Monday, Dec. 31, 2007

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PokerStars breaks simultaneous player record

By Sarah Polson

In the face of an online gambling ban in the United States, one online poker site is still growing and thriving. PokerStars reported that it had a record 150,000 players playing simultaneously on the site on Sunday.

"That's the same, if you will, as every citizen of the city of Chatanooga, Tennesee, sitting down for a poker game simultaneously," said the poker site in its blog.

The poker site had previously been the first online poker site to host 100,000 simultaneous players in February 2006, a moment deemed worthy of note by the 2007 Guinness Book of World Records.

When the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was passed by the United States toward the end of 2006, many thought that would spell the end to the online poker boom, but it was instead a help to PokerStars.

PartyPoker, owned by the publicly traded company PartyGaming, opted to leave the U.S. market to protect investors. Other online poker sites also left, while PokerStars continued to serve U.S. players and gave those players a place to go.

The influx of players has been most evident on Sundays, as the record-breaking Sunday proves. PokerStars hosts several big tournaments, including the Sunday Warm-Up, the Sunday Million, the High-Stakes Showdown and more each week.

This month, PokerListings.com players have a chance to win their way into one of two February Sunday Million events at PokerStars and take a shot at a guaranteed $1 million prize pool.

Players who have signed up at the poker site through PokerListings.com and who earn 100 Frequent Player Points in January will be invited to a freeroll that will give out 20 seats to the Feb. 10 Sunday Million.

PokerListings.com players who earn 500 FPPs in January will be entered in a freeroll in which 100 seats in the Feb. 17 Sunday Million will be given out.

Sign up now at PokerStars so you won't miss out on the poker action.

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