It must have been quite a phone call last week for Northern Ireland’s Alex Irwin and the United Kingdom’s Asif Warris. Simply answering the phone and giving a correct answer to a trivia question earned the pair a PokerStars Platinum Pass.
The prizes came via the Poker in the Ears podcast hosts James Hartigan and Joe Stapleton. The two called listeners to determine who would win the final two Platinum Passes for the PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC). The event is set for Jan. 30 – Feb. 3 at the Baha Mar Resort in the Bahamas.
The PSPC kicks off next week as part of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA). Warris may have spoken for many winners when he learned he’d won.
“Oh my God, I love it,” he said. “I can’t believe this.”
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Winning a PokerStars Platinum Pass via podcast
To have a shot at the Platinum Pass, players simply had to listen to a recent episode and register on the Stars Discord channel. Hartigan and Stapleton then randomly called those who registered.
Show listeners who answered a trivia question correctly won the pass. Irwin was the first lucky winner after correctly answering his PSPC quiz question. He was asked the number of players making the money in the first PSPC.
Irwin answered 181 entrants of the 1,039-player field cashed in the first edition of PSPC in 2019. That scored him a $25,000 buy-in and tournament package to the Bahamas next week.
Warris, known in the poker community as “The Poker Tourist,” was the next caller. He was asked the name of the other Platinum Pass winner that joined Ramon Colillas at the final table at the first PSPC. His correct answer of Mark Rivera rewarded Warris with a Platinum Pass.
…Speechless!!! Me! Lolz …All I Can Say Is …Thankyou Soooo Soooo Much …Total ❤️❤️❤️ To All @PokerStars esp. @WillieElliot_PS😍… @J_Hartigan @Stapes @PokerStarsUK @PokerStarsBlog @PokerStarsLIVE #PPasses4UrAsses #PSPC #PokerTourist™️😜 https://t.co/mpK0OnnGiI
— Asif Warris (@aseefo) January 21, 2023
Right place at the right time
Simply being by the phone paid off in a big way for these two winners. The first caller didn’t pick up for Hartigan and Stapleton. Irwin was then the second person called and claimed his Platinum Pass. That actually turned out to be his second pass after winning one for the first event in 2019.
The third person gave a wrong answer and Warris became the fourth player. The win also brought his second pass after also winning one in 2019. He knew the answer as soon as Hartigan read the choices and pumped his fists in celebration.
Warris has won numerous tournament packages and events at PokerStars, Stapleton noted.
“You are something special Asif,” the podcast host said. “Random draws and you just seem to connect.”
Irwin was equally enthusiastic about his win, celebrating on camera with some fist pumps and yelling.
He repeatedly said: “I can’t believe it.” He later added: “I’m speechless, I can’t wait to see you and shake your hand.”
This week's #PITE is a PSPC special, including a #PlatinumPass giveaway.
We say giveaway, but Alex Irwin had to earn it. 👇
Congrats to Alex, check out the full episode 👉 https://t.co/8amsfphZpS pic.twitter.com/QXakChNrZb
— PokerStars (@PokerStars) January 19, 2023
Last of the Platinum Passes awarded
The two winners secured the last Platinum Passes up for grabs. In total, more than 400 players and poker fans secured the sought-after prizes. Stars values each pass at $30,000 and includes:
- $25,000 tournament buy-in
- Six nights of hotel accommodations for the winner and a guest in a five-star hotel
- Airfare and airport transfers
- $1,900 in expense money
- Platinum Pass Winner experiences during the event
PokerScout will be on site next week throughout the PSPC. Stay tuned here for event updates, feature stories, and player interviews.