The GG Spotlight – GGMasters Overlay Edition
Last year for the GGMasters Overlay Edition, we offered a guaranteed prize pool of $5,000,000, and Daniel Negreanu offered to shave his head if there was no overlay. It was close, but the overlay held by just 200 buy-ins, and DNegs got to keep his flowing locks.
This year, we knew a $5 Million guarantee would not be enough. This year we were officially inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records. This year we surpassed every other site and became the Biggest Poker Room in the world. This year, we wanted to ensure we gave back to you, the player, a genuine gesture of our thanks. This year, we wanted to show you, the player, that when we say we are, first and foremost, a poker company built by poker players for the poker community, we are speaking the truth. This year we wanted to do something special… so we did.
We decided that the 2023 edition of the $150 buy-in, no rebuy, flagship GGMasters Overlay Edition tournament would have a $10,000,000 guarantee, double last year’s guarantee.
Based on last year, we knew there would be almost no chance we would make the guarantee, ensuring that anyone playing in the event would participate in an EV+ tournament. Everyone was happy with this. A $10M guarantee with a $150 buy-in… it was perfect until someone said, “but what if we make it?”…
What if we make it indeed?
That’s when DNegs, who no longer wanted to risk his hair, offered a solution. If the $10 Million guarantee is met, why not top up the prize pool? Such a perfect and elegant, yet simple solution led to one of the best/worst ideas in the history of online poker, the Premium Overlay.
And that’s why we are excited to announce the GGMasters Overlay Edition. Along with the $10,000,000 guaranteed prize pool for this tournament, we are also guaranteeing an overlay of at least $1,000,000.
But why are we doing this?
Hosting a tournament with such a large prize pool on a relatively small buy-in should show we care about the game. We want to explain our reasoning behind this decision and share our thoughts on why we strongly believe in giving back to the poker community.
First and foremost, we know that it is our players that make GGPoker great. Without each of you, your similarities, your differences, there would be no poker community, no thrilling games, and no exciting tournaments. We value each and every one of you and want to do everything we can to show our appreciation.
Hosting a $10 Million tournament will certainly attract players. Guaranteeing the $1 Million overlay, we are sure will attract even more. But no matter how many people join this first of it’s kind Premium Overlay, the excitement and competitiveness will be palpable. We are committed, not just to you, not just to the community, but to the game itself, and will continue to push the envelope and try new things to keep the game exciting, enjoyable, and challenging.
Furthermore, giving back to the poker community is essential for the long-term success of our platform and the game (the self fulfilling prophecy we call it). We continue to build a community that is inclusive, supportive, and vibrant, and by giving back to our players, we can help achieve this goal.
We want to show our players that we are more than just an app for poker. We are a community that cares about its members and wants to help them succeed both on and off the virtual felt. By guaranteeing this overlay, we hope to demonstrate our commitment to our players and to the poker community as a whole.
We know that some of you may be skeptical about this decision. You may wonder if we are really guaranteeing such a massive overlay. We want to assure you that we have thought long and hard about this and are confident that it is the right decision for us all.
By investing in our players, we are investing in the future of the game we all love. We want to create a community that is loyal, passionate and committed, and we believe that by giving back to our players, we can achieve this goal.
Thank you for being a part of the GGPoker community. We appreciate your loyalty and support, and we hope that you will join us for the upcoming GGMasters Overlay Edition. This tournament will be an incredible experience, and we look forward to seeing you at the virtual felt.
Sincerely,
The Wordsmith