PokerStars player wins festival package in $2 tournament

Chris Hopgood, a 30-year-old CAD technician from Wimbledon, has won a $3,000 PokerStars Festival package on the nose of a horse in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, after coming 12th in a $2 poker tournament on PokerStars.

As part of The Big Race, a special promotion that brought PokerStars and BetStars together, Chris and 14 other players who placed in a Cheltenham-themed poker tournament were awarded a horse that ran in the Gold Cup on 16 March.

Thanks to Native River romping its way to victory, Chris won a $3,000 PokerStars Festival Marbella package, which includes a €1,100 Main Event buy-in, six nights' accommodation and money for travel and expenses in June.

Chris is off to Marbella in June by way of Vegas next week, where he will take the opportunity to test his luck at the tables and prepare for his first ever live poker event.

"I can't believe I've won; it was thanks to PokerStars Pros Spraggy and Easywithaces/Fintan on Twitch that I heard about the Big Race promotion, and I'm endlessly thankful for them promoting this tournament, otherwise I wouldn't have a clue. Now I'm off to Marbella, all for $2!" Chris said. "I'm nervous but very excited to get to play in my first big live tournament! Native River will be a horse that I will never forget."