PokerStars New Year Series 2026 delivers blockbuster prize pool and multiple champions
PokerStars’ New Year Series 2026 finished with a bang — awarding $22,966,447 across 316 tournaments and attracting 699,937 total entries. The 20-day online poker festival exceeded its $18 million guarantee and produced standout winners, massive fields, and headline-grabbing scores. At the top of the leaderboard, Bulgaria’s Ognyan “cocojamb0” Dimov turned a $109 Sunday Million entry into a series-high payout of $138,495.
Fast facts: New Year Series 2026
- Total prize pool: $22,966,447
- Total entries: 699,937
- Events: 316 (low to high buy-ins)
- Biggest single score: $138,495 — Ognyan “cocojamb0” Dimov (Sunday Million $109)
- Country leaderboard winner: Brazil (80 event wins)
Standout winners and headline results
The series mixed affordable, mass-field action with high-stakes drama. Key results included:
- Gabriel “gtavares10” Tavares (Brazil) captured the $5,200 Main Event and $122,131 after outlasting a 106-entry high-stakes field — the series’ second-largest payday.
- Patrick “JaegsPL” Lauber (UK) won the $1,050 PKO Main Event for a total of $113,307 (including $63,492 in bounties).
- ‘nickiou7kos’ (Greece) topped the $109 Mystery Bounty Main Event for $58,237 (including $497 in bounties).
- Ognyan “cocojamb0” Dimov (Bulgaria) reinforced his reputation as a crusher with multiple titles and the biggest cash of the series after his $109 Sunday Million triumph.
- Triple champions in the series included players under the aliases KAgoulAKboul (Cambodia), King153246 (Albania), Leonard “Grozzorg” Maue, Pavel “silentm0de” Plesuv, and Sintoras.
- Low buy-in grinders shone too: Brazil’s “miioon” dominated two massive fields, winning both a $5.50 PKO and an $11 PKO for a combined $9,470.
Country performance and leaderboard insights
Brazil dominated the New Year Series, leading the country leaderboard with 80 wins, followed by the United Kingdom (38) and Canada (16). The results reflect a continued strength from Brazilian grinders across both micro and mid-stakes events, while European pros and seasoned high-roller specialists also made deep runs and collected headline paydays.
Notable pros who won titles
The series featured wins from established pros and past major-event champions:
- Fintan “easywithaces” Hand — $530 Bounty Builder High Roller.
- Felipe “lipe piv” Boianovsky — 2023 SCOOP Main Event winner (collected a New Year Series title).
- Narcis “Narcisus90” Nedelcu — won the $530 Copacobana Mystery Bounty.
- Adrian “Amadi_017” Mateos — captured the $1K 7-Max PKO for $20,481 (including bounties), his first title in the series.
Why this New Year Series mattered
The 2026 edition showcased the breadth of modern online poker: huge guarantees, accessible low-stakes offerings that reward volume grinders, and high-stakes events that attract pros and build big narratives. The combination of PKO, Mystery Bounty, and traditional freezeout formats means players of all bankrolls found events that fit their strategy — and the results show a healthy ecosystem of recreational and professional participation.
What’s next: SCOOP returns
PokerStars is keeping momentum heading into the Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP), returning March 1–25, 2026. SCOOP’s multi-tiered schedule and high-stakes events have made it a marquee series for players aiming for major titles and career-defining scores. After the standout performances in the New Year Series, many players will see SCOOP as the next opportunity to chase huge guarantees and prestige.
Bottom line: The PokerStars New Year Series 2026 over-delivered on excitement and prize money. With nearly 700K entries and almost $23 million paid out, the series set a strong tone for 2026 — spotlighting rising stars, veteran champions, and a clear resurgence of Brazil as an online poker powerhouse.
