Five Billion and Counting!

31 May 2006

PokerStars.com, the world's largest poker tournament website, dealt out its five billionth poker hand last week. The winner of the lucky hand and a $57,500 cash prize was a 30-year-old grocery store manager from Germany. The cash prize was part of a $1 million celebration giveaway on PokerStars.com and its companion free-play site, PokerStars.net.

Manuela, who works at Aldi, a popular grocery chain in Europe, was playing at PokerStars late one evening when the landmark hand took place. At the time, more than 100,000 poker players were logged in from all over the world. Manuela (known at PokerStars as "Marajade") was playing in a friendly five and ten cent no-limit hold 'em game and was ecstatic to learn she had won the key five billionth hand.

"When I heard about the (special promotion) at PokerStars, I just had to log on and play," Manuela said afterward. "I had not calculated on actually winning the prize. I just wanted to be part of the fun. Some of the other players were playing at multiple tables to increase their chances of winning. But, I just played at the one table, and I got lucky and won it!"

"Here in Germany, it was two o'clock in the morning," she explained. "I was on the verge of going to bed."

For the winner, the prize money came at an ideal time and will be used for a special purpose. "I was born with an eye disease (that could cause me) to eventually go blind," Manuela said. "I need to have an expensive eye surgery. Thanks to PokerStars, I can now have the surgery without worrying about the cost."

Manuela was introduced to online poker by her boyfriend, who was with her at the time of the triumph. "I was unbelievable. I just screamed out loud. My boyfriend came running into the room and asked it I was all right. I could not say a word. I just pointed to the number on the screen -- '5,000,000,000.' He could not believe it either. I was so excited!"

Manuela's total prize came to $57,500, which included a bonus of $7,500 as a SilverStar VIP Club member, the rewards program for all active players at the poker site. Many other PokerStars.com players also won prize money -- including everyone playing at Manuela's table.

PokerStars.com dealt out its very first hand in September, 2001, and has been dealing fast and furious poker each day since. To equal the number of hands that PokerStars has dealt, a typical poker dealer (dealing by hand) would have to deal 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for over 16,000 years. In less than five years, the popular poker site has attracted more than five million players from all over the world.

"Thanks so much to PokerStars," Manuela said. "I want to congratulate all of the other winners. For me, it was a very good day."

For more information about PokerStars.com, please visit: http://www.pokerstars.com

About PokerStars

PokerStars (http://www.pokerstars.com) is the world's most innovative online poker site. PokerStars was the first site to introduce features that became industry standard such as sophisticated multi-table tournaments, integrated game statistics, players' notes, personalized images, time bank for tournaments and big bet ring games, satellite tournaments, multi-table sit and go tournaments, and much more.

To date, PokerStars has dealt out over five billion hands and run more than 25 million poker tournaments, awarding well over $4 billion in prize money. PokerStars is the world's largest poker tournament room, with over 5 million registered player accounts. PokerStars' support team is truly unique, as help and assistance is available around the clock from people who know and understand the game of poker and the importance of impeccable customer service.

The PokerStars.com site is also one of the most secure. PokerStars uses industry-leading security software to ensure the integrity of the system, including encryption, card shuffle randomness and preventative measures against cheating and collusion. Money covering player's balances is held in segregated accounts managed by the Royal Bank of Scotland, ensuring that PokerStars can fulfill its obligations to players at all times.

In February 2006, PokerStars.com became the first poker website ever to reach the 100,000 simultaneous player mark. That watershed achievement marked the largest poker event in history. Every week, the PokerStars.com "Sunday Million" is played, which the largest weekly tournament on the planet with a $1 million guaranteed tournament prize pool. In May 2006, the site became the first online poker site to deal over 5 billion hands of poker.

PokerStars is an official member of the World Poker Tour, and the title sponsor of the European Poker Tour (EPT) and the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. In the fall, PokerStars hosts the world's largest online tournament, the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP). PokerStars also sponsors major events around the globe, such as the World Cup of Poker and other exciting tournaments.

During the last three years, PokerStars.com sent more players to the World Series of Poker (WSOP) than any other source or website. A whopping 1,116 entrants (19 percent of the field) qualified to play in the 2005 WSOP via PokerStars satellites. PokerStars is the site where the 2003 and 2004 World Series of Poker champions won their entries into the WSOP. The reigning world poker champion, Joe Hachem, has also been an active player at PokerStars since 2001. He joined Moneymaker and Raymer as official representatives of PokerStars.com, thus fortifying the company trademark, "Where Poker Players Become World Champions."

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