PokerStars Announces Plans to Award Over 1,000 WSOP Seats

PokerStars has announced an impressive schedule of events and qualifiers on its site with the end goal of sending over 1,000 players to this summer's WSOP. In the promotion, running for the next several months, PokerStars qualifiers can win $12,500 prize packages and the chance to become the focus of the next major chapter in poker history.

PokerStars players of any bankroll thickness will have a chance to qualify, from "Big Dance" freerolls through a range of different satellites. Stars will also offer its players the chance to trade in Frequent Player Points (FPPs) for seats. Steps-based SNGs are also part of the satellite mix, with buy-ins as low as $2.

PokerStars is one of a select few sites that also offers cash incentives to the lucky qualifiers who both qualify online and then perform well during the WSOP. Stars qualifiers who make the WSOP Main Event final table can win bonuses of from $100,000 to $1,000,000, the last figure the extra prize for winning the entire tourney. Stars also offers a cash-bonus program including payments of up to $50,000 for making another to-be-televised final table at the WSOP.

Chris Moneymaker is one such former Stars qualifier who parlayed his initial online success into big money. "If I didn't win a $39 satellite on PokerStars, I would have been on the sidelines at the 2003 WSOP," said Moneymaker. "This year's prize package is even more incredible and the prize pool is set to be its biggest yet." To date, PokerStars has put more players into the Main Event than any other site. Over 3,600 Stars qualifier have played in the Main Event since 2002.

The full Main Event prize package includes:

● $10,000 Main Event buy-in;
● $2,500 expense money;
● Eight nights' complimentary hotel accommodations at the nearby Palms;
● Hotel suite upgrades for Supernova and Supernova Elite VIP members.