PokerStars goes live with esports-inspired Power Up format

PokerStars has gone live with a real-money version of its esports/poker hybrid game, Power Up.

The game launched yesterday in .eu and will be rolled out across .com .net and .uk throughout the week.

The format is based on a No Limit Hold’em Sit & Go tournament with three players. While players start with the same amount of poker chips and are dealt two poker cards each hand as usual, they also start with two randomly selected ‘powers’.

These powers can be used to change the flow of the match and include things like the ability to see the next card in the deck, see an opponent’s card, or get a copy of the last power played.

The game also includes the new element of energy, whereby players must strategically manage their energy levels so they can use their powers when it matters the most.

PokerStars said Power Up, which has been in development for over a year, combines the competitiveness and strategy of traditional poker with the thrills and excitement of modern video games.

“Poker has maintained its popularity for nearly two centuries because it has evolved with the times,” said Stars Group CEO Rafi Ashkenazi.

“PokerStars Power Up continues this evolution by providing a modern twist on traditional poker that we believe will be exciting to not only poker players, but to a broad spectrum of gamers as well.”

“We’ve been encouraged by the reaction during alpha testing in July and August and are optimistic that PokerStars Power Up will introduce poker to a new generation of mobile gamers, excite current players and help reconnect with less active or former players.”

To see PokerStars Power Up in action, click here.