In this column, we deliver you the latest and most interesting online poker industry news from across the world and all platforms.
Natural8’s WSOP Online runners in for exclusive promos
A week into the month of September and tournament grinders are already taking on the busy online poker scene with no hesitation. Natural8 – GGNet’s World Series of Poker Online this year is set to award a total of 33 official bracelets through September 27. Over three weeks of action is left on the calendar and the buzzing network is pumping up the excitement even more so with its exclusive list of promotions. Players on Asia’s largest poker room can claim their share of the site’s additional $350,000 in prizes across its Team Hot Hunt and Team Bling sponsorships.
Team Hot Hunt is a fairly easy way to qualify for tournament cash bonuses with all you have to do is join a WSOP event and get seated with any of Natural8’s Team Hot ambassadors for a quick T$25 in rewards. The next step is to take a screenshot, post it on social media, and lastly, contact the platform’s live support team to claim your prize.
The list includes recent WSOP Main Event runner-up Adrian Attenborough, Taiwanese pro Pete Chen, Asia’s female crusher Kitty Kuo, Hong Kong’s Danny Tang, Thailand’s top ranking Phachara Wongwichit, Vietnamese pro Thaiha, and MTT specialist Bryan Paris. If you manage to knock them out on the other hand, the player is immediately qualified to receive an additional T$88 and an even bigger T$188 for Atttenborough’s tournament life.
The second promotion, Team Bling, is a membership to Natural8’s team of ambassadors who have previously won WSOP Online gold bracelets. Each champion is awarded a sponsorship of varying values with the highest being the Main Event awardee for a package of $100,000 in prizes. Last year’s winners saw three champions – João Simão (Brazil), Eduardo Pires (Brazil), and Vincas “Seimininkas” Tamasauskas (Lithuania), claim the exclusive Natural8 sponsorship packages for their notable victories.
Dan ‘Jungleman’ Cates featured by CNBC
Celebrated today as one of the fiercest tournament players, Dan ‘Jungleman’ Cates cemented his reputation to extended heights after clinching the biggest mixed game of the year twice in a row. At 32 years old, the two-time Poker Players Championship winner has bagged over $11 million in career winnings, catching the attention of mainstream media outlets aside from those of the poker scene. Major American news network CNBC, recently featured Cates in a lengthy article showcasing his journey from humble beginnings to now crushing the biggest games available.
“Losing by itself isn’t really a reason to quit. It’s more about how determined you are to actually win, how willing you are to change.”
The piece highlighted Cates’s key factors in becoming a world class poker player which entailed having a growth mindset, being mentally tough, and essentially the biggest skill you’d need in game and in life. The American pro rooted his success to his experience in learning from his mistakes and adjusting to what his opponents’ were doing continuously. More than that, the most important skill Cates has mastered is the art of reading people and becoming aware of the smallest things.
“Watch their actions, not their words. When you’re looking at someone’s face, they’re going to try to hide their emotions really well. It’s when they don’t know you’re looking, that’s where you should be looking.”
“If someone’s looking hard enough, similar to in real life, the truth will eventually be revealed. Because if you look hard enough at someone’s story, if they lack integrity, then it’s going to show somewhere”, Cates added.
PokerStars (FRESPT) opens Galactic Series with inaugural Sunday Million
Southern Europe’s segregated market (France, Portugal, and Spain) kicked off the month with its first PokerStars Sunday Million event to welcome its annual Galactic Series. The popular $1 million guaranteed tournament collected its regular buy-in of €250 and played through a progressive knockout format with re-entries allowed up to four times.
Those who missed the thrilling event can still take their bankrolls to the ongoing Galactic Series running through the 25th. Over €8,500,000 in guaranteed prizes are set to be awarded across the three week festival with the concluding Main Event earmarked on everyone’s schedule. The two-day Main Event sees a similar €250 entry fee with one re-entry allowed for a minimum prize pool valued at €500,000.
2022 Galactic Series Highlights
| Date | Event | Prize Pool |
| Sept 11, 2022 | Galactic Series #70: €125 Shooting Stars [Progressive KO, 6Max] | €100.000 GTD |
| Galactic Series #72: €30 NL Hold’em [Sunday Slam] | €100.000 GTD | |
| Galactic Series #73: €250 NLHE Lunar Eclipse [Progressive KO] | €200.000 GTD | |
| Sept 18, 2022 | Galactic Series #135: €50 NLHE [Warm-Up, PKO] | €125.000 GTD |
| Galactic Series #136: €125 Shooting Stars [Progressive KO, 6Max] | €125.000 GTD | |
| Galactic Series #137: €20 [O Super Clássico, PKO] | €100.000 GTD | |
| Sept 25, 2022 | Galactic Series #203: €125 Shooting Stars [Progressive KO, 6Max] | €100.000 GTD |
| Galactic Series #205: €250 Main Event | €500.000 GTD |
Partypoker MILLIONS Online boasts over $6M in guarantees
Another series not to miss is partypoker’s MILLIONS Online available through the 27th with an eye-catching $2,000,000 guaranteed Main Event. The month-long festival features a total of 15 events for a combined guarantee of over $6M in prizes. Other series highlights include Event #06 Mini Main Event ($320 buy-in), #08 7-Max PKO Champs ($1,050 buy-in), and #11 Super 500 PKO ($530 buy-in), all for a guaranteed prize pool of $500,000 each.
The $3,200 Main Event however, remains to be the crowning jewel of the series with six starting flights running until the 26th. Last year’s prize pool rose to a smashing $5.4M after 1,084 entries were recorded and buy-in was set at a higher $5,300. At the end of the day, defending champion Endrit Geci clinched the title and $774,838 in winnings after defeating Brazil’s Francisco Correia in heads up play.
Partypoker MILLIONS Online Main Event Schedule
| Sept 11, 2022 | MILLIONS Online #05 Main Event Day 1B |
| Sept 18, 2022 | MILLIONS Online #05 Main Event Day 1C |
| Sept 25, 2022 | MILLIONS Online #05 Main Event Day 1D |
| Sept 26, 2022 | MILLIONS Online #05 Main Event Day 1E |
| Sept 26, 2022 | MILLIONS Online #05 Main Event Day 1 Turbo |
| Sept 26, 2022 | MILLIONS Online #05 Main Event Day 2 |
“I’m really excited for MILLIONS Online. Last time out, I made the Main Event final table and was gutted to be eliminated after coming so far. The quality structure and amazing satellite system makes this a must-play series. I can’t wait”, commented partypoker ambassador Patrick Leonard in the press release.
MASSIVE month of online poker in September and what better way to kick it off than the Sunday grind. #GLGRINDERS #nevermissasunday
— Patrick Leonard (@padspoker) September 4, 2022
2022 MILLIONS Online Schedule
| Dates | Event | Buy-in | Guarantee |
| Sep 1-15 | #03 Super 500 | $530 | $500,000 |
| Sep 1-15 | #04 Super 100 | $109 | $300,000 |
| Sep 4-26 | #05 Main Event | $3,200 | $2,000,000 |
| Sep 4-26 | #06 Mini Main Event | $320 | $500,000 |
| Sep 5-12 | #08 7-Max PKO Champs | $1,050 | $500,000 |
| Sep 11 | #07 The Grand Phase Final | $1,050 | $150,000 |
| Sep 12-19 | #10 6-Max PKO Champs | $1,050 | $500,000 |
| Sep 12-22 | #12 Super 100 PKO | $109 | $300,000 |
| Sep 15-22 | #11 Super 500 PKO | $530 | $500,000 |
| Sep 18 | #09 The Grand Phase Final | $1,050 | $150,000 |
| Sep 22-26 | #14 Closer PKO | $1,575 | $300,000 |
| Sep 22-26 | #15 Mini Closer PKO | $162 | $100,000 |
| Sep 25 | #13 The Grand Phase Final | $1,050 | $150,000 |
