After 1,050 days, more agonizing to some than others, more than 27,500 American poker players are finally seeing their Full Tilt Poker money in their bank accounts. The Department of Justice made Black Friday a day of infamy in the poker industry, but on this Friday, we’re one step closer to the end of a dark chapter in the history of the game.

The Garden City Group, hired by the Department of Justice to manage remission payments to those who had money on FTP, made $76 million in payments early Friday morning. Players who received their money today were those who did not contest the account balances declared by the Garden City Group as part of the petitions for remission.

Players who were designated as affiliates for the site or who disputed their balances will continue to wait for remission until their cases are resolved. Additionally, those who didn’t provide correct bank account information during the remission process will wait until checks are sent out in March.

The balances among today’s recipients varied greatly, from a couple of dollars to tens of thousands, but for two of the online game’s most visible players, Mike Sowers and Blair Hinkle, the return of this money should be a significant boost to their bank accounts. Sowers, who earned more than $500,000 by winning one of Full Tilt’s tournaments just weeks before Black Friday, shared his relief on Twitter and thanked PokerStars, whose settlement with the Department of Justice paved the way for the Full Tilt Poker money to be returned.

You can learn more about Full Tilt Poker re-payments when you visit ESPN.