PokerStars History

Since its beginnings in 2001, PokerStars has grown and matured into the leading poker company in the world, and the events on PokerStars have shaped and created the poker world as we know it today. The first cash multi-table online poker tournaments were hosted by PokerStars, and the success of PokerStars qualifiers at the World Series of Poker* played a key role in the start of the global poker boom. PokerStars history is truly the history of modern poker itself, and this online museum is a place to store that history.

Most importantly, the history of PokerStars is the history of the players who have gathered at the tables - whether online or on the real felt. This is your history, and it will continue to live and grow in the years ahead.

2013: One Hundred Billion Hands Online, Launching Live Rooms

From the first day of operations in 2001, every single real money hand history of PokerStars has been recorded, and made available to players on request.  This was an important development in online poker, as it allowed players to review their play, and also verify the integrity of the shuffling and the game more generally.  To do this, every single hand was given a unique number, each hand number incrementing by one.  At first, that counter moved slowly – but as PokerStars has grown, the numbers of hands dealt grew rapidly.

PokerStars hosted a celebration as players reached each hand milestone – 5 billion, 10 billion, 25 billion, 50 billion, and so on.  In early 2011, as the 60 billionth hand was dealt, an ongoing theme developed: the road to 100 billion hands was set.  On June 13, 2013, Isidora 'microulis69' Panagiotopoulou from Greece won the PokerStars 100 Billionth Hand for $103,800.

These huge prizes have a real world impact: they have genuinely changed lives.  Ms Panagiotopoulou said, “The way things are with the financial crisis the money is extremely important. This money came out of nowhere and it will help us accomplish lots of our goals. We have lots of financial obligations to settle and this money will help a lot.”

PokerStars Sponsored Player Stavros Kalfas congratulates Panagiotopoulou

Meanwhile, in the world of live poker, PokerStars opened a series of poker rooms at various casinos throughout the world.

In Madrid, PokerStars launched a poker room at Casino Gran Madrid.  PokerStars Madrid was used to host cash games and tournaments from the time of its launch in January 2013 – and it hosted a few special guests as well!

Team PokerStars Pro Juan Manuel Pastor with Rafael Nadal, the 11-time tennis Grand Slam winner and PokerStars ambassador

In March, the UKIPT and the EPT met at the London Poker Festival.  This was the perfect launch party for PokerStars LIVE at the Hippodrome at Leicester Square in London.  The room was designed by PokerStars for the primary purpose of poker, allowing PokerStars to cater specifically to the needs of players.

Team PokerStars Pro Liv Boeree playing at PokerStars LIVE at the Hippodrome in London

Rounding out the trio of new live poker rooms, PokerStars LIVE at the City of Dreams opened in Macau on April 19, 2013.  It launched with the Macau Poker Cup, including the Taiwanese music-superstar MC Hotdog, showing that poker was truly a global phenomenon, accessible to anyone.

PokerStars LIVE at City of Dreams

*World Series of Poker and WSOP are trademarks of Caesars License Company, LLC ("Caesars"). Caesars does not sponsor or endorse, and is not associated or affiliated with PokerStars or its products, services, promotions or tournaments.