Do you have one hand that sticks out in your poker career? Some infamous check-raise that will live on in infamy in your mind? Some villain that sucked out on the river that now lives rent-free in your head? If so, Jennifer Shahade and Pokerstars want to hear about it, and it may just pay off in a big way.
Inspired by Shahade's podcast, "The GRID," which finds instruction and entertainment from all 169 possible hand combinations, the contest challenges entrants to tell the story of a memorable or formative hand they have played. One lucky winner will score a Platinum Pass to the Poker Stars Player's NL Hold 'Em Championship (PSPC) in The Bahamas in January 2023 worth $30,000.
Shahade will select six finalists from all entries and send them along to a judging panel for final consideration. Entrants have much creative control over how they share their hands. According to Pokerstar's promotion announcement, they encourage entries to provide "an explanation as to what makes (the hand) so special, with the freedom to focus on strategic insights, dramatic tension, colorful villains, or shocking results, with creativity and humor encouraged." Entries are officially open now.
The Timeline
- Entries open between 12 pm ET December 1st to 10 pm ET December 14th
- December 15th-19th: Shahade to select top-six finalists
- December 20th-27th: The judging panel deliberates and ranks the finalists
- December 30th: Shahade will announce the winner on a special episode of her GRID Podcast
Submission Instructions
- Submissions may be formatted as audio, video, or text on Twitter, YouTube, SoundCloud, Vimeo, or a blog.
- Contestants should email their entries to "thepokergrid@gmail.com" with the subject line "Platinum Hand + Your Name."
- In addition, emails should also include the contestant's full name, country of residence, a two-three sentence "about me" section, and a link to the entry.
- If posting on personal social channels, contestants should use the hashtag #PlatinumPokerHand.
- Suggested time frames for entries are 1-6 minutes for audio or video, or 300-2000 words for text.
At your next live session, the rest of the table may not want to hear about your crazy poker hand story. But, Jennifer Shahade does. In fact, she, along with Pokerstars and the judging panel, may just have a $30,000 Platinum Pass for you for doing so.
