The Biggest Online Poker Tournaments of 2025 To Date: Record Fields, $28M Prize Pools, and AI-Era Grinders Take Over
Online poker has never looked like this.
Prize pools are breaking decade-long records, AI-trained players are reshaping strategy, and the three biggest ecosystems, led by WPT Global’s player-first innovation, PokerStars’ heritage series, and GGPoker’s high-roller scale, the online game is entering a new era.
From $28 million WSOP prize pools to innovative community-driven series on WPT Global, this year has proven one thing: online poker’s golden era isn’t behind us, it’s happening right now.
Top 3 Tournaments by Prize Pool
| Rank | Tournament | Platform | Prize Pool | Winner | Top Prize |
| 1 | WSOP online main event | GG Poker | $28,314,750 | Benjamin “bencb789” Rolle | $3,900,707 |
| 2 | GGMillion$ Super Main Event | GG Poker | $11,210,000 | Ilia Streltsov | $1,661,695 |
| 3 | WCOOP $10,300 Main Event | PokerStars | $4,070,000 | Gilles Simon | $736,327 |
The Rise of WPT Global – Innovation as a Third Pillar
While legacy giants continue to trade records, WPT Global is rewriting what online poker looks like, connecting communities, creators, and live-stage opportunities in ways the industry hasn’t seen before.
Through these innovations and strategies, WPT Global is betting on a combination of community + content + competition, one that could bring a new range of demographics into real-money online poker.
Key Highlights
- $5 Million GTD Spring Festival drew thousands worldwide.
- WPT Wildcard - the first format to merge social content and real competition
- Online-to-live pathways now feed directly into televised WPT stages, bridging the digital-live gap.
Korean Players sporting WPT Global Jackets at WPT Korea Main Event
WSOP Online Main Event – $28.3 Million
This event confirmed that $5K buy-ins still draw near-6K fields, even as the player pool becomes more technically precise. It’s a great example of scale + skill in 2025.
| Buy-in | Entries | Prize Pool | Date | Champion | Runner-Up |
| $5,000 | 5,961 | $28,314,750 | Aug 2025 | Benjamin “bencb789” Rolle ($3.9 M) | Runner-Up Anatoly Zlotnikov ($3.0 M) |
Key Points
- Third-largest online tournament in poker history.
- Proves GGPoker’s dominance in blending live-event prestige with online accessibility.
- Rolle’s redemption story after final-tabling in 2024 - gave fans a narrative hero in an AI-solver-era field.
GGMillion$ Super Main Event – $11.2 Million
In the GGMillion$ Super Main Event, Ilia Streltsov, a mixed-game specialist turned NLHE crusher, represents the new solver-native cohort redefining how precision preparation beats variance.
| Buy-in | Entries | Prize Pool | Date | Champion |
| $10,300 | 1,121 | $11,210,000 | Apr 2025 | Ilia Streltsov ($1.66 M) |
Key Points
- Confirms global demand for five-figure online high rollers.
- Cements GGPoker’s hold on the upper-stakes market with eight-figure liquidity outside of WSOP season.
3 – 5. PokerStars WCOOP 2025 Main Events – $9.5 M Combined
Dates: Sept 7 – Oct 1 | Tournaments: 378 | Total Prizes: $73.9 M | Entries: 763,000 +
| Tier | Buy-In | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Top Prize |
| High | $10,300 | 407 | $4.07 M | Gilles Simon | $736 K |
| Medium | $1,050 | 3,394 | $3.39 M | “MiMikyolo” | $487 K |
| Low | $109 | 20,587 | $2.06 M | Rayan “beriuzy” Chamas | $213 K |
Key Points
- PokerStars has a history of, and continues to show festival consistency.
- Tiered buy-ins allow every bankroll level to chase a title.
- Simon’s dual titles (EPT 2023 Cyprus + WCOOP 10K ME) add crossover star power.
6. SCOOP 2025 – The Spring Classic ($8 M Combined)
- Series May 11 – Jun 2 | Total GTD $60 M + | Main Events High ($5,200), Med ($1,050), Low ($109)
- Champions: “stek94” ($505K), “nic81411” ($497K), “c0rl30n3_89” ($173K)
Key Point
SCOOP remains PokerStars’ season-starter flagship, bridging recs and pros.
The $5,200 High ME again cleared half-a-million up top, reinforcing the calendar rhythm that leads into WCOOP.
7. MILLIONS Online Mystery Bounty – $500K GTD
| Buy-in | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner |
| $530 | 996 | $500,000 GTD | Benedict Cullen (+ $80K bounties) |
Key Points
- Illustrates the Mystery Bounty boom, a format that’s redefining engagement and entertainment value.
- Shows that even sub-million-pools can trend if the format is fresh and socially viral.
Trend Watch 2025: What’s Driving the Online Boom
From our vantage point at WPT Global, the 2025 online boom is powered by smarter, more connected ecosystems. Solver-based training has changed tactics, while hybrid online-to-live qualifiers and formats like Mystery Bounties are expanding the game’s reach.
It’s a new era where data, access, and entertainment intersect.
| Trend | Impact |
| AI & Solver Precision | Training tools have democratised elite prep; mid-stakes regs play near-perfect theory. |
| Hybrid Qualifiers | Cross-platform satellites (e.g., WPT Global → live WPT) blur online vs live boundaries. |
| Mystery Bounties & Fast Formats | Boost participation + content virality; perfect for mobile-era audiences. |
| Localised Liquidity Pools | Regulatory segmentation is pushing operators to innovate in markets like LatAm and Europe. |
Platform Snapshots (2025 To Date)
All the different major online platforms have seen 2025 as a significant year in various ways. Let's take a look at some quick snapshots:
| Platform | Signature Event | 2025 Highlight | Core Strength |
| GGPoker | WSOP Online Main Event ($28.3 M) | Largest prize pool ever hosted online | High-stakes scale + marketing reach |
| PokerStars | WCOOP Series ($74 M paid) | Deepest festival calendar in industry | Series depth + tiered accessibility |
| WPT Global | Spring Festival ($5 M GTD) | Fastest-growing hybrid platform | Redefining the future of online poker through innovation and creator-driven community |
Breakout Players to Watch
Benjamin “bencb789” Rolle (Germany)
High-stakes coach turned champion; now holder of the third-largest online score in history.
Ilia Streltsov
The 10K GGMillion$ winner; part of the new solver-first generation dominating mid-to-high stakes.
Rayan “beriuzy” Chamas
Creator-economy crossover; won WCOOP Low ME ($109) while streaming to tens of thousands of fans, proof that poker is now a creator sport.
Benjamin Rolle, a rising player in online poker and holder of the third-largest online score of all time.
Looking Ahead: The Next Chapter
With WPT Global’s Winter Festival, WSOP Online Europe, and PokerStars’ EPT Online still to come, 2025 is on track to become the first year where online poker prize pools surpass $100 million combined.
If the first half belonged to GGPoker and PokerStars, the second half may belong to WPT Global, the brand re-engineering how players connect, compete, and create within poker.
While 2025 has been a significant year in poker history, with enormous numbers to boot, we are also witnessing the development of a smarter, faster, more connected game.
Between GGPoker’s record-breaking events, PokerStars’ series legacy, and WPT Global’s creative momentum, online poker has reached a point where technology, community, and competition are beginning to converge.
For players and fans alike, the message is clear:
This is the new boom, and it’s only getting started.
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