PokerStars Bars Heads-Up Play for Unexpected 72bn Hand Promotion

PokerStars announced that it will be awarding in excess of $750k in their latest milestone hand promotion on the road to 100bn hands. Mega milestone hands are traditionally celebrated every five billion, but this time cash prizes will be awarded in anticipation of the 72bnth hand.

In contrast to recent milestone promotions, heads up cash games will be disabled as the milestone hand approaches. The last milestone hand – the big 70 – was surrounded with controversy when it became apparent that the winning hand was dealt at a HU table where the players had been open folding every hand in what was viewed by many as “angle shooting.”

Although PokerStars stated that such practice “may not be in the spirit of the promotion,” it was deemed not to violate the rules and the prize money was awarded to the enterprising fast-folders.

This time around, the poker room will avoid any such controversy by disabling all heads up cash games hours before the hand will be hit. The prize for winning hand number 72,000,000,000 will be a minimum of $20k with more than 1k players expected to receive their share of the $750k prize pool.