Argentina's "m.gargiulo24" was the biggest winner during the penultimate week of the PokerStars Stars Season courtesy of being the last player standing in the $109 Sunday Million Mystery Bounty Edition. This event attracted 9,305 entrants, leaving PokerStars nursing a near $70,000 overlay on the $1 million guaranteed prize pool.
Fifteen of the mystery bounties were worth five figures, and two of the finalists helped themselves to them. "jvgcook" collected a $10,000 prize before busting in fifth, with "DoBog0916" revealing a $20,000 mystery bounty before their untimely demise in seventh.
"@tetaschell" of Brazil received their largest slice of the mystery bounty prize pool. They may have fallen in 201st for $210, but they didn't care because one of the mystery bounty envelopes they opened contained a cool $50,000! That huge prize meant they were the second-biggest winner in this week's Sunday Million; only the eventual champion won more money.
| Rank | Player | Country | Bounties | Prize | Total Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | m.gargiulo24 | Argentina | $4,752 | $59,321 | $64,073 |
| 2 | Trem_mineiro | Brazil | $1,031 | $42,527 | $43,558 |
| 3 | snifamtiplaco | Slovenia | $2,748 | $30,488 | $33,236 |
| 4 | Impawned | Andorra | $2,961 | $21,856 | $24,817 |
| 5 | jvgcook | Belgium | $11,598 | $15,669 | $27,267 |
| 6 | Augusto "yaguipoker" Hagen | Argentina | $3,269 | $11,233 | $14,502 |
| 7 | DoBog0916 | Mongolia | $21,859 | $8,053 | $29,912 |
| 8 | _Miazakii_ | Brazil | $187 | $5,773 | $5,960 |
| 9 | ZYLANO_UK | United Kingdom | $1,360 | $4,138 | $5,498 |
All but two of the nine Sunday Million finalists turned their initial investments into a five-figure haul. "ZYLANO_UK" and "_Miazakii_" were that pair; they banked $5,498 and $5,960, respectively after being the first duo out of the door.
The previously mentioned "DoBog0916" won $29,912 despite busting out in seventh, while Augusto "yaguipoker" Hagen's exit in sixth came with $14,502.
"jvgcook" ($27,267), Andorra-based "Impawned" ($24,817), and "snifamtiplaco" ($33,236) were cut down, leaving "m.gargiulo24" heads-up against "Trem_mineiro." Even without considering bounty payments, the difference between first and second place was almost $17,000, or 155 buy-ins! Despite this huge jump, the heads-up duo neglected to strike a deal.
The lack of a deal meant "m.gargiulo24" received $64,073 after coming out on top, resigning the runner-up to a $43,558 consolation prize.
The curtain comes down on another exciting Stars Season this Sunday. At 6:05 p.m. GMT on December 1, the $109 buy-in, $1.25 million guaranteed Stars Season Finale shuffles up and deals. This special edition Sunday Million is played as a progressive knockout (PKO), meaning you can win ample sums by eliminating opponents.
Every entrant sits down armed with a 50,000 starting stack. Up to five re-entries are permitted for the first four hours. Blinds start at 125/250/30a and increase every 15 minutes for the first 15 levels before reducing to 12 minutes from Level 16-37. They then return to 15 minutes until a champion is crowned.
A two-day event, the Stars Season Finale's Day 1 ends 7 hours and 50 minutes after the pitching of the first cards. Surviving players return to PokerStars at 6:05 p.m. GMT on December 2 to conclude the tournament.
Dozens of satellites run around the clock aimed at those wanting to play for a seven-figure prize pool but who may not have the bankroll to play $109 buy-in events. The best-value satellites cost $11 to enter and run from 6:05 p.m. GMT every evening from November 26-30. These satellites guarantee 150x $109 seats!
The $11 buy-in satellite schedule for 4:05 p.m. GMT on December 1 has a whopping 200-seat guarantee!
Those looking for a non-traditional way to win their way into this event should check out the $1.50 buy-in Spin & Go Sunday Million edition. These Spin & Go games have a $109 Sunday Million entry as their top prize.
| Multiplier | Prize | Probability in 1M Games |
|---|---|---|
| 72.66 | $109 Sunday Million entry | 1,500 |
| 7.33 | $11 Sunday Million satellite ticket | 50,000 |
| 3.66 | $5.50 Sunday Million satellite ticket | 232,400 |
| 2 | $3 cash | 716,100 |
If you read our recap article on November 25, you'll remember that Benjamin "Spraggy" Spragg was the chip leader, with 17 remaining, in the $22 Mini Sunday Million. Despite the PokerStars ambassador's best efforts, Spragg could only muster a fourth-place finish. The popular pro walked away with $3,603 for his efforts, a great result considering he only fired $44 at this event.
Monday night proved profitable for Spragg because he used a $55 buy-in Power Path Step 4 ticket and turned that into a Silver Pass worth $2,500! Top work, sir.
Have you used the PokerNewsOnline Tournament Calendar yet? Our free-to-use tool lets you see upcoming and in-play tournaments at several online poker rooms, including PokerStars. You can even take advantage of a PokerStars sign-up bonus. You can apply filters to narrow your search, including buy-in, game type, and even prize pool guarantees, enabling you to find your perfect online poker tournament in seconds, all without leaving PokerNews!
