After eleven days of action, the Fall Fest on PokerStars Ontario is now in the books, and the operator will be quite pleased with the results.
More than CAD $550,000 was guaranteed across 54 events featuring a variety of tournaments, with buy-ins starting at CAD $10. When the dust settled, the prize money distribution exceeded expectations, reaching nearly CAD $800,000 — surpassing the initially advertised guarantee by an impressive 42%.
Right from the get-go, the turnout demonstrated strength, with the opening “Festival Kickoff” event, featuring a $100 entry fee, attracting 170 participants, comfortably exceeding its $10,000 guarantee by an additional $5600. The momentum continued with the $50 buy-in Fall Brawl, drawing 411 entrants and creating an $18,700 prize pool. The Friday Battle, with a $100 entry and an $8000 guarantee, saw 147 entrants, resulting in a prize pool of $13,400.
- Excellent tournament schedule
- The best variety of game types
- #1 Rated online poker room in Ontario by pokerfuse.com
This trend persisted throughout the series, with most tournaments effortlessly surpassing their guarantees. Across the 54 tournaments, over 12,000 entries were recorded, with the Main Event, featuring a $200 buy-in and a $70,000 guarantee, attracting the largest field — 609 entrants (366 unique, 243 re-entries) — culminating in a $113,500 prize pool, the series’ largest.
The second-largest prize pool emerged in the $1000 High Roller Main, which carried a $60,000 guarantee. With 76 runners, it exceeded its guarantee by an additional $12,400. Event #14, the $100 buy-in Fall Special with a $40,000 guarantee, saw 567 participants, generating a $52,000 prize pool—the second-largest turnout of the series.
While the series experienced a near-perfect run, with only 7 out of 54 tournaments missing their guarantees, resulting in overlays totaling CAD $2308, the overall success of the PokerStars Ontario Fall Fest 2023 is evident.
PokerStars Ontario Fall Fest 2023 Highlights
- Total Tournaments: 54
- Total Gtd: $550K
- Total Prize Pool: $780K
- Avg Prize Pool: $14.4K
- Total Entries: 12,628
- Avg Entries: 234
- Overlays: 7 of 54 (13%)
- Total Overlay: $2308
PokerStars would be quite pleased with the final outcome as the 2022 edition of the Fall Fest series paid out $564k across 57 tournaments at an average of almost $10k per tournament. This year, the series has outperformed in both metrics — totaling $780,000 over 54 tournaments at an average of $14,400.
Moreover, this year’s event has seen significant growth in terms of entries, with a 33% increase from 9487 entries in the previous year to an impressive 12,628 entries.
PokerStars Ontario Fall Fest Series 2022 vs 2023
| 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Tournaments | 57 | 54 |
| Guarantee | $500k | $550k |
| Final Prize Pool | $564k | $780k |
| Entries | 9487 | 12,628 |
| Overlays | 13 | 7 |
- Excellent tournament schedule
- The best variety of game types
- #1 Rated online poker room in Ontario by pokerfuse.com
Poker Night in Canada Remains a Sunday Staple
Alongside the success of the Fall Fest series, the newly launched weekly poker series, Poker Night in Canada, continues to engage players every Sunday.
Launched in collaboration with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) on November 5, this series offers Ontario online poker players unique opportunities to win various rewards, including cash prizes, Maple Leaf tickets, gift cards, and exclusive merchandise.
The last Sunday of each month features a highlighted $50 No-Limit Hold’em event with a guaranteed prize pool of $10,000, offering players the chance to win a coveted Red Spade Pass alongside cash prizes.
The final Sunday edition in November attracted 336 entrants, resulting in a prize pool of $15,288. The winner earned a Maple Leafs Red Spade Pass and an all-expenses-paid VIP trip to watch the team play against the Golden Knights in Vegas on February 22, 2024.
