Anniversary Sunday Million: $5,000,000 Guarantee on PokerStars

PokerStars celebrates 20 years of the Sunday Million with a grand tournament featuring a $5,000,000 guarantee and a $109 buy-in. Don’t miss your chance to become a champion!

This year, PokerStars is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the legendary Sunday Million tournament by hosting a special anniversary event with a $5,000,000 guarantee and a buy-in of just $109. The tournament is held in the Progressive Knockout (PKO) format, which means players receive additional cash rewards for knocking out opponents, while part of the buy-in goes into the main prize pool. This event has attracted huge attention from the poker community and has become one of the main online tournaments of the year. Format and Schedule of the Anniversary Sunday Million The anniversary Sunday Million is a phased tournament, allowing players to choose a convenient time to participate in the first round (Phase 1). The final stage, Day 2, starts on September 6 at 20:05 BST. At the time of publication, only a few Phase 1 flights with a $109 buy-in remain, so those wishing to compete for a share of the $5,000,000 prize pool should hurry. According to the PokerStars lobby, Phase 1 flights run on September 2 and 3 at 16:30, 18:30, 20:30, 22:30, and 23:30 BST. A similar schedule is expected to continue throughout the week until the final stage begins. For players with a limited bankroll, satellites with buy-ins starting at $0.55 are available around the clock. This gives almost every PokerStars user a chance to enter the anniversary Sunday Million. In addition, special Spin & Go tournaments with $0.75 and $4 buy-ins have been launched for the event, where the top prize is a $109 Sunday Million ticket. Current Results and Chip Counts of the Leaders As of the time of publication, the tournament has already registered 42,407 entries through dozens of Phase 1 flights, and 1,362 players have advanced to the final stage. The current chip leader is a player from Uruguay with the nickname "mike21_4life," who has grown the starting stack of 10,000 chips to an impressive 1,180,083. Three other players have also surpassed the one million chip mark: "go1vs1 legko" (1,076,054), "getdamoney0" (1,045,132), and "rodrigovini" (1,034,730). These players are considered the main contenders for victory heading into the final stage. Top 10 Chip Counts in the Anniversary Sunday Million So Far: mike21_4life — 1,180,083 go1vs1 legko — 1,076,054 getdamoney0 — 1,045,132 rodrigovini — 1,034,730 Dimitar "KuuL" Danchev — 830,445 roo_400 — 791,814 Steven "SvZff" van Zadelhoff — 695,141 Bernardo "bedias" Dias — 628,707 Peter "Belabacsi" Traply — 602,644 Tom "Tom_poker_NL" Talboom — 532,332 Among those who have reached the final stage are three PokerStars ambassadors. The best stack among them belongs to Benjamin "Spraggy" Spragg (187,043 chips). Also still in contention are Sebastian "peace&love" Huber (117,668) and Marle "MarlzTV" Spragg (88,462). The final day will also feature well-known players such as Scott "Aggro Santos" Margereson (274,755) and Simon "TaxationIsTheft" Gilles (115,497). Brief Overview of the Progressive Knockout (PKO) Format The Progressive Knockout (PKO) format differs from classic tournaments in that for every opponent you eliminate, you receive a bounty, and part of that bounty increases your own bounty. So, the more opponents you knock out, the higher your potential reward for being knocked out yourself. This adds extra dynamics to the game strategy and allows you to earn even before reaching the prize zone. WCOOP 2026: Starts on the Same Day September 6 is not only the date of the final stage of the anniversary Sunday Million, but also the start of the main online series of the year — the World Championship Of Online Poker (WCOOP) 2026 on PokerStars. The series kicks off at 14:05 BST and features six tournaments on the first day. Among them are the Sunday Special with a $75 buy-in and a $350,000 guarantee, as well as the World Championship of 6-Max NLHE with a $5,200 buy-in and a $400,000 guarantee. Both tournaments start on September 6 at 18:05 BST. This event traditionally attracts the strongest players and is considered one of the most prestigious online series in the world. Famous Participants and Their Positions Many well-known professionals and PokerStars ambassadors will take part in the anniversary Sunday Million and the upcoming WCOOP. Benjamin "Spraggy" Spragg, Sebastian "peace&love" Huber, and Marle "MarlzTV" Spragg have already secured their spots in the Sunday Million final stage. Also among those advancing to Day 2 are Dimitar "KuuL" Danchev, Steven "SvZff" van Zadelhoff, Bernardo "bedias" Dias, Peter "Belabacsi" Traply, Tom "Tom_poker_NL" Talboom, Scott "Aggro Santos" Margereson, and Simon "TaxationIsTheft" Gilles. Their presence guarantees a high level of competition and an exciting battle for the top prize. Chip Count and Prize Pool Table The prize pool is still being formed, but it is already known that the guaranteed amount is $5,000,000. The current top 10 chip counts: mike21_4life — 1,180,083 go1vs1 legko — 1,076,054 getdamoney0 — 1,045,132 rodrigovini — 1,034,730 Dimitar "KuuL" Danchev — 830,445 roo_400 — 791,814 Steven "SvZff" van Zadelhoff — 695,141 Bernardo "bedias" Dias — 628,707 Peter "Belabacsi" Traply — 602,644 Tom "Tom_poker_NL" Talboom — 532,332 The best stack among the ambassadors belongs to Benjamin "Spraggy" Spragg (187,043), followed by Sebastian "peace&love" Huber (117,668) and Marle "MarlzTV" Spragg (88,462). Other well-known players also still have a chance for a deep run in the tournament. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For PPPoker club members, this news is a great example of how major online events can inspire you to develop your own skills and participate in large-scale tournaments. Even if you mainly play in club games, it's worth paying attention to formats like Progressive Knockout: they add dynamics and allow you to earn regardless of whether you make the money. This format can also be introduced in club tournaments to diversify the game and increase player interest. Moreover, the wide range of satellites and affordable buy-ins in major events is a reminder that the path to big prizes is open to players with any bankroll. Practicing in satellites and multi-phase tournaments will help you prepare for more serious events, even if you currently only play within PPPoker. Finally, following the successes of famous players and ambassadors is a great way to learn strategy and tactics from the pros. Watch their performances, analyze hands, and apply the best decisions in your own games — this will help you grow and achieve new results in PPPoker clubs.