The Return of the North American Poker Tour
PokerStars runs live tournament events all around the world, but has been slow in returning to the U.S. since bringing back online poker to the country in New Jersey, PokerStars Michigan, and PokerStars Pennsylvania. However, that is now changing with the return of the North American Poker Tour (NAPT) from Nov. 4-12 at Resorts World casino in Las Vegas.
The festival adds to the brand’s growing footprint in the U.S. after pooling players and prize pools in Michigan and New Jersey earlier this year. This should be the first stop on the revived tour, which returns for the first time in 12 years.
“We are delighted to announce the return of this iconic series and once again hold the NAPT for poker players in North America,” PokerStars North America Vice President Steve Preiss said. “We’re working hard to ensure that this is a spectacular series and can’t wait to head to Las Vegas to get the show on the road.”
Detail on the Series
No doubt many players are looking to see the return of PokerStars live events to the U.S. and the operator is tying in its online offerings to the festivities. Stars is bringing numerous online qualifiers from the U.S. markets as well as the regulated market of Ontario, Canada, and other players from around the world.
The resurrection of the NAPT comes after the series debuted in 2010-11. However, the federal government’s crackdown on the wide open online poker environment that began in the 2000s led tp the the company leaving the American market.
The tour now returns after with Stars finding more traction again in the U.S. A few past NAPT winners include Vanessa Selbst (twice), Harrison Gimbel, Tom Marchese, Jason Mercier, and Galen Hall.
Players can expect plenty of action during the series, including the $1,650 buy-in Main Event running from Nov. 6-11 with six starting flights. The $5,300 High Roller runs Nov. 10-12 and the $550 PokerStars Cup commences Nov. 9–12. Resorts officials are pleased to be welcoming Stars back to the U.S.
“We are thrilled to partner with PokerStars as we celebrate the return of the North American Poker Tour with the first stop at Resorts World Las Vegas,” the casino’s director of poker operations Leon Wheeler said. “NAPT Las Vegas is sure to bring players in from all over the globe and we look forward to hosting them once again at our world-class property.”
Streaming & Bringing Back ‘Big Game’
The world of poker has changed significantly since the last NAPT series. Online streaming now allows poker fans around the world to take in the action. PokerStars regularly streams major bets and bluffs from around the world and that will include the action from Sin City.
PokerStars has confirmed three days of live streaming on the PokerStars Twitch and YouTube channels, including the $1,650 Main Event as well as the final table of the $5,000 High Roller. Here’s a look at the streaming schedule:
- Nov. 10 – Main Event Day 3
- Nov. 11– Main Event final table
- Nov. 12 – High Roller final table
The PokerStars commentary team includes James Hartigan, Joe Stapleton, Maria Ho, Griffin Benger, and Nick Walsh.
Along with the NAPT’s return, Stars is also bringing back the company’s popular Big Game after 12 years. The high stakes cash games series ran in 2010 and 2011. The unique format saw a qualifier (the “Loose Cannon”) bankrolled against some of the best in the world. Each session lasted 150 hands, and if the Loose Cannon survived, the player kept any profits.
Players will find exclusive satellites on Nov. 5 at NAPT Las Vegas for a chance to qualify for The Big Game on Tour for free. These qualifiers then send 20 winners to the casting stage on Nov. 6-7, featuring a panel of judges. The judges decide which two players are staked $50,000 to play.
“The Big Game was one of the most beloved poker programs of all time,” Preiss said. “As we continue our focus on creating the best poker content, re-imagining and re-launching The Big Game was a no-brainer.
“The Big Game on Tour will bring a level of play that hardcore fans expect from poker content. But we also will capture the journey from start to finish of our Loose Cannons in a way that hopefully reaches new audiences as well.”
The lineups for The Big Game aren’t confirmed yet, but there will be two $100/$200 No Limit Hold’em cash games tables on Nov. 8 and 9. Stars says there will be “some familiar faces along with some of the biggest poker crushers of today.” The game will then be produced into a series of 10 episodes to air in 2024.
