The CEREUS network is a name that is known far and wide in the online poker community, even if only indirectly through two of the most famous online poker sites. The network is home to both Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker and for that reason easily represents a network that has the ability to draw a lot of traffic from players, especially those of the American persuasion.

That having been said however, they are currently involved in a race that is so amazing that people are starting to look at it from the start to the finish. With over $500,000 involved at the end of the day, the high stakes poker marathon has become a fierce fight to the finish.

The finish line occurs on June 15th, with people earning points through playing in cash games at Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker. In both cases, the points earned will be tallied up and the winners will be splitting a prize pool of $500,000 between themselves. The top prize in the finish will win $25,000. Second place will garner $22,000. Third place will win $20,000 and so on down with everyone making the top 500 on either site receiving a prize worth at least $150. All of the players finishing in the top ten will win at least $10,000 in prize money.

That’s not all however, as the CEREUS network has something planned for after that. Everyone that made one of the two lists of 500 (a total of 1000 players) will get a freeroll entry into a tournament with an added prize pool of $30,000. When that prize pool is added to the main prize pool, the end result is that CEREUS will be giving away $530,000 by the time this mad dash is over. Even to the highest of the high stakes players, that money is not something that can be ignored.

The move comes at a relatively good time for online poker, which is under attack in the United States at the moment. With online poker sites dishing out such large amounts of cash, one would hope that public opinion will be swayed in favour of the online gambling establishments.