125% WELCOME BONUS
Up to $1250 to bet on sports
250% Slots + Table Bonus
150 Free Spins On Gorilla Or Buffalo Ways
50 Daily Boost For Your Massive Wins
Grab your 175% + 50 free spins
2
Up to $2,000 On Deposit
Blackjack, Live Dealer & More
Use Promo Code: FREECZR
3
$25 Freeplay® On Sign Up
100% Deposit Match up to $1,000
Use Bonus Code: PLAYNJFREE
4
$35 CASINO CREDITS
On Sign Up
$35 Casino Credits on Sign Up
100% Match up to $100 (1x PTR) or
100% Match up to $2,000 (15x PTR)
To Claim: Click Play Now
5
Up to $2,000 Back if Down After First Day
Blackjack, Roulette, Slots & More
1 X Play Through
To Claim: Click Play Now
6
100% Up To $1,000 Deposit Bonus
Premium Online Casino Games
To Claim: Click Play Now
7
$100 Bonus PLAY
Opt-in & Bet Just $1
Bet $1 Get $100 Bonus Play
50 Bonus Spins Included
Daily Casino Bonuses
To Claim: Click Play Now
8
100% Up to $500 in Bonus Money
ONLY 1x Play Through!
Use Affiliate Code: PLAYCAS
9
In Bonus Bets
UP TO $1,000
Free Live Streaming - Watch Live Games
$1,000 Paid Back in Bonus Bets
Use Bonus Code: PLAYBONUS
Over $250K paid in opening Michigan-New Jersey PokerStars tournaments
On January 1, PokerStars MI organized two exclusive tournaments to celebrate the commencement of interstate play with New Jersey.
The initial buy-in for the first event was $100, commencing at 6 p.m. ET, with a guaranteed player pool of $100,000. The event spanned over two days and attracted a total of 2,189 entries, consisting of 1,230 unique individuals and 959 re-entries. Participants were allowed up to five re-entries during the late registration period.
At the conclusion, the total prize pool accumulated to $200,950. The highest reward of $29,895 was claimed by the first-place finisher, with a total of 319 participants receiving payouts. This implies that approximately 14.6% of the entries managed to secure a monetary position.
The second event commenced at 6:30 p.m. ET with a $10 buy-in and a guaranteed prize pool of $50,000. Over the course of two days, this tournament attracted a whopping 6,378 entries, consisting of 3,424 unique participants and 2,954 re-entries. Participants were permitted to make unlimited re-entries during the late registration period.
The overall prize pool amounted to $58,039, with the first-place winner receiving $8,253. A total of 1,039 positions were awarded prizes, accounting for 16.3% of all entries.
Larger player pools with interstate poker
The tournaments held on January 1st experienced a clear increase in the number of participating players.
PokerStars had been hosting its 25 Days of Tournaments promotion throughout December before the interstate play began with the green flag waving.
Around 600 players participated in tournaments during the Christmas weekend.
As the number of players increases, the prize pools also grow in size.
During the period of December 22 to December 30, only two tournaments on PokerStars had a prize pool surpassing $10,000.
PokerStars has organized a total of 11 tournaments since January 1st, each featuring prize pools exceeding $10,000. Out of these tournaments, six had prize pools of $19,000 or higher, while the remaining five had prize pools surpassing $36,000.
“The launch of multi-state internet poker has been eagerly awaited by poker players in Michigan,” expressed Henry Williams, the Executive Director of the Michigan Gaming Control Board, speaking on behalf of the board. “The increased number of players is expected to bring forth a wider range of game options, more frequent games, and larger tournament prizes.”
Higher percentage payouts in early Michigan-NJ poker tournaments
In the week leading up to interstate play, PokerStars distributed approximately 12.5% of its entries as payouts for larger tournaments.
Let’s take a glimpse at the figures from a few of its tournaments leading up to January 1st.
- On December 21st, there were 428 participants who each paid a $10 entry fee. Out of these entries, a total of 53 individuals received a payout, which represented 12.4% of the total participants.
- On December 22nd, there were 373 participants who each contributed a $10 buy-in. Out of these entries, 47 individuals were rewarded with a payout, which accounts for approximately 12.6% of the total participants.
- On December 25th, there was a poker event with a $10 entry fee. A total of 605 participants took part in the competition, and eventually, 77 players received a payout, which accounted for 12.7% of the total entries.
- On December 25th, there was a poker game with a buy-in of $50. A total of 187 players participated, and only 23 of them received a payout, which accounts for 12.3% of the total entries.
- On December 26th, a poker tournament was held with a buy-in of $10 and attracted 641 participants. Out of these, a total of 79 players received payouts, representing approximately 12.3% of the total entries.
Starting from January 1st, PokerStars has increased the percentage of entries being paid out for their tournament pools.
- On January 1st, a total of 2,189 entries were made for a $100 buy-in event, and eventually 319 participants were awarded payouts, representing approximately 14.6% of the total entries.
- On January 1st, there was a buy-in of $10 with a total of 6,378 entries. Out of these, 1,036 participants received a payout, which accounted for 16.3% of the total entries.
- On January 2nd, there were 206 participants in a buy-in event with a cost of $500. Out of these entries, 27 players received payouts, which accounted for approximately 13.1% of the total participants.
- On January 2nd, there was a $30 buy-in event with a total of 439 participants. Out of which, 59 players received payouts, representing a payout percentage of 13.4%.
- On January 3rd, a total of 243 participants entered the event with a buy-in fee of $15. Out of these entries, 39 players received a payout, which accounted for 16.0% of the total entries.
- On January 3rd, there were 680 entries for a $25 buy-in event, with 95 participants receiving payouts (14.0% of the total entries).
- On January 4th, there was a $50 buy-in event with a total of 512 participants. Out of these, 71 players were able to receive payouts, which accounted for 13.9% of the total entries.
- On January 4th, there were 490 entries for a poker tournament with a buy-in of $30. Out of these entries, 71 participants were paid out, which accounts for approximately 14.5% of the total.
Concerns from Michigan poker players on interstate play
While the debut of interstate poker has brought about various advantages, certain players do express their concerns.
Late-running tournaments
Concerns about tournament start times have emerged as one of the most frequent critiques during the initial days. The inclusion of larger player pools and extended re-entry periods spanning several hours has raised the possibility of tournaments involving New Jersey players lasting till the early hours of the following day.
Todd Estes, a 2022 Michigan WSOP online bracelet winner, expressed his primary worry about the potential delay in the commencement and conclusion of the extensive tournaments due to the anticipated increase in participants. “As someone juggling a full-time job and a family, I can only dedicate a limited amount of time,” he emphasized.
Spin and Go changes?
Since the interstate launch, a dedicated spin and go player hailing from Michigan has observed alterations in the offerings available to Michigan players on PokerStars.
In the Team Michigan Poker Facebook group, Brian Keel, hailing from Lansing, shared a comprehensive overview of the offerings from different states. In Michigan, players can enjoy spins of $1, $5, $10, and $25. Similarly, New Jersey provides these options while also adding an additional $2 option.
However, Keel’s primary concern revolved around the multiplier odds. In New Jersey, the spin and go games offer a 2X multiplier with a probability of approximately 72%. On the other hand, in Michigan, the likelihood of obtaining a 2X multiplier is slightly below 49%.
PokerStars states that in Michigan, there is a 3X multiplier available, which accounts for approximately 42% of the situation, and then it increases to 5X when reaching 8%. In contrast, New Jersey does not offer a 3X option but instead switches to a 4X multiplier at slightly less than 20%.
On the other hand, Keel mentioned that he has observed 4X multipliers during his spins since January 1st. He expresses unease that Michigan’s spin format has been adopted by New Jersey through the interstate launch.
Keel, a passionate spin and go player, is primarily worried about the profitability of PokerStars spins due to the significantly higher 2X multiplier compared to Michigan’s.
Efforts to contact PokerStars for clarification on the format in Michigan since the commencement of interstate play have yet to receive a prompt response.
When will BetMGM, WSOP have interstate poker?
The MGCB granted permission to PokerStars MI, making it the first online poker platform to commence interstate play.
If both World Series of Poker MI and BetMGM Poker fulfill the MGCB’s criteria for combined play, they can both offer their services for free.
Included in the requirements are:
- Securing MGCB approval for any novel aspects involving multijurisdictional poker, such as technical security protocols, modifications to games or platforms, remote gaming systems, and game software.
- MGCB staff are permitted to conduct inspections on all newly established data centers.
- The process involves granting licenses to new suppliers, including platform providers, and registering new vendors.
- Certain new employees involved in the operation of multistate poker must obtain the necessary licenses.
There have been no announcements made by BetMGM and WSOP regarding the potential launch date of their interstate platforms.
![]("https://us1.catenaus.com/import/img/pokerstars_logo.png"){kind=logo}
