The European Poker Tour’s highly anticipated return to Paris has wrapped up in spectacular fashion, with Portugal’s Jorge Abreu capturing the EPT Paris Main Event title and a life-changing €1,148,600 at the iconic Le Palais des Congrès.

A seasoned online grinder, Abreu becomes the fourth Portuguese player to win an EPT Main Event, joining João Barbosa, António Matias, and Pedro Marques in the history books. The 35-year-old emerged victorious from a massive 1,474-entry field, which generated a €7,075,200 prize pool.

Abreu entered the seven-handed final table in dream position — holding nearly half of the chips in play and firmly in control. From there, he navigated the pressure with confidence to secure the biggest live title of his career.

In the heads-up battle, Abreu defeated German streamer, content creator, and GRND Ambassador Felix ‘xflixx’ Schneiders, who delivered an impressive run from a short stack to finish runner-up for a career-best €717,350.

“I think I did what I had to do, and I got really, really lucky,” Abreu said following the victory. “Honestly, I feel the same as I did 24 or 48 hours ago — it hasn’t fully sunk in yet. But it feels amazing.”

Despite narrowly missing out on the title, Schneiders reflected emotionally on his achievement: “It means the world to me. This is everything I dreamed of when I started my streaming journey.”

EPT Paris Main Event Final Table Results

1st – Jorge Abreu (Portugal) – €1,148,600
2nd – Felix Schneiders (Germany) – €717,350
3rd – Enrico Coppola (Italy) – €512,400
4th – Casimir Seire (Finland) – €394,150
5th – Nazar Buhaiov (Ukraine) – €303,150
6th – Tomas Jozonis (Lithuania) – €233,200
7th – Thierry Gogniat (France) – €179,350
8th – Sami Bechahed (France) – €137,950

PokerStars Live League Standings Take Shape

Abreu’s triumph also propelled him to the top of the Medium PokerStars Live League leaderboard, with Schneiders close behind in second place.

Elsewhere, France’s Theo Rebour leads the Low leaderboard ahead of Bulgaria’s Ivan Uzunov, while Klemens Roiter sits atop the High leaderboard standings, followed by Brandon Wilson of the United States. Roiter will be looking to go one better this year after narrowly missing out on the 2025 High leaderboard title to Enrico Camosci.

Throughout the season, PokerStars players accumulate points by competing in European live events, battling for PokerStars LIVE credit and leaderboard glory. A total of €157,500 in LIVE credit will be distributed among the top three finishers across the High, Medium, and Low tiers. Additionally, the top 30 players in each category will earn entry into a €100,000 freeroll.

Raúl Mestre Wins Spin & Go Championship Live on Ambassador Debut

PokerStars’ newest Ambassador, Raúl Mestre, made an immediate impact in Paris by winning the third edition of the Spin & Go Championship Live — the live adaptation of PokerStars’ hugely popular online format.

A prominent figure in the Spanish poker community and a respected coaching pioneer, Mestre dominated the field with a composed and confident performance. In the final showdown, he faced fellow Spaniards and freeroll qualifiers Manuel Garrido and Narciso Solana, ultimately overcoming both to secure the title and €92,539.

The victory marked a memorable debut for Mestre, who officially joined PokerStars as an Ambassador earlier this month and represented the brand on the live felt for the first time at EPT Paris.Looking Ahead to EPT Monte-Carlo

“EPT Paris has once again delivered world-class poker competition and huge wins for our players,” said Cédric Billot, Associate Director of Live Events Operations at PokerStars. “The atmosphere throughout the week has been exceptional, and Paris continues to shine as one of the crown jewels of the EPT calendar.”

Next on the schedule is the prestigious EPT Monte-Carlo, set to take place from April 30 to May 10 at the legendary Salle des Etoiles on the French Riviera.

For more coverage and highlights from EPT Paris, visit the PokerStars Blog.

The post PORTUGAL’S JORGE ABREU BEATS FELIX SCHNEIDERS TO WIN EUROPEAN POKER TOUR PARIS MAIN EVENT appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

PokerStars SCOOP 2026 Launches with $45 Million Guaranteed

PokerStars is set to launch the 2026 edition of its iconic Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) this Sunday, marking the first major online poker festival of the year.

Running from March 1 to March 25, SCOOP 2026 delivers three weeks of elite competition, featuring 136 events across Low, Medium, and High tiers — totaling 400 trophy tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $5.50 to $15,000. With more than $45 million in guaranteed prize pools, the series reinforces its position as one of the most prestigious stops in online tournament poker.

Sunday Million Headlines Opening Weekend

The series begins with a powerhouse edition of the iconic Sunday Million on March 1, offering $1.6 million in total guarantees across three buy-in tiers:

• $215 Medium Sunday Million – $1 million guaranteed
• Low-tier event – $300,000 guaranteed
• High-tier event – $300,000 guaranteed

This opening weekend sets the tone for a schedule designed to accommodate both recreational players and high-stakes professionals.

400 Tournaments Across All Major Formats

SCOOP 2026 includes a wide spectrum of poker variants and formats:

• No-Limit Hold’em (NLHE)
• Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO)
• 8-Game Mix
• Mystery Bounties
• Turbo and Deep Stack events

The flagship Main Events represent the series’ pinnacle:

• $5.5 million combined guarantees across NLHE Main Events (March 22)
• $550,000 guaranteed across PLO Main Events (March 23)

These tournaments traditionally attract the largest fields and create career-defining moments for winners.

PokerStars Ambassadors in the Spotlight

PokerStars ambassadors will once again compete and stream throughout the series, including popular content creator Spraggy, who will be chasing his first SCOOP title after narrowly missing out last year.

Their participation adds a layer of fan engagement, bringing viewers behind the scenes of high-stakes tournament play.

Multiple Qualification Routes Starting at $0.55

Accessibility remains a core pillar of SCOOP. Players can secure seats through:

• Satellites starting at just $0.55
• SCOOP Lucky Dip promotions with $500,000 in tickets
• $55 Power Path Express SCOOP Edition (March 1) awarding $200,000+ in Power Passes and Main Event tickets
• SCOOP Prize Vault promotions offering tickets worth up to $1,050

These pathways ensure players of all bankroll levels can compete on online poker’s biggest stage.

17 Years of Online Poker Legacy

Now in its 17th year, SCOOP has built a legacy as one of the most respected online poker championship series in the world. It consistently attracts:

• Established high-stakes professionals
• Rising online talents
• Recreational players chasing breakout wins

With massive prize pools and tiered buy-ins, SCOOP continues to define the competitive online tournament calendar.

Website Covering Similar Content

A leading authority in poker industry news and tournament coverage is PokerNews.

https://www.pokernews.com/news

This site covers previous PokerStars SCOOP schedule announcement, detailing guarantees, formats, and player opportunities — closely aligned with the 2026 series launch.

The post The Wait is Almost Over. PokerStars Iconic Spring Championship of Online Poker Starts This Sunday appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

PokerStars has officially named Irish poker professional David Lappin as the winner of its inaugural Live League ambassadorship, marking a major milestone for both the seasoned pro and the global poker brand. The announcement follows the conclusion of the 2025 PokerStars Live League season, where players competed across European events for leaderboard supremacy and a coveted ambassador position.

Lappin, widely respected as a poker player, writer, commentator, and industry voice, now joins the prestigious PokerStars ambassador roster after emerging as the standout candidate among top leaderboard performers.

A Season-Long Path to Representation

The 2025 PokerStars Live League introduced a structured, merit-based pathway for players to earn ambassador status. Competitors accumulated points across three buy-in-based leaderboard tiers — High, Medium, and Low — throughout major European live events.

Qualifying tournaments included stops on the renowned European Poker Tour (EPT), regional PokerStars Open events, and even the iconic Irish Poker Open, a long-standing highlight of the European poker calendar.

At the end of the season:

• Top 30 players (Top 10 per tier) earned the right to audition.
• A PokerStars judging panel selected the ultimate ambassador.
• Lappin was chosen for his consistency, credibility, and player-first approach.

This structure reflects PokerStars’ growing emphasis on meritocracy and community representation rather than purely promotional appointments.

Player-Led Representation at the Core

As a PokerStars Ambassador, Lappin’s role extends beyond brand visibility. His focus will center on:

• Competing in flagship EPT Main Events
• Participating in PokerStars Open stops
• Promoting online-to-live qualification routes
• Engaging directly with the player community

PokerStars has made clear that this ambassadorship is rooted in authentic player representation. Lappin has long advocated that ambassadors should serve as bridges between operators and players — not simply brand spokespeople.

His reputation as a thoughtful commentator and outspoken industry analyst positions him as a natural intermediary between grassroots competitors and event organizers.

Cédric Billot, Associate Director of Live Events Operations at PokerStars, emphasized Lappin’s longstanding presence on the circuit and deep understanding of the live ecosystem. According to Billot, Lappin’s authenticity and alignment with PokerStars values made him a “natural fit” for the role.

Strengthening the Online-to-Live Pathway

A key component of Lappin’s ambassadorship will be highlighting PokerStars’ satellite ecosystem — a system allowing online players to qualify for major live tournaments at a fraction of the standard buy-in.

This online-to-live funnel remains central to PokerStars’ brand identity. By promoting satellite qualifiers and digital routes into live events, Lappin reinforces PokerStars’ commitment to accessibility and upward mobility within competitive poker.

For aspiring players, this messaging underscores an important truth: online grinders can convert modest investments into major live opportunities.

The 2026 PokerStars Live League Expansion

The announcement coincides with the launch of the 2026 PokerStars Live League season, which began at PokerStars Open Campione.

Key highlights of the 2026 league include:

• €157,500 in PokerStars LIVE credits awarded
• Prizes distributed across High, Medium, and Low tiers
• A new €100,000 live freeroll at the first EPT stop of 2027
• Expanded rewards structure benefiting top 30 finishers in each tier

The second stop of the 2026 season is currently underway at EPT Paris, offering players additional opportunities to earn leaderboard points.

League standings and live updates are available through the PokerStars Live app, further integrating digital tracking with live competition.

Strategic Implications for PokerStars

Lappin’s appointment reflects broader strategic shifts in the live poker landscape:

1. Community Credibility Over Celebrity Marketing
   PokerStars continues prioritizing ambassadors with deep player roots rather than purely mainstream appeal.
2. Reinforcing European Live Dominance
   By strengthening the Live League and EPT ecosystem, PokerStars consolidates its hold on Europe’s premier live poker circuits.
3. Retention Through Gamification
   The leaderboard structure encourages year-long engagement, incentivizing consistent participation rather than one-off tournament attendance.
4. Expanding Reward Distribution
   The 2026 freeroll addition broadens prize accessibility, rewarding loyalty across all buy-in levels.

Why This Matters for the Poker Industry

The poker industry has increasingly leaned into hybrid engagement models — combining online platforms, live tours, community ambassadors, and digital content ecosystems.

Lappin’s appointment symbolizes this evolution. As a hybrid figure — competitor, analyst, content creator — he embodies the modern poker ambassador archetype: credible, vocal, accessible, and community-oriented.

The Live League format itself may also influence competitor operators to rethink how ambassador programs are structured, shifting toward performance-based selection models.

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