Daniel Negreanu is No. 1 tournament knockout target, according to PokerStars poll

(PRESS RELEASE) -- Daniel Negreanu has topped a worldwide poll of poker players as the person most people would like to knock out of a poker tournament, in a survey conducted by PokerStars.com, an Amaya Inc. brand.

The "Poker Brat," Phil Hellmuth, was the second most popular choice, with 10-time World Series of Poker champion Phil Ivey in third.

The survey coincides with the release of PokerStars Knockout Poker – a tournament format exclusively available online at PokerStars. Every time a player knocks out another player, they win a share of the tournament prize money. This gives more players more chances to win, more often.

Football superstar Neymar Jr will be the face of PokerStars Knockout Poker as it launches with a comprehensive marketing campaign globally. "I love winning on the football pitch, and I love the opportunity to win instantly in Knockout Poker," said Neymar Jr. "It takes an ordinary game of poker and makes it more fun, with more winning moments!"

The survey was sent via email to a random selection of active real money PokerStars players in Russia, Germany, Canada, United Kingdom and Brazil, with 1,195 respondents. Poker players were given a list of celebrities, and were asked who they would most like to knock out as part of a poker tournament. The survey took place from March 9-16, and respondents received no incentive for participating in the survey.

POKERSTARS KNOCKOUT POKER

The tournament prize money will be split 50/50, with 50% going to the "normal" prize pool and the other 50% being awarded for "knockouts," with players winning a share every time they eliminate an opponent. The game will be quick, easy to pick up, and players will be able to win bounty prizes even if they don't win the overall tournament.

GAME FORMATS AVAILABLE

PokerStars Knockout Poker will initially be available in a variety of game formats, including:

-- 36-player hyper-turbo SNG at $1 and $5 buy-ins.
-- 24-player hyper-turbo SNG at $10 buy-in.
-- 6-player hyper-turbo SNG at $1.50, $3.50, and $7 buy-ins.
-- Scheduled MTTs will build upon PokerStars' already-extensive knockout tournament offering.
-- Game types and stake levels may be changed and expanded in response to player demand.

FIRST AND SECOND TIME DEPOSIT BONUS OFFERS

PokerStars will be promoting Knockout Poker actively to new players to help grow the game of poker. As part of this, PokerStars will offer enticing bonus offers for a player who makes their first and second deposits as part of this campaign. From April 22 to May 13, new players will be able to take advantage of this special deposit offer as such:

-- A player who makes their first deposit for a minimum of $10 will receive over $10 in free PokerStars Knockout Poker tickets (7 x $1.50).
-- A player who makes their second deposit for a minimum of $10 will also receive a further $10.50 in free PokerStars Knockout Poker tickets (7 x $1.50).
-- Players will need to use the deposit bonus code "KO1" and "KO2" respectively.

GLOBAL TELEVISION ADVERTISING

PokerStars has previously announced a broad-based strategy to grow poker by introducing the game to new audiences, and by introducing innovative new formats of the game. The launch of PokerStars Knockout Poker is a part of this, and PokerStars will run a global television advertising campaign to support this innovation and growth.