PokerStars Sunday Million Goes Phased; 17 Flights Across the Week

The PokerStars Sunday Million is one of online poker‘s iconic weekly tournaments. It is the Sunday major that every poker player dreams of winning, not only because of the huge top prize but also because of the kudos that come with taking down the industry’s most famous weekly event.

Several special edition Sunday Millions have run over the years. Players have battled it out in progressive knockout and mystery bounty versions, and who can forget the gargantuan anniversary editions? This week’s Sunday Million enters a new realm, with PokerStars turning it into a Phased tournament for the first time in the event’s 19-year history. It is also being played in a PKO format, adding another layer of excitement and strategy.

What Are Phased Tournaments?

Phased tournaments are a fancy term for online poker tournaments with multiple Day 1s. Think alongside a European Poker Tour (EPT) Main Event or the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event where several Day 1s are available, and you are along the same lines.

Players can enter as many Phases as they wish. Each Phase runs for a predetermined number of levels or until a specific percentage of the field remains. Those with chips in front of them progress to Phase 2, sometimes called the Final Phase, where the tournament concludes.

There are 17 Sunday Million Phases to choose from this week, although Phase A ran on February 16. It drew in 351 entrants, with 34 progressing to Phase 2 on February 23. Those who navigated to Phase 2 are locked out of future phases. You cannot enter any remaining phases if you enter a phase and progress with even a solitary chip.

When Are the Sunday Million Phases?

At least two phases run each day of the week, giving you plenty of flexibility. The phased format also reduces the amount of time you need to dedicate to grinding on Sunday if you make it to Phase 2 because most of the field will already be eliminated.

Phased Sunday Million Starting Stack, Blinds, and More

The Phased edition of the PokerStars Sunday Million is played to a PKO format, with those bounties in play from the start. Phase 1 players receive a 50,000 starting stack and play for 23 levels. Those levels last six or 12 minutes with the exception of Phase 1 Last Chance, which runs on February 23 and has four-minute blinds.

Up to two re-entries per Phase are permitted during the late registration period. Late registration is open for three hours when the phase is played to a 12-minute clock and 90 minutes when the blinds span six minutes. The 12-minute blind Phases should last approximately five hours, with those played to six-minute blinds done and dusted within 2.5 hours.

Phase 2 shuffles up and deals at 8:05 p.m. GMT on February 23, continuing until only one player has all of the chips in play in their stack. That player will write themselves into PokerStars’ history book as the inaugural PokerStars Phased Sunday Million champion. Will that champion be you?

Matthew Pitt hails from Leeds, West Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom, and has worked in the poker industry since 2008, and worked for PokerNews since 2010. In September 2010, he became the editor of PokerNews. Matthew stepped away from live reporting duties in 2015, and now concentrates on his role of Senior Editor for the PokerNews.