The launch of PokerStars MI and the inaugural Michigan Championship of Online Poker might have grabbed most of the US online poker-related headlines over recent weeks.
But in Pennsylvania, the PokerStars and FOX Bet Bounty Builder Series did quite well in its own right. Players in the PokerStars PA series won over $2 million across 75 events played using the popular progressive knockout format.
Few overlays among 75 events, Main awards $178K
The PokerStars PA series featured guaranteed prize pools adding up to just over $1.67 million. Ultimately events attracted more than 35,000 total entries, with prize pools totaling $2,012,204.25.
Nearly all 75 tournaments produced prize pools that exceeded the scheduled guarantees. Just seven events had overlays, most of which were small. The largest overlay of just over $6,000 came in one of the earliest events, a $100 buy-in Sunday Special with a $100,000 guarantee, the largest of any tournament other than the Main Event.
Speaking of the Main Event, that tournament sported a $150,000 guarantee. With 957 total Main Event entries, players built a prize pool of just over $178,000. Player “KennytheRipper” took away the top prize, earning more than $23,000 including bounties.
Pennsylvania series awards more than NJ, less than MI
The PokerStars PA Bounty Builder Series ran during the same Feb. 20-Mar. 8 window as did both the first-ever MICOOP at PokerStars MI and a similar Bounty Builder Series at PokerStars NJ.
The MICOOP was a 60-event series that awarded just over $2.2 million across those same 17 days. The MICOOP had originally featured just over $1 million in total guarantees. However, PokerStars boosted the guarantees in many of the events, pushing that total up to more than $1.4 million.
Meanwhile, the PokerStars NJ Bounty Builder Series featured 58 events and awarded just under $700,000 total. A number of events in the New Jersey series featured overlays, although the total amount awarded did manage to exceed just over $650,000 in guarantees.
Here’s a look at the turnouts and prize pools for the entire PokerStars PA Bounty Builder Series.
2021 PokerStars PA Bounty Builder Series by the numbers
| Event | Buy-in | Guarantee | Entries | Re-Entries | Prize Pool | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1: NLHE [8-Max, Series Kick-Off] | $100 | $40,000 | 414 | 194 | $55,814.40 | ||
| 2: NLHE [8-Max, Mini Kick-Off] | $25 | $15,000 | 777 | 370 | $26,094.25 | ||
| 3: NLHE [Turbo] | $10 | $5,000 | 588 | 238 | $7,516.60 | ||
| 4: NLHE | $50 | $20,000 | 424 | 209 | $28,801.50 | ||
| 5: NLHE [Warm-Up - Bounty Builder Edition] | $30 | $12,500 | 428 | 162 | $16,107.00 | ||
| 6: NLHE [6-Max, Storm - Bounty Builder Edition] | $10 | $5,000 | 485 | 229 | $6,497.40 | ||
| 7: NLHE [Sunday Special - Bounty Builder Edition] | $100 | $100,000 | 631 | 391 | $100,000.00* | ||
| 8: NLHE [8-Max, Mini Special] | $200 | $15,000 | 615 | 298 | $16,616.60 | ||
| 9: NLHE [6-Max, Sunday High Roller - Bounty Builder Edition] | $250 | $35,000 | 129 | 45 | $40,542.00 | ||
| 10: NLHE [8-Max] | $50 | $10,000 | 266 | 103 | $16,789.50 | ||
| 11: NLHE [8-Max, Turbo] | $20 | $7,500 | 331 | 129 | $8,372.00 | ||
| 12: NLHE [Hyper-Turbo, SuperSonic - Bounty Builder Edition] | $50 | $10,000 | 176 | 51 | $10,669.00 | ||
| 13: NLHE [6-Max, Battle Royale SE] | $50 | $35,000 | 552 | 283 | $37,992.50 | ||
| 14 :PLO [8-Max] | $100 | $20,000 | 153 | 85 | $21,848.40 | ||
| 15: NLHE [8-Max] | $75 | $30,000 | 384 | 195 | $39,516.75 | ||
| 16: NLO8 [6-Max] | $100 | $10,000 | 99 | 39 | $12,668.40 | ||
| 17: NLHE [8-Max, Turbo] | $50 | $15,000 | 311 | 105 | $18,928.00 | ||
| 18: NLHE [6-Max] | $50 | $20,000 | 420 | 201 | $28,255.50 | ||
| 19: NLHE [8-Max, Super High Roller] | $1,000 | $75,000 | 73 | 15 | $83,600.00 | ||
| 20: NLHE [8-Max, Hyper-Turbo] | $20 | $5,000 | 326 | 107 | $8,140.40 | ||
| 21: PL Badugi | $50 | $4,000 | 84 | 62 | $6,643.00 | ||
| 22: NLHE [Thursday Thrill SE] | $200 | $50,000 | 188 | 73 | $50,000.00* | ||
| 23: NLHE [Mini Thrill] | $25 | $20,000 | 638 | 345 | $22,363.25 | ||
| 24: NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, BigStack] | $75 | $15,000 | 202 | 83 | $19,451.25 | ||
| 25: NLHE [6-Max, Hyper-Turbo] | $50 | $10,000 | 208 | 85 | $13,771.00 | ||
| 26: 5-Card PLO [6-Max] | $30 | $7,500 | 244 | 191 | $11,875.50 | ||
| 27: NLHE [8-Max, Escalating Antes] | $50 | $20,000 | 450 | 202 | $29,666.00 | ||
| 28: NLHE [6-Max, Turbo] | $20 | $10,000 | 497 | 244 | $13,486.20 | ||
| 29: NLHE [8-Max] | $100 | $25,000 | 201 | 97 | $27,356.40 | ||
| 30: NLHE [8-Max, Turbo] | $50 | $10,000 | 232 | 78 | $14,105.00 | ||
| 31: NLHE [8-Max] | $200 | $35,000 | 161 | 75 | $43,896.00 | ||
| 32: NLHE [4-Max] | $20 | $10,000 | 605 | 333 | $17,071.60 | ||
| 33: NLHE [8-Max, Hyper-Turbo] | $50 | $10,000 | 228 | 76 | $14,288.00 | ||
| 34: NLHE | $100 | $25,000 | 245 | 119 | $33,415.20 | ||
| 35: HORSE [6-Max] | $50 | $5,000 | 128 | 47 | $7,962.50 | ||
| 36: NLHE [Warm-Up - Bounty Builder Edition] | $30 | $10,000 | 402 | 193 | $16,243.50 | ||
| 37: NLHE [6-Max, Storm - Bounty Builder Edition] | $10 | $5,000 | 511 | 264 | $7,052.50 | ||
| 38: NLHE [Sunday Special - Bounty Builder Edition] | $100 | $100,000 | 656 | 402 | $100,000.00* | ||
| 39: NLHE [Mini Special] | $25 | $25,000 | 674 | 354 | $25,000.00* | ||
| 40: NLHE [6-Max] | $500 | $35,000 | 91 | 38 | $60,630.00 | ||
| 41: PLO [8-Max] | $100 | $15,000 | 112 | 66 | $16,340.40 | ||
| 42: NLHE [8-Max, Turbo] | $75 | $20,000 | 215 | 80 | $20,133.75 | ||
| 43: NLHE [Hyper-Turbo] | $50 | $10,000 | 168 | 57 | $10,575.00 | ||
| 44: NLHE [8-Max, Turbo, Battle Royale SE] | $100 | $20,000 | 203 | 99 | $27,723.60 | ||
| 45: NLHE [6-Max, BigStack] | $50 | $25,000 | 379 | 273 | $29,666.00 | ||
| 46: NLHE [4-Max, Turbo] | $20 | $10,000 | 366 | 186 | $10,046.40 | ||
| 47: NLHE [8-Max] | $50 | $10,000 | 255 | 133 | $17,654.00 | ||
| 48: NLHE [Super Tuesday - Bounty Builder Edition] | $200 | $50,000 | 173 | 74 | $50,000.00* | ||
| 49: NLHE [Mini Super Tuesday] | $20 | $12,500 | 528 | 250 | $14,159.60 | ||
| 50: 8-Game [8 Game] | $50 | $5,000 | 95 | 62 | $7,143.50 | ||
| 51: NLHE [8-Max, Turbo] | $50 | $12,500 | 219 | 103 | $14,651.00 | ||
| 52: NLHE [8-Max, Hyper-Turbo] | $100 | $10,000 | 109 | 27 | $12,920.00 | ||
| 53: NLHE [8-Max] | $200 | $30,000 | 127 | 49 | $32,736.00 | ||
| 54: NLHE [8-Max] | $50 | $20,000 | 316 | 124 | $20,020.00 | ||
| 55: PLO [6-Max] | $500 | $25,000 | 40 | 20 | $28,200.00 | ||
| 56: NLHE [6-Max, Turbo] | $100 | $15,000 | 120 | 54 | $15,973.20 | ||
| 57: NLHE [Thursday Thrill SE] | $200 | $50,000 | 188 | 79 | $50,000.00* | ||
| 58: NLHE [Mini Thrill] | $20 | $15,000 | 580 | 291 | $15,852.20 | ||
| 59: NLHE [6-Max, Turbo, BigStack] | $50 | $15,000 | 257 | 124 | $17,335.50 | ||
| 60: NLHE [8-Max] | $20 | $7,500 | 473 | 228 | $12,758.20 | ||
| 61: PL 5-Card Draw [PL 5 Card Draw] | $30 | $3,000 | 100 | 42 | $3,876.60 | ||
| 62: NLHE [6-Max] | $50 | $20,000 | 373 | 187 | $25,480.00 | ||
| 63: NLHE [8-Max, Hyper-Turbo] | $100 | $10,000 | 111 | 28 | $13,205.00 | ||
| 64: NLHE [8-Max, 25% KO] | $100 | $30,000 | 275 | 130 | $37,179.00 | ||
| 65: NLHE [Turbo] | $50 | $12,500 | 318 | 95 | $18,791.50 | ||
| 66: NLHE [8-Max, Turbo] | $10 | $5,000 | 505 | 212 | $6,524.70 | ||
| 67: NLHE [Marathon] | $50 | $15,000 | 325 | 183 | $23,114.00 | ||
| 68: NLHE [Warm-Up - Bounty Builder Edition] | $30 | $12,500 | 456 | 230 | $18,727.80 | ||
| 69: NLHE [8-Max, Main Event] | $200 | $150,000 | 576 | 381 | $178,002.00 | ||
| 70: NLHE [8-Max, Mini Main Event] | $50 | $40,000 | 646 | 347 | $45,181.50 | ||
| 71: NLHE [8-Max] | $100 | $20,000 | 200 | 87 | $26,346.60 | ||
| 72: PLO [6-Max, Turbo] | $50 | $10,000 | 167 | 80 | $11,238.50 | ||
| 73: NLHE [8-Max, Hyper-Turbo] | $75 | $20,000 | 188 | 76 | $20,000.00* | ||
| 74: NLHE [8-Max] | $100 | $25,000 | 222 | 92 | $28,825.20 | ||
| 75: NLHE [Heads-Up, Turbo, Zoom Total Knock Out] | $20 | $10,000 | 427 | 275 | $12,776.40 | ||
| TOTALS | $1,677,000 | 24039 | 11634 | $2,012,204.25 | |||
*Events with overlays: Event No. 7 – $6,180.40; Event No. 22 – $1,454.00; Event No. 38 – $2,875.60; Event No. 39 – $1,613.00; Event No. 48 – $4,058.00; Event No. 57 – $338.00; Event No. 73 – $1,388.00.
