PokerStars

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PokerStars.com is the second-largest online poker cardroom.

The largest poker tournament site in the world, PokerStars' satellite tournaments produced the 2003 World Series of Poker champion, Chris Moneymaker, as well as the 2004 champion, Greg "Fossilman" Raymer. Those two now act as spokespeople for the cardroom, as does 2005 World Series of Poker champion Joe Hachem, also a regular player on the site. The current pokerroom manager is Lee Jones.

Launched in September 2001, PokerStars.com is owned by a Costa Rican company, Rational Enterprises. With its company headquarters on the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, PokerStars is also licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in Canada. Since relocating to the UK Crown dependency, PokerStars has been the subject of financial media speculation regarding a possible IPO or merger with a publicly listed company. With a market value of approximately $3 billion (US), the company is one of the world's largest privately held gambling companies.[London Times: Pokerstars plans for $3 billion float]

PokerStars sponsors a stop on the World Poker Tour called the Caribbean Poker Adventure, and also is the principal sponsor of the European Poker Tour. In 2005, eGaming Review named PokerStars.com the "Best Poker Operator of the Year."

PokerStars offers five varieties of poker games: Texas hold 'em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo (8 or Better), Stud, and Stud Hi/Lo (8 or Better). Players can participate in real money games ranging from the micro limits ($.01/$.02) through the upper limits ($100/$200).

The home of the World Championship of Online Poker, the largest online poker tournament series in the world, PokerStars each day has tens of thousands of players playing real money ring games or tournaments at peak times, and tens of thousands more playing free-play games. They dealt their five billionth hand on May 20, 2006. PokerStars.com's play money players mix with those of logging in from PokerStars.net, a free play-only site without real money games.

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