PokerStars deals out prizes in celebration of 65 billionth hand

This weekend saw the PokerStars ‘Road to 100 Billion’ promotion kick off with a bang when Kiwi Christopher Small netted a cash prize of $68,420 for winning the 65 billionth hand.

Christopher Small (online alias “yllams”) was seated at a $0.10/$0.25 NL Holdem table when it was announced that his table had been dealt PokerStars’ 65 billionth hand. The message caused some excitement, triggering a 6-way all-in when every player at the table shoved pre-flop in a skirmish to win the milestone hand.

Luckily for Small, he landed A-K at this crucial moment, flopping trip aces to beat the 10-10, K-Q, and assorted rags of other players. He was awarded the top prize of $68,420, while all the other players at the table each received at least $1,710.

PokerStars released a statement on their website declaring that ‘in total, $770,588 in prizes was awarded during the 65 Billion celebration, with over 1,600 winners collecting cash.’ At the rate market giant PokerStars is currently speeding through hands, it is fair to say that the next milestone (the 70 billionth hand) is not far off.