Moneymaker PSPC Tour a Success at Stones, on to Lucky Chances
The first stop of the Moneymaker PSPC Tour was a success, drawing a whopping 812 entries to Stones Gambling Hall in Citrus Heights, California outside of Sacramento. The room was full of players who took their shot at turning $86 into a $25,000 entry into the PokerStars Poker Players Championship that could lead to a seven-figure payday, much as Chris Moneymaker did himself when he won the 2003 WSOP Main Event.
With two starting days, 1a drew 364 entries while 1b brought out 448. The top nine players from each flight returned for a playoff Sunday night, Aug. 5 with the action broadcasted by Jason Somerville’s Run It Up channel, VODs available here. The stream was interspersed with guest commentary from several poker celebrities including Moneymaker, Daniel Negreanu, Lon McEachern, Joe Stapleton, and of course, Somerville.
Local player and Stones regular Cliff Ellefson (pictured in lead photo) was the last player standing at the first Moneymaker Tour stop, which meant he received the coveted $30,000 package to attend the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in the Bahamas, armed with a ticket into the $25,000 PokerStars Poker Players Championship along with travel and accommodations at the Atlantis Resort in The Bahamas.
“It’s like a dream… It’s fun,” Ellefson told PokerStars after his win. “I’ve never experienced anything like this, coming to Stones, our little casino and it’s the first [stop of the tour].”
“You could really feel the vibe, like people lined up around the walls to try to sit down…,” Ellefson noted. “There’s just so many different dynamics that made it fun and I was just thankful to be here all day.”
Next Stop, Lucky Chances
The second Moneymaker Tour stop is now underway at Lucky Chances in Colma in the San Francisco Bay Area with seven starting days across Aug. 19-25 all starting at 9:30 a.m. with reentries allowed through the first four levels. The top 10 percent from each starting flight will combine on Sunday, Aug. 26 to play down to the next Platinum Pass winner.
The event is rake-free, with all $86 of the buy-in going to the prize pool, which will be divided among those who finish in the money. The lucky winner will earn not only the first-place payout from the prize pool, but also the $25,000 PSPC entry to go with a paid trip to The Bahamas for the event.
The first flight drew 235 entries, made up of 182 unique entries and 53 re-buys, and 23 players bagged chips for the Sunday finale, according to the PokerStars Blog. Those who bag can still play in additional flights to try to bag a bigger stack, with only the best stack moving forward for Day 2.
Players who aren’t able to get out to the Northern California stops, or who aren’t fortunate to snag a Platinum Pass there, plenty more stops remain on the Moneymaker PSPC Tour. The following is the tentative remaining schedule:
Remaining Moneymaker PSPC Tour Stops
| Dates | Venue | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Aug. 19-26, 2018 | Lucky Chances | Colma, California |
| Sept. 9, 2018 | Foxwoods Resort Casino | Mashantucket, Connecticut |
| Sept. 15, 2018 | MGM National Harbor | Oxon Hill, Maryland |
| Sept. 22, 2018 | Gardens Casino | Hawaiian Gardens, California |
| Sept. 23, 2018 | Talking Stick | Scottsdale, Arizona |
| Sept. 30, 2018 | PokerStarsNJ.com | ONLINE |
| Oct. 7, 2018 | Mohegan Sun | Uncasville, Connecticut |
| Oct. 10-14, 2018 | Maryland Live | Hanover, Maryland |
| Oct. 23, 2018 | Peppermill Resort Casino at Run It Up Reno | Reno, Nevada |
*Dates/venues subject to change
Stay tuned to find out who will join Ellefson in turning $86 into an entry to one of the biggest tournaments of the year. For up to date information on the Moneymaker PSPC Tour, visit the PokerStars blog.
Photos courtesy of Mark Honbo.
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