Poker
World Series of Poker Paradise Brings Buzz, Huge Prize Pools and Big Stars to the Bahamas
First WSOP Paradise eclipses $70 million in total prize pool
Main Event Champion to win biggest $5k tournament of 2023
Historic bracelets, strong fields and memorable appearances by poker’s biggest names and sports legends highlight the first winter series for the World Series of Poker (WSOP). Starting on December 3 at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas, WSOP Paradise hosted some of the biggest poker tournaments of 2023 at various buy-in levels and surpassed its promised $50 million guarantee to achieve a total prize pool of more than $70 million.
“From hall of famers winning bracelets to celebrity sightings and a classic Phil Hellmuth entrance to the Main Event, WSOP Paradise exceeded even our own lofty expectations and became the final highlight of an incredible year,” the Senior Vice-President and Executive Director for the WSOP, Ty Stewart, said. “We thank every player who made the trip to the Bahamas to be part of the action and launch our newest tradition, Winter in Paradise.”
Event #1, Mystery Millions, kicked off the poker in paradise action by breaking the record for the largest poker event ever hosted in the Bahamas and things only heated up from there. The winter series saw exceptional turnouts for its high roller events, with many of the tournaments becoming the strongest of the year at their buy-in level. This included Event #3: GGMillion$ High Roller Championship, which was larger than its $25k counterpart at the WSOP in Las Vegas this summer.
All high-roller event entrants and prize pools can be seen below:
Event #3: GGMillion$ High Roller Championship ($25k buy-in)
- 533 entrants
- $13,325,000 prize pool
Event #7: Super High Roller No-Limit Hold’em ($50k buy-in)
- 137 entrants
- $6,850,000 prize pool
Event #9: Ultra High Roller No-Limit Hold’em ($100k buy-in)
- 111 entrants
- $11,100,000 prize pool
The inaugural WSOP Paradise No-Limit Hold’em World Championship, better known as the ‘Main Event’, has solidified itself as the largest $5k buy-in poker tournament of 2023, with 3,010 entrants battling for the top prize. The first WSOP Paradise Main Event champion will soon take home a $2 million first-place prize in addition to the highly-coveted Main Event bracelet hand-crafted by Jostens from yellow gold, weighing nearly 95 grams and 494 genuine blue topaz round stones.
The full payout breakdown for the WSOP Paradise Main Event Final Table is as follows:
- 1st: $2,000,000
- 2nd: $1,200,000
- 3rd: $900,000
- 4th: $685,000
- 5th: $510,000
- 6th: $400,000
- 7th: $300,000
- 8th: $250,000
- 9th: $200,000
Although this is just the first edition of WSOP Paradise, players and fans at Atlantis witnessed a familiar scene for a WSOP Main Event on December 9 as Phil Hellmuth made his grand entrance into the Atlantis Ballroom dressed as Poseidon, joined by choreographed dancers, mermaids and a marching band. Other highlights from the series action include Hall of Famer Erik Seidel taking home his tenth career WSOP bracelet after winning Event #7: Super High-Roller No-Limit Hold’em and Japan’s Masashi Oya breaking through to claim his first-ever WSOP bracelet to go along with a massive $2.9 million first-place prize in Event #9: Ultra High-Roller No-Limit Hold’em.
Familiar faces from the sports world also attended WSOP Paradise including 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Tony Parker, two-time WNBA Champion and Las Vegas Aces’ Head Coach Becky Hammon, Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero, FS1’s Nick Wright and more. Parker finished in the money for the first time in a live poker tournament in Event #4: Mini Main Event No-Limit Hold’em and Aguero competed at the feature table for the Main Event with a seat next to Daniel Negreanu.
The excitement surrounding WSOP Paradise builds on a banner year for the WSOP after the series shattered its all-time attendance record for its Main Event in Las Vegas this summer, 17 years after Jamie Gold defeated a crowd of 8,773 entrants in 2006 to take home the prestigious WSOP Main Event bracelet.
Livestreamed coverage for the Main Event continues on GGPoker’s YouTube channel and three post-produced television episodes will air on CBS Sports Network with commentary from legendary poker analysts Lon McEachern and Norman Chad.
Players should follow @WSOP on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram or check WSOP .com for event news and updates.
Welcoming 2025 in spectacular style, Natural8 India has announced its latest India Exclusive, Natural8 India X APT Manila Classic 2025, to the delight of poker enthusiasts across the country. The multi-table tournament, scheduled to take place on January 19, will offer participants a chance to fight for the massive event prize pool and the glory of winning a prestigious APT Trophy. But that’s not all, for nine finalists will also secure an all-expense paid trip to participate in APT Manila – competing for the grand prize at a grand stage with some of the sharpest poker players in all of Asia!
With a buy-in of only INR 5,500, Natural8 India X APT Manila Classic 2025 will offer flight and stay packages for nine finalists, worth up to INR 100,000 each, for the upcoming APT Manila Classic. In addition, the top four finalists will secure a Main Event ticket worth INR 90,000 each at APT Manila Classic 2025, while the other five will win Mini Main Event tickets worth INR 37,000 each. The tournament also has various satellites running daily from January 12 to January 19, with a buy-in of just INR 550.
Speaking on the upcoming India Exclusive, Kunal Patni, Executive Director and Country Head – Natural8 India, said, “2024 was a spectacular year for Natural8 India and the broader Indian poker community. Throughout the year, we saw a strong response to the various India Exclusives, which not only nurtured the country’s growing poker landscape but also connected poker enthusiasts to the broader Asian poker scene on a more consistent basis. We took 23 players to various APT events in 2024 through these India Exclusive APT events. With the Natural8 India X APT Manila Classic 2025, we expect a similarly stellar response, especially with mega bonus on offer worth up to INR 15 lakh. Our latest India Exclusive will set the tone for the rest of the year and give poker enthusiasts and professional players across the country a chance to start 2025 on a bang!”
2024-Poker players looking to celebrate the holidays and unwrap big wins are heading to ACR Poker. The popular worldwide poker site is kicking off the festivities with its Christmas Special Multi-Day progressive knockout (PKO) tournament, starting Sunday, December 22nd.
Featuring a $55 buy-in, a $200,000 guaranteed prize pool, and a variety of flights to choose from, the Christmas Special Multi-Day PKD is designed to easily slot into any schedule, making it ideal for players looking to make the most of the holidays while competing for huge prize money and bounties.
“Our Christmas Special PKO tourney offers players a chance to dive into exciting poker action and earn big cash rewards over the festive period, all for just $55,” said ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker. “Check out the flexible schedule of flights and compete for your share of the $200K GTD prize pool to kick start your new year.”
The first flight begins on Sunday, December 22nd at 2:05pm ET, with the final flight on Sunday, December 29th at 12:05pm ET, and Day 2 action wrapping up the tourney in a festive finale later that day at 4:05pm ET. Players who want to spice things up can also explore staking another player or selling part of their action.
Stretch Network has officially announced a new strategic partnership with Vivaro. US, a social casino platform. This collaboration is designed to bring ingenious poker operations to a wider audience in the USA, reinforcing Stretch Network’s commitment to expanding its reach in the growing digital market.
Ruslan Bangert, Head of Stretch Network, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, “We’re thrilled to partner with Vivaro. US. This collaboration aligns with our goal to innovate and expand in the dynamic world of poker.
The partnership also marks an important milestone for Vivaro. US, allowing the platform to elevate its poker capabilities. Hovhannes Minasyan, COO of Vivaro. US, shared, “This collaboration with Stretch Network enables us to elevate our poker offerings and provide an even more immersive and secure environment for our players.”
“Our partnership with Stretch Network represents an important step in enhancing our poker capabilities and strengthening our platform’s offerings,” said Artak Basoyan, CEO at Vivaro. US.
With a growing presence in the USA through Vivaro. US, Stretch Network is well-positioned to deliver poker experiences to an even broader audience.
The collaboration is expected to drive player engagement and increase opportunities for both companies, highlighting Stretch Network’s ability to adapt and grow in a competitive digital entertainment market.
-
Gambling in the USA6 days agoSpinomenal makes US debut with New Jersey market entry
-
Gambling in the USA6 days agoGila River Resorts & Casinos hosts $5.9 million Big Game prop play contest
-
Latest News6 days agoGolden Nugget Atlantic City Announces Re-opening of Sportsbook with New, Innovative Technology and Expanded Betting Markets
-
Latest News6 days agoAristocrat Gaming Begins Expanded Launch of NFL-Themed Slot Machine Franchise with 13-Casino Event in Puerto Rico
-
Conferences2 days agoBETBY TO SHOWCASE INNOVATIVE SPORTSBOOK SOLUTION IN BRAZIL TOUR DE FORCE
-
Compliance Updates3 days agoMichigan Gaming Control Board Orders MyBookie.ag to Cease Operations in the State
-
Latest News2 days agoPlayGreen to offer Vibra Gaming content in Ecuador
-
Compliance Updates6 days agoMGCB Executive Director Applauds Reappointment of Board Member Deidre A. Lambert-Bounds by Governor