There are a lot of “mark your calendar” days in the online poker world right now. One of them happens to be kind of a big deal. It is the 15th anniversary of the PokerStars Sunday Million, and the celebration will happen on March 21, 2021.
The advanced notice gives players plenty of time to play those satellites and win a seat into the $215 buy-in Sunday Million at a discount. Last year’s winner of the 14th Anniversary Sunday Million qualified for just $4 and won more than nearly $1.2M.
This weekend might be a good time to get started.
https://twitter.com/PokerStarsBlog/status/1370426221079765000?s=20
Fifteen Years of Millions
Not many tournaments become such a staple in the online poker world that they stick around for 15 years. PokerStars was smart enough to develop series like the WCOOP and events like the Sunday Million that stood the test of time.
The Sunday Million sure changed over the years. It began in 2006 with a $1M guarantee, though there was some dispute about the date of the first “official” Sunday Million. It changed buy-ins and guarantees through the first year or so, adapting to the market. Some of the first years also offered some special Sunday Millions with higher guarantees to celebrate other PokerStars milestones.
Guarantees generally increased during the history of the Sunday Million:
--1st Sunday Million in 2006: $1M GTD, 5,893 players, $1,178,600 prize pool--1st anniversary in 2007: $1.5M GTD, 10,508 players, $2,101,600 prize pool --2nd anniversary in 2008: $2M GTD, 14,181 players, $2,836,200 prize pool--Special Sunday Million in 2008: $2.5M GTD, 16,260 players, $3,252,000 prize pool--3rd anniversary in 2009: $2.5M GTD, 13,267 players, $2,653,400 prize pool--Special Sunday Million in 2009: $2.5 GTD, 18,283 players, $3,656,600 prize pool--Special Sunday Million in 2010: $2M GTD, 19,377 players, $3,875,400 prize pool--4th anniversary in 2010: $4M GTD, 36,169 players, $7,233,800 prize pool--5th anniversary in 2011: $5M GTD, 59,128 players, $11,825,600 prize pool + Lamborghini Gallardo--Special 10th anniversary of PokerStars in 2011: $10M GTD, 62,116 players, $12,421,200 prize pool--6th anniversary in 2012: $6M GTD, 33,732 players, $6,746,400 prize pool--7th anniversary in 2013: $7M GTD, 49,287 players, $9,857,400 prize pool--8th anniversary in 2014: $8M GTD, 46,586 players, $9,317,200 prize pool--9th anniversary in 2015: $9M GTD, 50,432 players, $10,086,400 prize pool--10th anniversary in 2016: $10M GTD, 55,059 players, $11,011,800 prize pool--11th anniversary in 2017: $10M GTD, 55,835 entries (first time with reentries), $11,167,000 prize pool--12th anniversary in 2018: $10M GTD, 43,975 entries, $10M prize pool (first overlay)--13th anniversary in 2019: $10M GTD, 61,342 entries, $12,268,400 prize pool--14th anniversary in 2020: $12.5M GTD, 93,016 entries, $18,603,200 prize pool
Bonus Prizes with 15th Anniversary
This year, PokerStars didn’t feel super adventurous, so it is keeping the guarantee at $12.5M for the prize pool. Perhaps the unknown effects of the pandemic on players were a factor.
The bonus for players is that PokerStars is giving away $500K worth of tickets to the tournament this year. Many players will win their seats to the Sunday Million for free via the Sunday Million Anniversary Ticket Machine.
Any PokerStars player can opt in through the “challenges” window. They will find several challenges each day, including things like playing 250 hands in cash games, knocking out a player in an MTT, or playing seven SNGs. The completion of each one will earn the player a ticket to that day’s ticket machine draw. Players can earn up to three tickets per day through Sunday, March 21.
Of course, there are also Sunday Million tickets and satellite tickets up for grabs in special Spin & Go tournaments, too. The three-player hyper-turbo events cost $4 to enter and will award cash – as usual – plus the Sunday Million prizes.
The tournament will require a $215 buy-in for those who don’t win their seats. The event starts on Sunday, March 21, but an extended late registration period will allow players to buy in all the way to Monday, March 22.
https://twitter.com/PokerStars/status/1369316446711517191?s=20
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