Another lucky player in North America will win a $30K Platinum Pass and a free seat in the PokerStars Players Championship thanks to Jennifer Shahade.
Shahade, a two-time US Women’s Chess Champion and PokerStars Ambassador, will give the $30K prize package to someone from the US or Canada who’s played a memorable poker hand.
The rules are simple: tell Shahade your most memorable hand and why it was so significant. The best one, according to Shahade and a panel of judges, gets to play in the $25K PokerStars Players No-Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC).
Put your hands up to win a $30K Platinum Pass
Everyone has at least one hand that defines their time in poker. Arguably, the most significant hand for the poker industry was Chris Moneymaker’s king-high bluff against Sam Farha. Moneymaker, an amateur at the time, was heads-up against Farha in the 2003 WSOP Main Event.
Farha was the more experienced player, but Moneymaker turned the tide when he moved all-in with K♠ 7♥ on a 9♠ 2♦ 6♠ 8♠ 3♥ board (see video below). Farha had the best hand with Q♠ 9♥ but folded. That bluff gave Moneymaker enough momentum to go on and win the tournament. More significantly, his victory helped spark the poker boom.
Few people will have played a hand as monumental as Moneymaker’s. However, we’ve all got our own stories to tell and Shahade wants to hear them. Her Platinum Pass giveaway got underway on December 1 and will run until 12 p.m. ET on December 12.
Poker players in the US and Canada can submit their “platinum hands” via email or social media to be in the running. Once the entry period closes, Shahade will choose the most interesting hands. Importantly, the definition of interesting in this context doesn’t necessarily mean outlandish or crazy.
Hands won’t be judged solely on their complexity or the amount of money at stake. The point of this promotion is to give everyone a chance to tell their story. The hand might be important because it helped someone win their first tournament. It might be the first time a player pulled off a successful check-raise bluff on the river.
Best story gets PokerStars’ Players Championship seat
Shahade is calling for people to put forward their best hands and explain why. Entrants can provide a strategic explanation for why it’s important. They can focus on wider contextual issues. Anything goes. As long as the hand is interesting, entertaining, and provides an insight into a player’s poker story, it could win.
How to enter
Poker players in the US and Canada can enter in one of two ways:
Email Entry
- Submit an email to thepokergrid@gmail.com with the following information:
- Add “Platinum Hand” and your name to the email subject line
- Full name
- Country of residence
- A 2-3 sentence ‘about me’ section
- Submission link to YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud, blog post, or text
Social Media
- Create a post and use the hashtag #PlatinumPokerHand.
- Post a short video (1-6 minutes long) or write a post (300-2000 words)
Entries will initially be judged by Shahade. She’ll send her top six picks to the following panel of pros:
- Sam Grafton
- Maria Ho
- Mark Foresta
- Alex O’Brien
- Brad Willis
The top submission from the final six gets a $30K Platinum Pass that includes:
- A free seat in the $25K PokerStars Players Championship
- Six nights of five-star accommodation for the winner and a guest in the Bahamas
- Airport transfer
- $1,900 to cover expenses
- Access to Platinum Pass winner experiences
Shahade will announce the winner on December 30 on the GRID Podcast. That person then gets to enjoy the 2023 PokerStars Players Championship, which takes place in the Bahamas between January 30 and February 3.
