The latest sensation in poker, Mystery Bounty, has finally arrived in PokerStars‘ North American markets, debuting as part of the ongoing Summer Stacks Series.
This format launched on PokerStars Pennsylvania and PokerStars Ontario — both ring-fenced markets — last Sunday. Mystery Bounty is now available in all PokerStars markets except the shared liquidity network of New Jersey and Michigan.
Unsurprisingly, Mystery Bounty stole the spotlight, smashing their respective guarantees and attracting a large number of participants.
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In both markets, the buy-in was set at $100, with 50% of the prize pool allocated to the mystery pool and the other 50% to the regular pool. Ontario’s tournament had a $60,000 guarantee, while Pennsylvania’s had a larger guarantee of $75,000.
Yet, after late registration ended, Ontario emerged victorious, drawing 949 entrants and generating a total prize pool of $87,118.20. Pennsylvania attracted 893 entrants, creating a prize pool of $81,977.40.
The number of unique players was similar in both markets: Ontario had 551 unique players, while Pennsylvania had 531. The difference came from re-entries, with Ontario recording 398 re-entries and Pennsylvania 362.
Both tournaments offered a top bounty prize of $10,000.
Mystery Bounty Debuting Tournaments Performance
| Ontario | Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|---|
| Buy-in | $100 | $100 |
| Guarantee | $60,000 | $75,000 |
| Total Entrants | 949 | 893 |
| Prize Pool | $87,118.20 | $81,977.40 |
| Unique Players | 551 | 531 |
| Re-Entries | 398 | 362 |
| Guarantee Smashed | 45.20% | 9.30% |
PokerStars Joins WSOP to Offer Mystery Bounty in North America
Before the start of the Summer Stacks Series, WSOP Online was the only operator offering Mystery Bounty tournaments across all North American markets. WSOP Michigan and WSOP Pennsylvania have been hosting these action-packed tournaments since early 2023 and have included them in their online bracelet and circuit series alongside the daily tournament schedule.
On WSOP New Jersey and WSOP Nevada, Mystery Bounty tournaments became available more recently after WSOP upgraded to Poker 8 (888poker’s new software platform) and connected their player pools with WSOP Michigan.
WSOP Ontario, which operates in partnership with GGPoker and uses its software, Mystery Bounty tournaments have been available for some time and come with massive guarantees.
Mystery Bounty Availability in Regulated US Market
| NJ | NV | MI | PA | ON | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WSOP | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ (Via GGPoker) |
| PokerStars | ❌ | NA | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ |
| BetMGM | ❌ | NA | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| 888poker | NA | NA | NA | NA | ✔ |
Until now, PokerStars and BetMGM Poker were the only major operators that had not introduced the format. But not anymore, as PokerStars becomes the second US online poker network to launch this format, although it still needs to roll them out in Michigan and New Jersey, pending regulatory approval. Global Poker, which operates on a sweepstakes model, also offers Mystery Bounty tournaments in the US.
Earlier this year, PokerStars began offering Mystery Bounty tournaments in its global dot-com and European markets, even launching a Mystery Bounty Series dedicated to the format. It is possible that PokerStars will introduce a similar series in North American markets in the future.
BetMGM, which uses Partypoker’s software, remains the only major operator that does not run Mystery Bounty tournaments. However, it is believed that Partypoker is working on introducing the format, potentially bringing it to BetMGM by next year.
The Summer Stacks Series is in full swing, boasting over $3 million in combined guarantees and running until July 1. Every tournament in the series features a buy-in of $100 or less. In Michigan and New Jersey, which share the same player pool, there are $1.5 million in guaranteed prizes. Pennsylvania players can compete for a share of $1 million, while the Ontario contingent has a guaranteed prize pool of CAD 900,000 (USD 700,000).
Winners of the Summer Stack Main Event will receive a coveted Gold Pass, which includes a seat at the NAPT 2024, scheduled to take place in Las Vegas later this year.