$10,000 Guaranteed Marathon Poker Tournament Adds A Slower Sunday Option For NJ Players

The Marathon Adds A Slower Sunday Poker Format

PokerStars USA on FanDuel is using Sunday afternoon to promote The Marathon, a $75 buy-in online poker tournament with a $10,000 guaranteed prize pool. The event starts at 2 p.m. ET and uses 15-minute blind levels, according to the PokerStars USA announcement posted on X.

The structure is the main story. Online poker schedules often include faster formats that move players through short levels and quick decisions. The Marathon branding points in the opposite direction, with a tournament design aimed at players who want more time to play hands, manage stack depth, and settle into a longer Sunday session.

For New Jersey players, the event adds another scheduled tournament inside the PokerStars environment now offered through FanDuel. Eligible players must be 21 or older and located in an approved state where the platform is available.

How The Weekly Sunday Schedule Is Taking Shape

The Marathon appears to be more than a one-time tournament listing. PokerStars USA on FanDuel has posted similar Sunday announcements in recent weeks with the same $75 buy-in, $10,000 guaranteed prize pool, 2 p.m. ET start time, and 15-minute blind levels.

The wording in the June 14 announcement describes the event as a new tournament for Sunday afternoons. That language positions The Marathon as a recurring Sunday addition rather than a single promotional event, although online poker schedules can change during larger tournament series, seasonal promotions, or platform adjustments.

The timing also gives PokerStars on FanDuel another regular tournament identity after the combined platform moved into a new phase this spring. A weekly $10,000 guaranteed event gives Sunday players a repeatable target on the calendar without requiring a major series to be active.

How FanDuel And PokerStars Set The Stage

FanDuel announced the launch of PokerStars exclusively on FanDuel on April 1, 2026, with availability in Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The launch brought PokerStars into the FanDuel platform through a dedicated poker app and desktop site, with shared liquidity across the three regulated U.S. states.

That shared player pool is important for tournament poker. Larger liquidity can support bigger games, broader tournament schedules, and prize pools that are harder to sustain when states operate separately. FanDuel’s launch announcement said players in the three states would have access to larger prize pools, a broader selection of tournaments, and cash games.

FanDuel later said the PokerStars exclusively on FanDuel platform had dealt more than 28 million poker hands in the nine weeks after launch. The company also described the product as part of a single FanDuel ecosystem that places sportsbook, casino, and poker under one wallet.

That context matters for The Marathon, but the tournament should stand on its own. It is not just another note inside the merger story. It is one of the clearest weekly tournament additions being promoted after PokerStars and FanDuel combined their U.S. poker product across New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

What New Jersey Poker Players Should Know

New Jersey players looking for the tournament should expect the relevant access point to be PokerStars exclusively on FanDuel, not the older standalone PokerStars New Jersey structure. The event is part of the newer platform that FanDuel launched with PokerStars across the three-state network.

The Marathon’s $75 buy-in places it above low-stakes daily tournaments but below the larger Sunday headline events that often define major online poker schedules. The $10,000 guarantee gives the event a defined prize-pool target, while the 15-minute levels make the structure more attractive to players who want deeper tournament play.

What Comes Next For The Marathon

The main item to watch is consistency. If PokerStars USA on FanDuel continues promoting The Marathon on Sundays, the tournament can become a regular part of the platform’s weekly schedule for New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania players.

Another point to monitor is how The Marathon fits around larger PokerStars on FanDuel series. Right after the April launch, the platform moved into major tournament programming, including larger guaranteed series and Sunday events. A recurring $10,000 guaranteed tournament can fill a different role by giving players a steadier Sunday afternoon structure between bigger promotional cycles.