The PokerStars Open takes place at Manchester 235 from 20-26 October, for its sole UK stop of 2025. The full event schedule has recently been revealed and there are 18 tournaments on the itinerary schedule, including a mix of low, medium and high buy-in MTTs, plus satellites. The highlight of the festival is the PokerStars Open itself, a slow structured 4-day £1,100 (£1,000 +£100) buy-in event, with a £1m guaranteed prize pool, where a potentially life changing six-figure first prize awaits the champion.
2025 PokerStars Open
The newest tournament series from PokerStars Live, the PokerStars Open, was announced in late 2024, as an effective replacement for the national tours of Estrellas, Eureka and UKIPT, which had previously been the mid-stakes offering from the Flutter owned online site. There have been five PokerStars Opens so far this year, with all easily surpassing their guarantees. Two further PokerStars Opens in Barcelona and Malta will take place before the series rolls into Mad Fer’ Poker Land, with an additional four scheduled later in 2025.
The biggest PS Open held so far was the inaugural event, held in Campione in March, where 2,423 players generated a prize pool of over €2.3m. It was won by Adrian State, who banked €363,000, the largest cash of his life. Adrian is listed on TheHendonMob database as being a resident of Manchester, making it quite likely he will be there to shoot for his second PokerStars Open title in October. Other PokerStars Ambassadors, such as Jen Shahade, recent winner of the PokerStars Women’s Summer Series, is another possible attendee.
| Event | Dates | Location | Winner | Top Prize | Entries | Total Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campione | Mar 10–16, 2025 | Casino Municipale, Italy | Adrian State | €363,000 | 2,423 | €2,326,080 |
| Philadelphia | Apr 23–27, 2025 | Live! Casino, USA | Edward Leonard | $147,806 | 1,154 | $1,107,840 |
| Monte Carlo | Apr 30–May 4, 2025 | Sporting Monte-Carlo, MC | Jon Kyte | €340,000 | 2,387 | €2,291,520 |
| Namur | May 31–Jun 8, 2025 | Circus Casino, Belgium | Jean-V. Lehut | €238,000 | 1,572 | €1,493,400 |
| Malaga | Jun 18–22, 2025 | Gran Madrid Casino, Spain | Manuel Ferrari | €206,300 | 1,636 | €1,575,560 |
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PokerStars Open Manchester Schedule
The £1,100 PokerStars Open is undoubtedly the highlight of the festival, but there are also several supporting side events and satellites, to augment the player offering. Four such events have £220 price tags, then the cost to enter starts to ratchet up, with a £440 Mystery Bounty and two £550’s ticking the mid-stakes box, for those who like to play a little bigger.
At the upper end of the scale, a £2,200 High Roller and a £5,000 Super High Roller await high rollers who wish to get involved in the action, however the only tournament with a guarantee is the PokerStars Open itself, with the prize pool set to be at least £1m.
| Date | Start Time | Event # | Event Name | Buy-In | Starting stack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 2025 (Monday) | 16:00 | #1 | Qualifier to Main Event – ‘Win Your Seat @ 70,000 chips’ – SEAT ONLY – Unlimited Re-Entry | £185 | 10,000 |
| 20 Oct 2025 | 19:00 | #2 | NL Hold’em – Deep Stack – Single Re-Entry | £220 | 50,000 |
| 20 Oct 2025 | 21:00 | #3 | Qualifier to Main Event – ‘Win Your Seat @ 70,000 chips’ – SEAT ONLY – Unlimited Re-Entry | £185 | 10,000 |
| 21 Oct 2025 (Tuesday) | 14:00 | #4 | Qualifier to PokerStars Open High Roller – ‘Win Your Seat @ 100,000 chips’ – SEAT ONLY – Unlimited Re-Entry | £250 | 10,000 |
| 21 Oct 2025 | 16:00 | #5 (day 1) | PokerStars Open High Roller – Unlimited Re-Entry Day 1 | £2,200 | 30,000 |
| 21 Oct 2025 | 17:00 | #6 | NL Hold’em – Single Re-Entry | £220 | 20,000 |
| 21 Oct 2025 | 21:00 | #7 | Qualifier to Main Event – ‘Win Your Seat @ 70,000 chips’ – SEAT ONLY – Unlimited Re-Entry | £185 | 10,000 |
| 22 Oct 2025 (Wednesday) | 12:00 | #8 (1/A) | PokerStars Open Main Event – 60 Minute Levels – Unlimited Re-Entry – €1,000,000 Guarantee | £1,100 | 30,000 |
| 22 Oct 2025 | 12:00 | #5 (Final) | PokerStars Open High Roller – Unlimited Re-Entry Final | £2,200 | 30,000 |
| 22 Oct 2025 | 12:30 | #9 | PL Omaha – Unlimited Re-Entry | £220 | 30,000 |
| 22 Oct 2025 | 13:00 | #10 | Womens Event – Unlimited Re-Entry | £220 | 30,000 |
| 22 Oct 2025 | 18:00 | #11 | Qualifier to Main Event – ‘Win Your Seat @ 70,000 chips’ – SEAT ONLY – Unlimited Re-Entry | £185 | 10,000 |
| 22 Oct 2025 | 21:00 | #8 (1/B) | PokerStars Open Main Event – 30 Minute Levels – Unlimited Re-Entry – €1,000,000 Guarantee | £1,100 | 30,000 |
| 23 Oct 2025 (Thursday) | 12:00 | #12 | Qualifier to Main Event – ‘Win Your Seat @ 70,000 chips’ – SEAT ONLY – Unlimited Re-Entry | £185 | 10,000 |
| 23 Oct 2025 | 12:00 | #8 (1/C) | PokerStars Open Main Event – 60 Minute Levels – Unlimited Re-Entry – €1,000,000 Guarantee | £1,100 | 30,000 |
| 23 Oct 2025 | 21:00 | #8 (1/D) | PokerStars Open Main Event – 20 Minute Levels – Unlimited Re-Entry – €1,000,000 Guarantee | £1,100 | 30,000 |
| 24 Oct 2025 (Friday) | 12:00 | #8 (day 2) | PokerStars Open Main Event – 60 Minute Levels – Unlimited Re-Entry – €1,000,000 Guarantee | £1,100 | 30,000 |
| 24 Oct 2025 | 15:00 | #13 (day 1) | PokerStars Open Second Chance – 30 Minute Levels – Unlimited Re-Entry | £550 | 30,000 |
| 24 Oct 2025 | 21:00 | #14 | Qualifier to Open Super High Roller – ‘Win Your Seat @ 100,000 chips’ – SEAT ONLY – Unlimited Re-Entry | £570 | 10,000 |
| 25 Oct 2025 (Saturday) | 12:00 | #13 (Final) | PokerStars Open Second Chance – 40 Minute Levels – Unlimited Re-Entry | £550 | 30,000 |
| 25 Oct 2025 | 12:00 | #8 (day 3) | PokerStars Open Main Event – 60 Minute Levels – Unlimited Re-Entry – €1,000,000 Guarantee | £1,100 | 30,000 |
| 25 Oct 2025 | 12:30 | #16 (1/A) | PokerStars Open Mystery Bounty Cup – 30 Minute Levels – Unlimited Re-Entry | £400 | 30,000 |
| 25 Oct 2025 | 12:30 | #15 | PokerStars Open Super High Roller – Unlimited Re-Entry | £5,000 | 100,000 |
| 25 Oct 2025 | 18:30 | #16 (1/B) | PokerStars Open Mystery Bounty Cup – 20 Minute Levels – Unlimited Re-Entry | £400 | 30,000 |
| 26 Oct 2025 (Sunday) | 12:30 | #16 (Final) | PokerStars Open Mystery Bounty Cup – 40 Minute Levels – Unlimited Re-Entry | £400 | 30,000 |
| 26 Oct 2025 | 12:30 | #8 (Final) | PokerStars Open Main Event – 60 Minute Levels – Unlimited Re-Entry – €1,000,000 Guarantee | £1,100 | 30,000 |
| 26 Oct 2025 | 14:00 | #17 | NL Hold’em – Unlimited Re-Entry | £220 | 30,000 |
| 26 Oct 2025 | 16:00 | #18 | Last Chance Deep Stack – Unlimited Re-Entry | £550 | 50,000 |
The Main Event
The Main Event has four starting days in total, two on Wednesday 22nd and two on Thursday 23rd October, with unlimited re-entry in all. Players may also buy-in directly before the start of Day 2. The early starting flights on each of these days are run on a 60-minute clock, with play continuing for 10 levels. The later starting flights have a shorter clocks (30 mins on Wednesday’s Day 1c and 20-minutes on Thursday’s Day 1d). Players begin with 30,000 chips in all PokerStars Open flights.
As all flights play ten levels, a higher percentage of entrants will likely make it through to Day 2, with the trade off being that those who do, will have a slightly lower average stack when play resumes with a merged field on Friday 24th October. It’s a fantastically slow-structured event and will take four days of play to reach a conclusion.
| Date | Start Time | Flight/Day | Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Oct 2025 (Wed) | 12:00 | Day 1a | 60 Minute Levels |
| 22 Oct 2025 (Wed) | 21:00 | Day 1b Fast | 30 Minute Levels |
| 23 Oct 2025 (Thu) | 12:00 | Day 1c | 60 Minute Levels |
| 23 Oct 2025 (Thu) | 21:00 | Day 1d Turbo | 20 Minute Levels |
| 24 Oct 2025 (Fri) | 12:00 | Day 2 | 60 Minute Levels |
| 25 Oct 2025 (Sat) | 12:00 | Day 3 | 60 Minute Levels |
| 26 Oct 2025 (Sun) | 12:30 | Final Day | 60 Minute Levels |
Live Satellites
While the £1,100 buy-in may be inaccessible for many players, the festival schedule incorporates many live satellites, enabling players to qualify for the Open for a fraction of the usual cost to play.
Unlike online satellites, which award one ticket for every 17 entrants, a seat in the live satellites to the PokerStars Open is generated for every seven players who enter. Although the live satellites are indeed more costly to enter, they offer a much more likely path into the event than their online counterparts.
Priced at £185, these are the cheapest tournaments to play on the schedule, with five of them taking place throughout the week. They cost £185 to enter and are all run as cashout satellites. Players start with 10,000 chips and as soon as their stack reaches 70,000 they are awarded with a seat in the PokerStars Open.
| Date | Start Time | Event # | Event Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 2025 (Mon) | 16:00 | #1 (satellite) | Qualifier to Main Event – “Win Your Seat @ 70,000 chips” – SEAT ONLY |
| 20 Oct 2025 (Mon) | 21:00 | #3 (satellite) | Qualifier to Main Event – “Win Your Seat @ 70,000 chips” – SEAT ONLY |
| 21 Oct 2025 (Tue) | 21:00 | #7 (satellite) | Qualifier to Main Event – “Win Your Seat @ 70,000 chips” – SEAT ONLY |
| 22 Oct 2025 (Wed) | 18:00 | #11 (satellite) | Qualifier to Main Event – “Win Your Seat @ 70,000 chips” – SEAT ONLY |
| 23 Oct 2025 (Thu) | 12:00 | #12 (satellite) | Qualifier to Main Event – “Win Your Seat @ 70,000 chips” – SEAT ONLY |
The High Roller and Super High Roller also have a satellite each, priced at £250 and £570 respectively, in which one in ten entrants will progress to the target events, also run as cashout satellites.
Online Satellites at PokerStars
Online, there are two possible online qualification routes into the PokerStars Open Manchester, via direct satellites and the Power Path. Direct satellites currently take place three-times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Note that although the event is held in the UK and the buy-ins are in Sterling (£), online satellites are being played in Euros.
At present these have €109 buy-ins and award one package for every €1,700 in the prize pool, with the weekday satellites carrying two-package guarantees, which is doubled to four on Sunday. There are also lower priced feeder satellites into these €109s, enabling players with smaller bankrolls the opportunity to win their way in for much less than the usual cost to play.
The winners’ package consists of €1,300 (£1,100) for the event buy-in, plus €400 to be credited to winners’ PokerStars’ accounts to use as expenses. Players are permitted to win multiple seats, under the proviso that the first package won is a “must play” ticket, with subsequent packages won being converted to ‘Players Choice’ tickets, valid for a wide variety of future PokerStars Live events.
