make it to Vegas, WSOP PA has your back all summer, offering PA players the chance at some gold jewelry of their very own.

Online bracelet events at WSOP PA will be running concurrently with the 2023 WSOP in Las Vegas, with one tournament taking place every week from June 4 to July 16. PA poker players will have seven shots at coveted bracelets, with the cheapest event being $300 and the most expensive being $600.

Another piece of shiny gold poker hardware that players are keen on acquiring is the WSOP Circuit ring, which will also be up for grabs at WSOP PA. While there are no details on the next online circuit series at the moment, it is safe to assume it will take place in the near future, offering not only rings for the winners but also big prize pools.

Last year’s WSOP PA Circuit Series took place in August. It featured 12 events with buy-ins ranging from $215 – $1000. There were $320,000 in guaranteed prizes, including the $50,000 Main Event.

• WSOP PA Circuit Series
  • Online Series
    • When: Expected in August