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Home / News / New look PKO Sunday Million: How to gain entry and improve your chances next week

Over the course of its 16 year evolution, the Sunday Million has always moved with the times – from the original $215 to the current $109 buy in, from freezeout to re-entry and, most recently, the adoption of a brand new structure and PKO format.

On Sunday June 12, the Sunday Million ran for the first time as a permanent PKO event. The event got off to a flying start, topping its $1 million guarantee. Here’s what happened in the first edition, along with details of how you can get involved and improve your chances of cashing.


Inaugural PKO Sunday Million

The first edition of the new PKO Sunday Million attracted 10,235 entries, including 2,793 re-entries. That made for a prize pool of $1,023,500, half of it went to bounties.

Of those who entered, 1,847 players cashed (over 18%). As this was a PKO, hundreds more players locked up bounties without making the money.

A healthy mix of regulars and recreational players made the final table. Provind the point, fourth place finisher “Teflunczyk” gained entry via an $11 satellite and walked away with a total of $29,103.

Extraordinarily, the last two remaining players have both already been Sunday Million champions before. “behindme93” of Romania won the Milly once before in 2018. Luis “Turko_man” Rodriguez, meanwhile, who ran riot on the final table to accumulate most of the chips in play, has won it twice before.

After an explosive heads-up battle in which Turko_man continued to hit all the hands, behindme93 settled for second place and a total of $58,569. Turko_man came out on top, winning the inaugural PKO Sunday Million for $80,422 (inc. $29,706 bounties). In doing so, he was elevated into that elite group of three-time Sunday Million champions.

So to recap: An exciting new chapter in the life of the Sunday Million. The PKO format beat its guarantee. Players of all abilities got involved. A new three-time champ was born.


PKO SUNDAY MILLION FULL DETAILS


How to gain entry to next week’s PKO Sunday Million

The new changes to the PKO Sunday Million are permanent, meaning the next event is coming up this weekend. It’s not to be missed.

There are several ways you can gain entry:

Direct buy-in – This is the simplest way to enter the Sunday Million. You pay the $109 entry fee and take your seat at the tables.

Satellites – Of course, the $109 entry fee is not within every player’s bankroll. That’s why dozens of satellites run every week, starting from $1.10 up to $22. Choose your satellite buy-in level and take a shot.

Road to Sunday Million – $11 Road to Sunday Million hybrid tournaments are running now, one per day. They are $20k guaranteed tourneys with a PKO format that pay out cash prizes to finishers, as well as $109 Sunday Million tickets to the top 16 players.

Second Chance Draw – The Sunday Million Second Chance draw promotion offers an extra chance to qualify. If you enter and a Sunday Million satellite and don’t finish in the money, then you’ll receive an entry to the draw and potential to win a $109 entry. Check “Challenges” in the PokerStars lobby to opt in.

Spin & Gos – If you’re a fan of these games, you’ll have noticed the $1.50 Sunday Million Spin & Gos currently running on PokerStars. These games payout prizes ranging from $3 to a $109 Sunday Million ticket.

With so many options, you can choose the path to entry that suits your style and bankroll. Road to Sunday Million and MTT satellites are an excellent choice for tournament players, while players who are used to smaller games can opt for SNGs or Spin & Gos.

We hope to see you for the next PKO Sunday Million, June 19.

Knockout Poker

PKO Sunday Million is here to stay


Improve your chances in the PKO Sunday Million

So, you’ve gained entry to the PKO Sunday Million, whether by direct buy in or satellite. Now it’s time to knuckle down and pinpoint a strategy that will give you the best possible results.

Aside from minor changes to the blind structure and chip stacks, the main adjustment to make is for the PKO format.

You may or may not already have played PKO tournaments. Either way, it can’t hurt to brush up on some skills. We’ve put together a few strategy articles from PokerStars Learn to help you to improve.

5 REASONS TO TRY PKO
If you’re not a fan already, this article shows you the benefits of playing PKO poker, including reduced variance and a more eventful ride.

FIVE TIPS FOR PKO
Improve your PKO strategy with these tips. Learn more about how and when to play for bounties and how to ultilize various stack sizes.

MATHEMATICS OF BOUNTIES
Get ready for a maths lesson on how bounties affect your calling ranges. Make true sense of the PKO format.

MICRO VS HIGH STAKES
Moving up in stakes or gaining entry via satellite? This guide will help you to understand the main differences in skill level and tactics.

SUNDAY MILLION ARCHIVE
Take a look through the PokerStars Learn Sunday Million strategy archive. These articles were written for the old style, but they’ll help you through the early to late stages, bubble, and final table of the most prestigious online tournament.

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