The PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC) broke the record for the biggest non-WSOP live event ever conducted and the highest $25k buy-in tournament in history in its maiden edition four years ago.

Over 1000 players took their seats on the opening day of the long-awaited PSPC 2023 tournament, which might set a new record. Official PokerStars statistics show that 1003 people joined the $25,000 buy-in event. According to reports from the field, the total was significantly higher, with 1005 participants as of the end of play yesterday.

In any case, the prize pool exceeds $24 million. It has already become one of the top 25 biggest poker tournaments ever hosted, and the prize pool might increase even more as registration continues until later today.

The PSPC is described by the operator as “a real celebration of poker.” It is a single-day freeze-out event, with a significant chunk of the field made up of recreational players and those who earned their spot for free. The tournament is part of the operator’s well-known PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) tour.

Similarly to the debut event in 2019, PokerStars distributed over 400 Platinum Passes, each worth $30,000, securing a prize pool of over $10 million. The package covers event registration, travel, and lodging. Another 600 players joined the game via direct buy-ins or satellites on the PokerStars real money app, bringing the total prize pool to more over $24 million.

PSPC 2023 Players & Platinum Pass Holders

	Total Players	Platinum Pass Holders
Day 1 Entrants	1005	405 (40.29%)
Day 1 Survivors	680	278 (40.88%)

On Monday afternoon, Day 1 began at the new venue at the Baha Mar Resort in the Bahamas, and “at the shuffle up and deal,” over 700 players had taken their places. Another 300 participants had joined the competition before the end of the day. To top last year’s participation level of 1039 total participants, the competition just needs 35 more registrants to register today.

To beat its reward pool, though, the endeavor is little more difficult: it requires around 100 more. Because the whole buy-in was contributed to the prize pool in the first edition, it was virtually rake-free. The operator does not charge a house fee for this edition, but a staff fee of $500 is withheld from each player’s buy-in. As a result, the pool receives $24,500 for each player’s buy-in.

The tournament featured many of the game’s biggest names, including reigning champion Ramon Colillas, who advanced to Day 2 alongside former WSOP Main Event winner and former PokerStars ambassador Chris Moneymaker, 2022 Main Event winner Espen Jorstad, Fedor Holz, Ryan Riess, Martin Jacobson, and others.

Andre Akkari, Arlie Shaban, Benjamin Spragg, and Sam Grafton are among the PokerStars Team Pros that made it through Day 1. Former 888poker ambassador Chris Moorman is tied for the chip lead with Tony Tran at 356,000.

Day 2 starts on Tuesday afternoon, with 680 players still alive. Players may still buy-in and register until level 11. The money is earned by the top 20% of the field. This implies that when the money bubble breaks, at least 200 participants will benefit, with the minimum cash award sitting at $26k.

PokerStars will provide live broadcast coverage on their official Twitch channel and on YouTube every day until the champion is declared, with a 30-minute delay. The PSPC is in effect until February 3, 2023.

Source: pokerfuse.com