Share2025 has already had its fair share of full of high-stakes drama in the poker world. Players were raking in millions and others were facing significant losses. So let's take a closer look at some of the biggest online poker winners of 2025 so far and who got wrecked.
Online poker is now more popular than ever. The global market for online poker is expected to reach $11.4 billion by 2030. This sum showcases just how popular online poker has become. The month of May saw record-breaking wins, unforgettable comebacks and some painful losses.
How does online poker work?
Online poker tournaments let players join by paying an entry fee and start with the same amount of virtual chips. Each online platform will differ, with some platforms offering a casino welcome bonus for new players. Usually players compete in hands and as they lose all their chips, they're eliminated. The game uses increasing blinds to speed things up and tables get combined as players drop out. When the tournament nears the payout stage, surviving players earn money. The last player holding all the chips wins the biggest prize. The prize pool is then shared among the top finishers. Some tournaments will even offer options like rebuys or bounty rewards.
Top winners this year
From seasoned pros to rising stars, these players showcase brilliance, perseverance and often a bit of luck to land at the top of the earnings.
The Spring Championship of Online Poker winners
The Scoop is a premier online poker tournament hosted by PokerStars, which took place from May 11 to June 2. The 2025 Scoop series concluded with over $1.1 million awarded to champions across its high, medium and low main events.
"stek 94" - SCOOP High Main Event Champion: The Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) once again proved to be the stage for some incredible wins. Brazilian player "stek94" managed to win the $5,200 High Main Event title and earn a staggering $505,633 prize. The $5,200 Scoop NLHE Main Event saw incredible wins for the runners-up, too:
- hellzito (Brazil): ÂŁ495,583
- Mark "AceSpades11" Radoja (Canada): $309,951
"nic81411" - Scoop Mid Main event winner: Germany's "nic81411" secured a substantial prize of $497,321 in the No-limit Hold'em Main event. This tournament attracted a competitive field of 3,465 entries and generated a prize pool of $3,465,000. Notably, "nic81411" was able to achieve this feat without entering into any deal at the final table. His runners-up also secured impressive prizes:
- !!f1ghtback! (Austria): $354,506
- Juho HH (Finland): $252,703
“c0rl30n3_89” - Scoop 82-L Low Main event champion: Romanian online poker player “c0rl30n3_89” captured the title in the 2025 Spring Championship of Online Poker(SCOOP) 82-L: $109 No-Limit Hold’em Low Main Event. He took home a well-earned prize of $$173,351. This tournament saw a massive turnout with over 15,000 entries competing for a prize pool exceeding $1.5 million. The runners-up in the tournament also received substantial prizes too:
- ZingaBoy (Brazil): $155,005
- SemaMoney (Azerbaijan): $134,476
Venom Mystery Bounty Series champions
The 2025 Venom Mystery Bounty Series on Americas Cardroom showcased some of the most thrilling high-stakes online poker action of the year. This tournament attracts top online talent from around the world, thanks to its massive guaranteed prize pools.
Carlos Rocha GTD No-limit Hold'em (NLH) Venom: Carlos Rocha, a 32-year-old professional from Brazil, took the win in this high-stakes event. Rocha earned a whopping $748,547, describing the achievement as a dream come true.
"Skretcher9" GTD Pot-limit Omaha (PLO) Venom: Online player "Skretcher9" emerged as the winner, taking home a total of $275,631 in prize money. Interestingly, runner-up "peyton_manning" was able to earn more, totaling $388,000, thanks to a significant bounty collection during the event.
PokerNews Online Championship
This event is hosted by 888poker. This series featured over $1 million in guaranteed prize pools and attracted a global field of players. This included some incredible wins.
"El_hombre GTD PKO Main event: The player known as "El_hombre" managed a victory in the $100,000 GTD Progressive Knockout (PKO) Main Event. This was an impressive win, especially from a player who was relatively new to 888poker at the time at took home $13,823.
"nonoty" $215 Mystery Bounty: Another highlight from the 2025 PokerNewsOnline Championship was the victory of 'nonoty' in the $215 Mystery Bounty Main Event. The player faced off against a massive field of 1,530 players, earning a title of $39,171
Major losses of all time
While some players soared in 2025, others crashed hard. Online poker’s brutal variance doesn’t spare anyone; even the most seasoned pros can go from winning six figures to bleeding bankroll in weeks. With online poker growing, it's harder to record the losses. But here are some of the most memorable losses in online poker.
Viktor "Isildur1" Blom: According to CardPlayer, Blom dropped a staggering $1.4 million over seven days, mostly at $400/$800 no-limit hold ’em stakes.
Gus Hansen: As of May 2014, Gus Hansen's lifetime losses on Full Tilt Poker had reached approximately $17.8 million. Over the preceding week, he incurred losses of around $335,000, contributing to this downturn. Notably, $14.6 million of his total losses had accumulated since the site's relaunch in late 2012.
Brad “Yukon Brad” Booth: Canadian pro Brad Booth has reportedly lost $4.2 million since 2008. A significant portion of this loss is attributed to the Ultimate Bet cheating scandal,
where he was allegedly cheated out of $2 million. Despite this setback, Booth continued to play online poker but has not regained his former success.
These staggering losses serve as a stark reminder that online poker is a game of immense risk, where even the most skilled and experienced players can face crushing downswings. The high variance, combined with the fast pace and massive stakes, means fortunes can change in a matter of days or weeks. As the online poker world continues to grow, tracking these swings becomes harder, but the lessons remain clear: bankroll management and emotional resilience are just as important as skill at the table. Responsible gambling is essential; however, there are also options to consider that come with less risk.
As 2025 continues to unfold, the world of online poker remains a thrilling arena of dramatic highs and devastating lows. The impressive victories of top players highlight the skill, strategy, and sometimes sheer luck required to rise to the top, while the significant losses experienced by others remind us of the game’s unforgiving nature.
