PokerStars November 2002

In January 2002 after beta testing, PokerStars started a new promotion, giving players the chance to satellite into a $215 buy in tournament with a $50,000 guarantee. ‘Moose’ from Kansas would win the tournament and $13,960.

PokerStars eventually came up with the idea to run online satellites to the World Series of Poker and World Championship of Online Poker.

By April of that year, frequent players were offered a promotion.The winner of two tournaments would both receive an all-expenses paid trip for two to Vegas and an entry into the WSOP Main Event. Both the winners, Julian Gardner and Anders ‘Donald’ Berg, were eliminated without winning any money.

PokerStars would go on to host the World Championship of Online Poker, the online equivalent to the WSOP, with nine events. The first event drew over 500 players.

In October 2001, PokerStars recorded a world record: biggest online poker tournament. The tournament, a $5,000 freeroll, would be among another world record listing in November 2002 when a tournament registered a record 1,500 players in an event (Tournament ID #5000).