PokerStars December 2004

Beginning with a bang, PokerStars had its first PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) on the Voyager of the Seas cruise ship. The main tournament had a $7,500 buy-in, 221 players and a total prize pool of $1,657,500. This tournament would signal the start of PokerStars’ live tournament offerings.

The tournament was televised by the WPT and qualified as PokerStars’ first TV show. Gus Hansen took home the first prize of $455,780, defeating Hoyt Corkins and Daniel Negreanu.

In June, 315 people got into the WSOP Main Event via PokerStars, making up 12 percent of the playing field and taking home over 40 percent of the prize pool. Four of the nine final table players had qualified on PokerStars, including Greg Raymer and David Williams. Raymer would win and become a PokerStars ambassador. Williams would become a member of Team PokerStars Pro.

The WCOOP continued to grow in August with 12 events and a prize pool exceeding $6,000,000. Norway’s ‘Ragde’ would take home the winner’s prize of $425,000.

Then came the European Poker Tour from PokerStars and John Duthie, the Poker Millions winner. This would become the richest poker tour. The event ran in September with the EPT Barcelona and a buy-in of €1,000, attracting 229 players. First place went to Alexander Stevic.

Another first in the PokerStars’ playbook was the billionth hand was dealt.