The year 2019 is well behind us and now it’s time to look ahead to the many exciting events and wonderful experiences the new chapter has to offer. For many in the world of poker, this means fresh opportunities, new beginnings, more reasons to work hard, staying on track for goals, moving with the times, and dealing with changes.
Late last year, PokerStars announced that it would be hosting a total of 21 LIVE events for 2020, many of which will award Platinum Passes for the 2020 PokerStars Players NL Hold’em Championship (PSPC) in Barcelona. This sure has sparked excitement among players and fans, especially those wanting to follow in the footsteps of 2019 PSPC champ Ramon Colillas. But the 2020 schedule also left question marks, as two major events have been omitted.
One notable change is the absence of one of PokerStars’ flagship events, the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA), which usually takes place in January.
PokerStars Drops PCA
The PCA ran for more than a decade and a half, and was first held on a cruise ship in 2004. Since then, it moved to the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island where it stayed for 15 long years. While at its peak, the tournament awarded some of the biggest prize moneys in tournament poker, and became a dream destination of many poker players and fans from around the globe.
But the last few years saw a continuous drop in participation numbers. PokerStars tried to turn this around by cutting the Main Event buy-in to just $5,000 in 2017, but to no avail. However, that strategy was bound to fail. The prize pool created was the weakest in the tournament’s history, prompting the company to revert to the original $10,300 entry fee. Even so, attendance suffered another decline the following year.
A slight improvement in attendance numbers last year is mainly attributed to the inaugural PSPC. Players were also expressing dissatisfaction about their Atlantis experience, and all of these were taken into account as the company started to draft the 2020 schedule.
Eric Hollreiser, PokerStars Director of Poker Marketing, said the changes came as a result of their extensive review process, aimed at keeping abreast with the goings-on in the world of poker, as well as maintaining satisfaction and improving the overall experience of players. The company looks at a number of relevant factors such as attendance, surveys, player feedback, among others, to see whether an event should continue or needs to be replaced.
Hollreiser said it’s not an easy task considering that they needed to come up with a different plan and coordinate with other possible venues and potential partners. PCA has had its time, and it provided many wonderful experiences, but the company needed to stick to its goals.
While many thought a new event would run in early January as replacement for the PCA, PokerStars ultimately gave the slot to Red Dragon Manila, which is currently underway at Okada Manila in the Philippines.
EPT Prague Comes To An End
The 2019 EPT Prague concluded in December by crowning just the second player to win two EPT titles – Mikalai Pobal. The tournament was a huge success, awarding millions in guarantees. But based on the latest 2020 schedule released by PokerStars, EPT Prague may not return this year.
There are only three EPT stops currently on the schedule – Sochi, Monte Carlo, and Barcelona. Why the Prague leg has been removed when it has become a staple of the PokerStars LIVE events for a long time, is puzzling. Adding to that confusion is the lack of clarification from PokerStars as to whether EPT Prague will actually have a 2020 edition or not. Representatives only stated that the 2020 schedule isn’t final yet and that they may add more events.
One major factor for this decision could be that EPT Prague’s home now has a new owner. Casino Atrium Prague was acquired by King’s Casino owner Leon Tsoukernik. The venue is expected to undergo major reconstruction to operate under similar standards with King’s Resort in Rozvadov, partypoker’s partner-venue. Tsoukernik’s goal is to make Casino Atrium the leading poker venue in Czech Republic, with a focus on live poker cash games.