Leon Sturm Among the Early PokerStars Anniversary Series Winners

Matthew Pitt

Senior Editor

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May 14, 2026 4 min read

Table Of Contents

• Anniversary Series 16-M: $1,050 NLHE Super Tuesday Final Table Results
• Belarusian Takes Down Sunday Million a Month After Titans Event Victory
• Anniversary Series 04-M: $109 NLHE PKO Sunday Million Final Table Results
• 15th Anniversary Sunday Storm Smashes Guarantee
• $11 Sunday Storm 15th Anniversary PKO Final Table Results
• Other Notable PokerStars Anniversary Series Results

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

RankPlayerCountryPrize

1Leon "RUMUKULUS" SturmAustria$40,321

2NY17PATS14Canada$31,391

3Lucas "Rochinha2011" RochaBrazil$24,438

4Casimir "Ceis25" SeireFinland$19,026

5Joris "BillLewinsky" RuijsCosta Rica$14,812

6drew.derzhUkraine$11,531

7Fantomet1029Denmark$8,977

8AcidVauleBelarus$6,989

9Alexandre "Cavalito" MantovaniBrazil$5,519

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.

Benjamin Spragg

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

RankPlayerCountryBountiesPrizeTotal Prize

1PhlsFggBelarus$30,647$65,362$96,009

2luckytime85United Kingdom$1,586$65,356$66,942

3gordaomengaoBrazil$5,605$48,222$53,827

4kilquerBrazil$2,216$33,112$35,328

5Craaazy101Brazil$5,755$23,269$29,024

6GobenniBrazil$2,694$15,912$18,606

7chadwv10United Kingdom$2,394$11,216$13,610

8neonegin777Ukraine$7,792$7,962$15,754

9sharky3075United Kingdom$3,318$5,667$8,985

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

RankPlayerCountryBountiesPrizeTotal Prize

1KaskarteiaBrazil$9,964$20,864$30,828

2lbg2410Panama$1,511$20,853$22,364

3KidCud1Kazakhstan$3,456$13,806$17,262

4WellBr20Brazil$669$9,867$10,566

5YabdiGermany$274$7,090$7,364

6evstalissUkraine$410$5,111$5,521

7StrangeGunKazakhstan$1,708$3,696$5,404

8shaennyBrazil$1,440$2,668$4,108

9Billy Dean34Ukraine$969$1,897$2,866

Other Notable PokerStars Anniversary Series Results

Guillaume Nolet

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.

EventEntrantsPrize PoolChampionPrize

#02-H: $530 NLHE Kickoff193$100,000necgaidziai$19,837

#03-H: NLHE Warm-Up PKO103$125,000Rajadanaatic$28,975

#04-H: $1,050 Sunday High Roller279$300,000Fantomet1029$57,262

$5,200 Titans Event28$150,000Guillaume "Nolet20" Nolet$63,414

#05-H: $1,050 PLO73$75,000Patonius2000$20,243

#06-H: $1,050 NLHE96$100,000Jesper8$23,896

#07-H: $530 NLHE Turbo PKO123$75,000CatfishBillyMan$20,601

#09-H: $5,200 NLHE PKO41$205,000Nacho124441$74,917

#11-H: $1,050 NLHE PKO84$100,000StupidFr3nch$26,781

#16-L: $109 NLHE Super Tuesday1,379$175,000Only4_TheGlory$27,172

#16-H: $5,200 NLHE Super Tuesday40$200,000snifamtiplaco$73,348

#18-H: $1,050 NLHE PKO62$75,000Paulo "paulinhoo00" Brombin$23,918

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

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