PokerStars Combining New Jersey, Michigan Player Pools on Jan. 1; Two Special Tournaments Announced
Online poker players in New Jersey and Michigan received a nice gift for the holidays on Friday. PokerStars officially announced plans to combine player pools in the two states on Jan. 1.
The news comes after both markets saw a two-day shutdown last week for maintenance to make the move possible. Players from both states can expect additional players, more tournaments, and bigger prize pools.
PokerStars will become the first online poker operator in the US to announce shared liquidity in these states.
“Michigan and New Jersey joining forces is great news for our players in these two states, and poker, more generally, as it promises a better experience and even more value, all with the confidence provided by a trusted, licensed operator,” PokerStars US managing director Severin Rasset said in a news release. “Our community will experience more breadth and depth of games, more tournaments with bigger prizes to win, amped-up promotions, and more choice.
“To kick start, we are offering generous guarantees on our debut multi-state tournaments that will no doubt provide lots of value for those who take to the tables. We worked closely with the regulators of New Jersey and Michigan, and we hope that more will follow this great example.”
PokerStars launching shared liquidity
This move adds the first shared liquidity market for Stars in the US. The company also offers a platform in Pennsylvania. Michigan was officially added to the Multi-State Internet Gaming Association in April.
That means that operators can merge markets among New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware, and Michigan. Stars now is now the first operator to add Michigan into a shared player pool.
Currently, WSOP.com operates the only other shared player pool with New Jersey, Nevada, and with 888poker in Delaware. The combined PokerStars pools in New Jersey and Michigan now offer players another option and perhaps a bit of momentum for US online poker.
There haven’t been any announcements regarding WSOP.com or BetMGM combining with the Wolverine State. New Jersey has a population of 8.9 million and Michigan has 10 million for a combined population of almost 19 million.
The news came originally after players began noting messages from the company about upcoming changes. PokerStars later confirmed the news.
🚨 Attention MI and NJ players 🚨
Please plan accordingly. pic.twitter.com/E07Cmyv2mh
— PokerStarsUSA (@PokerStarsUSA) December 9, 2022
Stars promises more players, larger prizes, special debut events
Those heading to the online poker tables in the new year will find some extras with the launch of the PokerStars shared markets. To celebrate the combined action, the platform is offering two special tournaments on Jan. 1 with a total guarantee of $150,000.
The debut Michigan/New Jersey tournament features a $100 buy-in with a $100,000 guarantee.
That is followed by another nice option for low rollers. The $10 buy-in version comes with a $50,000 guarantee. Players can register on Dec. 27 for both events.