Spin & Go, Jackpot Sit & Go, Blast, Spin & Gold, Twister… the lottery sit & go has gone by many names since taking the online poker world by storm over a decade ago.
While the names and some incidental details may differ, the fundamental idea remains the same: short-handed turbo tournaments with a randomized prize pool, usually winner-take-all, and with the chance to win prizes many thousands of times bigger than the buy-in.
French poker operator Winamax was the first to launch the format in 2013, under the name Expresso, and it became so popular that rival sites quickly hopped onboard with their own branded variants.
Last year saw PokerStars bring its version, Spin & Go, out of the online world and into the live tournament scene with a trial run at EPT Barcelona, followed by the larger Spin & Go World Championship at EPT Prague.
Now, Winamax is also showcasing the format in a live setting, in a series of televised Expresso games on its YouTube channel. And not only is the operator offering players the chance to play live for big prizes in the studio, you can also win a seat and play the live games online.
Contestants play for prize pools of up to €1 million
The show, Alerte Expresso, features three Expresso tournaments played with two live contestants in the studio and one joining online. Each live Expresso will be contested by a new trio of players.
Prizes will be drawn randomly, with each tier paying all three players - 80% for first, 12% for second and 8% for third.
Here are the odds of hitting each prize tier in the live show, and the cash on offer.
| Prize Pool | Probability | 1st Prize | 2nd Prize | 3rd Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| €1,000,000 | 5 in 100 | €800,000 | €120,000 | €80,000 |
| €500,000 | 9 in 100 | €400,000 | €60,000 | €40,000 |
| €250,000 | 24 in 100 | €200,000 | €30,000 | €20,000 |
| €100,000 | 28 in 100 | €80,000 | €12,000 | €8,000 |
| €50,000 | 34 in 100 | €40,000 | €6,000 | €4,000 |
How to take part
Play a €5 Expresso tournament at Winamax and, in addition to the various prize multipliers, an extra prize tier will be available: the ‘Alerte Expresso Jackpot’. Hit this prize multiplier and win the game, and you’ll be invited to travel to the studio to participate in the live Alerte Expresso.
The minimum prize for those playing the live Alerte Expresso - i.e. drawing the minimum prize multiplier and finishing 3rd - is €4,000.
Two players in each Alerte Expresso will play from the studio, with the third joining online. To qualify as the online player, watch out for the ‘Expresso Alert’ on Winamax, which will be announced in the immediate run-up to the live show. When the alert is announced, players have 10 minutes to win as many qualifying €5 Expresso games as they can, with each victory giving them a chance to be drawn to immediately play the live players in a televised game for big prizes.
France only - for now
Participation in the show is currently limited to French-speaking Winamax players residing in mainland France, but the fusion of live and online poker is an intriguing one.
Given Winamax’s track record in this field, we wouldn’t be surprised to see other operators following this model and introducing their own spins on the format in international markets.
After all - as Winamax can attest - it’s happened before.
