Top 10 biggest online poker tournament winners

Since online poker has been around, the prize pools and payouts have gotten bigger and bigger. From record-breaking Main Events to huge series wins, the digital poker world has created many millionaires. This guide looks at the ten biggest wins in online poker history. It talks about the players who won and the stories behind their wins, brought to you by VIP-Grinders.com, the home of exclusive poker deals, bonuses, and player promotions.

1. Stoyan Madanzhiev – The $3.9 Million Champion Who Thought He Won the "Real" World Series

• Prize: $3,904,686 – then the largest online poker win ever

• Background: Thought he’d won the official WSOP Main Event due to pandemic timing

When Bulgarian poker pro Stoyan Madanzhiev won the 2020 Online Main Event, he thought he'd won the official World Series of Poker Main Event. It's understandable why there was confusion. This was during the pandemic when the usual live WSOP was delayed, and Madanzhiev had just won the biggest online poker prize ever at that time.

The tournament had 5,802 players, and the prize pool was $27,559,500. Madanzhiev's path to victory included a key moment with 25 players left when his pocket kings held against an opponent's ace-king. His emotional celebration after winning showed just how much this victory meant to him, even after learning it wasn't the "official" championship.

2. Bert "girafganger7" Stevens – The Streaming Legend Who Made History Live

• Prize: $2,783,432 from the largest online tournament field ever

• Historic Achievement: First major online tournament victory streamed live in its entirety

Belgian poker player and streamer Bert Stevens won the biggest online poker tournament ever in 2023. He even broadcast the whole thing live on Twitch. You might know him as "girafganger7" online. Stevens made poker history by streaming his path to the biggest single online poker prize, with thousands of viewers tuning in live.

The 2023 Online Main Event totally shattered all previous records with 6,023 entries and a massive $28,609,520 prize pool. Stevens dominated the final table from a chip leader position, turning what could have been a nerve-wracking experience into entertainment gold for his viewers.

3. Simon "C. Darwin2" Mattsson – The Swedish Superstar’s Breakthrough Million

• Prize: $2,793,574 – his breakthrough seven-figure score

• Career Total: Over $27 million in online tournament winnings at time of victory

Swedish online poker legend Simon Mattsson had been close to a seven-figure score for years before his 2022 Main Event win. When he finally broke through and won $2,793,574, it was the culmination of a career that had already seen him rack up over $27 million in online tournament cashes.

Mattsson won in a field of 4,984 players, generating a prize pool of $23,674,000. What made this win even more impressive was its timing. He had scored his first seven-figure sum just five months earlier, showing he was hitting peak form.

4. Tyson "POTTERPOKER" Marks – The Last Pre-Black Friday Champion

• Prize: $2,285,759 – final American Main Event winner before Black Friday

• Historic Significance: Last champion when Americans could play freely

Montana native Tyson Marks holds a unique place in online poker history as the final Main Event winner before Black Friday changed everything. His 2010 victory for $2,285,759 came at a time when American players could still compete freely on international sites, making him the last American to claim poker’s most prestigious online title before the landscape shifted dramatically.

5. Yevgeniy "Jovial Gent" Timoshenko – The Double Winner’s $1.8 Million Night

• Prize: $1,733,944 from the Main Event, plus $75K from another tournament the same night
  
  

• Unique Achievement: Won two major tournaments on the same evening

Some poker nights are just magical, and Yevgeniy Timoshenko had one for the ages in September 2009. The Ukrainian-American pro didn't just win the Main Event for $1,733,944 but he also won another major tournament for an extra $75,000, earning around $1.8 million in one night.

6. Viktor "Isildur1" Blom – The Cash Game Legend’s Tournament Triumph

• Prize: $1,096,200 – largest tournament score for the cash game specialist
  
  

• Significance: Rare tournament triumph for poker’s most famous cash game legend

When Viktor Blom won the 2013 SCOOP Main Event High for $1,096,200, it was a rare tournament win for poker's most famous cash game legend. Everyone knows Blom by the name "Isildur1." He's a legend for his high-stakes cash games, but tournament poker isn't really his strong suit.

7. Benjamin "bencb789" Rolle – From Victory to Coaching Empire

• Prize: $1,172,000 after splitting with Fedor Holz

• Career Impact: Used winnings to launch successful coaching business

Benjamin Rolle's 2016 WCOOP $102,000 Super High Roller victory was more than a big payday. Rolle made it to the final table, which included top players like Isaac Haxton and Igor Kurganov. Then, he made it to the heads-up round, where he agreed to split the prize with Fedor Holz.

What makes Rolle's story particularly interesting is how he used that win to his advantage. He used his winnings and the credibility that came with beating such a strong field to launch his coaching program, Raise Your Edge. These days, he's as well-known for his teaching as he is for his playing, with a career earnings of over $35 million from online tournaments.

8. Chris "Moorman1" Moorman – The Godfather of Online Tournament Poker

• Career Earnings: Estimated $24 million in online tournaments, first to hit $10M milestone

• Consistency Record: 30 Triple Crown achievements across different poker sites

Before players like Astedt and Mattsson took over the modern online scene, Chris Moorman was the undisputed king of online tournament poker. The British pro's 2014 Main Event win of $1.015 million was just one highlight in a career that saw him become the first player to hit the $10 million mark in online tournament winnings.

9. Niklas "Lena900" Astedt – The Swedish Sensation’s Multi-Format Mastery

• Online Earnings: Over $47 million with 22 major series titles
  
  

• Crossover Success: 3rd place in 2024 WSOP Main Event for $4 million live

Niklas "Lena900" Astedt is a Swedish poker star who's totally redefined what it means to be an online poker pro. He's raked in over $47 million in online tournament winnings and has also found success in live events. He made his biggest online score of $758,443 in the 2021 WSOP Super Circuit Online Series, but it's his consistency across all the major series that really sets him apart.

10. Joao "Naza114" Vieira – From Basketball Courts to Poker Stardom

• Online Achievements: $24.8 million earned with 9 WCOOP titles

• Career Transition: Successfully transitioned from professional basketball to poker

Portuguese poker star Joao Vieira went from playing basketball to becoming a poker legend, earning over $24.8 million in online tournament earnings. Vieira, known as "Naza114," has won nine WCOOP titles, making him one of Europe's top online tournament players.