PokerStars NAPT 2024
Here’s everything you need to know about the return of the NAPT.
Last updated: January 5, 2024
The North American Poker Tour (NAPT) from PokerStars returned for the first time in twelve years in 2023.
The much anticipated first stop on the NAPT 2023-24 tour took place at Resorts World in Las Vegas, Nevada. The action played out in mid- November 2023. The NAPT 2023 stop featured 32 events, highlights included the Main Event — which smashed its $1.5 million guarantee plus Master Bounty, High Roller events a PokerStars Cup event.
Here we have put together everything you need to know about the NAPT LV stop in 2023, plus information and predictions on 2024 tour stops.
In this guide, we cover:
- Everything that happened at the 2023 NAPT Las Vegas.
- What is planned for 2024.
- The NAPT past and present.
- NAPT Las Vegas 2023 highlights.
- Online qualifiers to the NAPT, are they running and in which markets.
- All your NAPT frequently asked questions answered.
What is the North American Poker Tour (NAPT)?
The North American Poker Tour, or NAPT as it is more commonly known, is a live poker tour run by online poker operator PokerStars in North America.
The tour abruptly ended over a decade ago with the advent of Black Friday. In 2023 it picked up where it left off, and returned for its third season, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Highlight events include a Main Event, that exceeds its $1.5 million guarantee, Mystery Bounty, High Roller and PokerStars Cup events.
The NAPT 2024 Stops
It is confirmed that the NAPT will be returning to Las Vegas this year, we just don’t know exactly when. Although PokerStars themselves have not confirmed the stop a NAPT 2024 package will be given away later this month during the upcoming Mixed Game Festival, a popular poker tour for mixed game enthusiasts.
The NAPT package winner will be free to choose any stop from the schedule — though where further stops will be remain to be decided. The 2024 NAPT “will be releasing scheduled stops for their events later this year,” according to the host of the Mixed Game Festival, Cardplayer Lifestyle — certainly hinting at more stops than just Las Vegas.
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2024 Predictions
The landscape in 2023 looks very different from what it did in 2011 when the NAPT took place in its entity. Today, PokerStars operates in the regulated US markets of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New Jersey. As such, live stops in these states can be expected.
Stops elsewhere in the US could be likely — with PokerStars following the path seen on the Moneymaker Tour in 2019 that stopped in eleven locations across the entirety of the US. The stops that formed part of the Road to PSPC promotion in 2022 would also indicate that stops in Philly are highly likely.
| State | Likely NAPT Stop? | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Bahamas | 2/5 | Previous host of PCA, now less likely due to competition and the event being put on ice. |
| California | 1/5 | Prior NAPT stop. Large poker community but without legal online poker, limiting the potential for a festival. |
| Connecticut | 1/5 | Prior NAPT stop. Despite regulated gambling, the lack of online poker makes a PokerStars festival here unlikely. |
| Michigan | 4/5 | Presence of PokerStars online poker makes it a strong candidate for hosting an event. |
| Nevada | 5/5 | Near definite return of NAPT Las Vegas in November, leveraging the F1 Vegas Grand Prix and partnership with Oracle Red Bull Racing for high exposure. |
| New Jersey | 4/5 | Established online poker market with PokerStars presence; likely location for an event. |
| Pennsylvania | 3/5 | Online poker presence through PokerStars PA provides a good chance for hosting an event. |
| Ontario, Canada | 3/5 | New market with a regulated online poker site; potential for the tour’s first Canadian event. |
NAPT Las Vegas Online Qualifiers
Online qualifiers are expected for the 2024 NAPT stops, but no information has yet to be released.
Live Satellites
Ahead of the NAPT Las Vegas stop PokerStars published a list of live satellites that helped players avoid paying the full sticker price of these events.
As more NAPT stops are announced we will update this section with live satellite information as soon as it is announced.
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NAPT Las Vegas 2023
The NAPT made a triumphant return after a 12-year hiatus back in November 2023.
Action kicked off in Las Vegas in November 2023. PokerStars chose the iconic Resorts World Las Vegas as the perfect setting for the first stop of the 2023 NAPT. There was a High Roller, Super High Roller, and Mystery Bounty events, a PokerStars Cup, and a Main Event for players to choose from.
The Main Event took place between November 6 to 11 and exceeding its $1.5 million guarantee. There were six Day 1 flights, allowing players their chance to get a seat at the table.
“For us, we are putting the focus on providing an incredible on-site experience for all of our players while creating great content,”Steve Preiss, VP at PokerStars North America told pokerfuse ahead of the NAPT November 2023 stop. “PokerStars has always truly been a customer-first brand. We strive to provide our players a safe environment with world-class service. That’s the same goal offline too.”
There was comprehensive streaming schedule with commentary from PokerStars alumni, James Hartigan and Joe Stapleton. Maria Ho, Nick Walsh, and Griffin Benger. In addition to the English stream, a Brazilian-Portuguese broadcast was available on the operator’s Brazilian channels and commentated by Felipe de Paulo and Flavio del Valle.
Ahead of the NAPT Las Vegas stop, PokerStars were also busy signing talent.
A partnership with NextGen Poker, a team of poker enthusiasts running a YouTube channel with over 200,000 subscribers is one such signing. Jack, Rosey, and Frankie, the faces behind NextGen Poker, will become brand ambassadors for the US markets and help provide a unique coverage of operator’s live events to new audiences.
Someone else to join the ambassador ranks, is a name familiar to PokerStars, New York Times Bestselling author Maria Konnikova. Konnikova returns as a brand ambassador to PokerStars after a 4 year hiatus.
Konnikova will highlight the operator’s ongoing investment in the US and Ontario markets.
“I’m very happy to once again be joining the PokerStars team as an ambassador,” said Maria Konnikova, via press release. “Poker is a game of skill that can teach us so much about our minds and ourselves — and I can’t wait to share my passion for it along with the incredible team at PokerStars. I’m quite excited for the vision that PokerStars has for U.S. expansion and am thrilled to play a small part in helping the world appreciate the true beauty and promise of a game I have come to love.”
| PokerStars North American Poker Tour 2023: Stop 1 – Las Vegas | |
|---|---|
| 📅 2023 NAPT Las Vegas: Dates | November 4 – 12, 2023 |
| 🎰 2023 NAPT Las Vegas: Venue | Resorts World Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, US |
| 🎪 2023 NAPT Las Vegas: Scheduled Events | Main Event, PokerStars Cup, High Roller, Super High Roller & Mystery Bounty |
| 💰 2023 NAPT Las Vegas: Buy-Ins | $550 to $10,300 |
| 🗽 Years Since Last PokerStars NAPT Ran in US | 12 |
PokerStars X Oracle Red Bull Racing
Both brands of PokerStars and Oracle Red Bull Racing (ORBR) where heavily intertwined in the run up, during and post the NAPT Las Vegas stop.
Since 2022, PokerStars has been an official sponsor of Oracle Red Bull Racing, but 2023 saw the partnership strengthen more than ever, as the hotly anticipated Las Vegas Formula 1 stop runs in Vegas just a week after the conclusion of the NAPT Las Vegas stop.
Not only did PokerStars and ORBR work together to give fifty lucky players Vegas Gold Passes worth over $20k, allowing them not only to join the NAPT action but also to stay after the event, watch all races, and enjoy a full-scale Oracle Red Bull Racing fan experience. But now, PokerStars are giving players a once in a lifetime chance to win bespoke F1 wheel covers that will be signed by three-time World Champion Max Verstappen and his ORBR teammate, Sergio Perez
These charity initiatives support ORBR’s official charity partner, Wings for Life, founded by Red Bull’s Dietrich Mateschitz, who was committed to advancing spinal cord injury research through funding world-class scientific studies and clinical trials.
The Return of The Big Game
The Las Vegas stop saw the return of PokerStar’s popular poker show The Big Game — this time dubbed The Big Game on Tour.
How it works:
- The popular show pitches one amateur or “loose cannon” against five professional players.
- The loose cannon gets to keep anything over the initial buy-in after playing a predetermined number of hands, but they cannot take home any part of the original buy-in.
- To become a loose cannon players will have the chance to enter a satellite tournament on November 5 alongside the NAPT.
- These exclusive shootout tournaments will result in 20 finalists who will advance to the casting stage.
- The chosen 20 finalist will have to audition in front of a panel of judges, and two of them will receive a $50,000 buy-in.
- PokerStars will then proceed to produce a series of 10 episodes to be aired in 2024.
During the NAPT Las Vegas stop both loose cannon spots went to female players Lily Newhouse and Nikki Limo. Both ladies successfully made their way through qualifying freerolls during NAPT Las Vegas, beating their respective tables and moving to the audition stage.
The NAPT History
Back in 2010, the NAPT debuted with stops in the Caribbean, Las Vegas, Connecticut, and Los Angeles.
The events on the 2011 NAPT were as follows:
- Paradise Island, the Bahamas: PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA)
- Paradise Island, the Bahamas: PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) High Roller
- Las Vegas, Nevada, US: NAPT Venetian
- Las Vegas, Nevada, US: NAPT Venetian High Roller Bounty Shootout
- Uncasville, Connecticut, US: NAPT Mohegan Sun High Roller Bounty Shootout:
- Los Angeles, California, US: NAPT Los Angeles
Season 2 was scheduled to run throughout 2011, but only a January stop in the Bahamas and an April stop in Connecticut were successfully completed:
- Paradise Island, the Bahamas: PokerStars Caribbean Adventure
- Uncasville, Connecticut, US: NAPT Mohegan Sun
NAPT Mohegan Sun ran for five days, concluding on April 13, 2011 — just two days before Black Friday on April 15.
- Online Qualifiers now running, including Freerolls
- PokerStars’ first-ever EPT stop in Cyprus!
- EPT Main Event October 16 – 22
- Includes Mystery Bounty, High & Super High Roller Events
North American Championship of Online Poker (NACOOP): How It Relates to the NAPT
The North American Championship of Online Poker (NACOOP) played out online in the Fall of 2023, and Main Event winners were gifted NAPT Las Vegas Main Event entry, plus a seat at the NAPT High Roller event.
It was the first time ever that PokerStars ran a NACOOP series across Ontario, Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Get To Know Resorts World, Home to NAPT Las Vegas 2023 Stop
The NAPT took place in Resorts World, Las Vegas which can be found on the north end of the Las Vegas strip near the Wynn and Encore properties.
Resorts World officially opened under its new brand on June 24, 2021 after it replaced the now demolished Stardust Resort and Casino. (The original Stardust sign can be found at the Neon Museum, Las Vegas).
Accordingly to Wikipedia, Resorts World cost $4.3 billion to build currently making it the most expensive resort property in Las Vegas. The resort includes:
- A 117,000 sq ft casino
- 59-story tower housing three Hilton hotels:
- The Las Vegas Hilton at Resorts World, with 1,774 rooms
- Conrad Las Vegas at Resorts World, with 1,496 rooms
- Crockfords Las Vegas, with 236 rooms
PokerStars North American Poker Tour FAQ
What is the NAPT, and when does it run?
NAPT stands for North American Poker Tour — it is a tour of live poker events run by PokerStars, taking place across North America. Past stops have included Las Vegas, Connecticut, and the Bahamas. The first stop of the 2023-24 NAPT takes place from November 4 to 12, 2023 in Las Vegas.
Where does the NAPT 2023-24 take place?
The 2023 NAPT stop will take place at Resorts World Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, in the USA.
Will there be a NAPT stop in Vegas in 2024?
Yes! Although information is thin on the ground, it has been confirmed the NAPT will return to Las Vegas in 2024, we just dont know when.
Are there online qualifiers for the NAPT?
Online qualifiers for the NAPT Las Vegas stop ran in almost every market.
Has the streaming schedule been released for the Las Vegas 2023 stop?
Yes! There were live streams of the Main Event Day 3 and Final Table plus the High Roller Final Table.
Has the NAPT 2024 schedule been released?
No. At the time of writing, the first stop in Las Vegas, ahead of the Formula 1 stop in November, is scheduled. However, we predict stops in the Caribbean, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Michigan will all be announced soon.
Will the PCA be part of the NAPT?
PokerStars has no word yet on this, but as the PCA was traditionally part of the NAPT schedule, we expect it to be included in 2024. The PCA has not been announced at the time of writing — it may be that the operator wants the Las Vegas event to happen before announcing any more stops.
Will the PSPC be part of the NAPT in 2024?
Again, no word from PokerStars on this, but we think this is highly unlikely.
What events are there during the NAPT Las Vegas 2023-2024?
- NAPT Main Event
- NAPT NLH Super High Roller
- NAPT NLH PokerStars Cup
- NAPT NLH High Roller
- NAPT NLH Mystery Bounty
What is NACOOP?
NACOOP stands for the North American Championship of Online Poker — an umbrella term encompassing ONCOOP, PACOOP, and USCOOP, which run in Ontario, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey/Michigan, sharing the same player pool.
When does NACOOP take place?
NACOOP took place from September 15 to October 2, 2023, in all markets.
Are there online qualifiers for NACOOP 2023?
Online qualifiers ran in respective markets: Ontario, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New Jersey for NACOOP from $1 to $60.
What are the guarantees for NACOOP 2023?
USCOOP guaranteed $3 million. PACOOP guaranteed $2.5 million. ONCOOP guaranteed $1.5 million or $2 million CAD.
What is the Vegas Gold Pass package in 2023?
The Vegas Gold Pass package grants winners of NACOOP entry into the NAPT Main Event and High Roller events. The Vegas Gold Pass Package is worth $20,300 and includes:
- Seat in the $5,300 NAPT Las Vegas High Roller (November 10-12)
- 3-day pass for two (November 16-18) for Oracle Red Bull Racing Fan Experience in Las Vegas
- 10 nights hotel accommodation for two (November 09-19) at Resorts World Las Vegas, including taxes and resort fees.
- $3,653 towards flights and expenses
- Power Path Gold Pass Special Edition
Could the NAPT become a flagship brand sitting alongside the European Poker Tour (EPT) and Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT)?
PokerStars is known for its live poker brands that run under the PokerStars Live umbrella, such as the European Poker Tour (EPT) and Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT), which take place each year. Each tour now holds iconic status within the poker community with its reputation as a must-play live poker event.