PartyPoker Genius Promotion

PartyPoker is squaring the pot of every 50,000th hand played. Also as part of the Genius promotion, which runs for 10 million hands, every millionth hand will receive a massive boost.

The Genius promotion started at 12:00 ET on Monday and will run for a total of 10 million hands. Every 50,000th pot will see its value squared. The minimum pot in a jackpot hand is $100, while the maximum payout is $5,000. For instance, if a 50,000th hand milestone were to occur at a table with a pot of $7, the jackpot would actually pay out $100, not $49, under the Genius promotion. Likewise, if it occurred at a table with a pot of $50, the pot would be boosted to $2,500 (or $50 squared).

Every player involved in a Genius hand will divide the extra payout equally, while the pot’s winner will scoop the original total. The maximum payout in any single hand is $5,000, which equates to about a $71 pot. All cash game tables with $0.10-$0.25 blinds and higher are eligible and include Limit ($0.25-$0.50 minimum), No Limit, and Pot Limit Hold’em along with Pot Limit Omaha and Seven Card Stud.

Also as part of the Genius promotion on PartyPoker, every millionth hand will feature at least a $10,000 prize pool. The ten-millionth hand, which will mark the end to The Genius, comes with at least a $100,000 purse. These sizable bankroll boosts do not apply to heads-up cash game tables on PartyPoker. Players dealt to in a hand will share in its bonus prize and uncalled bets are not counted in the pot’s value. A tracker of the number of Genius pots won and their combined payout is available on PartyPoker’s website.

New PartyPoker Ambassador

PartyPoker announced it has signed a sponsorship deal with UK player Ian Frazer. Ian will become an ambassador and sponsored player for one of the leading online poker rooms.

Ian is the first cog in a new strategy from PartyPoker. The poker room has previously stayed out of the player sponsorship market with the exception of main site ambassador Mike Sexton. PartyPoker plans to sponsor players as it seeks to create a grassroots team. The emphasis is on VIPs, player loyalty and historic links to PartyPoker. More members of the team will be announced in the near future and more details on the team concept will follow as the team is shaped.

Poker Sites Traffic Increase Despite Fund Seizure

Tactics chosen by the Southern District of NY Attorney’s office seems to produce the reverse effect of what was intended.

Latest reports indicate that PartyPoker traffic is up 15% and 12% in the weeks following the seizure of around $34 million of player’s funds. Most interesting fact is that majority of affected poker rooms that cater to US players have seen a boost in traffic. PokerStars is the only exception with traffic down 5% since the seizure.

PartyPoker Million Dollar Hand

PartyPoker offers its players the opportunity to win large with Million Dollar Hand promotion.

Players will be awarded a playing card for every 15 Party Points they earn between Friday 5th June and Saturday 28th June. They have to collect a five-card hand to have a chance to win. Anything featuring a pair or better will get players a cash prize with a cool million dollars the reward for anyone compiling a Royal Flush.

The payout is structured as follows:

Royal flush – $1,000,000
Straight flush – $10,000
Four of a kind – $1,000
Full house – $250
Flush – $100
Straight – $50
Three of a kind – $20
Two pair – $10
One pair – $3

Mike Sexton vs Paris Hilton Heads Up Poker Duel

PartyPoker is giving Paris Hilton a chance to win a Bentley if she beats poker legend Mike Sexton. One of biggest online poker room decided to draw some publicity after news broke last week that Paris’ blue Bentley was vandalised.

Three years ago Hilton lost her Bentley Continental GT in a poker game and PartyPoker offered her a chance to win her car back then.

PokerStars Software Improved

PokerStars software went through slight upgrade. Being constantly under pressure from its major competitors, Full Tilt Poker and Party Poker, PokerStars has to do something extra to be ahead of competition.

Now, the buy-in amount is listed in the title bar of each table. You had to visit lobby to see this information before and now it is right there at your disposal. If you lost a heads-up sit and go and look for rematch, it is also possible on PokerStars now.

Finally, more time zones have been added. Now you do not have to add or substract hours to figure out when next tournament begins.