Today marks the debut of PokerStars’ highly anticipated live version of the immensely popular online poker format, Spin & Go. The first-ever Live Spin & Go Championship is being held as part of the ongoing EPT Prague 2024 festival at the Prague Hilton in the Czech capital.
The excitement surrounding this event has been building steadily, largely due to its unique structure. Instead of a direct buy-in, players must qualify to participate, making this an especially unique competition.
A total of 81 players have been selected to compete for over €100,000 in prize money. Of these, 74 players earned their seats by qualifying through PokerStars Spin & Go, while the remaining seven spots are reserved for special guests, including celebrities, influencers, and PokerStars ambassadors.
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To earn their places, the online qualifiers had to participate in intense Spin & Go leaderboards, held across multiple markets. 33 players qualified via the dot-com network, 24 spots were allocated for players from Southern Europe (France, Spain, and Portugal), and the final 17 positions were set aside for qualifiers from Italy.
Each player who qualified received an exclusive package valued at €2750. This package includes:
- €1430 buy-in for the Championship
- Two-night hotel stay
- €500 in expenses.
Here’s how the Live Spin & Go Championship works: The format mirrors the popular online jackpot sit & go structure, featuring 3-handed Hyper Turbo Sit & Go games, just like the online version. Blinds increase rapidly every four minutes, and players start with a 400-chip stack (20 big blinds). The Championship event will span two days.
The tournament kicks off with 81 players, all competing in the Spin & Go format, battling three-handed for random prizes until one remains. In the opening round, the 81 players will be divided into 27 tables, with three players per table. The winners of four games at each table advance to Round 2.
Live Spin & Go Championship Format
- 3-handed Hyper Turbo Sit & Go games, similar to the online version.
- Blinds increase every 4 minutes.
- Starting stack: 400 chips (20 big blinds).
- Duration: The tournament spans two days.
- Random prizes: Players compete for random prizes as they advance.
In Round 2, 27 players remain across nine tables, and this is where the mystery prizes come into play. To progress to Round 3, players need five wins. As players are eliminated, random mystery envelope prizes will be awarded, ranging from €2000 to €10,000, with a total prize pool of €30,000.
The final nine players advance to Round 3, where they compete across three tables. Once again, five wins are required to reach the final round. At this stage, regular payouts are introduced, with €7300 in prize money to be distributed, along with an additional €17,000 in mystery envelope prizes.
Finally, in the last round, the three remaining players face off at the final table. The winner takes home €25,000, with €15,000 awarded for second place and €10,000 for third. In addition to the cash, the champion will also receive a Spin & Go Championship trophy.
Live Spin & Go Championship Payouts:
- Round 2: Mystery prizes between €2000 and €10,000 (total €30,000 prize pool).
- Round 3:
- Regular payouts: €7300 in prize money.
- Additional €17,000 in mystery envelope prizes.
- Final round (Top 3 players):
- 1st place: €25,000 + Spin & Go Championship trophy.
- 2nd place: €15,000.
- 3rd place: €10,000.
PokerStars has confirmed that all 81 players, including the seven invited guests, will be taking part in the Live Spin & Go Championship. Some notable figures among the participants include PokerStars ambassadors Nick Walsh and Felix Schneider, 2018 and 2024 Magic World Champion Javier Dominguez, streamer AndyPSX, and poker coach Marco Perra.
These 81 players represent 19 different nationalities, with Spain leading the charge with 24 players, followed by Italy with 18. Other countries represented include Romania, Brazil, Moldova, the UK, Poland, Lithuania, Mexico, Argentina, Slovakia, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Andorra, France, Germany, Hungary, and Bulgaria.
Live Spin & Go Championship Qualifiers
- 81 players total:
- 74 online qualifiers via PokerStars Spin & Go.
- 7 invited special guests (celebrities, influencers, ambassadors).
- Online qualifier breakdown:
- 33 players from the dot-com network.
- 24 players from Southern Europe (France, Spain, Portugal).
- 17 players from Italy.
To better understand how Spin & Go works and how to excel at it, pokerfuse recently conducted a series of interviews with Spin & Go expert Nick Walsh at the NAPT.
Check out these articles for more insights.