All eyes were on Pennsylvania a few days ago as the state played host to the second installation of PokerStars Pennsyl-MANIA. The first running of the event took place back in May and saw a record turnout of players and a huge increase in the prize pool totals. While the second edition was not as large, it did see a solid increase in prize money and provided a fun entertainment outlet for players during the difficult time of the pandemic.
Pennsyl-MANIA II Details
This time around, the event offered a whopping $350,000 in prize money. The first time, the guarantee was a lower $250,000. In total, 2,026 entries were record, with 1,274 unique players. The prize pool came in at $376,836, which was an increase of $26,836, not too shabby!
When compared to the first go-round, the numbers are a bit disappointing. In May, the event had a $200 buy-in and it generated $515,964 in prize money. This time, the same $200 buy-in applied but less players took part, so the prize pool increased slightly.
With a lot of money at stake, the online poker players taking part decided to cut a deal when only four remained. It is not uncommon for players to discuss a deal but coming to a decision with four people can be tricky.
In the end, it was SlotWinna777, Bellas59, GOThanos_PB and tjl5124 who agreed on a chop. The payouts were fairly even with SlotWinna777 coming out the winner with the largest payday. The four must have decided that this was the best way to go for everyone to receive a larger piece of the pie.
| Place | Player | Prize |
| First | SlotWinna777 | $44,641 |
| Second | Bellas59 | $37,993 |
| Third | GTOThanos_PB | $31,400 |
| Fourth | Tjl5124 | $31,402 |
| Fifth | Redhanded77 | $14,536 |
| Sixth | DomeGod69420 | $10,362 |
| Seventh | Johnnyboat46 | $7,386 |
| Eighth | Shovel344 | $5,265 |
| Ninth | Anteater9999 | $3,753 |
Larger Turnout Expected
Because the US is still being affected by the coronavirus, it was expected that players in Pennsylvania would turn out for this event in full force. And while the prize pool guaranteed was surpassed, it was not as large as expected.
The turnout was actually just under 700 people shorter than the May event. Perhaps players are getting back to work and were unable to compete or maybe the new of online poker in Pennsylvania is wearing off. Whatever the case may be, it was a bit disappointing to see the lower turnout and prize pool totals.
It will be interesting to see what PokerStars comes up with next. The World Championship of Online Poker has been announced for the main PokerStars site so we should see something similar announced in Pennsylvania as well.
Because of the coronavirus and continue uptick in poker players logging online, brands like PokerStars have continued to provide new and exciting ways for players to play. From special events and tournament series to promotions, online poker players are not lacking in entertainment. We will stay tuned to any news from PokerStars PA and report on any new events or tournament series that might be announced in the coming weeks.
