CoinPoker is going all-in on tournament poker, announcing a $250 million guaranteed online PokerGO Tour while its cash-game players continue to question the site’s recent rake increases.
The new PGT Online will feature six tournament series between November 2026 and November 2027, starting with a $50 million guaranteed festival on November 8.
There’s also a $1 million winner-takes-all final in Las Vegas. It’s a serious commitment to MTT poker, but the timing is interesting. CoinPoker unveiled the partnership on October 23, the same day its representative told frustrated cash-game players that only time would tell whether the controversial rake changes were a success.
Six PokerGO Tournament Series With $250 Million Guaranteed
CoinPoker has teamed up with PokerGO to bring several established live tournament brands to the online tables.
The six series are:
- PGT KickOff Online
- Super High Roller Bowl Online
- PokerGO Cup Online
- PGT PLO Series Online
- Poker Masters Online
- PGT Championship Online
The opening PGT KickOff runs from November 8-30, carrying $50 million in guarantees. The schedule includes buy-ins from $33 through to $1,500, with smaller events running alongside the headline tournaments.
PGT KickOff Tournament Highlights
| Date | Tournament | Buy-in | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 8 | PGT KickOff | $530 | $1,000,000 |
| Nov 15 | Mystery Million | $530 | $1,000,000 |
| Nov 22 | Sunday Grand | $1,050 | $1,000,000 |
| Nov 26 | High Stakes Poker | $1,050 | $500,000 |
| Nov 30 | Main Event (Day 2) | $530 | $5,000,000 |
| Nov 30 | CoinMasters High Roller (Day 2) | $1,500 | $1,000,000 |
The $530 Mystery Million introduces mystery bounty tournaments to CoinPoker, with a top bounty of $50,000. The $5 million Main Event will be the opening festival’s main attraction. Multiple starting flights feed into Day 2 on November 30.
Dates and guarantees for the remaining five series have yet to be confirmed.
Fifty Players, One Million Dollars, One Winner
The partnership also introduces the PGT Millionaire Challenge, offering 50 players seats in a live final at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas in January 2028. Unlike a conventional final table, there are no published consolation prizes. One player takes the entire $1 million.
Players can qualify by:
- Winning designated tournaments that award direct seats.
- Completing challenges to earn qualifier tickets.
- Collecting Loyalty Badges through tournament participation on eight, 15 or 20 separate days during a series.
Players must be at least 21 and complete identity verification to receive a final seat. Winning a seat also unlocks further challenges offering upgrades to the Las Vegas experience.
CoinPoker’s Rake Controversy Hasn’t Gone Away
While the tournament announcements will interest MTT grinders, CoinPoker still has unfinished business with its cash-game regulars.
As PokerType reported on October 18, CoinPoker increased some cash-game rake caps by as much as 233%. At $25/$50, the cap for pots involving three or four players jumped from $12 to $40.
The operator also introduced rake on qualifying preflop three-bet pots and increased standard antes at affected tables.
Those changes sparked criticism from players including Todd Witteles and Rob Kuhn. CoinPoker ambassador Bobby James also said he intended to examine the changes publicly.
There are exceptions to the headline caps, including reduced heads-up Battle Caps for qualifying players. Nevertheless, regulars have questioned whether the revised structure leaves sufficient room to beat the games.
On October 23, CoinPoker responded to further criticism on the Two Plus Two forums.
Its representative wrote:
“Time will tell at this point if the changes are a positive”
The representative also confirmed that player complaints were being forwarded to management.
Interestingly, the operator pointed towards its new $250 million PokerGO tournament partnership while discussing the complaints, suggesting tournament players held a different view of the site.
That’s possible, but a big MTT schedule doesn’t make a high-rake cash game any more beatable.
Poker’s Rake Debate Takes Another Turn
CoinPoker’s approach also contrasts with the recent decision by the World Series of Poker.
Following criticism from Shaun Deeb, WSOP Paradise reduced fees across 12 bracelet events, including cuts of up to 50% to certain administrative charges.
The situations aren’t directly comparable. One concerns cash-game rake; the other tournament fees. But both show how closely players are watching the cost of playing.
There’s plenty to like about a $250 million tournament schedule. However, that figure represents aggregate guarantees across multiple events, not $250 million being added to prize pools by CoinPoker. For tournament players, the questions are whether the fields reach their guarantees, how much each entry costs in fees and what value the structures offer.
For cash-game regulars, the questions haven’t changed.
CoinPoker has put a quarter of a billion dollars in guarantees on the board. Now it needs to prove there’s enough value left at the tables for the players supplying the action.
