PokerStars Introduces Week-Long Phased Sunday Million – Here’s What You Need to Know

How the Phased Sunday Million Works

This Phased Sunday Million edition introduces a week-long qualification process with multiple Phase 1 flights, giving players more flexibility to qualify for the $109 buy-in, $1M GTD event. Phase 1s kicked off on Sunday, February 16, and will run daily until Sunday, February 23, when all remaining players merge into Phase 2 and play down to a winner. Unlike the traditional one-day or two-day versions of the tournament, the Phased Sunday Million allows players to qualify for Phase 2 by surviving a Phase 1 flight.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Buy-in & Guarantee: The tournament maintains its $109 buy-in and guarantees a $1 million prize pool.
• Phase 1 Flights: Multiple starting flights (both regular and turbo) run throughout the week, giving players flexibility in when they enter.
• Surviving Phase 1: Players who make it through a Phase 1 flight—regardless of stack size — advance to Phase 2 and carry their chip count forward.
• No Multiple Qualifications: Once a player progresses past Phase 1, they cannot enter another Phase 1 flight.
• Phase 2: All surviving players reconvene on Sunday, February 23, at 15:05 ET to play down to a winner.

Additionally, a regular Sunday Million event will still run on February 16 as part of the Bounty Builder Series, meaning players have two big tournaments to look forward to.

Full Schedule for Phase 1 Flights

The final Last-Chance Phase 1 runs on Sunday, February 23, at 13:00 ET, with late registration closing at 14:00 ET—earlier than usual for Sunday Million events.

What Is the Deal with Phased Tournaments?

If you’ve played a standard Sunday Million before and now are just dumbfounded by the phrased format, don’t worry — it’s nothing too complicated. Phased tournaments are multi-stage events where the early levels (Phase 1) are played at different times throughout the week, with all surviving players merging into a single tournament for Phase 2.

• Multiple Entry Opportunities: Players can enter multiple Phase 1 flights to try and build a strong stack, but once they qualify, they cannot re-enter another Phase 1.
• Flexible Scheduling: Instead of committing to a long grind in a single session, players can qualify on their own time and bring their chip stack into Phase 2.
• Carried Over Chip Stacks: Unlike a traditional re-entry tournament, where a new buy-in starts players fresh, Phased tournaments allow players to carry forward whatever chips they bag from Phase 1.
• No Unregistering from Phase 2: Once a player qualifies, they must be available for the scheduled start of Phase 2, as unregistering is not an option.

While phased tournaments are nothing new, their use in flagship events like the Sunday Million is something we haven’t seen that much of in online poker.

For recreational players, this means they can take a shot without needing to carve out a full day for the event. For grinders, it offers multiple attempts to build a strong stack without the pressure of a single bullet.

Another major advantage is the ability to maintain large prize pools while making scheduling more player-friendly. It’s the best of both worlds: the accessibility of smaller-field events combined with the prestige of a high-profile tournament.