PokerStars Revives the North American Poker Tour in the U.S.
PokerStars has put a smile on its fans’ faces as it announced that the North American Poker Tour (NAPT) will return to the country after a 12-year break. It will be the first tournament of Resorts World’s third season accepting wagers in November.
The tour will run from November 4 to 12. PokerStars abandoned it while it was midway in Season 2. Las Vegas will host the NAPT’s third season.
It will comprise a $5,300 High Roller tournament, a $550 PokerStars Cup, and the $1,650 Main Event featuring six starting flights. The poker operator collaborated with Resorts Las Vegas to host the revived tour’s first stop. PokerStars Vice President for North America, Steve Preiss, stated that they were glad to return to the series and are determined to make it memorable for each participant.
What Made the Poker Operator Change Its Mind?
NAPT’s Season 1 occurred in 2010 featuring seven separate tournaments that occurred in the Bahamas, California, Connecticut, and Las Vegas, amongst other regions. Vanessa Selbst won consecutive victories in Connecticut.
The United States Department of Justice seized PokerStars’ domains on April 15, 2011. The action is remembered as “Black Friday” and it made PokerStars leave the country’s gaming industry and NAPT ended.
Even so, it took about five years to re-enter the United States market. It launched a poker site in New Jersey in March 2016 and has since expanded its player pool in Pennsylvania and Michigan.
PokerStars merged its New Jersey and Michigan pools in January 2023 and formed the PokerStars US network. Still, it has started concentrating a lot on live tournaments of late.
The First NAPT Stop
PokerStars and Resorts World Las Vegas are long-time partners as they have invested in New Jersey. The upcoming NAPT’s $1,650 Main Event will begin on November 6. Its Day 1 will have six flights and it is likely to attract many players before its registration deadline lapses.
The $550 PokerStars Cup will occur between November 9 and 12 while the $5,300 High Roller will be between November 10 and 12. The poker operator will soon disclose NAPT’s online satellites. Many people are anticipating to see if it will restrict the tour to PokerStars US only or allow players from PokerStars Ontario to qualify.
The Operator’s Unexpected Surprise
The NAPT’s resumption will increase PokerStars' share in the country’s poker industry. However, the operator’s decision surprised many people due to its short notice as players have less than three players to prepare and sign up for it.
Still, they didn’t expect it to choose Las Vegas as the destination of its next tour. Instead, it ought to have selected a state in which it has a strong online presence. The November 15 to 17 F1 Grand Prix in Vegas and the Oracle Red Bull Racing partnership might have influenced PokerStars’ decision.
