POKERSTARS PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER RAMÓN COLILLAS NAMED AS POKERSTARS BRAND AMBASSADOR

“Spanish Chris Moneymaker” extends his Platinum Pass poker dream with sponsorship deal with world’s largest poker company

ONCHAN, Isle of Man – February 11, 2019 – Ramón Colillas, Spain’s very own Chris Moneymaker, today became a member of Team PokerStars, extending his incredible journey from fitness trainer to multi-millionaire to brand ambassador for the world’s largest poker company.

Colillas grabbed global headlines last month when he beat more than 1,000 competitors including many of the world’s most famous poker pros, and took home $5.1 million as the winner of the PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC), the richest and biggest $25,000 buy-in tournament in history. The Catalonian had received a free buy-in into the tournament in the Bahamas by winning a PokerStars Platinum Pass package for his performances in tournaments across Spain.

Colillas will represent PokerStars alongside legendary players such as Daniel Negreanu and Chris Moneymaker, the man credited with sparking the modern poker boom when the then accountant won $2.3 million at the 2003 Main Event of the World Series of Poker after qualifying for the tournament by winning an $86 buy-in PokerStars online satellite tournament.

“I am honoured to join Daniel, Chris and all the members of Team PokerStars who I have admired as a fan for a very long time,” said Colillas. “This journey has been a dream come true for me and I hope that I can inspire people the way that I’ve been inspired. Winning the PSPC was thrilling and has changed my life.”

The story of the 30-year-old from Puig-reig, Bergueda in Spain has become a modern legend among poker fans in his home country and around the world. A combination of timing, luck, determination and skill led Colillas to the Bahamas where he found himself writing to his parents to let them know he was returning to Spain with millions to his name.

Colillas topped a field of 1,039 players in January to win the PSPC, which produced a record-breaking total prize pool of $26,455,500. He won his Platinum Pass entry after topping the Campeonato de España de Poker (CEP) leader board based upon his successful tournament play in a series of PokerStars-sponsored tournaments in Spain throughout 2018. The Platinum Pass, one of 320 awarded by PokerStars over 2018, was worth $30,000 and included an all-expense paid trip to the Bahamas and a seat in the $25,000 buy-in PSPC event.

Colillas represents PokerStars for the first time today when he returns to defend his title on CEP home-turf at Casino Barcelona for the €1,010 buy-in High Roller event.

Colillas will also take to the poker tables at EPT Sochi, which takes place from March 20 to 29 at Casino Sochi.

“Ramón’s journey is the stuff of legends and his humility, spirit and personality perfectly reflect the aspirations we see among young poker players around the world,” said Eric Hollreiser, PokerStars Director of Poker Marketing. “Ramón is a great representative of the next generation of poker players and we’re delighted to welcome him as an ambassador for PokerStars.”

To find out more visit the PokerStars Blog.

For further information, please contact press@pokerstars.com

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