Sam Hilger’s Power Path leads to Barcelona once again
You’ve no doubt heard it a million times, but it doesn’t get any less true: if you want to play a $5,000 buy-in poker tournament but don’t have the bankroll, the PokerStars Power Path is designed specifically for you.
Don’t just trust us, take it from Sam Hilger, an elementary school teacher from Luxembourg, who recently has been holidaying annually in Barcelona thanks almost entirely to the Power Path.
Hilger was one of the earliest groups of Power Path players who won a Silver Pass to Barcelona in 2023. And this year, he is back having won a Gold Pass, allowing him into the Main Event for the first time.
“It’s not that I’m a total amateur,” Hilger says. “I’m ambitious. I study. I try to make money. But I’m not a professional. I’m just happy to get the opportunity to play a $5K via a Gold Pass, because I wouldn’t play it otherwise, because it’s just too high of a buy-in.”
He adds: “It’s a very nice structure, a very nice tournament. I wish I would have made it to the money, but the experience is all that counts still in my opinion. You don’t get to play structures like this.”
FREQUENT, QUICK AND CHEAP
Like many others in his position, Hilger chooses Power Path because the tournaments are quick, frequent and cheap, meaning he can play a few without either breaking the bank or taking up too much of his precious time.
And he chooses Barcelona as it aligns with school holidays and allows him to travel.
“It’s impossible [to play many other events],” he says. “I couldn’t take time off unless I took a whole year off, which is just not worth it.”
Sam Hilger is feeling increasingly at home at EPT Barcelona
Instead, he says he plays one or two $11 Power Path qualifiers most nights, and maybe one or two $55 qualifiers per week. It’s paid dividends in the form of four Silver Passes so far, plus the latest Gold Pass, which brought him to Barcelona this time.
Becoming a veteran of the Power Path has also brought some strategic benefits too.
“I was lucky,” Hilger says, describing the tournament where he won his Gold Pass. “I max late-regged. When we got to the money with 96 left, I was chip-leading and I was never out of the top five. Then on the final table I got very lucky because I had the two other big stacks on my left and I was the chip-leader and I could just jam any two.
“What helped me as well is that I already won Silver Passes, so I really was playing for the Gold Pass. If you’re in for $11, there are a lot of players who are going to be super, super, super happy to have a Silver Pass. And I kind of had that behind me already, so I could push more for the Gold Pass. It was a good situation to take it down and I took it down.”
STICKING WITH THE POWER PATH
Hilger’s biggest live tournament score came in Namur, Belgium, a comparative stone’s throw from his home in Luxembourg. But his trips to Barcelona have put him in the money on six occasions, and it seems to be a near certainty he’ll be back.
Once you’re on the Power Path, there’s no real need to jump off…
MORE
Back to Top
Latest Articles
View Other Blogs
