Rishva Iyer Wins First Ever Pokerstars Road to PSPC Women’s Event
The Road to PSPC is in full swing with Platinum Passes now being awarded regularly. The coveted Platinum Pass from PokerStars is a ticket to the biggest $25k game in live poker history, the PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC).
The most recent addition to the list of PSPC qualifiers made the cut in Philadelphia recently and it was a bit of a special one–for the first time, PokerStars has awarded a Platinum Pass in a restricted-entry event. While the Road to PSPC events are usually open-entry with the pass available to any player who enters the game, the latest Pass was awarded in a Ladies-only event.
It was the first time PokerStars offered a pass in a women-only event, and when the dust settled Rishva Iyer from Kensington, Philadelphia won nearly $6,000 and the much sought-after Platinum Pass. The game was held at Live! Casino in Philadelphia with a $200 buy-in running on Oct 8 and 9.
First Restricted Platinum Pass Goes to Rishva Iyer
The first Platinum Pass awarded in an exclusive women-only event is now in the pocket of Rishva Iyer. The 24-year-old from Kensington is fairly new to the game, having started playing in college home games.
Her poker journey really kicked off when her boyfriend ran through some of the basics with her for a bit of early training. She said she mostly plays real money poker cash games but sometimes plays tournament poker as well.
“I’m a regular here at Live!,” Iyer said after her win, “so I’m always checking for events and I saw there was a Ladies Event and I thought I can’t miss this; I have to play it. I try to play the big tournaments now and then, but I don’t study them as much and I don’t have that much experience at all, so it was kind of tough, but it’s always fun.”
Iyer’s journey to the PSPC began on Oct 8 in a field of 120 entries at Live! Casino in Philadelphia. That meant that in addition to the Platinum Pass that everyone had their eye on, there was a prize pool of just shy of $20k to fight for in the $200 game as well.
Iyer’s Platinum Pass came with a first-place prize of $5,840 in addition to the ticket package. The Platinum Pass alone is worth $30k USD with some travel cash, accommodations, and airport transfer included with the $25k buy-in to the PSPC.
Platinum Pass Value ($30,000):
- Buy-in to the $25,000 PSPC
- Six nights hotel accommodation for winner and a guest in a 5-star hotel
- Airport transfer
- $1,900 expense money
- Platinum Pass Winner experiences during the event
More Miles on the Road to PSPC
The operator plans to award hundreds of tickets to the Bahamas extravaganza set to run from Jan 30 through Feb 3 as part of the larger PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA). The PCA is a long-running festival from PokerStars, but in the first running in three years it will begin its new post-pandemic life in a brand-new location.
There will be a lot more chances for players to book a cheap ticket to the big game as well on the Road to PSPC. Both international and US-specific dates are still upcoming, so no matter where you play you’ll have a shot at one of the coveted Platinum Passes.
In addition to the online qualifiers running on the online poker client in your jurisdiction, there are two Roads currently being traveled.
Upcoming Live Road to PSPC Events
International Stops:
| Road To | Venue | Country | Buy-In | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Road to PSPC Bucharest €150,000 GTD | Poker Room Bucharest | Romania | €400 | October 12-16 |
| Road to PSPC Paris | Club Circus Paris | France | €400 | November 7-13 |
| Road to PSPC BSOP Millions Mystery Bounty R$ 2,000,000 GTD | WTC Sheraton São Paulo | Brazil | R$ 1,000 | November 14-26 |
| Road to PSPC Namur €500,000 GTD | Grand Casino de Namur | Belgium | €400 | November 24 – December 4 |
US Stops:
| Venue | City | Buy-In | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live! Casino Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $360 | October 13 – October 16 |
| Live! Casino Pittsburgh | Greensburg, PA | $360 | October 27 – October 30 |
PSPC Summary Details
The venue for the upcoming PCA return has now moved to Baha Mar, Nassau, Bahamas. There will be a lot of action in the PCA return in early 2023 with mystery bounties, women’s and seniors events, a raft of mixed games including HORSE and 8-game, and the usual slate of high rollers and Main Events.
Key Games at PSPC
- PCA Super High Roller: January 22-24, $100,000
- PCA Main Event: January 23-29, $10,300
- PSPC Main Event: January 30 - February 3, $25,000
- PCA High Roller: February 1-3, $25,000
- Senior's Event: January 23, $550
- PCA Mystery Bounty: January 26-28, $3,000
- Women's Event: January 29, $550
- PSPC Mystery Bounty: February 1-3, $550
- PLO: January 24, $1,100
- 8-Game: January 26, $550
- PLO - 8 or Better: January 27, $550
- PLO High Roller: January 27-28, $10,300
- H.O.R.S.E: January 28-29, $1,100
- H.O.R.S.E: February 1, $550
- PLO: February 2, $330
Almost four years have passed since the last PSPC event but after the unexpected absence prompted by unprecedented global events over the past few years, the biggest live $25k game in history is returning in 2023. There’s still time to book your Platinum Pass at one of the stops along the remaining Road to PSPC.
*Any mention of a bonus or discussion of such terms is not in relation to the province of Ontario.
