Partypoker’s had a busy 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions and live festivals being turned into digital events. As the end of the year approaches, it’s stepping on the gas again with another major MTT series.
This time, however, it’s low-stakes players who are being targeted. With high rollers having their fill in recent months, Partypoker launched the Monster Series.
Featuring 82 tournaments with buy-ins no higher than $265, the series is a chance for European players at all levels to entertain themselves amid fresh lockdown restrictions.
Monster Series Keeps Tournament Bandwagon Rolling
The series started Saturday with the opening flights of the Monster 8-Max ($33) and the Mini Monster 8-Max ($3.30), both generating strong numbers. Also surpassing expectations on Day 1 was the $30,000 Deepstack.
The $22 No-Limit Hold’em event gave players the chance to re-enter once during the registration period. By the time the event had closed, 2,298 buy-ins had been collected, leaving the top 312 players to share $45,960.
A $55 main event will headline the Monster Series. Two starting flights on November 14 and 15 will lead into the official Day 2 on November 16. Partypoker set the guarantee at $300,000, but the hope is the series will follow recent trends and break that total.
Alongside GGPoker, Partypoker has been the standout performer in 2020. The global pandemic has forced everyone in poker to adapt, and those with digital platforms have done so the best. In addition to hosting their own events, GGPoker and Partypoker have taken up the mantle for live operators.
The former broke records with the WSOP Online, while the latter has enjoyed success in partnership with the World Poker Tour (WPT). Although previous victories are no guarantee of future success, Partypoker does have momentum on its side.
Opportune Time for Partypoker
What’s more, COVID-19 restrictions in Europe mean more people will be locked at home for the entirety of November. England, Germany, Spain, and France will also be under national quarantine orders for the next four weeks.
While no one will take pleasure in such measures, previous evidence shows that this will provide a surge in activity for online poker sites. During national lockdowns in March and April, Google data showed a spike in searches for key phrases like “how to play poker.”
Regulators and poker operators also reported increases in network activity and revenue during the early stages of the pandemic. Now, with people confined to their homes for all but “essential” business, another upswing is likely.
That should provide Partypoker’s Monster Series with a boost between now and the final events on November 16.
