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Poker Stars wants to know.
In spring of 2003, a virtually unknown player called “Money800” on Poker Stars
invested $40 in a World Series of Poker satellite. He won a trip to Las Vegas
and an entry into the $10,000 Main Event. A few months later, he was $2.5
Million richer and had almost single-handedly started the next boom in poker.
His underdog story has inspired countless players to start clicking their
mouse in virtual poker rooms. The unknown “Money800” is now known worldwide as
accountant-turned-millionaire Chris Moneymaker.
Poker Stars is matching Moneymaker’s 2003 win with $2.5 Million of their own,
to be given out in a massive freeroll event encompassing five months.
Round 1 – Daily Tournaments
Every Poker Stars account holder gets one entry into a daily freeroll. After
that, you can enter unlimited times for 10 FPPs (frequent player points). The
top 50 finishers (out of 8000-10000 entrants) advance to round two. There are
three daily Round 1 events. They can be accessed from the Tournaments>>Freerolls
tab or the Events>>$2.5M Freeroll tab.
Round 2 – Weekly Tournaments
The odds of winning improve dramatically after you survive the Round 1
madness. Approximately 1200 players made it to the first Round 2 event, and
240 of them advanced to round 3. The weekly tournaments are held on Saturdays
at 1400 US Eastern time, and can only be entered by winning a Round 1
tournament.
Round 3 – Monthly Tournament
The odds remain good for the 1000-1200 players lucky enough to advance to
Round 3. The top 120 finishers each month receive at least $100, and the final
table participants are in for some serious winnings, including a fabulous
mid-winter trip to the Bahamas.
The top 5 or 6 places (changes monthly) win a $3000 stay at the five-star
Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, which includes seven nights’
accommodations and food. If you doubt the five-star rating of this
resort, check out the movie After the Sunset starring Salma Hayek and
Pierce Brosnan. The portrayal of that fabulous property will effectively
remove your doubts.
These players also win $1000 to cover travel expenses to the Bahamas, and will
play in the three-table live final of the series. All 27 live final players
win at least $5000. Places 18 through 14 win $10,000, and 13 through 10 win
$20,000. Final table players win much more, including $820,000 and an Aston
Martin DB9 Volante for the overall winner.
The remaining final table players in each monthly tournament win the $3000
Bahamas trip, $1000 for travel, and a $5000 entry into the Poker Stars
Caribbean Adventure tournament (PCA).
Only 1 of every 150-200 players entered will win Round 1 of the freeroll.
These are terribly long odds for even the best players in the world. The
payoffs, however, would make the entire effort worth it. The trip to Atlantis
alone will bring a lifetime of memories, and the PCA tournament is one of the
most exciting on the big-tournament circuit. Go for it, and look me up when
you get to the Bahamas. What else are you going to do in January?
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