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January temperatures may be well below freezing for residents of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan, but action is heating up this weekend for online poker players in those states as the annual PokerStars Winter Series gets set to kick off once again.
For the second straight year, the schedule in each state will run concurrently, with each 10-day series beginning on Jan 22 and concluding on Jan 31. While the series has run for several years in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the 2022 edition marks Michigan’s debut.
For players looking for an alternative, BetMGM Poker is running its new Double Trouble series at the same time.
Want to play in PokerStars Winter Series? Click here to sign up today!
Winter Series overview
Each state’s version of Winter Series will feature more than 40 events with buy-ins ranging from $10 to $1,000. This year’s Main Events will fall on January 30 with a $200 entry in Pennsylvania and Michigan, and a $300 entry in New Jersey. Pennsylvania’s Main Event boasts the largest guarantee at $150,000. Meanwhile, Michigan’s will guarantee a $100,000 prize pool and New Jersey’s will offer $75,000.
Pennsylvania and New Jersey’s Main Event guarantees are down 25% ($50K and $25K, respectively) from a year ago. The addition of the Bigstack Marathon event to the series’ schedules on the same day this year might explain this decrease. The Marathon, which also features deep starting chip stacks and a slow structure, could force some players to choose between the two events.
Overall series guarantees are similar to last year, though also down slightly. Players in Pennsylvania will compete for $1,001,500 in guaranteed prizes (down about $70K) and New Jersey players will vie for a share of $501,000 in guaranteed dough (down about $65K). Meanwhile, the first Winter Series for Michigan will feature a hefty $651,000 minimum prize pool.
Promotions
Also like last year, PokerStars will offer the same promotions across each series. These will include daily Second Chance Freerolls for those who are eliminated from events before the money and “FREEZErolls” on January 22 for those who make a deposit $30 or more. Players who deposit $100 or more will receive entry to a FREEZEroll with an even larger series ticket prize pool ($10,000 worth in PA, $5,000 in MI and $4,000 in NJ).
Schedule Breakdown
Scroll below to see the complete schedules for each series or click these links: PokerStars NJ Winter Series schedule / PokerStars PA Winter Series schedule / PokerStars MI series schedule.
As expected, No-Limit Hold’em events dominate each schedule. However, there’s a nice mix of buy-in levels to suit all bankroll sizes. Other than the series’ $1,000 and $500 High Roller events, all other tournaments cost $300 or less to enter. Also, for those who can’t afford to play the Main Event but still want a shot at a big payout, each series offers a Mini Main Event ($30 buy-in for PA and MI, $50 for NJ).
The three series’ also give players a fun variety of event structures and styles. There’s a good selection of turbos and hyper-turbos (about 25% of each series) to go along with the newly-added Bigstack and Half Price Marathons. Meanwhile, fans of progressive knockout tournaments will have plenty to choose from as well (also about 25% of each series).
Highlights
- The PA schedule features 44 events, while NJ and MI each have 42.
- The PA and MI series’ have a Pot-Limit Omaha, Pot-Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, HORSE and No-Limit 5-Card Draw event on their schedules. The NJ series is not nearly as diverse, with just one PLO event.
- The NJ series has the highest average buy-in of the three at $121. However, this is down from an average of $142 last year. The PA series is also down to an average buy-in of $108 (from $120 in 2021). The MI series has the lowest buy-in average of the three at $100.
- The PA schedule includes a $10 Winter Hybrid event on Jan 29. This is an unusual cross between a standard series event and a satellite. Part of the prize pool will go to providing 15 Main Event seats for top finishers, while the remainder will be paid out as cash according to a typical structure.
BetMGM Double Trouble provides more MTT options
Beginning today, players in these three states can also get in on the action at BetMGM’s Double Trouble series.
As the name suggests, Double Trouble hosts two tournaments at the same time each day. From January 21 to January 30, the daily scheduled pair of events will consist of a No-Limit Hold’em tournament and a Progressive KO tournament with matching guarantees. The only exception occurs on January 29, which features a PLO and PLO bounty event.
Although Double Trouble has smaller event guarantees (all $30K and under), it too boasts a wide range of buy-ins ($20 to $535). However, unlike the Winter Series, New Jersey has the highest series guarantee ($364,000), followed by Michigan ($334,000) and Pennsylvania ($324,00).
Without much variety in game types, Double Trouble’s strength could be seen in its high ratio of PKO events. Action seekers and fans of that particular format should find a lot to appreciate, as well as smaller field sizes.
“Our players embraced the bounty-centric New Year Knockout Weekend and, this month, can play in one of the most entertaining formats in poker once again,” said BetMGM Director of Poker Luke Staudenmaier in a company press release.
Winter Series Schedule
Here are the schedules for each of the three versions of the PokerStars Winter Series. Click the links to jump to the one you’re looking for: NJ / PA / MI.
New Jersey schedule
| # | Date | Time | Buy-In | Format | GTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22-Jan | 18:00 | $100 | 8-Max | $15k |
| 2 | 22-Jan | 18:00 | $20 | 8-Max | $7k |
| 3 | 22-Jan | 20:00 | $50 | 8-Max Freeze | $5k |
| 4 | 22-Jan | 20:30 | $200 | Turbo | $10k |
| 5 | 23-Jan | 14:00 | $100 | Turbo | $8.5k |
| 6 | 23-Jan | 18:00 | $250 | 8-Max | $40k |
| 7 | 23-Jan | 18:30 | $30 | 8-Max | $10k |
| 8 | 23-Jan | 19:00 | $1,000 | 8-Max High Roller | $30k |
| 9 | 23-Jan | 20:00 | $100 | 8-Max Turbo Deep | $10k |
| 10 | 23-Jan | 22:00 | $50 | 6-Max Hyper PKO | $5k |
| 11 | 24-Jan | 19:00 | $200 | 6-Max PKO | $17.5k |
| 12 | 24-Jan | 19:00 | $30 | 6-Max PKO | $6k |
| 13 | 24-Jan | 20:30 | $50 | 6-Max PLO | $4k |
| 14 | 25-Jan | 18:00 | $10 | Freeze | $1k |
| 15 | 25-Jan | 19:00 | $200 | 8-Max | $25k |
| 16 | 25-Jan | 19:00 | $30 | 8-Max | $6k |
| 17 | 25-Jan | 20:00 | $100 | 4-Max PKO | $7k |
| 18 | 26-Jan | 18:00 | $10 | Freeze | $1k |
| 19 | 26-Jan | 19:00 | $200 | 6-Max | $15k |
| 20 | 26-Jan | 19:00 | $20 | 6-Max | $4k |
| 21 | 26-Jan | 20:00 | $100 | 8-Max Turbo | $7.5k |
| 22 | 27-Jan | 18:00 | $10 | Freeze | $1k |
| 23 | 27-Jan | 19:00 | $200 | 8-Max PKO | $20k |
| 24 | 27-Jan | 19:00 | $30 | 8-Max PKO | $7.5k |
| 25 | 27-Jan | 20:30 | $100 | 6-Max | $4k |
| 26 | 28-Jan | 18:00 | $10 | Freeze | $1k |
| 27 | 28-Jan | 19:00 | $100 | Deep | $10k |
| 28 | 28-Jan | 19:00 | $20 | Deep | $4k |
| 29 | 28-Jan | 21:00 | $50 | 4-Max Turbo | $10k |
| 30 | 29-Jan | 18:00 | $10 | 8-Max | $1k |
| 31 | 29-Jan | 19:00 | $200 | 8-Max | $20k |
| 32 | 29-Jan | 19:00 | $20 | 3-Max Turbo | $6k |
| 33 | 29-Jan | 20:30 | $50 | 8-Max Marathon | $5k |
| 34 | 30-Jan | 14:00 | $200 | 8-Max Deep Marathon | $15k |
| 35 | 30-Jan | 18:00 | $300 | 8-Max MAIN EVENT | $75k |
| 36 | 30-Jan | 18:30 | $50 | 8-Max MINI MAIN EVENT | $15k |
| 37 | 30-Jan | 20:00 | $200 | 8-Max | $12.5k |
| 38 | 31-Jan | 22:00 | $100 | 6-Max Hyper | $7.5k |
| 39 | 31-Jan | 18:00 | $100 | 8-Max | $15k |
| 40 | 31-Jan | 18:00 | $20 | 8-Max | $6k |
| 41 | 31-Jan | 20:00 | $300 | 7-Max PKO | $25k |
| 42 | 31-Jan | 20:30 | $30 | Heads-Up Tb. PTKO Zoom | $6k |
Pennsylvania schedule
| # | Date | Time | Buy-In | Format | GTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22-Jan | 18:00 | $100 | 8-Max | $40k |
| 2 | 22-Jan | 18:00 | $10 | 8-Max | $6.5k |
| 3 | 22-Jan | 20:00 | $50 | 8-Max PKO Deep | $12.5k |
| 4 | 22-Jan | 21:00 | $20 | Turbo | $3k |
| 5 | 23-Jan | 14:00 | $50 | Turbo | $12.5k |
| 6 | 23-Jan | 18:00 | $100 | 8-Max | $100k |
| 7 | 23-Jan | 18:30 | $20 | 8-Max | $20k |
| 8 | 23-Jan | 19:00 | $500 | 8-Max High Roller | $50k |
| 9 | 23-Jan | 20:00 | $50 | 8-Max Turbo | $10k |
| 10 | 23-Jan | 22:00 | $50 | 6-Max Hyper PKO | $8k |
| 11 | 24-Jan | 19:00 | $200 | 8-Max Freeze | $20k |
| 12 | 24-Jan | 20:00 | $100 | 6-Max PKO | $25k |
| 13 | 24-Jan | 20:30 | $30 | 6-Max Turbo PKO | $10k |
| 14 | 24-Jan | 21:00 | $100 | 6-Max PLO8 | $12.5k |
| 15 | 25-Jan | 18:00 | $10 | Freeze | $3k |
| 16 | 25-Jan | 19:00 | $250 | 8-Max | $50k |
| 17 | 25-Jan | 20:00 | $75 | 8-Max | $22.5k |
| 18 | 25-Jan | 21:30 | $30 | 4-Max Turbo PKO | $5k |
| 19 | 26-Jan | 18:00 | $10 | Freeze | $2.5k |
| 20 | 26-Jan | 19:00 | $50 | 8-Max | $15k |
| 21 | 26-Jan | 20:00 | $150 | 6-Max | $25k |
| 22 | 26-Jan | 20:30 | $50 | HORSE | $5k |
| 23 | 27-Jan | 18:00 | $10 | Freeze | $2.5k |
| 24 | 27-Jan | 19:00 | $250 | 8-Max PKO | $50k |
| 25 | 27-Jan | 20:00 | $75 | 8-Max PKO | $20k |
| 26 | 27-Jan | 20:30 | $30 | 6-Max Freeze | $5k |
| 27 | 28-Jan | 18:00 | $10 | Freeze | $2.5k |
| 28 | 28-Jan | 19:00 | $75 | 7-Max PKO | $20k |
| 29 | 28-Jan | 20:00 | $200 | 4-Max Turbo PKO | $25k |
| 30 | 28-Jan | 21:00 | $30 | 7-Max Turbo | $5k |
| 31 | 29-Jan | 18:00 | $10 | 8-Max Hybrid Satellite | $6.5k |
| 32 | 29-Jan | 19:00 | $100 | 8-Max PKO Freeze | $15k |
| 33 | 29-Jan | 20:00 | $200 | 8-Max Deep | $40k |
| 34 | 29-Jan | 20:30 | $100 | 6-Max PLO | $10k |
| 35 | 29-Jan | 21:00 | $20 | 8-Max Turbo | $6k |
| 36 | 30-Jan | 14:00 | $100 | Deep Marathon | $25k |
| 37 | 30-Jan | 18:00 | $200 | 8-Max MAIN EVENT | $150k |
| 38 | 30-Jan | 18:30 | $30 | 8-Max MINI MAIN EVENT | $25k |
| 39 | 30-Jan | 19:00 | $1,000 | 8-Max High Roller Freeze | $50k |
| 40 | 30-Jan | 20:00 | $100 | 8-Max Tubo | $17.5k |
| 41 | 31-Jan | 22:00 | $75 | 6-Max Hyper Deep | $12.5k |
| 42 | 31-Jan | 18:00 | $100 | 8-Max | $40k |
| 43 | 31-Jan | 18:00 | $10 | 8-Max | $6k |
| 44 | 31-Jan | 21:00 | $30 | Heads Up Tb. PTKO Zoom. | $10k |
Michigan schedule
| # | Date | Time | Buy-In | Format | GTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22-Jan | 18:00 | $100 | 8-Max | $30k |
| 2 | 22-Jan | 18:00 | $10 | 8-Max | $5k |
| 3 | 22-Jan | 20:00 | $30 | 8-Max PKO Deep | $7.5k |
| 4 | 22-Jan | 21:00 | $20 | Turbo | $2.5k |
| 5 | 23-Jan | 14:00 | $50 | Turbo | $15k |
| 6 | 23-Jan | 18:00 | $100 | 8-Max | $65k |
| 7 | 23-Jan | 18:30 | $20 | 8-Max | $12.5k |
| 8 | 23-Jan | 19:00 | $500 | 8-Max High Roller | $35k |
| 9 | 23-Jan | 20:00 | $50 | 8-Max Turbo | $8k |
| 10 | 23-Jan | 22:00 | $30 | 6-Max Hyper PKO | $5k |
| 11 | 24-Jan | 19:00 | $50 | 8-Max Freeze | $6.5k |
| 12 | 24-Jan | 20:00 | $100 | 6-Max PKO | $17.5k |
| 13 | 24-Jan | 20:30 | $30 | 6-Max Turbo PKO | $7.5k |
| 14 | 24-Jan | 21:00 | $100 | 6-Max PLO8 | $8.5k |
| 15 | 25-Jan | 18:00 | $10 | Freeze | $2.5k |
| 16 | 25-Jan | 19:00 | $250 | 8-Max | $35k |
| 17 | 25-Jan | 20:00 | $75 | 8-Max | $17.5k |
| 18 | 25-Jan | 21:30 | $30 | 4-Max Turbo PKO | $4.5k |
| 19 | 26-Jan | 18:00 | $10 | Freeze | $2k |
| 20 | 26-Jan | 19:00 | $50 | 8-Max | $10k |
| 21 | 26-Jan | 20:00 | $100 | 6-Max | $15k |
| 22 | 26-Jan | 20:30 | $50 | HORSE | $3.5k |
| 23 | 27-Jan | 18:00 | $10 | Freeze | $2k |
| 24 | 27-Jan | 19:00 | $250 | 8-Max PKO | $30k |
| 25 | 27-Jan | 20:00 | $75 | 8-Max PKO | $15k |
| 26 | 27-Jan | 20:30 | $50 | 6-Max PLO | $5.5k |
| 27 | 28-Jan | 18:00 | $10 | Freeze | $2k |
| 28 | 28-Jan | 19:00 | $50 | 7-Max PKO | $10k |
| 29 | 28-Jan | 20:00 | $100 | 4-Max | $15k |
| 30 | 29-Jan | 18:00 | $10 | 8-Max Freeze | $2k |
| 31 | 29-Jan | 19:00 | $100 | 8-Max PKO Freeze | $10k |
| 32 | 29-Jan | 20:00 | $200 | 8-Max Deep | $22.5k |
| 33 | 29-Jan | 21:00 | $20 | 8-Max Turbo | $5k |
| 34 | 30-Jan | 14:00 | $100 | Deep Marathon | $17.5k |
| 35 | 30-Jan | 18:00 | $200 | 8-Max MAIN EVENT | $100k |
| 36 | 30-Jan | 18:30 | $30 | 8-Max MINI MAIN EVENT | $17.5k |
| 37 | 30-Jan | 19:00 | $1,000 | 8-Max High Roller Freeze | $35k |
| 38 | 30-Jan | 20:00 | $100 | 8-Max Turbo | $12.5k |
| 39 | 31-Jan | 22:00 | $50 | 6-Max Hyper Deep | $7.5k |
| 40 | 31-Jan | 18:00 | $50 | 8-Max | $15k |
| 41 | 31-Jan | 18:00 | $10 | 8-Max | $5k |
| 42 | 31-Jan | 21:00 | $20 | Heads-Up Tb PTKO Zoom | $6.5k |