The $2.5 million Partypoker Monster Series is underway and one player has already bagged two titles.
Hosting 18 events on June 2, Partypoker saw players bank almost $650,000. Topping the list of daily winners was Brazil’s Ineedcagari.
Although they didn’t win the day’s biggest single prize, the online grinder scored the largest overall payout.
Brazilian Becomes an MTT Monster
First on the Brazilian’s list of achievements was the 8-Max Grind title. Attracting 2,502 entries, the $33 MTT not only got the festival underway but broke its $75,000 guarantee.
With the Monster Series off to a positive start, Ineedcagari overcame two Brazilians and two Colombians to bank $10,858.
That positive momentum soon carried over to event #3. Another 8-max affair, the $150,000 bounty tournament beat its guarantee by $23,197.
When the chips and bounties had fallen, Ineedcagari stood as the victor. On top of their $10,050 top prize, the double winner scored an additional $18,649 in bounties.
While a Monster Series back-to-back champion may not be as impressive as the recent double SCOOP winner, two wins is no small feat.
Beyond that, it stands as a testament to the growing popularity of Partypoker’s MTT series.
Not All Plain Sailing for Partypoker
Going live in 2018, the online festival was designed for low-to-mid-stakes grinders. Although the current series has a “high” category, the highest single buy-in is 55/$61.
Between the top price tournaments and those costing less than $2, the Partypoker Monster Series has over $2.5 million in added value.
Conceptually, there are certainly crossovers between the Monster Series and PokerStars’ SCOOP. However, with fewer high cost events, Partypoker is aiming to attract more casual players and aspiring pros.
What’s more, the festival is part of an ongoing selection of tournament innovations. Since striking gold with its Millions Online event, Partypoker has been looking to capture a larger slice of the MTT market.
However, while fortunes are on the up in the tournament department, Partypoker has received some backlash in recent days.
After announcing that players will have to change their alias by June 17, some regulars aired their concerns that stats tracking may soon come to an end.
Although heads up display (HUDs) technology has long been a contentious issue, professionals still use the software to their advantage. But with Partypoker hinting that HUDs will be blocked following the alias change, critics have spoken out.
In comparison to the gains it’s made over the last 12 months, the alias issue may only be a small one. However, in an industry where small edges an make a difference, the slip could give Partypoker’s rivals a boost.
