PokerStars Ushers in a New Era of Women's Poker with Women's Winter Festival

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Sep 06, 2024 3 min read Last updated Oct 18, 2024

The PokerStars European Poker Tour in Barcelona has been a grand celebration of the tour's 20th anniversary, Spanish culture, and on-the-felt triumphs. And now, PokerStars is championing women's poker with a major announcement unveiled during a special Ladies Day Breakfast meet and greet ahead of the €550 Women's event at Casino Barcelona.

Led by PokerStars ambassador Kerryjane Craigie, the spadie brand revealed the schedule for the Women’s Winter Festival, designed to "encourage women to participate in live poker games with aspirational outcomes."

This inaugural four-day festival runs from November 21-24 inside the historic Hippodrome Casino. And PokerStars is pulling out all the stops to get women into the game by slapping a £100,000 guarantee on the series' Main Event, which features three starting flights and a £400 buy-in.

PokerStars Continues to Encourage Women

PokerStars has long supported women's poker, previously teaming up with Poker Power for the Women’s Bootcamp, and now, the spotlight shines even brighter with this first-of-its-kind festival for the platform.

Ambassador Craigie has meticulously crafted the event based on insights from focus groups with female players around the globe. Her dedication to creating an event that aligns with the needs and preferences of female players is evident in every aspect of the festival.

“I am so excited about this event; honing in on the schedule and finalizing the details truly gave me goosebumps,” said Craigie, who is also the Director of Poker at the Hippodrome Casino. “Opportunities for women to access more inspirational poker events drive all that I do.

"The attention to every detail of this four-day festival has been amazing to be part of, and I believe we have hit the mark. We’ve built an event around the audience—now I am hoping they will come.”

New PokerStars Ambassador Craigie on "Encouraging the Doubters" in Women's Poker

What's on the Schedule?

In addition to the Women’s Only Main Event, the festival will feature a 50/50 NLH Freezeout on November 23. This £220 one-day tournament ensures an equal playing field by requiring pairs of men and women to enter together.

While the event is not a tag team format, added value will be awarded to the partnership that accumulates the most points on the tournament leaderboard. Players are encouraged to secure their partners early, with the Hippodrome offering assistance in finding a suitable match from a pool of interested players.

The festival’s schedule also includes an open £220 NHL Single Re-Entry tournament on November 24 and a Women’s Closer Freeroll. The champion will receive a women’s package to EPT Prague, with additional prizes for those making the final table.

Womens Winter Festival Full Schedule

Qualifying Paths a Plenty

Starting September 22, women-only online satellites will be available on PokerStars for players in the .COM market. Additionally, players in France, Spain, and Portugal can redeem a Power Path Silver Pass for a dedicated event package. PokerStars will also host live satellites in the United States and a £40 buy-in registration fee-free live qualifier at the Hippodrome on Thursday, November 21, offering five additional seats to the Main Event.

Calum has been a part of the PokerNews team since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the game. Calum has written for various poker outlets but found his home at PokerNews, where he has contributed to various articles and live updates, providing insights and reporting on major poker events, including the World Series of Poker (WSOP).

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