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The statistics speak volumes for online poker on Michigan interstates.
Since merging player pools with PokerStars NJ on January 1, 2025, PokerStars MI has experienced a substantial increase in player traffic and tournament prize pools.
PokerStars embarked on its inaugural shared liquidity endeavor with the merger, making it Michigan’s pioneer in introducing interstate poker to the state. The journey started in January 2021 and spanned almost two years, with a significant portion of eight months following Michigan’s inclusion in the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA).
However, PokerStars has managed to gain an edge in Michigan and position itself as the leading site by being the first to enter the market. Additionally, it has now been a month since it started expanding its reach across state borders, giving it a head start of one month and counting in terms of having Michigan as part of its offerings.
The first of many major tournament series is already bringing joy to players, along with a larger cash game player pool that ensures games running at all times of the day.
Furthermore, the list of offerings now includes Zoom poker.
PokerStars MI interstate poker traffic exceeds expectations in January
PokerStars started off the New Year with a bang, thanks to two tournaments with a combined guaranteed prize pool of $150K.
The $100K event, which required a $100 buy-in, exceeded its guaranteed prize amount by more than two-fold. A total of 2,189 people participated, with 1,230 being initial entrants and 959 re-entering. As a result, the prize pool reached an impressive $200,950.<br><br>On the other hand, the $50K tournament, which had a buy-in of $10, attracted a substantial number of participants. A total of 6,378 entries were recorded, consisting of 3,424 primary entrants and 2,954 re-entries. Consequently, the prize pool for this event amounted to $58,039.
On January 1, traffic between the two states reached its highest point, surpassing 4,000 users. This level of activity is unprecedented in segmented markets.
Prior to the merger, PokerStars MI experienced a maximum of 900 users during its busiest weeknights. However, post-merger, this number is now being achieved on weekday afternoons. Moreover, in the evenings, traffic exceeds 2,000 users and even more during weekends.
The initial estimates from both markets indicated that Michigan online poker players were expected to experience a 30-50% rise in traffic. However, within the first month, the actual increase has exceeded this figure, more than doubling the projected traffic.
It is unclear how much of the success is specifically contributed by the Michigan and New Jersey players as PokerStars does not differentiate between them.
Regardless, the numbers are indisputable.
Inaugural interstate poker series made splash with $2.5 million in guarantees
The first opportunity for Michiganders to participate in an interstate poker series arrived promptly from January 13-30. Coinciding with PokerStars’ renowned live series in the Bahamas, which included the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) and PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC), the PSPC online series also took place.
PokerStars entered the scene with a bang, offering a whopping 85-event schedule with $2.5 million in guarantees. In comparison, other similar series like MICOOP typically featured around 65 events and guaranteed $1.5 million.
The official figures are not yet definitive, but PokerStars’ significant guarantees may lead to additional expenses. This was caused by a few of the prominent events overestimating their payouts during the final weekends of the series.
- The $200 PSPC Online Championship Special guarantees a prize pool of $200,000. With a total of 908 entries, there is a 15.6% overlay.
- The Championship Mini Special guarantees $30K and had a total of 1,467 entries, resulting in an 11% overlay.
- The PSPC Online Main Event had a buy-in of $250 and a guaranteed prize pool of $300K. There were 1,140 entries, resulting in an overlay of 11.5%.
- The Super High Roller Main Event guarantees a prize pool of $125,000, with 46 participants and a 12.5% overlay.
The $50 Mini Main Event ($75K guaranteed) surpassed its guarantee by attracting 1,711 participants, resulting in a prize pool of $77,850.
Regarding the rest, not having guarantees at the moment could potentially be advantageous for PokerStars in the future. The platform is ready to back up its claims by offering enticing guarantees, with the aim of attracting more new players.
Zoom poker available at PokerStars Michigan
After a brief interruption last week, the widely enjoyed Zoom poker by PokerStars is now accessible to players in Michigan and New Jersey once more.
Last week, the fast-fold game made its brief debut with buy-ins ranging from $2 to $200. However, it was taken down due to technical problems. PokerStars took to Twitter on Tuesday evening to announce that the game was now operational again.
Tournaments and cash games on the virtual felt will witness an influx of players with the introduction of Zoom poker.
PokerStars running half price Sunday, Feb. 5
PokerStars has an exciting lineup of events for Half Price Sunday on February 5th.
The five events are currently being offered at a discounted rate of 50% off their regular buy-ins, while still maintaining the same guaranteed prizes.
- The Half Price Sunday Warm-Up, with a $15 buy-in and a guaranteed prize pool of $7.5K, will take place at 4 p.m.
- The Half Price Sunday Storm 6-Max tournament, with a $5 buy-in and a guaranteed prize pool of $10,000, will be held at 5 p.m.
- The Half Price Sunday Special, with a $50 buy-in and a $10,000 guaranteed prize, starts at 6 p.m.
- Sunday High Roller, happening at 7 p.m., offers a Half Price deal with a $125 buy-in and a guaranteed prize pool of $50,000.
- Half Price Sunday Supersonic Hyper-Turbo ($25 buy-in, $5K guaranteed) starts at 10 p.m.
