Leon Sturm Among the Early PokerStars Anniversary Series Winners

PokerStars kicked off its 25-year anniversary celebrations with the aptly-named Anniversary Series. This online poker festival started on May 10 and runs through June 5, boasting combined guarantees totaling a cool $50 million. It’s no wonder that poker’s big guns have come out firing from the get-go.

On May 13, the $1,050 buy-in edition of the Super Tuesday concluded. The $200,000 guaraneed high-stakes event saw 179 players take to the PokerStars virtual felt; Leon “RUMUKULUS” Sturm outlasted them all.

The top 20 finishers saw a return on their investment, with a min-cash worth $2,717, rising to $5,519 for a final-table appearance.

Brazilian Alexandre “Cavalito” Mantovani banked that sum when he was eliminated in ninth place. Belarusian “AcidVaule” and Denmark’s “Fantomet1029” joined the ever-growing list of busted players, leaving six hopefuls in the hunt for the title and the $40,321 top prize.

“drew.derzh” and Joris “BillLewinsky” Ruijs ran out of steam in sixth and fifth-place, respectively, before Finnish sensation Casimir “Ceis25” Seire fell in fourth. Heads-up was set when another Brazilian, Lucas “Rochinha2011” Rocha, crashed out in third place.

Sturm fought with “NY17PATS14” for the title and the largest slice of the $200,000 prize pool. “NYPATS14” fell at the final hurdle, just as they did in the $5,200 SCOOP Main Event in March, and had to make do with a $31,391 consolation prize, leaving Sturm to walk away with an Anniversary Series title and a bankroll-boosting $40,321 payout.

Anniversary Series 16-M: $1,050 NLHE Super Tuesday Final Table Results

Belarusian Takes Down Sunday Million a Month After Titans Event Victory

It has been quite a month for the Belarusian grinder known at PokerStars as “PhlsFgg.” On April 12, they triumphed in the $5,200 Titans Event for $73,348. On May 11, “PhlsFgg” was the last player standing from a field of 8,145 in the Anniversary Edition of the Sunday Million PKO, and they collected another $96,009.

Although this tournament overlaid by $185,500, that substantial sum meant more value for those who put their $109 on the line. PokerStars duo Sebastian “peace&loove” Huber and Benjamin “Spraggy” Spragg both cashed, with Spragg going the deepest, falling in 245th for a total prize worth $463.

With progressive bounties included, none of the nine finalists walked away with less than $8,985; eight of the final table members reeled in five-figure scores.

As the clock approached 9:45 p.m. on May 11, “PhlsFgg” struck a fatal blow to the United Kingdom’s “luckytime85” to seal their victory. The Brit’s second-place finish earned them $66,942, but the champion got their hands on $96,009 thanks partly to $30,647 worth of bounties, which was more than the fifth-place finisher took home in total.

Anniversary Series 04-M: $109 NLHE PKO Sunday Million Final Table Results

15th Anniversary Sunday Storm Smashes Guarantee

Online poker isn’t just about high-stakes games, though the prize pool was substantial in the 15th Anniversary Sunday Storm. Over the course of dozens of Phase 1s, some 58,982 entries were processed, ensuring the $500,000 guarantee was surpassed by $78,023.

That juicy prize pool meant the top four finishers turned their affordable $11 into a prize worth more than $10,000!

“WellBr20” fell in fourth for $10,566, while “KidCud1” of Kazakhstan banked $17,262 for their third-place exit. Panama’s “lbg2410” received $22,364 immediately after finishing in second, while Brazil’s “Kaskarteia” came out on top and netted $30,828.

$11 Sunday Storm 15th Anniversary PKO Final Table Results

Other Notable PokerStars Anniversary Series Results

Twenty-five numbered events, most with low-, medium-, and high-buy-in versions, have crowned their champions.

Guillaume “Nolet20” Nolet was one of those champions. He triumphed in the $5,200 Titans Event and scooped $63,414.

There was a $74,917 score for “Nacho124441,” who won the $5,200 No-Limit Hold’em PKO, while Denmark’s “Fantomet1029” won the $109 NLHE Sunday High Roller for $57,262. The Dane now has an Anniversary Series title to keep his one WCOOP and six SCOOP titles company.

The $50 million guaranteed Anniversary Series continues through June 3. Be sure to check out the full schedule here.

Matthew Pitt hails from Leeds, West Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom, and has worked in the poker industry since 2008, and worked for PokerNews since 2010. In September 2010, he became the editor of PokerNews. Matthew stepped away from live reporting duties in 2015, and now concentrates on his role of Senior Editor for the PokerNews.