Every poker player’s dream is to “run it up” by turning a relatively small amount of money into a big score. It’s why poker tournaments are so popular, and why satellite tournaments prove beneficial. PokerGO’s Stairway To Millions™ offering takes the best of both worlds, combining a regular poker tournament and a satellite tournament into one to give players the opportunity to climb their way to a huge payday while also cashing out along the way.
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The Stairway To Millions heads to The Venetian® Resort Las Vegas from September 8-20, 2022, for a 12-event series featuring $2,150,000 in guaranteed prize pools. Buy-ins begin as low as $460 and finish at $52,000 for the series finale. The unique format of the Stairway To Millions - a hybrid between a satellite and a conventional poker tournament - gives a pathway for a player entering at the $460 price point to compete in the $52,000 event.
How does the Stairway To Millions work?
In addition to winning a piece of the prize pool, every player that cashes in an event will win a seat into the next buy-in level. Those players who finish among the top three places will leapfrog an entire buy-in level and win a piece of the prize pool.
For example, let’s say you play in the first event and finish in the money in sixth place. Not only will you take home a piece of the prize pool for cashing, you’ll also receive a $900 ticket to be used to play in the next buy-in level. If you were to finish in second place, you’d get your runner-up prize money and a ticket to the $1,640 buy-in level, skipping the $900 level entirely.
Each event will play into the money and then down to the final table. Players will return the next day to conclude the event and crown a Stairway To Millions event champion. Event #1-8 winners will receive a Venetian trophy, while Event #9-12 winners will receive a PGT trophy as these events meet the PGT criteria of having a buy-in of $10,000 or greater. That also means that PGT leaderboard points will be on offer for Events #9-12.
“Bringing our players new and exciting experiences is one of our top priorities,” said Tommy LaRosa, tournament director for The Venetian Poker Room, in a press release announcing the event. “Having this one-of-a-kind PokerGO Stairway To Millions event for our players provides a unique opportunity for a player to ladder up from a small buy-in to a high roller tournament.”
| Day | Date | Event | Buy-in | Prize Pool (GTD) |
| Thurs | 9/8 | Stairway to Millions #1 | $460 | $25,000 |
| Fri | 9/9 | Stairway to Millions #2 | $460 | $25,000 |
| Sat | 9/10 | Stairway to Millions #3 | $900 | $50,000 |
| Sun | 9/11 | Stairway to Millions #4 | $900 | $50,000 |
| Mon | 9/12 | Stairway to Millions #5 | $1,640 | $100,000 |
| Tues | 9/13 | Stairway to Millions #6 | $1,640 | $100,000 |
| Weds | 9/14 | Stairway to Millions #7 | $2,740 | $100,000 |
| Thurs | 9/15 | Stairway to Millions #8 | $5,350 | $100,000 |
| Fri | 9/16 | Stairway to Millions #9 | $10,400 | $200,000 |
| Sat | 9/17 | Stairway to Millions #10 | $15,800 | $300,000 |
| Sun | 9/18 | Stairway to Millions #11 | $26,000 | $500,000 |
| Mon | 9/19 | Stairway to Millions #12 | $52,000 | $600,000 |
Each day will begin at 12 p.m. PT and registration is open until the start of Level 7. The first eight events are unlimited reentry, while the final four events will be double reentry. Events #1-6 will have 30-minute levels, while Events #7-11 will be 40-minute levels. The Event #12 finale will have 45-minute levels until registration closes and then increase to 60-minute levels.
The final four events of the Stairway To Millions are also part of the PokerGO Tour (PGT) with players earning PGT points to qualify for the season-ending PGT Championship. The top 21 players on the PGT leaderboard will be invited to participate in the PGT Championship where the winner will take home the $500,000 first-place prize. These final four events will also give players an incentive to register on time with a reduced rake offered to any player in the registration line prior to the 12 p.m. PT start time. Event #12 will also see both days start at 2 p.m. PT.
“The Venetian remains an incredible partner of PokerGO and the PokerGO Tour, and we are excited to expand our offering with the upcoming Stairway To Millions series,” Mori Eskandani, President of PokerGO, said in the event’s press release. “With a new twist that allows players finishing in the top three to skip a buy-in level, we’re looking to offer an even greater opportunity for players to progress up the stakes and compete at the highest levels.”
To follow all the action from the Stairway To Millions at The Venetian Resort, live reporting will be provided by the PokerGO Tour Live Reporting team and can be found at PGT.com.
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