Pokerstars budget for massive WSOP investment

03/21/2008

Pokerstars has earmarked a massive $12 500 000 for sponsorship of a thousand seats at the 2008 World Series of Poker, the company announced this week. For the next few months leading up to the big event, Pokerstars will be running a diversity of tournaments and qualifiers aimed at finding 1 000 top players who will each receive a sponsorship worth $12 500.

In addition to the variety of ways to obtain one of the sponsorships, regular PokerStars players will be offered an opportunity to trade in Frequent Player Points (FPPs) for seats. Step-based SNGs are also part of the satellite mix, with buy-ins as low as $2.

PokerStars is offering cash incentives to the those qualifiers who both qualify online and then perform well during the WSOP. Stars qualifiers who make the WSOP Main Event final table can win bonuses of from $100 000 to $1 000 000, the last figure the extra prize for winning the entire tourney. Stars also offers a cash-bonus program including payments of up to $50 000 for making a televised final table at the WSOP.

To date, PokerStars has put more more players into the WSOP Main Event than any other site. Over 3 600 Stars qualifiers have played in the Main Event since 2002.

The full Main Event prize package includes:

● $10,000 Main Event buy-in;
● $2,500 expense money;
● Eight nights' complimentary hotel accommodations at the nearby Palms;
● Hotel suite upgrades for Supernova and Supernova Elite VIP members.