Americas Cardroom is upping the ante once again, increasing the guarantee for its fourth Venom event to $8 million.
The $2,650 MTT has been anything but a poison chalice since its first incarnation in 2019. Venom II was hailed as the “largest online poker tournament by a US-facing site” with a $6 million guarantee.
That record was broken last year when Venom III paid out more than $7 million. The fourth version of the event will add an additional $1 million to the guarantee, taking it to $8 million.
Venom is Back with More Bite
Venom 2021 will get underway on Jan. 22. There will be four Day 1 flights, the last of which will take place on Jan. 31.
Day 2 and Day 3 will lead into a final table where one winner will claim the title and a guaranteed $1 million.
Americas Cardroom is currently running a full schedule of satellites. In addition to freerolls and qualifiers starting at $0.11 (Venom Blitz), “Venom Fever” will provide a selection of daily satellites costing between $30 and $600.
$8 Million Venom 2021 Schedule
- Day 1A: Jan. 22 @ 1pm ET
- Day 1B: Jan. 24 @ 1pm ET
- Day 1C: Jan. 29 @ 1pm ET
- Day 1D: Jan. 31 @ 1pm ET
- Day 2: Feb. 1 @ 11pm ET
- Day 3: Feb. 2 @ 11pm ET
- Day 4: Feb. 3 @ 11pm ET
Last year’s Venom surpassed expectations. The summer event attracted 3,872 entries to create a final prize pool worth $9.6 million.
American-based grinder TRT-Vitor won the title after beating FORRESTRANFAR heads-up. Both players banked more than $1 million, with TRT-Vitor scooping a top prize worth $1.36 million.
Another US Poker Record Pending
Venom’s reputation has been steadily growing over the past two years. The first event in July 2019 set the bar with a $5 million guarantee. Since then, the prize pools have increased in size to the point it’s considered the largest MTT for a US-facing poker site.
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That claim is debatable given the status of Americas Cardroom in the US. It doesn’t hold a license in states where online gaming is regulated. However, the company is still active in the US because it doesn’t breach UIGEA.
The UIGEA online made it illegal for gaming sites to process payments in America, but didn’t outlaw online poker. Americas Cardroom provides alternative funding methods for US players, such as Bitcoin (BTC). Therefore, in its view, it’s not breaking any laws.
The fact Americas Cardroom accepts Bitcoin payments could also add to Venom’s appeal this year. The cryptocurrency’s value is surging right now. That means the winner could collect their prizemoney in BTC, sit on it, and wait for it to increase in value.
Entrants will have to decide whether that’s a strategy they want to pursue or not. Meanwhile, Americas Cardroom is doing all it can to start 2021 with a bang and set another record.
