Mike Hill Turns $22 Into $10K MILLIONS Passport

Everyone has the chance to win big at partypoker. Our satellites and Passports make it possible to turn a small investment into a massive prize.

Mike Hill, affectionately known as “DaBookie” in British poker circles is living proof of these claims. Just last week, Hill turned a $22 satellite into a MILLIONS Passport worth at least $10,000. Here’s his amazing poker story!

Hill isn’t your stereotypical modern poker player. He’s not a 20-something maths whizz kid who plays countless tables for hours on end, but he’s still a force to be reckoned with.

“I am a retired bookmaker, property developer, and racehorse syndicate manager from Stockport”, Hill explained to the partypoker blog. “I have been playing poker since 2005 and live poker since 2007. I’m currently looking for new challenges.”

Hill took over his first betting shop on his 27th birthday back in 1989 (sorry for revealing that!- ed) and spent 23-years in the job. He ran three shops at one stage alongside a successful phone betting service.

“During this time I saw the evolution of the business from enclosed frowned upon back street business through to the introduction of the National Lottery and the deregulation that followed the high street staple it is or was today.”

Mike Hill Has History With Success in Satellite Tournaments

2005 was the first time Hill played online poker, doing so recreationally at the now-GVC Holdings-owned Ladbrokes. He switched sites when the site lost a market share and managed to win a package to the 2007 EPT Grand Final in Monaco.

“I won a satellite for $24.80 into the nightly $109 final and won the package. I fell just short of the money and decided at the start of 2008 to have a crack at the live game and here we are today. There’s so much more to this story though!”

History repeated itself last week when Hill entered a $22 satellite for a MILLION Passport. He progressed from the Quarter Final into the $109 Semi Final and made it through that. Starting the final with 950,000 chips put him among the big stacks, but winning a Passport was far from a forgone conclusion.

“I started 7/110 in the final so was cautious at first,” said Hill as he recalled the MILLIONS Passport final. “I had top pair against an aggressive player who also had loads of chips and check-called three streets as he blasted off.”

That hand propelled Hill into the chip lead.

“Later on, I think I was 11/14 and raised with queen-ten of clubs in late position. The big blind, who was also quite short-stacked, called. We saw an A-9-4 flop with two clubs. He checked, I jammed and he called with ace-nine. The turn was the king of clubs and that gave me a comfortable stack again.”

After “what felt like an age”, the packages were awarded and Hill had finished fifth, getting his hands on a $10K MILLIONS Passport.

Where Will Hill Use His MILLIONS Passport?

Where Hill uses his MILLIONS Passport completely depends on the current situation with the coronavirus.

“As we stand, it really depends on the coronavirus going away. Initially, I fancied Cyprus but we will see, I have enjoyed the Caribbean Poker Party after winning two packages in recent years and suffering horrendous beats out of both major events, so maybe it owes me one?!”

It goes without saying that Hill is happy with the Passport system we have put in place. His $22 is now worth a $10,000 package, and that’s something he believes appeals to the more recreational players on the site.

“I think the Passport system works better than tournament dollars as it provides the full package, which appeals to more players. Personally, it appeals to me as it probably encourages more recreational players to play as they are winning their dream as opposed to a lump of tournament dollars.”

Hill believes the early stages of the Passport system, our Phased tournaments, suits our recreational players more. The final, however, is a true test of a player’s skills.

“Obviously the system suite recreational players and the more that play the better value the event is for everyone. The structure of the phases suits a more direct style, which negates the skill factor (or at least changes the styles and actions of players) and allows a little luck to go a long way. The final, however, is a true test, but with no direct buy-in, it means a more level playing field. It’s well thought out and seems to work for all.”

“You Cannot Fault partypoker

Before we signed off, Hill was full of praise for the continued improvements partypoker is making to its software, customer support, promotions and tournament offering.

“You cannot fault partypoker in any way for their efforts to improve poker and grow. There have been problems, which I do not need to list, and I think it’s difficult to please all the people all the time so a balanced presentation is the best you can offer. “

“I have no doubt that without Rob Yong we would have had a much more boring poker life and he deserves all the credit. It pains me after all these years in the game and with the social media following I have that I have never had the opportunity to contribute through a position of sponsored player or consultant. The reasons maybe would fill another article but it is a deep regret.”

“Back to the original question, all businesses are an evolution and poker is no different. It’s is a niche market in the gaming industry and as such perhaps winds its own way. Maybe sometimes the industry becomes a little straight forward perhaps the next generation of poker players need to come from a variety of sources, maybe even as a hybrid poker/video gaming product, who knows? Nothing Party has done has put me off them and I think they are moving back to providing the majority with a balanced product.”

Join Mike Hill By Winning a MILLIONS Passport

You can follow in Hill’s footsteps by playing in our MILLIONS Passport phased satellites. He started at the $22 level but you can jump in for even less with $2.20 Round 1 and even freerolls available.

Anyone can win a MILLIONS Passport, where will you use yours?