Jason Koon has won the first-ever PokerStars Championship event after beating Charlie Carrel, heads-up, to win the $1.6m first prize. American comedian and actor Kevin Hart also makes an appearance.

Photo Credit : Credit: Neil Stoddart @Rational Intellectual Holdings Ltd.

When I think about the World Series of Poker (WSOP), I reflect on my Commodore 16. PokerStars Championships is more Virtual Reality (VR). It’s the branding; the high buy-in events, and the pedigree of the superstars who turn up to compete that sets them apart for me.

The European Poker Tour (EPT) is dead. The PokerStars Championships is the new vogue. Although, nothing has really changed. Lee Jones has called them ‘elite events,’ – they always were – and Neil Johnson is hoping they will have more of a ‘2007 vibe’ because of the influx of Spin & Go qualifiers.