PokerStars US Includes MI-NJ Shared Liquidity Market in $5M GTD Winter Series

Last December, PokerStars kicked off its Winter Series tournament for international players in Southern Europe. The championship which started on Dec. 25 is scheduled to end on Jan. 15. But as it stands, the tourney’s main event will coincide with the PokerStars Winter Series in North America.

Yes, you read right. PokerStars US has announced the first ever Winter Series for eligible online poker players in the U.S. and Canada. This tournament will hold from January 12 through to January 29, and promises more than $5 million in guaranteed prizes. Players aged 21 and above in New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ontario will be able to participate in the championship.

A little over a year ago, PokerStars launched an interstate liquidity pool merging Michigan and New Jersey for the first time. Since then, players across both states have enjoyed shared contests and prize pools, the first of which was the PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC) Online Series last January.

One year later, the shared liquidity pool is still up and doing. The merged prize pool was utilized during the North American Championship of Online Poker (NACOOP) which had $7 million in guaranteed prize money. Players in Michigan and New Jersey will also enjoy the pool during the upcoming Winter Series.

As a standalone festival, the shared liquidity will have a total guaranteed prize money of $2.25 Million. In Pennsylvania, the total guaranteed prize pool is $1.5 million while in Ontario, it stands at CAD$1.7 million. Buy-ins for the tournament starts at $3 and goes all the way up to $2,000, allowing players of all bankrolls to participate.

There will be 85 unique events in the Michigan and New Jersey festival. Pennsylvania will also host 85 events while Ontario players will compete across 120 different events during the tournament. Headlining the tournament is a $300 Buy-In 2-Day Main Event Championship starting on Jan. 28. The main event offers a $250K guaranteed prize pool in MI and NJ, $200k GTD in Pennsylvania and CAD$150K in Ontario.

In addition, players in Michigan and New Jersey can enter a $50 Mini Main Event with a $50K guaranteed prize. Another $2,000 Buy-in High Roller event with $100K guaranteed is scheduled for Jan. 28. In Pennsylvania, the Mini Main Event has a $25K guaranteed prize pool for players in the jurisdiction.

PokerStars is also introducing 10 special championship events where it will reward winners with special edition watches. As usual, there will also be a leaderboard in each state, where entrants will be awarded points for their position in individual events.

The top 10 players from the leaderboard in each festival will all receive $1,000, while the overall champion will receive a $2,500 grand prize. Leaderboard winners will also walk away with special edition watches.

Players in any of the eligible jurisdictions who place a $50 deposit on any PokerStars platform before the Winter Series begins will receive an opportunity to participate in the Depositor’s Freeroll. In this special round, PokerStars will be offering free tickets to the $300 Main Event scheduled for Jan. 28.

Also, a unique Bust Out promotion will be available throughout the Winter Series. This promo will award $5 casino and $5 Spin and Go bonuses to players who bust out of Winter Series events.

Additionally, $3 Spin and Go bonuses will be up for grabs across the span of the tournament. Some 2,500 from a pool of 1 million Spin and Go bonuses will also award direct access to the $300 Buy-in Main Event for players hoping to qualify for the event at a discount.

Michiganders can join in the tournament from any of their devices starting from Jan. 12.

PokerStars Michigan is one of the leading online poker platforms in the Great Lakes State and has provided some of the best tournaments since legal online poker launched in January 2021. You can visit the official PokerStars website or app to enter any of the events or join in the Depositor Freeroll and “Spin and Go” bonus for a free shot at the main event.