With its 10th Anniversary fast approaching it is only right that a few moments are spared to remember some of the extra special times in PokerStars first decade with us.
Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, PokerStars brought us the amazing success story of Chris Moneymaker, who turned a $39 satellite into a $2.5million win at the World Series of Poker in 2003. Moneymaker was an accountant who played poker in his spare time, after entering the satellite he found himself transported into the tournament of his life at the World Series. After winning round after round he arrived at the final table and scooped the grand prize. His story went to the heart of the imagination of amateur poker players everywhere; bringing hundreds of new players to the game in what was later named the Moneymaker effect.
One year previous, PokerStars launches the World Championship of Online Poker, featuring nine events with a total of $700,000 in the prize pool. The winner of the 2002 event was a player by the name of MultiMarine, who took home $65,000. Since its birth the tournament has grown year-on-year in popularity and size. The 2011 WCOOP featured over 60 events and a prize pool of over $50million, making it the largest online poker tournament in history.
In 2004 PokerStars took its tournament skills on the road, setting up the European Poker Tour, which kicked off in Barcelona. The original tour included seven dates across Europe, now in its eighth season the tour has grown to include nine dates including Barcelona, London and Prague. Season 7 was an incredible success, with the grand finale attracting 686 players competing for prize pool worth $6.8million. The huge success of the EPT spawned other tours such as the Latin American Poker Tour and the Asia Pacific Poker Tour that have gone on to become hugely popular.
To celebrate reaching the ten year milestone, PokerStars has organised a selection of special events, including a $10,000,000 Sunday Million on the 18th December and a 10th Anniversary Sunday Storm Special, on the 11th December. With its first decade drawing to a close, PokerStars has bright new decade on the horizon, kicking off in January with the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, an event that last year became the largest live poker tournament ever held outside Vegas.
