The 20th edition of the Sunday Million Anniversary concluded on Monday (September 7), ending a summer-long extravaganza and one of the largest tournaments in PokerStars history.

The event — which ran as a Phase tournament for the first time — received 55,444 entries across all Phase 1 heats combined, building a $5.54 million prize pool. A total of 1,763 players made it through to Phase 2 on Sunday, and after two long sessions, we found a winner.

“AHTOCb” of Belarus is the 2026 champion, cashing for $176,310 and picking up $79,027 in bounties along the way, for a total prize of $255K, plus a special trophy.

To get the job done, they had to battle through a final table that included one of online poker’s all-time greats, Niklas “Lena900” Astedt (Pictured above, right – 8th – $25,538), and former Sunday Million champion Charlie “JIZOINT” Combes (Pictured above, left – 2nd – $186,257).

The deepest run from a player who qualified for less than $109 was “Aleshek” of Belarus, who placed fifth for $44,028 plus $11,171 in bounties. That meant a $55K payday — not bad for a player who qualified from an $11 satellite!

SUNDAY MILLION ANNIVERSARY 20 RESULTS
Entries: 55,444
Prize pool: $5,544,400

1. ‘AHTOCb’ (Belarus) – $176,310 + $79,027 in bounties ($255,337 total)
2. Charlie ‘JIZOINT’ Combes (United Kingdom) – $176,304 + $9,953 ($186,257)
3. ‘komarcus’ (Hungary) – $109,854 + $34,314 ($144,168)
4. ‘234241234214432’ (Ukraine) – $68,081 + $24,814 ($92,895)
5. ‘Aleshak’ (Belarus) – $44,028 + $11,171 ($55,198)
6. ‘makassip’ (Denmark) – $25,833 + $5,746 ($31,579)
7. ‘RageReaperf’ (Finland) – $16,711 + $16,001 ($32,712)
8. Niklas ‘Lena900’ Astedt – $10,835 + $14,703 (25,538)
9. ‘grid 92’ (Ukraine) – $6,802 + $6,198 ($13,000)

Monday, September 7

Just 49 remain from a staggering 55,444 entries in the Sunday Million Anniversary 20, and we’re in for a very entertaining final session.

That’s largely because one of the greatest players in online poker history–Niklas “Lena900” Astedt–has once again done what he does so well: navigated a massive field, collecting bounties and amassing heaps of chips along the way.

The Swedish superstar is sixth in chips entering the final frame, but he’s not the only big name remaining. Leonard “Grozzorg” Maue is also a threat, despite being at the other end of the chip counts.

Of the 49 players still in Phase 2, eight qualified for less than $109. Keep an eye out for this lot:

• Dr KAPA84 (Andorra) currently 49th > entered Phase 1 with a ticket secured via a Jet Set Season All-In Shootout
• makassip (Denmark) currently 9th > entered Phase 1 from a $109 ticket secured via Power Path, buying into Step 3 for $11
• bboymiro (Bulgaria) currently 22nd > entered Phase 1 from an $11 satellite
• HighStaker72 (Ukraine) currently 32nd > entered Phase 1 with a ticket secured via the SMA20 Ticket Machine
• Aleshek (Belarus) currently 34th > entered Phase 1 from an $11 satellite
• jim5432 (UK) currently 36th > entered Phase 1 using a $109 Spade Pass secured via Power Path, buying into Step 2 for $1.50
• ninjakiwi101 (New Zealand) currently 38th > entered Phase 1 from a $109 ticket secured via Power Path, buying into Step 3 for $11
• Ioannisus (Greece) currently 48th > entered Phase 1 from a $22 satellite

Thursday, September 3

The Sunday Million Anniversary 20 Phase 2 is just days away, and the race to secure a seat in the prestigious $5-million-guaranteed tournament is heating up. Remember–qualification is open until Sunday, September 6.

More than 1,400 players have already secured their place in Phase 2, and more than 450 of them got in for less than the $109 tournament buy-in. This is great news for those without big bankrolls! Don’t give up, there’s plenty of routes to qualify for cheap.

Daily heats are running (with multiple satellites for each) and the Ticket Machine continues to award entries until Saturday.

The latest wave of qualifiers features some of poker’s biggest online and live tournament names, including:

• Simon “C. Darwin2” Mattsson
• Joris “BillLewinsky” Ruijs
• Dimitar “KuuL” Danchev
• André “PTFisherman23” Marques
• Ognjan “cocojamb0” Dimov
• Steven “SvZff” van Zadelhoff
• Leonard ‘Grozzorg’ Maue
• Robin “robinho” Ylitalo
• Joshua “3betwizkid” Boulton
• Nils “pudelpower” Pudel
• Brandon “Tyrion2205” Shiels
• Peter “Belabacsi” Traply
• Jussi “calvin7v” Nevanlinna
• Alexandre “aminolast” Raymond
• Tom “Jabracada” Hall
• Dalton ‘daltonhb’ Hobold

AMBASSADOR LAST LONGER – WHO ARE YOU BACKING?

PokerStars Ambassador Sebastian Huber has also secured his place, joining fellow red spades Ben Spragg and Marle Spragg. Their communities can get involved too, backing their favourite PokerStars Ambassador in the ‘SMA20 Ambassador Last Longer’ for the chance to win a $1K WCOOP Main Event Medium ticket. Players can enter one of three $0.01 buy-in All-In Shootouts, backing “Spraggy”, “MarlzTV” and “peace&loove” to last the longest in the Finals. The password for all three Shootouts is “SMA20”. 

Remember: there are still plenty of ways to qualify!

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ABOUT THE SUNDAY MILLION ANNIVERSARY 20

News of the most exciting event of the summer is here.

World Cup? Olympic Games?

Get out of here with that nonsense. This is even better.

For the first time ever, online poker’s longest-running and most iconic tournament–the Sunday Million–will play out all summer long, with $5 million guaranteed in the prize pool.

The Sunday Million Anniversary 20 will celebrate the 20th year of PokerStars‘ flagship online event with an enormous $109 buy-in Phased tournament, where daily Phase 1 heats will run for 10 weeks before all survivors regroup for Phase 2.

The eventual winner will not only win an enormous cash prize, but will also receive a unique piece of PokerStars silverware (pictured above).

KEY INFO:

Sunday Million Anniversary 20

Guarantee: $5 million
Buy-in: $109
Phase 1s (Daily Heats): June 28 to Sep 6
Phase 2 (Final): Sep 6 to Sep 7

FIND YOUR PATH TO GLORY

Every poker player, no matter how casual, dreams of a moment that changes everything. For 20 years, the Sunday Million created those moments.

Now, the Sunday Million Anniversary 20 gives you a variety of ways to make your poker dream a reality.

Qualification routes start from just $0.55, and Phase 1 heats will run daily for 10 weeks, so not only can you take your shot on your own terms, but there’s always another chance if the cards don’t fall your way.

Special-edition Spin & Go’s with buy-ins of $0.75 and $4 are running now and could see you book your seat immediately, while regular satellites start at $0.55.

Plus, you can also gain entry through Power Path. Players can use their $109 Spade Passes to play a Phase 1 heat.

You don’t need a huge bankroll to take part in this party. Nor do you only have one shot at getting through.

You just need to find your path to glory.

Phase 1 Qualification routes:

• Satellites from $0.55 running now
• $0.75 and $4 Spin & Go’s running now
• Power Path – use a $109 Spade Pass to play

We also have two other routes live where SMA20 Phase 1 tickets will be awarded:

Jet Set Season Challenge (.BG, .CH, .COM, .EE, .EU, .RO, .UK only)

Wildcard Wins Leader board (.COM, .EU & .RO only)

Dive deeper into your ways to qualify for the Sunday Million Anniversary 20 without breaking the bank.

TICKET MACHINE AWARDING $800K IN TICKETS

Yep, you read that right. Eight hundred thousand dollars worth of tickets to the Sunday Million Anniversary Phase 1s will be given away across the next eight weeks via the Ticket Machine.

The Sunday Million Anniversary Ticket Machine is essentially a weekly raffle awarding $100K in tickets each week, and getting in with a shot at winning couldn’t be simpler.

Here’s how you can book your seat in the big one through the Ticket Machine:

Ticket Machine dates: July 13 to Sep 5

How to enter: Opt in to the Ticket Machine via the Challenges window in your PokerStars client.

Your task: Complete at least one of the following poker challenges during the weekly offer period:

• Play two MTTs
• Play one Sunday Million 20th Anniversary Heat (Phase 1)
• Knock out five players in Spin & Go’s
• Play 75 Zoom hands
• Play 25 All-In Poker hands
• Play 100 Cash Game hands

Each challenge can be completed up to four times during the weekly offer period, meaning you could earn up to 24 Sunday Million 20th Anniversary Ticket Machine prize draw entries every week.

You don’t need to do anything after that–you’ll be entered into the prize draws which take place on Saturdays at 0:05 ET. We’ll let you know if you win!

PLAY WHEN IT SUITS YOU

We’d say save the dates, but really, the beauty of the Phased format means you can play Phase 1 events whenever it suits you best.

The Sunday Million has evolved over the years, starting as a freezeout, then eventually allowing rebuys and re-entries. It’s since tried every online poker tournament format going, from Phased to Mystery Bounty, before settling on the Progressive Knock-Out.

But this anniversary edition will offer an extended qualification period designed to give players more opportunities to participate throughout the summer and qualify for the event’s climactic final stages.

HOW DO PHASED TOURNAMENTS BENEFIT PLAYERS?

The biggest advantage of phased tournaments for players is the increased flexibility offered. Phased tournaments give you multiple opportunities to qualify for Day 2, often spread out over different days and times. This is especially helpful to recreational players who may not be able to commit to an entire multi-day event all at once.

Phased tournaments, like the Phased Sunday Million editions, give you the freedom to choose a starting flight that suits your schedule. Plus, you can take multiple shots at getting through if it doesn’t go your way.

Another perk of phased tournaments is that you’re often in the money once you make it through the starting flight. This isn’t always the case – in live events and regular multi-day online events, the bubble will typically burst on Day 2. But in Phased Sunday Million events, if you end the starting flight with chips, then you’re guaranteed a payday when Day 2 rolls around, without you needing to advance in the tournament any further.

Phased tournaments also tend to have larger prize pools due to a greater number of entries collected across multiple flights. This not only makes the tournament more exciting for players but also offers great value. 

Learn more in our guide: Phased tournaments: What they are, how they work, and strategy advice

THE ICONIC POKER TOURNAMENT

For 20 years, the Sunday Million has cemented itself as online poker’s most prestigious regularly scheduled tournament; the one that every player dreams of winning.

Affectionately referred to as the Milly, the Sunday Million has consistently broken online poker records, kick-started countless poker careers, and been a permanent fixture on our weekend schedules since it was first named back in June 2006.

It’s the event that moves with the times and adapts to players’ wants, from changes in the buy-in to switching to a progressive knockout format and, more recently, Mystery Bounty special editions.

Becoming a Sunday Million champion is iconic. Becoming a multiple Sunday Million champion is the stuff of legend.

Check out the full timeline of the Sunday Million.

SUNDAY MILLION ANNIVERSARY RETROSPECTIVE

The Sunday Million Anniversary events have produced some staggering scores over the years, not to mention kick-started the careers of several top tournament players.

Take a look through all the anniversary events, the winners, the scores, and the stories at the link below.

THE SUNDAY MILLION ANNIVERSARY RETROSPECTIVE

HOW TO GET READY

The Sunday Million is–first and foremost–an extremely fun tournament to play. There are huge fields, massive prizes, and the excitement that comes with playing such an iconic event.

And, for the first time, this year’s Anniversary edition is a Phased tournament. That means it’s going to be massive.

You certainly don’t need to hit the books beforehand to enjoy a deep run.

But it certainly won’t hurt your chances either. And over the years, PokerStars Blog and PokerStars Learn have published some excellent strategy articles to help players make the most of this particular tournament.

Let’s go through some of them.

PHASED TOURNAMENTS: WHAT THEY ARE, HOW THEY WORK, AND STRATEGY ADVICE

For the first time, the Sunday Million Anniversary will be a phased event. This is great news for players, as you can play a Phase 1 whenever it suits you best.

But if you’ve never played a Phased tournament before, or you’ve never even heard of them, it’s worth brushing up.

Check out this guide: Phased tournaments: What they are, how they work, and strategy advice

SUNDAY MILLION – EARLY GAME STRATEGY

So you’re going to take a shot in the Sunday Million. You’ve prepared mentally, are well rested, have some snacks on hand, and the game is about to start.

Now that it’s go-time, how should you approach the early game strategy? In this article, we are going to talk about just that.

Read: Sunday Million – Early Game Strategy

SUNDAY MILLION – MID GAME STRATEGY

In this article, we move to the middle stages pre-money and talk about what to expect there.

How do you adjust to varying stack sizes? What kind of players should you look out for?

Read: Sunday Million – Mid Game Strategy

SUNDAY MILLION – BUBBLE STRATEGY

Here, we break away from the more generalised “stages” to talk about a specific point in the tournament, the bubble.

How can you use this stage to your advantage? Which players should you target? And who should you avoid?

Read: Sunday Million – Bubble Strategy

SUNDAY MILLION – FINAL TABLE STRATEGY

You find yourself at the final table. Congratulations!  What now?

Obviously, the intricacies of final table play can’t be covered completely in a single article, but let’s cover some of the essential basics here.

Read: Sunday Million – Final Table Strategy

WHY IT’S PERFECT FOR YOUR COMEBACK

We hope reading through this article has got you as excited about the Sunday Million Anniversary 20 as we are.

Perhaps it has even inspired you to open your PokerStars client for the first time in a while and try to book your seat.

That’s a fantastic idea. 

Because if there’s one online poker tournament you should play this year, it’s this one.

First of all, there’s life-changing money up for grabs. With a huge guarantee TBC, this is the best-value $109 buy-in tournament you’ll find anywhere.

Secondly, you’ll be playing in one of the largest editions of the most iconic online poker tournament ever held. 

And perhaps most importantly, it’s your chance to add your name to the poker history books.

You could follow in the footsteps of 2022 winner “Blackbeaty”, who won $931K after a heads-up deal. “This win changes everything,” they told us.

And Vanessa “Nifller” Kade, who won the Anniversary outright in 2021 for a staggering $1.5 million. “This is the best value tournament all year,” she said.

2023’s champ was Ricardo “RFN1986” Nagamoto, who banked a cool million bucks for defeating a 39,500-entry field.

“It’s a very symbolic event with affordable value for many, and you can find big poker stars in the field,” he told us. “Winning a regular Sunday Million would be an incredible feat. But winning the anniversary Sunday Million is indescribable.”

2024’s winner of the 18th Anniversary was “CrossBreed17”, who emerged from a gruelling 90-minute heads-up battle to win a first prize of $1 million.

And last year’s champ, Carlos Augusto “gutAoAllin” Martins of Brazil, banked $391,436 after a four-way deal. The event had 28,444 entries.

Start dreaming. 

And save the dates: Phase 1 daily heats begin on June 28. Phase 2 begins on September 6.

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