PokerStars Players Championship: Winners, Results & History

Q: Who has won the PSPC?

Ramon Colillas (2019, $5.1M) and Aliaksandr Shylko (2023, $3,121,838).

Q: What is a PSPC Platinum Pass worth?

$30,000 , covering the buy-in, six hotel nights, transfers, and $1,900 expenses.

Last Updated on September 28, 2026 by Bala Kumar

The PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC), officially the PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship, is one of the most unique tournaments in poker. It’s a $25,000 buy-in event where PokerStars gave hundreds of players a free seat through the famous Platinum Pass, putting amateurs and recreational players side by side with the world’s best pros.

This page covers the PSPC winners, 2019 and 2023 results and payouts, how to win a Platinum Pass, records, the PSPC vs PCA connection, history, strategy, and the latest on the next PSPC.

Next PSPC: Not announced as of September 2026. We’ll update this page as soon as PokerStars confirms new dates.

PSPC at a Glance

Detail	PokerStars Players Championship
Full Name	PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship
Editions	2 (2019, 2023)
Location	The Bahamas (during the PCA festival)
Largest Field	1,039 entries (2019)
Largest Prize Pool	$26,455,500 (2019)
Biggest First Prize	$5.1 million (Ramon Colillas, 2019)
Reigning Champion	Aliaksandr Shylko (2023)

PSPC Buy-In & Format

Detail	PSPC (2023 edition)
Buy-in	$25,000
Game	No-Limit Hold’em
Format	Freezeout
Re-entry	No
Starting Stack	60,000 chips
Day 1 Flights	1 (late registration until start of Day 2)
Duration	5 days
Guarantee	None
Live Stream	PokerStars YouTube & Twitch

The PSPC is one of the few major events that runs as a freezeout: one entry only, and if you bust, you watch from the rail.

PSPC Platinum Pass: What It Is & How to Win One

What the Platinum Pass Includes

Each PSPC Platinum Pass is valued at $30,000, and includes:

Entry into the $25,000 PSPC
Six nights in a 5-star hotel for the winner and a guest
Airport transfers
$1,900 expense money
Exclusive Platinum Pass winner experiences at the event

How Players Won Platinum Passes

For the 2023 edition, PokerStars awarded Platinum Passes to 418 players through competitions, giveaways, bonus prizes added to PokerStars events, and VIP rewards. Real examples show how varied the routes were:

Winning a major tournament: In 2019, Marc Rivera earned his pass by winning the APPT National Main Event, beating 829 entrants.
Topping a leaderboard: Ramon Colillas qualified by finishing top of the Campeonato de España de Poker (CEP) leaderboard.
Live “Road to PSPC” events: 2023 runner-up Max Menzel won his pass at a Road to PSPC event in Manila.
Freerolls: Both Menzel and Niclas Thumm, the two Platinum Pass winners at the 2023 final table, won their tickets in freerolls.
Community contests: In 2019, Jacqueline Burkhart won a pass through Maria Konnikova’s #MyPokerStory contest.
US players: Road to PSPC stops, including one in Maryland, gave US players a low-cost route to win a pass.

💡 Why it matters: For Platinum Pass holders, any cash was pure profit. In 2019, 42 of the 181 players who made the money were pass winners, including the champion.

PSPC Winners: Complete Champions List

Year	Champion	Country	Prize	Entries	Prize Pool	Venue
2023	Aliaksandr Shylko	Belarus	$3,121,838*	1,014	$24,843,000	Baha Mar, Bahamas
2019	Ramon Colillas	Spain	$5,100,000	1,039	$26,455,500	Atlantis, Bahamas

PSPC 2023 Final Table Results & Payouts

The PSPC 2023 ran January 30 to February 3, 2023, as the headline event of the PCA festival at the Baha Mar Resort.

PSPC 2023 Key Numbers

Detail	PSPC 2023
Entries	1,014
Platinum Pass Players	400+
Prize Pool	$24,843,000
Places Paid	175
Min Cash	$35,100
Original First Prize	$4,053,200
Final Six Guaranteed	$1,001,200+ each

PSPC 2023 Final Table Payouts

Belarus’ Aliaksandr Shylko won $3,121,838 after an ICM deal with Max Menzel and Philipe Pizzari. The three then played for the remaining $300,000 and the trophy.

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Aliaksandr Shylko	Belarus	$3,121,838*
2	Max Menzel	Germany	$2,859,990*
3	Philipe Pizzari	Brazil	$2,524,871*
4	Nacho Barbero	Argentina	$1,551,300
5	Pedro Marques	Portugal	$1,251,500
6	Niclas Thumm	Germany	$1,001,200

*Three-way ICM deal

Before the final six: Andrei Boghean and Petar Kalev went out within minutes of each other once the unofficial nine-handed final table formed, and Thomas Eychenne fell in 7th, just before the final break of Day 4. Earlier, Jeremy Ausmus (13th) and Sam Grafton (12th) busted back to back.

PSPC 2023 Money Bubble

255 players returned for Day 3 with only 175 paid, meaning 80 players would leave empty-handed. Notable players who missed the money included Matt Berkey, Josh Arieh, reigning WSOP Main Event champion Espen Jorstad, and “Boston” Rob Mariano.

PSPC 2023 Top Stories

Barbero’s big lead didn’t last: Nacho Barbero started Day 5 with nearly 60% more chips than his closest rivals, but finished 4th.
Thumm’s short-stack run: Niclas Thumm began nine-handed play critically short, yet climbed pay jumps worth over $550,000 without ever being all-in and called.
The champion’s hero folds: Shylko said the final day was tough, with four difficult folds against players including Sam Grafton.

PSPC 2019 Final Table Results & Payouts

The first PSPC ran January 6–10, 2019, in the Bahamas, drawing 1,039 players for a prize pool of $26,455,500. Of those, 320 were Platinum Pass holders.

PSPC 2019 Key Numbers

Detail	PSPC 2019
Entries	1,039
Platinum Pass Players	320
Prize Pool	$26,455,500
Places Paid	181
Platinum Pass Players in the Money	42
First Prize	$5,100,000
Final Table Size	8 players

PSPC 2019 Final Table Payouts

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Ramon Colillas	Spain	$5,100,000 (Platinum Pass)
2	Julien Martini	France	$2,974,000
3	Marc Rivera	Philippines	$2,168,000 (Platinum Pass)
4	Scott Baumstein	USA	$1,657,000
5	Jason Koonce	USA	$1,304,000
6	Marc Perrault	Canada	$1,012,000
7	Farid Jattin	Colombia	$746,000
8	Talal Shakerchi	UK	$509,000

PSPC 2019 Final Table Story

Chip leader falls short: Scott Baumstein led entering the final day but finished 4th. He had nearly busted in 18th place, surviving only by hitting a three-outer with ace-ten against jacks.
Aces cracked: Talal Shakerchi went out first on the final day when his aces lost to a nut flush.
A 102-hand heads-up battle: Colillas beat French WSOP bracelet winner Julien Martini in a heads-up match that lasted 102 hands, with a key turning point when Colillas hit a runner-runner full house against a flopped flush.
A Platinum Pass fairy tale: Before this win, Colillas had around $100,000 in lifetime live tournament winnings. He later became a PokerStars Ambassador.

PSPC Records & 2019 vs 2023 Comparison

Category	PSPC 2019	PSPC 2023
Entries	1,039	1,014
Prize Pool	$26,455,500	$24,843,000
Platinum Pass Players	320	400+
Places Paid	181	175
First Prize	$5,100,000	$3,121,838 (deal)
Runner-up Prize	$2,974,000	$2,859,990 (deal)
Final Table Deal	No	Yes (3-way)
Champion Qualified via Platinum Pass	Yes	No

Key PSPC Records

🏆 Largest PSPC field: 1,039 entries (2019). According to Pokerfuse, this made it the largest $25,000 buy-in in live poker history and the largest tournament ever outside WSOP and Triton events.
🥈 2023 field: 1,014 entries, which Pokerfuse ranked as the second-largest $25K tournament ever, behind the 2019 PSPC.
💰 Biggest first prize: $5,100,000, Ramon Colillas (2019).
🎟️ Most Platinum Passes: 400+ (2023).
💵 Biggest runner-up payout: $2,974,000, Julien Martini (2019).

PSPC vs PCA: What’s the Difference?

Many players searching for the PSPC also look up the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA). They’re closely connected but different events.

	PSPC	PCA
What it is	A single $25K championship event	A full poker festival with many events
Main Event Buy-in	$25,000	Varied by edition
Format	Freezeout	Festival of tournaments
History	2019, 2023	Atlantis 2005–2019; returned at Baha Mar in 2023
Relationship	Held during the PCA	Hosted the PSPC

In 2023, the PCA festival ran January 22 to February 3, with the PCA Main Event running January 23–29 and the PSPC headlining near the end. Notable PCA champions include Gus Hansen (2004), Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier (2008), Poorya Nazari (2009), and Galen Hall (2011). In 2012, John Dibella became the first amateur to win the PCA, turning a $1,000 live satellite into $1,775,000 in the $10,000 Main Event.

PSPC History

2019 – Record debut: The first PSPC ran alongside the PCA at Atlantis. The same year, PokerStars announced the PCA would be discontinued in 2020.
2020–2021 – Cancelled: The plan was a biennial event, and the second edition was set for Barcelona in August 2020, but COVID-19 prevented it in both 2020 and 2021.
2022 – Return announced: In April 2022, PokerStars announced the PCA and PSPC would return to the Bahamas in 2023 at Baha Mar.
2023 – Second edition: 1,014 players, and a new champion in Aliaksandr Shylko.
2024–2026 – Awaiting news: No new PSPC has been held since. PokerStars’ live calendar now centers on the EPT, PokerStars Open, and the Irish Poker Open.

PSPC Strategy: How to Approach a $25K Freezeout

The Platinum Pass system brought many recreational and amateur players into the field alongside experienced professionals. That mix, plus the freezeout format, shapes how to approach the event:

Survival first: With no re-entry, avoid marginal all-ins in early levels.
Adjust to each opponent: Against less experienced players, lean on value betting rather than big bluffs. See How to Exploit Weak Players.
Respect the bubble: In 2023, 80 players busted between Day 3’s start and the money. Learn to use ICM pressure with our ICM Strategy Guide.
Know deal math: The 2023 final three made a deal. Understand ICM before agreeing.
Endurance: Five long days demand focus. Read Poker Tournament Endurance and Focus Tips.

The PokerStars Players Championship changed what a $25,000 tournament could be: two record-setting editions, a Platinum Pass champion in 2019, and a field that mixed dreamers with elite pros. Bookmark this page for the latest PSPC news, results, and Platinum Pass updates.