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PokerStars NAPT Return Rekindles Poker Excitement

Written by Jennifer Newell
Last updated on

The original iteration of the PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) was an incredible success in 2010 and into 2011…until it wasn’t. Black Friday ruined many things, including the NAPT. It was going to be a tough task to bring it all back. The buy-ins would be lower – in general – and the names at the tables would change. But there’s just something about a series hosted by PokerStars that hits the mark every time.

The 2023 NAPT Las Vegas did just that. Players came out for it, sometimes coming from around the world to collect on the prize packages they won online. The media hyped it. The video snippets and updates showed the excitement. The numbers provided concrete proof of its success.

And players are already saying that it is a must-attend event in the future.

2023 NAPT Results

There’s nothing like positive numbers and big names on the winner list to demonstrate success. The numbers and names for the 2023 NAPT did just that.

The full list of events and results is as follows:

  • $1,100 Deepstack = 144 entries / $138,240 pool ($125K GTD) / Kfir Nahum of Israel won for $23,735
  • $10,300 NAPT Super High Roller = 59 entries / $572,300 pool / Jesse Lonis won for $174,550
  • $360 Women’s Event = 94 entries / $28,200 pool ($20K GTD) / Kyna England won for $7,520
  • $1,650 NAPT Main Event = 1,095 entries / $1,609,650 pool ($1.5M GTD) / Sami Bechahed won for $268,945
  • $550 Seniors Event= 87 entries / $41,760 pool ($20K GTD) / Soren Lundgren won for $8,257
  • $550 PLO = 60 entries / $28,800 pool ($20K GTD) / Anthony Askey won for $8K
  • $5,300 PLO = 41 entries / $198,850 pool / Caleb Furth won for $68,605
  • $250 NLHE = 159 entries / $32,595 pool ($20K GTD) / Benjamin Teston won for $6,193
  • $550 8-Game Mix = 65 entries / $31,200 pool ($20K GTD) / Andrew Yeh won for $9,355
  • $550 PokerStars Cup = 692 entries / $332,160 pool ($300K GTD) / Cody Raymond won for $44,743
  • $5,300 Mixed Game = 32 entries / $155,200 pool / Eli Elezra won for $53,540
  • $5,300 NAPT High Roller = 150 entries / $727,500 pool ($500K GTD) / Sam Laskowitz won for $180,850
  • $600 Mystery Bounty = 265 entries / $254,400 prize pool ($250K GTD) / Tim Rutherford won for $24,650
  • $550 Limit O-8 = 46 entries / $22,080 pool ($20K GTD) / Vincent Calicchia won for $6,295
  • $250 NLHE = 106 entries / $21,730 pool ($20K GTD) / Tyler Montoya won for $5,058
  • $360 NLHE = 63 entries / $20K pool ($20K GTD) / Scott Hill won for $5,328
  • $1,100 Last Chance Super Hyper Turbo = 41 entries / $50K pool ($50K GTD) / Griffin Benger won for $17,250

The entirety of the NAPT experience isn’t over for everyone, though, as the F1 race is this weekend. Since PokerStars has a partnership with Oracle Red Bull Racing, it affords many PokerStars employees and players the opportunity to watch the race and participate in extra activities. For example, there are charity tournaments happening on November 16, 17, and 18.

The Big Game

The most popular of the non-tournament action surrounding the return of the North American Poker Tour was the subsequent return of The Big Game.

Prior to Black Friday, that show had been a hit on television, as a “loose cannon” qualifying player was given money to compete in a high-stakes cash game against great players. That player then had to end the session with more money than they started in order to garner a profit. The Big Game returned for filming during the NAPT.

Out of numerous freerolls open to any players, the field narrowed down to just a few who won SNGs to make it to the finals to be a “loose cannon.” Those finalists then underwent a series of interviews, quizzes, and auditions to be on the show. In the end, Nikki Limo and Lily Newhouse were the winners.

Each of them played a separate cash game. The players who bought in to play included Phil Hellmuth, Jennifer Tilly, Arden Cho, Lex Veldhuis, and Alan Keating. It appears that PokerStars filmed five episodes of each game, and they will air somewhere, sometime in early 2024.

Bonus NAPT Action

The female contingent of the NAPT players was treated to a “Women in Poker” panel discussion, led by PokerStars Executive Rebecca McAdams Willets, a longtime advocate for women in poker. She was joined on stage by other advocates: Poker Power President Erin Lydon, PokerStars Pro and chess champion Jennifer Shahade, PokerStars Pro and best-selling author Maria Konnikova, and science writer Alex O’Brien.

Topics included translating poker skills to live skills, the psychology of poker, bluffing and risk-taking. In addition, they discussed the ever-looming conundrum of increasing the number of women in poker and how players and sites like PokerStars can inspire change.

Jennifer Newell

Jennifer Newell

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Jennifer Newell is a freelance writer at LegalUsPokerSites. She has two decades of experience in the iGaming industry. She is a respected poker media member, contributing to publications and websites like USA Today, PokerStars, and PokerScout. Her knowledge spans gambling legislation and the broader online gaming world. She has spent years advocating for diversity, most notably gender equity in the traditionally male-dominated poker sphere.

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