What Are the Cheapest Routes into the PokerStars New Year Series Main Events?
The PokerStars New Year Series, like all good things, must come to an end, which is what's happening on January 16.
Two days prior to the curtain coming down on what has been an incredible festival, a trio of No-Limit Hold'em and one Pot-Limit Omaha Main Event shuffle up and deal, giving PokerStars players the chance to play for a share of a combined $3,850,000 in combined guaranteed prize pools.
As the cheapest buy-in tips the scales at $109 and the most expensive weighs in at $5,200, PokerNews has decided to look at the cheapest way into the New Year Series Main Events at PokerStars.
$109 NLHE 8-Max New Year Series Main Event - $1M Guaranteed
The $109 buy-in New Year Series Main Event is a three-day spectacular that sees the first cards pitched at 5:30 p.m. GMT on January 14. Late registration remains open for 3.75 hours, during which time up to four re-entries are permitted. Players sit down armed with 50,000 chips and play to 15-minute levels where the blinds start at 150/300/40a.
Last year, an enormous field of 11,787 entrants ensured the $1 million guarantee was surpassed by $178,700. Brazilian Joao "Jbiancolini" Biancolini was the last player standing; he scooped $153,443 for his impressive victory.
Although $109 pitches this New Year Series Main Event at the more affordable end of the buy-in scale, such a sum is still outside the constraints of many PokerNews readers' bankrolls. Thankfully, PokerStars is running dozens of $5.50, $11, and $22 buy-in satellites, which open the door to a larger demographic of players.
Perhaps your best chance of playing this tournament on the cheap is to enter the $5.50 satellite at 3:00 p.m. GMT on January 14, which has 100x $109 seats guaranteed. At 4:15 p.m. GMT on the same day, an $11 buy-in satellite has a whopping 200x $109 seat guarantee!
$1,050 NLHE 8-Max New Year Series Main Event - $1.25M Guaranteed
The $1,050 buy-in New Year Series Main Event follows a similar structure to its $109 cousin in that play spans three days, and four re-entries are permitted. However, there are a couple of notable differences. First, late registration remains open for five hours, and the starting stack is 100,000 chips. Levels last 20 minutes, and blinds start at 250/500/60a. Cards are in the air from 5:30 p.m. GMT on January 14.
When this tournament ran in January 2023, 1,662 entrants fought tooth and nail for the largest slice of the $1,662,000 pie. As you would expect from such a high-stakes event, the field was awash with stellar names, and one of those stars came out on top. Thomas "WushuTM" Muehloecker was the only player with chips in front of them after three arduous days of poker, although the $252,075 the Austrian collected for his victory made the grind worthwhile.
Traditional satellites costing $55, $109, and $215 feed into this $1.25 million guaranteed Main Event; they run around the clock, including while the Main Event's late registration is open.
At 4:15 p.m. GMT on January 14, some 50x $1,050 seats are guaranteed to be won for a $55 buy-in, with a $109 buy-in satellite at 5:30 p.m. awarding no less than 75x $1,050 seats!
$5,200 NLHE 8-Max New Year Series Main Event - $1.5M Guaranteed
The $5,200 buy-in New Year Series Main Event will be massive thanks to boasting a $1.5 million guarantee on its prize pool. Three days of intense poker action is on the cards, starting from 5:30 p.m. GMT on January 14.
High rollers in this event enter the fray with 250,000 chips and play to a 20-minute clock where blinds start at 500/1,000/125a. Again, four re-entries are permitted before the late registration door slams shut, which happens six hours and five minutes after the tournament commences.
Sweden's Jerry "Perrymejsen" Odeen is the reigning champion, having outlasted 305 opponents in 2023. Odeen's $5,200 investment swelled to a bankroll-boosting $290,062 after defeating Lithuania's Paulius D3cor" Vaitekunas heads-up.
$215 and $530 buy-in satellites are the ones that award $5,200 seats, although you can play your way into these seat-awarding tournaments from as little as $2.20. Two satellites guarantee at least 10x $5,200 Main Event seats. One costs $215, and starts at 4:30 p.m. GMT on January 14, with a $530 edition starting slightly later at 5:40 p.m. GMT.
$215 PLO 6-Max New Year Series Main Event - $100,000 Guaranteed
Lovers of four hole cards have a Main Event of their own, the $215 PLO 6-Max tournament, which comes with $100,000 guaranteed. The pot-limit action kicks off at 6:05 p.m. GMT on January 14, with the champion crowned in a single day.
Late registration closes after two hours 25 minutes, and four re-entries are allowed should anyone dust off their 50,000 starting stack. Blinds start at 125/250/30a and increase every 10 minutes.
It's fair to say PokerStars misjudged the guarantee on the PLO New Year Series Main Event in 2023 because $200,000 was up for grabs, but 646 entrants resulted in an overlay of $70,800. Hungarian Benjamin "beastishngry" Juhasz was the main beneficiary of the added funds because he captured a top prize worth $34,302.
Unfortunately for PLO players, there are no direct satellites feeding into this Main Event.
New Year Series Ticket Bundles Represent Great Power Path Value
The PokerStars Power Path makes it possible to turn a $1 investment into a New Year Series ticket bundle.
Acquire a Brone Pass and you can use it to enter the $109 buy-in, $1 million guaranteed No-Limit Hold'em Main Event.
Get your hands on a Silver Pass and you can redeem it for a New year Series ticket bundle worth $2,500, consisting of:
Gold Passes can be redeemed for a $10,300 New Year Series ticket bundle that gives you a shot at the $5,200 buy-in NLHE Main Event plus multiple entries in the $1,050 and $109 editions. Redeem your Gold Pass for:
Whatever route you plan to take to reach the New Year Series Main Events does not matter, so long as you give yourself the best chance of becoming a PokerStars champion and kicking off 2024 in style. Good luck at the tables!
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