GGPoker will celebrate the fourth anniversary of its flagship freezeout tournament, GGMasters, with another overlay edition.
Taking place from February 18 to 26, the event boasts a guarantee 20 times larger than its standard counterpart, promising a whopping $10 million in prize money despite leeping its buy-in at just $150.
The tournament will need to attract a record turnout of 72,464 entrants to avoid an overlay — and it will almost certainly fall short. There are nine Day 1s scheduled, each adhering to the freezeout format, with players restricted to a single entry per starting flight.
“There’s no other tournament like the GGMasters Overlay Edition – a freezeout with a reasonable buy-in, an enormous guarantee and the possibility of some major value!” said Daniel Negreanu, GGPoker Global Ambassador. “Last year, we saw a $1M overlay; who knows what’s in the cards in 2024?”
GGMasters Overlay Edition 4th Anniversary: Overview
- Runs from Feb 18
- $10 million guarantee
- Buy-in of $150
- Freezeout format – No re-entry/rebuy allowed
- Would need over 72,000 entrants to cover
- Nine starting flights — for Asia, Europe, and the Americas
- Qualifiers from just 25 cents
- Day 2 runs on Feb 26
- Or get up to $100 worth of rewards
- Available in many regulated markets
- Great MTT schedule including WSOP events
The Overlay Edition title is a candid acknowledgment by the operator that reaching the target is unlikely, emphasizing the anticipation of a massive overlay. It could mean exceptional value for everyone who plays.
Indeed, the operator is touting the event as the “highest value tournament ever.” In the previous year, the third anniversary, featuring the same eight-figure guarantee, attracted 64,622 participants but fell shy of its goal by $1,082,164. It equated to an EV of almost $17 per player.
The tournament ended up becoming the third-largest overlay in online poker’s history. Prior to that, the 2021 edition with a $5 million guarantee drew 33,806 players, generating $4.6 million in buy-ins for a $400k overlay.
The 2023 tournament schedule kicks off on February 18, with Day 1 flights concluding on February 26. Following the best-stack-forward policy, players have the flexibility to participate in multiple Day 1s, even if they qualify for Day 2. However, only the largest accumulated stack will be considered, and any additional qualifying stacks will be forfeited.
For those with limited budgets, GGPoker will run a myriad satellites and qualifiers, with buy-ins starting as low as 25 cents. Thethe operator will run hourly freerolls, providing an opportunity for players to secure seats to the $150 buy-in event at no cost.
4th Anniversary of GGMasters
Introduced in January 2020 and spearheaded by its global ambassador Negreanu, GGMasters has emerged as the operator’s most successful tournament: GG’s take on the Big Sunday event, reviving the classic freezeout format with an accessible buy-in.
The tournament started with $250,000 guarantee but quickly transformed — it doubled to half a million within a few months, despite facing persistent overlays. This audacious move proved successful when, after weeks of falling short, the tournament finally gained momentum, attracting sufficient entries to meet and exceed its guarantee. It ultimately reached, and settling on, half a million guaranteed every week.
This success prompted GGPoker to expand the concept into a week-long schedule, with a combined guarantee of $2.5 million across tournaments running daily. The expansion included the introduction of GGMasters High Rollers on Sundays, featuring a $1000 buy-in and a $1 million guarantee. Subsequent expansions included Bounty, Classic, and Asia editions.
The fourth-anniversary edition of GGMasters will run from February 18 to 26. Additionally, the operator will host a parallel tournament in Ontario, Canada, promising an added CAD $100,000 free money to the final prize pool.
GGMasters 4th Anniversary Overlay Edition Schedule
| Date | Flight | UTC |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 18 | Day 1A, Asia | 12:00 |
| Feb 18 | Day 1A, Europe | 17:00 |
| Feb 18 | Day 1A, Americas | 22:00 |
| Feb 24 | Day 1B | 17:00 |
| Feb 25 | Day 1C, Asia | 12:00 |
| Feb 25 | Day 1C, Europe | 17:00 |
| Feb 25 | Day 1C, Americas | 22:00 |
| Feb 26 | Day 1D | 12:00 |
| Feb 26 | Day 1D, Last Chance | 15:00 |
| Feb 26 | Day 2 | 19:00 |
