PokerStars and Partypoker announce over $100m in combined guarantees for Spring Series’

This week, online poker’s two key players announced the guarantees being offered for their upcoming tournament series’.

SCOOP Series: $65 million up for grabs

PokerStars offered up $55 million in last year’s SCOOP series, and they have increased that figure this time around, to $65 million. The series, which begins on May 6th and runs until May 21st will be the tenth instalment of the SCOOP series. At least one tournament each day will have a guarantee of $1 million, with buy ins for events ranging from $2.20 to $25,000.

There will be a total of 183 tournaments and if last year’s series is anything to go by, the total amount paid out will far exceed the guarantees on offer.

Severin Rasset, who is currently Director of Poker Innovation and Operations said “Every player will find something to their taste with beautiful structures, record-breaking prize pools and a large range of buy-ins. Now it is on our players to transform these events into lifelong memories and, for some of them, life-changing money.”

More: SCOOP Schedule

Powerfest series: $40 million guaranteed

In direct competition with the series hosted by PokerStars will be the Powerfest series hosted by partypoker. It will run from May 6th to May 20th. $40 million will be guaranteed across the series, which may not match the outlay promised by PokerStars, but with the significant difference in player traffic on the sites it represents a much bigger gamble by partypoker. Overlays are a significant possibility and the $40 million figure certainly shows huge ambition by partypoker.

The series will feature 366 tournaments in total, with satellites providing routes into the events which may be beyond the bankrolls of some players. This will be the second Powerfest series of this year, representing a renewed statement of intent from partypoker as they seek to supplant PokerStars as the global leader in online poker. Patrick Leonard, who acts as an ambassador for partypoker said

“I’ve been more heavily involved in this POWERFEST scheduling than ever before.

There is a lot of consistent logic throughout giving the most varied, exciting and fun POWERFEST schedule since partypoker’s resurrection a few years ago. There are more 6-Max events, more PLO, more high rollers but also buy-ins for all bankrolls and most importantly lots of chances of glory. I don’t think I’ll take a day off over the 2 weeks.”

More: Visit partypoker website

Article by Craig Bradshaw