PokerStars Ends 2024 with a Bang: $35M Guaranteed in New Year Series

A Packed New Year Series Schedule

As mentioned, the New Year Series includes 359 tournaments, organized into low, medium, and high buy-in tiers. If anything, this structure and number allows players with different bankrolls to find events that fit their style. The schedule isn’t limited to standard Hold’em formats either — Pot-Limit Omaha, H.O.R.S.E., 8-Game, and even mystery bounties are all part of the festive mix.

At the heart of the series are the three Main Events, scheduled for January 12th, 2025. These tournaments come with buy-ins of $109, $1,050, and $5,200, and each guarantees $1 million in prize money.

A bit before the main event festivities hit the calendar, the New Year Specials is set to run on January 1, 2025, which feature buy-ins of $20.25, $202.50, and $2,025. These events offer guarantees between $300,000 and $500,000, providing, if nothing else, a festive start to the year.

How to Qualify for the New Year Series

With more than enough tournaments to go around, PokerStars had to ensured that there are just as many ways to qualify for the New Year Series, starting with buy-ins as low as $0.50. There are several ways to book your seat:

• Power Path Tickets: This qualification system starts at $0.50, allowing players to progress through steps to earn entry into larger events. A free ticket is available daily, making this an accessible option for everyone.
• Satellites: Traditional satellite tournaments are also available, starting at just $0.55. These give players a chance to secure a seat in bigger events for a fraction of the buy-in.
• Special Edition Spin & Go’s: These fast-paced tournaments are available from $0.75, offering a quick and dynamic way to qualify for major events.

Red Spade Open

Mark your calendars for Sunday, December 22, as the Red Spade Open kicks off the New Year Series with a $55 buy-in bounty event like no other. Scheduled for 12:05 ET, this tournament gives the entire series that festive twist by featuring some of PokerStars’ biggest names, each carrying special bounties on their heads.

Knocking out ambassadors such as Lex Veldhuis, Benjamin Spragg, or Marle Spragg could earn you a bundle of prizes. We’re talking tickets to New Year Series events (including the Main Event), the ever-popular Spraggy Throwable, and even an entry to an All-In Shootout that guarantees five Medium Main Event tickets.

However, it’s worth noting that players in Sweden, Germany, Denmark, and Belgium aren’t eligible for these ambassador bounties. For everyone else, this is your chance to start the New Year Series with a bang by sending an ambassador to the rail.

Million Dollar Ticket Machine

Sometimes the simplest traditions — like checking in during the holidays — can lead to surprising rewards. The Million Dollar Ticket Machine is one such opportunity, running from December 9th, 2024, to January 6th, 2025. Players have multiple opportunities to secure a share of these tickets simply by logging into their accounts.

Here’s the deal: log in every day during the promotion, and you’ll earn a daily raffle entry. That’s it—just log in, no strings attached. But if you’re up for more action, there’s a weekly raffle too. All you need to do is meet the rake requirements, and you’ll score up to four entries each week, increasing your chances of snagging a ticket to these headline events.

Even if you’re not planning a full poker session, simply opening the client during the festive season could land you a spot in one of PokerStars’ biggest tournaments. After all, a free shot at a million dollars worth of tournament tickets isn’t something to ignore.

Power Path Open

On Sunday, December 29, PokerStars is giving players a one-night-only chance to skip the usual qualification grind and dive straight into Step 4 of the Power Path. The Power Path Open is a $109 buy-in event with a player cap of 1,000, offering some truly spectacular prizes.

This isn’t your typical Step 4 tournament. While the daily Power Path qualifiers are designed to level the playing field for recreational players, the Power Path Open throws the doors wide open. Anyone can buy in directly or use a $109 Bronze Pass to secure their seat.

What’s at stake? The top four finishers will walk away with Gold Passes worth $10,300, while 5th through 15th place will secure Silver Passes worth $2,500. And yet, the generosity doesn’t stop there — players finishing 16th to 165th will earn tickets to the Sunday Million Anniversary event. It’s the perfect opportunity to make the most of the festive season and shoot for something big without the usual Step 3 grind

Power Passports: Bigger Prizes, More Flexibility

The Power Path just got a significant upgrade for 2025 with the introduction of Power Passports, designed to give players even more flexibility when it comes to cashing in their Gold or Silver Passes.

Online Bundles

For those who prefer the online tables, the new “Take Your Shot” bundles offer bigger stakes and fewer smaller tickets. A Gold Passport now comes with six $1,050 tickets, along with a mix of $530 and $215 entries, plus T$39. Meanwhile, a Silver Passport includes two $1,050 tickets, three $109 entries, and T$73. These bundles give players more chances to hit the higher-stakes games they’ve been eyeing.

Live Bundles

The real magic of the Power Passports lies in their flexibility for live events. Winners can collaborate with a dedicated Live Events Player Liaison to create their dream package. Want to focus solely on tournament buy-ins? No problem. Prefer to use part of your winnings for travel and hotel expenses? That works too.

The choice is entirely yours.