PokerStars Returns in Style to Las Vegas; Nicholas Marchington Wins Main Event
Players from around the world converged on Las Vegas over the last two weeks as part of the revived PokerStars NAPT (North American Poker Tour) at Resorts World Casino.
After a “soft launch” in 2023, the event saw a ramped-up effort in 2024 that included a larger buy-in for the main event and packed schedule that saw 30 players grab titles.
The action also included online qualifiers from the U.S., Canada, and other parts of the globe. In the end, Nicholas Marchington took down the $5,300 buy-in Main Event for $765,200. The 26-year-old from London topped a field of 895 entries.
“Honestly, this is some of the most fun I’ve ever had playing poker,” Marchington told PokerStars afterward.
Reaching the Top of the NAPT
With six players remaining, Marchington held over a third of all chips in play. Reaching the title even at that point is never a given, but he was able to move on to victory without suffering considerable damage along the way.
“Coming in as a chip leader and never losing the chip lead, or even coming close to losing the chip lead, it was really a dream,” he said.
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The action eventually found Marchington heads-up with American Joel Micka for the title, but that duel only lasted a single hand. Both players found a straight, but Marchington had the higher end of that and the celebration was on.
“The entire hand lasted about 45 seconds, and I still don’t think I’ve quite processed that I’ve just won,” he said. “Obviously, I really wanted to win. And winning such an event like this is like a dream. But not at any point did I think I was going to win at all.”
This wasn’t the first major score for Marchington. In 2019, he finished seventh in the $10,000 World Series of Poker Main Event for $1.5 million and now has $3.3 million in live tournament winnings. Here’s a look at the top finishers from the NAPT Las Vegas.
- Nick Marchington, UK – $765,200
- Joel Micka, USA – $478,450
- Jeff Madsen, USA – $341,750
- Marco Johnson, USA – $262,900
- Curt Kohlberg, USA – $202,250
- Masato Yokosawa, Japan – $155,550
- Brock Wilson, USA – $119,650
- Matt Affleck, USA – $92,000
Bringing Back the PokerStars NAPT Action to the U.S.
PokerStars continues to add a live poker footprint in the U.S. after the NAPT was put on hold in 2011 when the federal government cracked down on wide-open online poker. The company later returned to the U.S. after the country began offering online gaming on a state-by-state basis.
Stars now offers a shared platform for players in Michigan and New Jersey as well as ringed-in platforms in Pennsylvania and Ontario, Canada.
The Las Vegas series allowed the company to showcase its live events while also bringing in numerous online qualifiers to get in the action. The brand’s “Big Game” live cash game was also part of the festivities.
The show allows regular players, known as “loose cannons” on the show, the chance to be staked in a game against top pros and other celebrities.
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This year’s filming even featured Rob Gronkowski, Super Bowl champion tight end with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The action will later be aired on Fox Sports.
PokerStars NAPT Las Vegas seemed well-received and organizers found a nice hole in the tournament schedule in November between the summer WSOP and World Poker Tour World Championship and WSOP Paradise in December.
Many involved in the Stars team, as well as players, were pleased to see the company back on American shores. It seems likely more events around the country may be in the works at some point, although no announcements have yet to be made along those lines.
“I think exciting things are happening in America,” longtime PokerStars NAPT commentator James Hartigan told Casino.org. “I think it’s going to be a huge festival here in Vegas, building on the kind of teaser we did last year, and I just think the prospects for us bringing live events to America, working alongside the existing, very successful tours, the poker landscape in America is going to be really exciting in the next few years, and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
A Look at Other Winners of the PokerStars NAPT
Image Credit: Pokerstars
Beyond the main event, a few other winners stood out. In the $25,000 high roller, Stephen Song came out on top for $439,400. He once again found the winner’s circle after winning the European Poker Tour Barcelona main event in September for $1.4 million.
“I had to battle some of the best players in the country or even the world, so it feels really good,” said Song, who lives in Connecticut.
Song dominated the later stages of play, holding about 60% of the chips in play with four players remaining. Sean Winter finished runner-up for $288,100 and Edward Sebesta took third for $208,900.
The $10,300 high roller also attracted a large collection of big-name pros. When that event came to a close, Sam Soverel came out on top for $385,750. Others finding wins throughout the series included Will Failla, Ryan Hughes, Richard Bai, Diego Sanchez, and David Prociak.
Sami Bechahed, who took down last year’s $1,650 main event, also grabbed another win this year. The former poker dealer won the $550 Mixed Games: CardPlayer Lifestyle Eight-Game tournament for $12,800. He also finished 37th in the main event for $17,100 – quite a two-year run in the Vegas series.
If you’d like to try a little PokerStars action yourself, our expert guide on the PokerStars Rewards Program gives you all the info you need to earn the maximum amount of bonuses and perks as you play!
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