$9 million added including over 300 freeroll qualifiers for a $25,000 event in 2019. Oh, and the European Poker Tour is back!

In just over a year PokerStars will host their biggest ever tournament during the PokerStars Caribbbean Adventure between January 6-10, 2019.

The $25,000 PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship will not only see $1 million in added first prize money but also over 300 PokerStars players will win tickets to the event via freerolls and other PokerStars live/online promotions throughout 2018. This means that in total $9 million will be added to the prize pool.

The first of the $30,000 'Platinum Passes' ($25,000 buy-in plus $5,000 for travel expenses) will be awarded at this week's PokerStars Championship event in Prague on December 15.

The next batch of Platinum Passes will be awarded online during PokerStars’ Winter Series, an online tournament series that will run from December 25 – January 7, followed by giveaways at the IPO in Italy, PSL Macau, PCA and PokerStars Festival London.

There will also be paths that allow people to win tickets via Stars Rewards, or by playing cash, Spin & Gos and other promotions. There will be ways to win tickets during series like SCOOP, WCOOP and Micro Millions, as well as marquee events like the Sunday Storm and Sunday Million.

Details on the many ways in which live and online players can win these $30,000 Platinum Passes will be released throughout 2018.

Players will also be able to buy-in directly to the $25,000 event which now promises to be one of the softest High Roller tournaments of all time.

Return of the iconic tours

The iconic tours are back!

If that wasn't big enough news, PokerStars has also announced that the return of the European Poker Tour (EPT), Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) and the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT).

These iconic tours all became part of the PokerStars Championship in 2016, however after listening to player feedback they have decided to return to the memorable brands that were so strong on the live circuit.

Confirmed stops for the EPT next year are Sochi, Barcelona, Prague and Monte Carlo.

“We expect the PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship will set the new global standard for live poker tournaments,” said Chief Executive Officer of The Stars Group, Rafi Ashkenazi. “We want to demonstrate and reinforce our commitment to the game, and give something back to the players by investing in our live events in a meaningful way. Our objective is to create an event that brings professionals and amateurs together, creating many winning moments and unforgettable stories.”

At least one PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship package will be given away at each EPT, LAPT and APPT stop.

What do you think of this big event and the return of the EPT? Let us know in the comments: