As we head into the weekend we take a look forward to, and back on, the top stories from the PokerStars world.

1. Talal Shakerchi headslines a record breaking SCOOP 2016

The highlight of the three Main Events was most certainly the "High" rendition, what with its all-star line-up. It was Talal "raidalot" Shakerchi who sealed the wire to wire win, never really surrendering the chip lead he took into the last nine. He got the better of Sean "Nolez7" Winter heads-up to record his third SCOOP win and a first prize of $1,468,000. 

SCOOP 2016 champion Talal "raidalot" Shakerchi

You can read the full report on the event, written by Martin Harris, by clicking here. You can also check out our recap of the final day, which includes all the Main Event results and leader board standings, on the PokerStars Blog. 

While Shakerchi earned the headlines on the virtual felt, the Championship itself was picking them up off it. The 17 days of SCOOP competition set a new record for the richest ever online poker series. The total prize pool of $90,984,283.44 across 56 events (168 tournaments), smashed the previous record of $81,222,158.66, set during SCOOP 2014, by nearly $10 million. What's more the three Main Events (low, medium and high) each surpassed previous bests, both in field size and prize pool. 

2. Omaha week runs until this Sunday

This week is also Omaha Week. Each day up to this Sunday a maximum prize of $5,000 will be randomly awarded to players who have opted in to the Omaha Card Hunt Puzzle challenge.  

There's also the chance to play for a share of $1,000 in daily Omaha freerolls. Meanwhile, by playing during Happy Hours, you can earn up to an extra 50 per cent towards completing VIP Steps and collecting StarsCoin. Find all the details on the Omaha Week homepage. 

3. EPT Not Live

The latest edition of #EPTNotLive is now available. We'll let the team introduce it...

"Joe describes a Hollywood night out, and an encounter with celebrity poker fan Aaron Paul, while James reveals his annoyance with classic cars. After running through some of the results from #SCOOP, and re-enacting Jason Mercier's Twitter spat with Doug Polk, the boys talk about the #EPT 12 Dublin High Roller final table (now available to watch at PokerStars.tv). Charlie Carrel, who finished third in that event, is this week's guest. He talks about some of the key hands from the tournament, and receives an unfair amount of abuse for his unique mode of attire. Plus, Michael Zajac from Canada competes against Joe in a San Francisco 49ers-themed edition of 'Superfan vs Stapes'. #EPTNotLive"

Direct link:  http://soundcloud.com/eptnotlive/episode-48-26052016-charlie-carrel

4. APPT in action in Macau

The sun seldom sets on a PokerStars event somewhere, as Macau proves this week. The APPT is in town and the main event is currently in full swing, which you can follow on the PokerStars Blog .

There's a first prize of HKD $2,694,000 (US$347,000) and our live reporting team of Howard Swains and Brad Kain are in country with all the action through to the final table on Sunday. Click here to go straight to the live coverage. 

5. Spin & Go your way into the Sunday Million

Today we began a new season of Spin & Go's with a chance to turn $2.50 into a ticket worth $215, and then who knows, with Sunday Million first place payouts anywhere between $150-$200K. You can get the details on the Spin & Go homepage. Act fast, as they're for a limited time only. 

Spin & Go's have already proven their popularity, not least during the recent SCOOP Spin & Go promotion. 

During the championship 53,587 Spin & Go's were played creating a total ticket prize value of $1,113,500 worth of SCOOP entries. That included 53 "High" tickets, 311 "medium" tickets, and 5,223 "low" tickets. 

All that leaves is to wish all PokerStars players good luck at the tables this weekend. As always send your comments, success stories and tragic tales to us on Twitter: @PokerStarsBlog.