Partypoker Puts Rivals in a Spin with $1 Million Jackpot Sit & Go

February 8th, 2019 | by Kaycee James

Partypoker is giving players a million reasons to choose its rebranded lottery-style sit & go tournaments over PokerStars’ popular equivalent.

Partypoker’s Spins jackpot wheel will feature a $1 million prize as part of a special promotion. (Image: Partypoker)

The latest in a series of updates and innovations, Partypoker has announced that its Sit & Go Jackpot games will now be called Spins. As well as rebranding the three-handed showdowns, the operator has said new software will improve the overall experience.

“As part of the rebrand, the new Spins games feature visual enhancements and enjoy a smoother animation,” reads the February 5 blog post.

From Low Roller to Millionaire

To celebrate the update, Partypoker has created a one-off series with a grand prize worth $1 million. Set to run until the top prize is released, the games will cost $5 to enter and offer jackpots worth between 2X and 240,000X the buy-in.

Operating on the basis that winning the jackpot is a one in a million shot, players will find themselves playing for $10 more often than not. However, in among the 999,999 consolation prizes, one trio will take home at least $100,000 each.

What’s not clear is whether the players who compete in the top game will be able to negotiate a deal. For top paying Spin & Go tournaments (PokerStars’ equivalent), deal-making is allowed.

Being a one-off, it’s likely Partypoker will want to protect the pre-determined payout structure in order to create a millionaire from a $5 stake. Should it manage that, it will be the operator’s second notable feat in the last six months.

In the final quarter of 2018, Partypoker made the headlines by breaking an online MTT record. Attracting a total of 4,367 entries, the $5,300 Millions Online event became the richest online poker tournament in history with a prizepool worth $21,835,000.

By giving away $1.2 million in a single $5 event (3^rd – $100,000, 2^nd – $100,000, 1^st – $1 million), the operator will steal another march on its main rival, PokerStars.

Partypoker vs. PokerStars Raising Industry Standards

Partypoker’s recent wave of innovations hasn’t gone unnoticed at PokerStars HQ. Fighting back in recent days, the industry leader announced changes to its cash game dynamics.

Aiming to reduce decision-making times by almost 50 percent, PokerStars wants its games to be action-packed as possible. By speeding up the game, it believes players will have a better overall experience.

The tit-for-tat rivalry between has already resulted in plenty of added value for players. As other brands follow suit, standards should improve across the board, meaning online poker will be in a strong position just eight years after Black Friday virtually crippled the industry.