Those differences, though, are a result of choices on how to draw the payout curve, not because they're paying out fewer spots.

The math is pretty simple. If you have 1,000 entries contributing 5K each, and you pay 50 of them (5% of the players) 5K for a min-cash, that still leaves 950x5K for the prize pool, or 4,750,000 euros, dollars or whatever.

If you have two identical payout curves, then add min-cashes to one of them, yes, you do have to take the money from somewhere, but it only needs to reduce the payouts by 5% IF YOU USE THE SAME CURVE. If you use some arbitrary curve , then you get some other result. That's a choice, not a result of min-payouts.

Payout structures evolve over the years. In 2003, the WSOP Main Event only paid 7% of the field. The next year, it was up to almost 9%, but only the top 3% got more than 2x their buyin.

Excellent tourney!!!! Crazy fun! Sucks I bubbled the FT but I had a great time! My buddy also won the party poker contest via twitter and social media, and took 30th place!! Dealers there are world class, best anywhere. Food is amazing. Place is clean. Love it. Well done Playground!

I thought 1st place was GTD $1mill but saw he got $956k ??

They chopped part of the heads up to give 2nd place 43950 more and 1st place somehow got 44k less.

Bump...why does party poker still have satellites running to this?

Oct 1 2017 they have a $530 Qualifier and phases to the 530

They're coming back in April-May 2018 w/10M guarantee