PokerStars’ prestigious Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) has officially surpassed $1.5 billion in total prize money awarded to players over its 17-year legacy, marking a historic milestone for one of the richest and most iconic championship series in online poker.

Since its inception in 2009, SCOOP has grown into the ultimate proving ground in online tournament poker, where both established stars and rising talents battle for prestige, prize money and a place in the game’s history.

The major $1.5 billion landmark was hit during this year’s SCOOP series, which kicked off on March 1 and runs until March 25, in Event 40-M: $109 NLHE [Progressive KO Sunday Million], which saw “nomalice” beat a field of 8,017 players to win $85,597,11 and the coveted SCOOP title.

Prior to the start of the 2026 event, SCOOP had awarded a total of $1,485,704,101 in prizepools, $227,004,607 in first place prizes, and attracted 144,715,424 in total entries across 1,231 events with 3,680 tournaments. Sweden’s Simon “C. Darwin2” Mattsson is the greatest player in SCOOP history having earned 14 titles, followed by the UK’s Benny “RunGodlike” Glaser who now has 12 titles, having earned another SCOOP title last week in Event 12-H: $320 Fenomeno HR Turbo. Benny is the most decorated player in COOP history also having a record-leading 16 World Championship Of Online Poker (WCOOP) titles.

“SCOOP awarding $1.5 billion in total prizes is an incredible moment for online poker,” said  Steve Clarricoats, Associate Director of Poker Operations at PokerStars. “It’s a powerful reminder of the scale, history, and prestige of this series. But the true value of SCOOP isn’t just measured in dollars, it’s measured in players earning their greatness and winning a SCOOP title. Winning a SCOOP title remains one of the biggest ambitions in online poker and we’re excited to see which players join the history books this year.”

This year’s 136-event SCOOP schedule (with a total of 400 tournaments) is awarding over $45 million in guaranteed prizepools, and features low, medium, and high buy-in levels from $5.50 to $15,000. The flagship Main Events will be a schedule highlight and will award a total of $5.5 million across the NLHE Main Events on March 22, and $550,000 across the PLO Main Events on March 23.

Players can qualify through satellites from just $0.55, and the SCOOP Lucky Dip where over $500,000 in SCOOP tickets are up for grabs.

For more information about SCOOP head to the PokerStars Blog.

Gronk makes high-stakes debut taking on poker legends Phil Hellmuth and Antonio Esfandiari 

Four-time Super Bowl champion and FanDuel Ambassador Rob Gronkowski is competing in a new arena as the former NFL tight end makes his high-stakes poker debut in Las Vegas on PokerStar’s The Big Game on Tour. Gronk goes head-to-head with some of the game’s best-known pros.

Known for his dominance on the football field and his larger-than-life personality, Gronk tests his competitive instincts at the poker table, where he is reading opponents, attempting a poker-face, cracking jokes and cracking aces when trying to take down pots worth thousands.

Gronk joins a table that includes:

• Phil Hellmuth, 17-time World Series of Poker champion
• Antonio Esfandiari, one of poker’s most recognisable high-stake pros
• Rania Nasreddine, a rising star known for fearless play
• Nick Wright, sports broadcaster and analyst
• Luke Waekelin, the loose cannon who earned his seat playing online on PokerStars

Season 2 of The Big Game on Tour features high stakes cash game action filmed in Las Vegas during the PokerStars North American Poker Tour and blends established poker players with celebrity competitors and ambitious qualifiers. The result is an unpredictable mix of elite gameplay, competitive ego and real money drama. Gronk’s appearance highlights the crossover appeal between professional sports and poker where competitors use skills in psychology, risk-taking and performance under pressure.

New episodes air weekly beginning Sunday, March 8 with the season culminating on April 5. Episodes are available via PokerStars’ YouTube channels.

Season 2 Release Schedule:

• Sunday, March 8 – BGOT Season 2 Episode 11
• Sunday, March 15 – BGOT Season 2 Episode 12
• Sunday, March 22 – BGOT Season 2 Episode 13
• Sunday, March 29 – BGOT Season 2 Episode 14
• Sunday, April 5 – BGOT Season 2 Episode 15

The latest season arrives just in time to celebrate the launch of FanDuel and PokerStars in the US, marking the coming together of the two brands.

To find out more, head to the PokerStars Blog.

For more details, please contact [email protected].

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