It's no secret that Pot Limit Omaha is an action game and when you combine that action with $11 rebuys, you're definitely going to see a massive field come together and the chips fly. Virtually of course, as 2,442 entrants came out for Event #11-L: $11+R PL Omaha [6-Max], $25K, adding 4,300 of those rebuys within the first hour of play and an additional 1,666 add-ons once late registration closed. When it was all said and done, this low SCOOP event had more than tripled it's prize pool, with $84,080 up for grabs. 

In total 330 players made their way into the money, including some of online poker's best. Deeagle, from Thailand, wasn't one of them though, falling on the bubble before the rest of the field played through a quick one-day structure. PokerStars Team Member Stavros Kalfas finished 300th, earning $58.85, and Kyle Julius finished 120th for a $113.50 score. 

The two biggest names, Shaun Deeb and Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier likely only measure their SCOOP successes in wins and they fell with a few tables remaining in 29th and 24th place, respectively. They'll have to wait to add to their trophy cases but heading into the final two tables, it looked like a well stacked Dmitry 'Colisea' Urbanovich was in pole position to do just that. 

The Polish professional was just named European Breakout Player of the Year and just over a year ago, he won four titles at EPT11 Malta. He seemed to be cruising to the final table before taking a few tough beats to bow out in 12th place for a $735 score. One player who did cruise to the final table though was the six-handed leader Dimoni. The UK-based player scored the last few knockouts to get to a half dozen players and then took 21,378,000 into the Event #11-L final table. 

Event #11-L - Final Table Chip Counts:  
Seat 1: Skjervoy - 2,510,820
Seat 2: Abbe77 - 6,674,561
Seat 3: gregor7878 - 2,190,000
Seat 4: Lystig - 2,435,756
Seat 5: Dimoni - 21,378,080
Seat 6: me so fish - 11,015,777

The final table came together in Level 38, with blinds at 125K/250K, meaning three players, Skjervoy, gregor7878 and Lystig were coming in near the ten big blind mark. Two of those short stacks have yet to taste COOP glory but gregor7878 was the exception to that rule, as his two WCOOP titles, from $215 NLHE events in 2011 and 2014 made him the most experienced tournament player at this Event #11-L final table. 

While greggor7878 likely had the table covered in past tournament results, Andres 'Skjervoy' Torbergsen has been one of the online world's biggest and best PLO players over the last few years. The Norwegian burst onto the scene in 2005 and quickly ascended to the nosebleed stakes and despite his short stack, he had to be considered a threat heading into the final table. 

While there was a log jam at the bottom of the leaderboard, there was some serious separation at the top. Dimoni had the second biggest stack, me so fish, nearly doubled and it was the chip leaders who used that advantage to quickly send those short stacks to the rail. 

SHORT AND SWEET: Experience can only take you so far, gregor7878 out in 6th place 

Despite being the only player at the Event #11-L final table with past COOP victories, gregor7878 was only able to last a few hands. Almost immediately after the final table came together, he and chip lead Dimoni got the chips in pre flop, with Dimoni opening the action with a raise to 500,000 from middle position. gregor7878 three-bet to 1,625,000 from the big blind and Dimoni quickly clicked raise again, with gregor7878 calling off his final half-million.

gregor7878 held the best of it when the cards were tabled, as his [As][Qd][Js][Jc] had Dimoni's [Ac][Qh][7d][7s] dominated. That was, until the [9d][7h][4d] flop fell, giving the chip leader a set and leaving gregor7878 drawing to the turn and river. There wasn't a re-suck out, as the [Kh] and [5d] completed the board and confirmed gregor7878's early exit from the final table. He'd make $1,593.31 for his 6th place finish, while Dimoni increased his chip lead to just over 23,000,000. 

BACK TO BACK: Dimoni not done yet, Skjervoy eliminated in 5th place

If this wasn't online poker, Dimoni likely would have still been stacking his chips from the last pot when he and Skjervoy got involved on the very next hand. Thankfully, the pixels figured themselves out quickly enough to see the short stacked high stakes player open to 875,000 from the cutoff. Dimoni then three-bet to 2,750,000 from the big blind and the Norwegian called off for 1,095,000 more. Dimoni was again behind, showing [Ac][tc][9d][2c] to Skjervoy's [As][Ad][Kd][td]. 

The chip leader hit the entire [th][9s][2d] flop though, leaving his opponent searching for help. It didn't come, as the [8s] fell on the turn and the [3d] was another brick on the river to confirm Skjervoy's 5th place elimination. Andres Torbergsen makes $2,942.80 for his final table run while Domini added to his advantage on the top of the leaderboard. 

YOU'LL GET ONE DOUBLE BUT THAT'S IT: Lystig doubles but then hits the rail in 4th place

On the very next hand, the short stacks finally got some traction, albeit some short lived traction.  Lystig scored a double through Abbe77 but a few hands later, was sent to the rail one spot short of the podium. 

The double was picked up with Abbe77 opening to 555,555 from the cutoff and Lystig, next to act on the button, quickly three-bet to 2,041,665. That represented a majority of his stack and Abbe77 then wasted no time getting it all-in, with Lystig calling for 269,000 more. He needed to hold to stay alive, as his [As][Ks][Kc][6s] was against Abbe77's [Ah][Qh][td][7h]. 

The [Ac][4c][4h][Jc][3c] runout was good for the double, as Lystig's pair of kings came in handy to represent his high-card. That shot him up to 4,990,0000, while Abbe77 was left with just under 5,480,000. A half dozen hands later, that double counted for nothing though. Lystig ran into me so fish, starting his run up the leaderboard. 

me so fish opened the button to 625,000 and Lystig three-bet to 2,000,000 even from the big blind. me so fish then clicked it back to 6,125,000, which was more than enough to put the short stack all-in, as Lystig called off for 2,600,000 more. He needed to crack aces to stay alive, holding [Ah][Ks][Qd][tc] to me so fish's [Ad][As][4d][8h]. 

After the [7d][7c][5h] flop, it wasn't looking good for Lystig and when the [2d] fell on the turn, he was officially drawing dead. The [Kc] completed the board but it was too little, too late, with Lystig falling in 4th place for a $4,624.40 score. me so fish moved just under 14,000,000 after the hand, still trailing the final table chip leader Dimoni by a decent margin. 

CHANGE AT THE TOP: me so fish takes two pots, chip lead off Dimoni

For the first few hands of final table play, it looked like Dimoni was going to go wire-to-wire and run away with this Event #11-L title. That was, until me so fish got involved with the chip leader to first take the chip lead and then extend it in a matter of a few hands.

Both of those hands were in blind versus blind encounters, with the first seeing Dimoni opening to 750,000 from the small blind. me so fish called in the big to see the [Kc][tc][7c] flop. Dimoni made the same wager on the flop and me so fish just called again to see the [Ad] fall on the turn. Dimoni didn't slow down, betting 1,500,000. The Fin called for a third time and after the [7s] paired the board on the river, Dimoni finally pumped the brakes. 

He checked and me so fish bet 5,000,000. Dimoni quickly called only to see his opponent table [Ac][Kh][Kd][7h], for a rivered full house. A 16,000,000 chip pot was heading to me so fish and with it, went the chip lead, as he was playing 21,995,000 to Dimoni's 18,700,000.

A few hands later, me so fish's chip lead was increasing with Dimoni on the wrong end of another battle of the blinds. Dimoni raised to 625,000 from the small blind and me so fish again just called to see a [7c][7h][4s] flop. Dimoni check-called 750,000 and after the [Kc] fell on the turn, he checked for a second time, only to raise to 4,500,000 after me so fish bet 1,750,000. 

me so fish called and after the [Js] completed the board, both players quickly checked. Domino turned over [Kd][Qd][6h][5h] for kings and sevens but that was no good, as me so fish tabled [Qh][9h][7s][4h] for a flopped full house. When the chip settled, me so fish was playing the better part of 28,000,000, while Domini was at his lowest standing, with 12,000,000, since there were two tables remaining. 

DIMONI'S FALL CONTINUES: Abbe77 doubles to knock Dimoni down even further

When three-handed play began me so fish and Dimoni controlled nearly 40,000,000 of the 46,000,000 chips in play but the two big stacks couldn't stay out of each other's way, with Dimoni seeing his chip lead quickly disappear. Abbe77 was the player working the short stack but after playing spectator while the big stacks clashed, he scored a drop Dimoni down even further. 

That hand was picked up after Level 39 began, pumping the blinds to 150K/300K, with Abbe77 opening to 600,000 from the button and Dimoni three-betting to 2,100,000 from the small blind. The big blind folded and Abbe77 called to see the [Qc][5h][4h] flop in position. Dimoni shoved the flop and Abbe77 called off for his 3,760,000 chip effective stack, holding [Qd][Qs][8d][3s]. Dimoni turned over [As][Qh][Js][tc] and while he had top pair, he was drawing thin, as Abbe77 had flopped top set. 

The [Jc] gave the former chip leader a gut-shot draw to broadway on the turn but after the [6h] bricked out on the river, Abbe77 was scoring the double. He chipped up to 12,030,000 and Dimoni was left working 4,200,000, the shortest stack remaining at the final table. 

 BRICK, BRICK; DOWN TO TWO: Dimoni's draw doesn't get there, he's out in 3rd place

After giving up the chip lead at the end of the last level, nothing seemed to go Dimoni's way and eventually, he was all-in with a massive draw against me so fish's two pair. That hand was picked up with Dimoni opening to 900,000 from the small blind and the Fin calling to see the [Qs][tc][2c] flop. 

Dimoni bet 1,999,9999 and me so fish quickly raised to 4,800,000. That was enough to put the short stack all-in, as Dimoni called off for just 2,028,000 more. He held [Ac][Kc][th][8c] for bot flush and straight draws but me so fish had him again, holding [Qc][ts][9s][6d]. The chip leader's two pair held through the [8h] turn, which gave Dimoni and inferior two pair hand, and after the [9h] completed the board, Dimoni's downfall was complete, as he hit the rail in 3rd place. 

Dimoni made $7,146.80 for his podium finish but that meant that Event #11-L : $11+R PL Omaha [6-Max], $25K was heads up for the title. me so fish held a nearly 2.5:1 chip lead, working 32,882,000 to Abbe77's 13,322,000. 

 ACES VERSUS KINGS FOR ALL THE CHIPS: Cooler ends Event #11-L, Abbe77 eliminated in 2nd place, me so fish wins first SCOOP title and $13,244

Pot Limit Omaha is usually a game of draws and slight edges but a few hands into Level 40, with the blinds at 200K/400K, the chips got in the middle with each player looking to go Route 1. me so fish held pocket aces and Abbe77 held pocket kings, with that hand starting with the chip leader opening to 2,400,000 from the button. 

Abbe77 then three-bet to 7,200,000 from the big blind and it was just a matter of time until the four-bet came, as me so fish clicked it back to 21,600,000. Abbe77's effective stack was just 12,675,000 and he called, turning over [kh][ks][tc][9s]. He needed help though, as me so fish tabled [Ac][Ad][Qd][6s]. 

Help didn't come on the [8d][4c][2d] flop and after the [6d] fell on the turn, Abbe77 was drawing dead heading to fifth street, as me so fish had improved to the nut flush. The [7c] cruelly completed the board, and a meaningless straight for Abbe77. He'll make $9,669.20 for his runner-up finish while me so fish takes home $13,244.01 for the win. 

me so fish also claimed a special champions watch courtesy of Movado, hardware to commemorate his first ever SCOOP victory. A complete list of the Event #11-L final table results are posted below:

SCOOP-11-L ($11+R PL Omaha) results
Entrants: 2,442 (4,300 re-buys, 1,66 add-ons)
Total prize pool: $84,080
Places paid: 330

1. me so fish (Finland) $13,244.01
2. Abbe77 (Sweden) $9,669.20
3. Dimoni (United Kingdom) $7,146.80
4. Lystig (Norway) $4,624.40
5. Skjervoy (Norway) $2,942.80
6. gregor7878 (Poland) $1,593.31 Will O'Connor is a freelance contributor to the PokerStars Blog.

Heads-up poker is a nuance of its own. Some players do their best damage in a multi-opponent combative situation, whereas others seem to truly thrive when it's just one-on-one. In a heads-up tournament you never know what type of player you'll be up against from round to round. Some players will want to throw down in an all-out war of nuclear annihilation from the get go, and others will opt for a more conservative route and venture toward a protracted, drawn-out match. So you have to be able to be flexible and win an impromptu street brawl, or bog down in an elongated match, much like an invading army laying siege to a medieval castle.

Greece's 5dioresta went on one heck of a heater to win 11 straight matches (spread out over two days of action) and fade a field of 1,710 heads-up enthusiasts. It wasn't an easy path but somehow 5dioresta was the last one standing and successfully parlayed $109 into a payday worth $21,578.

The middle version of SCOOP Event #8-M $109 NL Heads-Up attracted 1,710 runners. They created a prize pol worth $171,000. The top 256 places paid out with exactly $21,578.49 set aside for the champ.

A total of 64 players survived five matches on Day 1 and all of them locked up a cash. They returned on Day 2 to play down to the championship and figure out which one of them was going to win six heads-up matches in a row.

ELITE 8
5dioresta vs. VAH777
giorgosfer vs. forcadellmg
androo11 vs. Lepych
mr.salgado30 vs. PhilRoyal888

The ninth round started with 2.56M stacks.

BORN UNDER PUNCHES: VAH777 eliminated in 8th place

If you blinked, you might have missed this quickie of a heads-up bout. It wasn't as fast as Mike Tyson-Leon Spinks, or nearly as fast as Connor McGregor's haymaker on Jose Aldo...but it was a fast one. 5dioresta was the first player to advanced to the final four and win the 9th round match. 5dioresta decimated VAH777 early on. VAH777 made a final stand for 617,571 with [Ks][Js], but 5dioresta was ahead with [Ac][4h]. The results were not pretty. 5dioresta flopped trips then rivered a full house when the board ran out [As][Ad][Jh][9c][4d]. VAH777 was dunzo in eighth place, which paid out $3,823.56.

THE GREAT CURVE: giorgosfer eliminated in 7th place

In another quickie of a bout... forcadellmg moved all-in for 4,810,034 and giorgosfer called all-in for 279,246. giorgosfer was not in the best of shape with [Ks][2s] against forcadellmg's [5d][5h]. The board ran out [Qh][Th][8c][6c][3d] and forcadellmg's pocket fives held up. Greece's giorgosfer was knocked out in seventh place, which paid out $3,823.56.

HOUSES IN MOTION: Lepych eliminated in 6th place

Another sad tale of pocket eights getting snapped off by 9-6 offsuit. It's one of those morose bad beat stories that we only tell late at nights in the corner of darken pubs after a head full of liquid courage.The action-inducing flop [5s][4d][3h] was like catnip for these bored house cats. androo11 checked, Lepych fired out 61,440, androo11 brazenly check-raised to 153,600, Lepych thumbed his nose back and shoved for 618,216, and androo11 called. Lepych was ahead with [8s][8d], but androo11 flopped an open-ended straight draw with [9c][6d]. The turn was the [8c], which improved Lepych to a set of eights. The river was the [2s]. One card, the mere [2s], sent a player into the semi-finals and yet the same [2s] sealed a tomb for the other. Lepych was unable to fade a straight and a set of eights were demolished by androo11's six-high straight. Sweden's androo11 moved onto the Final Four, while Russia's Lepych was dunzo in sixth place, which paid out $3,823.56.

SEEN AND NOT SEEN: mr.salgado30 eliminated in 5th place

In the longest of the Elite 8 matches, PhilRoyal888 took out mr.salgado30 after flopping two pair and turning a boat with [Js][8d] against mr.salgado30's [Qc][5c] when the board finished up [Jd][8h][5h][Jc][9h]. mr.salgado30's bustout in fifth place was worth a $3,823.56 payday.

FINAL FOUR
PhilRoyal888 (U.K.) vs. 5dioresta (Greece)
androo11 (Sweden) vs. forcadellmg (Mexico)

The tenth round featured starting stacks at 5.12M.

THE OVERLOAD: forcadellmg eliminated in 4th place

All the money went all-in on the flop of [9d][7s][6h]. forcadellmg flopped top pair and a gutshot with [Ts][9h], but androo11 led with [Qs][Qh]. The turn was the [5c] and the river was the [Jh]. Neither card helped forcadellmg and androo11's pocket Queens held up. Mexico's forcadellmg busted in fifth place, which paid out $6,867.36. Sweden's androo11 became the first player to advance to the finals.

CROSSEYED AND PAINLESS: PhilRoyal888 eliminated in 3rd place

Tough beat. Big Slick got whacked by the "Tourist." 5dioresta open-shoved for 8,655,437 with [Ad][7d] and PhilRoyal888 called all-in for 1,328,563 with [Ah][Kd]. You figure Big Slick would be good, right? Not until a seven hit the flop. The board finished up [Jc][7h][6s][5s][3s] and 5dioresta won the pot with a pair of sevens and advanced to the finals. PhilRoyal888 had over $1.5M in career winnings. The Brit even shipped the Sunday Warm Up in 2014 and made a SCOOP final table 2013, but it was not going to be his special day. Alas, he was busto in third place and bubbled off the final table. For a third place finish, PhilRoyal888 won $6,867.36.

HEADS-UP CHAMPIONSHIP: androo11 (Sweden) vs. 5dioresta (Greece)
Seat 1: 5dioresta (10,240,000)
Seat 2: androo11 (10,240,000)

The 11th and final round featured stacks starting at 10.24M. Blinds started at 51,200/102,400.

The final round lasted 50 minutes. androo11 took an early lead in the second level of play. He got as high as 14M before 5dioresta fought back. By the start of the third level, 5dioresta was the one with nearly a 5M lead with 12.5M to 78M. By the fourth level, the pendulum swung back toward androo11's way and the chips went back to the Swedish side of the table. androo11 opened a 3-1 edge, but was unable to knockout 5dioresta when the opportunity presented itself. Both players held flushes on a board of [Ac][7h][7s][2s][Js], but 5dioresta held [As][5s] versus androo11's [Ks][8s]. 5dioresta doubled up and avoided and elimination to win a 10.3M pot. That would be the last time that androo11 had the lead or a chance to win. Four hands later, it would be all over with a Greek chorus singing 5dioresta's praises.

ONCE IN A LIFETIME: androo11 eliminated in 2nd place; 5dioresta wins SCOOP bracelet!

It was almost even in chips with 5dioresta ahead slightly. 5dioresta opened to 409,600 and androo11 called. On a flop of [6s][4s][3h], androo11 check-called a 409,600 bet from 5dioresta. The [6h] fell on the turn and fireworks ensued. androo11 fired out 819,200, 5dioresta raised to 2,457,600, androo11 shoved for 8,955,458, and 5dioresta called.

androo11: [Kc][Tc]
5dioresta: [6d][3c]

Man, talk about a horrible time to bluff into the nuts! If Walt "Clyde" Frazier was calling the action, he'd say, "androo11 had absolute air when he ran right into the dragon's lair." 5dioresta flopped two pair and turned a full house. The [7s] was the river card and it was official: 5dioresta won the pot and the tournament. Sweden's androo11 headed to the virtual rail in second place. For a runner-up finish, androo11 earned $13,729.59.

Congrats to Greece's 5dioresta for winning a bracelet and a first-place payday worth $21,578.49. Oh, let's not forget the sleek champion's watch courtesy of Movado.

SCOOP-08-M ($109 NL Hold'em, Heads-Up) results
Entrants: 1,710
Total prize pool: $171,000.00
Places paid: 256

1. 5dioresta (Greece) $21,578.49
2. androo11 (Sweden) $13,729.59
3. PhilRoyal888 (U.K.) $6,867.36
4. forcadellmg (Mexico) $6,867.36
5. mr.salgado30 (Brazil) $3,823.56
6. Lepych (Russia) $3,823.56
7. giorgosfer (Greece) $3,823.56
8. VAH777 (Armenia) $3,823.56

Pauly McGuire is the author of "Lost Vegas" and a freelance contributor to PokerStars Blog.

This time last year, the Australian poker community were celebrating the success of one of their finest, James "Andy McLEOD" Obst, who had won a third SCOOP title in the $1,050 Pot Limit Omaha 6-Max Event and over $166,000.

Fast forward 12 months and Obst has done it all over again.

In the recap for PokerStars Blog, my colleague Martin Harris used the headline "Obst obliterates field". Well, that same description seems entirely appropriate to use again today. Obst obliterated them once again with a crushing display of big-stack poker. Obst single-handedly eliminated every one of his opponents on the final table with a combination of aggression, skill and a little luck, on his way to his fourth SCOOP title (and sixth 'COOP) and over $155,000 in prize money.

Obst navigated his way through a tough field of 244 entrants, including many of the world's finest players, in Event #11-H $1,050+R Pot Limit Omaha 6-Max. Team PokerStars Pros Naoya Kihara, Jason Mercier, George Danzer and Andre Akkari all missed the money for the top 30 players with former Aussie Millions champion Ami "UhhMee" Barer the unfortunate bubble boy. Joseph "subiime" Cheong (24th - $6,066), Mustapha "lasagnaaammm" Kanit (17th - $7,751) and Justin "ZeeJustin" Bonomo (14th - $7,751) were some of the high-profile players to make the money, while the Twitch fanatics were going a little crazy about the deep run of Team PokerStars Pro Jason "jcarverpoker" Somerville. 

Somerville reached the final two tables before he moved in preflop with [4c][Ac][Th][8h] against Andy McLEOD's [Ks][3c][Jc][Jd]. Somerville failed to connect as Andy McLEOD made two pair to eliminate the popular poker pro in 9th place for $19,209.

Andy McLEOD's domination started on the final table bubble with two huge seven-figure pots. The first was against Dylan "ImaLucSac" Linde where Andy McLEOD doubled up with [2h][as][7c][ad] against ImaLucSac's connected [6s][9d][7s][8s]. That was followed by the elimination of former WCOOP champion TheFish77 in rather dramatic fashion. Andy McLEOD bet all three streets with the final bet to put TheFish77 all in. After some thought, he called with a king-high flush on the paired board but Andy McLEOD tabled a beautiful straight-flush to scoop the pot and see our final table set as follows:

Final Table Line Up
Seat 1: Domce (561,528 in chips)
Seat 2: huevo2000 (374,391 in chips)
Seat 3: Fabrizio "SixthSenSe19" Gonzalez (254,433 in chips)
Seat 4: Dylan "ImaLucSac" Linde (118,014 in chips)
Seat 5: Crisper (848,712 in chips)
Seat 6: James "Andy McLEOD" Obst (1,700,422 in chips)

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Andy McLEOD wasted no time in getting busy but ImaLucSac found aces on the first hand of the final table for a quick double up.

However that wouldn't be enough to save former SCOOP winner ImaLucSac from an early elimination. On a flop of [Ad][Kc][3d],  ImaLucSac led out with a pot-sized bet before Andy McLEOD put in a raise. By that stage, ImaLucSac was committed with [6c][9d][Kd][7s] but that was in deep trouble against Andy McLEOD's [Ah][2c][As][Qd]. The turn was the [qs] and river the [ac] for the cherry on the top, giving Andy McLEOD quads for the knockout. ImaLucSac picked up $27,634 for sixth place.

Domce halted the momentum of Andy McLEOD with a double up with aces, but the change was only temporary as Andy McLEOD dispatched of huevo2000 in brutal fashion. Andy McLEOD called a preflop raise before leading out at a board of [7d][2h][2c]. huevo2000 called all in for less and tabled [Kc][Ac][Ah][3d] which had Andy McLEOD's [As][9c][8c][Ts] in trouble. However incredibly the [6h] turn and [9h] river brought Andy McLEOD a runner-runner straight to take it down. An unlucky bust out for huevo2000 but he takes home $40,440 for fifth place.

Andy McLEOD continued to flex his muscles with the elimination of Crisper. After raising preflop, Andy McLEOD made a continuation bet on the flop of [3d][2c][Ts] and then made the call when Crisper moved all in. Andy McLEOD tabled [Qs][Jc][7h][Qh] for the overpair but again trailed as Crisper showed [6d][2d][Th][3h] for two pair. However the [4d] turn and [4h] river again delivered runner-runner relief for Andy McLEOD as he made a bigger two pair. Crisper would ultimately finish in fourth place for $53,920 in prize money.

By this stage Andy McLEOD had a commanding chip lead with over three-quarters of the chips in play, and he'd single-handedly been responsible for the last four eliminations of the tournament.

Andy McLEOD turned up the pressure on the two short stacks and it would be Fabrizio "SixthSenSe19" Gonzalez to crack next. SixthSenSe19 opened with a raise and was committed for what was left after Andy McLEOD put in a three-bet. SixthSenSe19 opened [9c][Qs][6h][Ts] but Andy McLEOD held a monster [Ad][Ac][3d][Js]. SixthSenSe19 caught a pair but that was it on the board of [4c][9d][7d][5c][Kc] leaving him to depart in third place for a handsome $80,880 score.

Heads-up Chip Counts
Seat 1: Domce (482,056 in chips)
Seat 6: Andy McLEOD (3,375,444 in chips)

It was a huge chip lead for the Aussie entering heads-up play but Domce put up some stubborn resistance. Domce, a former SCOOP PLO champion, landed a double up immediately with a straight against two pair, before he doubled again when both players made a full house.

The chips were virtually dead level when the final hand erupted. A min-raise preflop would take the two players to a [Kc][3s][3c] flop. Andy McLEOD checked and then raised the continuation bet from Domce, but the Lithuanian made the call to see the [6h] hit the turn. Andy McLEOD bet again and Domce called as the [kh] double-paired the board on the river. After a little thought, Andy McLEOD moved all in and Domce snapped it off with [7d][Kd][7h][3h] for a full house, kings full of threes. But once again, Andy McLEOD had that pipped with his [Ts][Ks][6c][3d] making a full house with kings full of sixes for the victory!

Domce takes a six-figure score of $107,840 back to Lithuania but the SCOOP title goes Down Under with James "Andy McLEOD" Obst going back-to-back in this very event to win his fourth SCOOP title and $155,020 in prize money. Congratulations!

2016 SCOOP-11-H: $1,050+R PL Omaha - $200K Guaranteed
Entrants: 244
Rebuys: 235
Add-ons: 195
Prize Pool: $674,000
Places Paid: 30

1. James "Andy McLEOD" Obst (Australia) $155,020.00
2. Domce (Lithuania) $107,840.00
3. Fabrizio "SixthSenSe19" Gonzalez (Uruguay) $80,880.00
4. Crisper (Argentina) $53,920.00
5. huevo2000 (Argentina) $40,440.00
6. Dylan "ImaLucSac" Linde (Canada) $27,634.00

The Spring Championship of Online Poker is the biggest and richest tournament festival of the year, with millions in prize money to be won, a packed schedule, and separate buy-in levels designed to suit all bankrolls.

A total prize pool of $40 million is guaranteed with the series running right through until May 22nd. Head to the SCOOP home page for more details.

Heath "TassieDevil" Chick is a freelance contributor to PokerStars Blog.

Three days into the SCOOP festival and it feels like the players haven gotten comfortable in their routine. The seventh set of tournaments sees the first rebuy events. The low version was $7.50+R NL Hold'em and saw the $50k prize pool well and truly smashed.  After 8,419 entries (with 10,401 rebuys and 5,975 add-ons) were accumulated, the prize pool had more than tripled its guarantee to $169,101.90.

The last 1,080 were looking to make the money on Day 1 where a minimum $35.51 would be locked up. Nereik, from the Netherlands, missed that target by one spot but PokerStars representatives George Danzer (563 for $50.73), 
Chen-An Lin (565 for $50.73) and Grzegorz "DaWarsaw" Mikielewicz (164 for $91.31) all managed to lock up small cashes before busting.  

The final table

Seat 1: facunha (35,852,118 in chips) 
Seat 2: holly17 (25,616,667 in chips) 
Seat 3: pit25271 (8,985,630 in chips) 
Seat 4: JonnyB6971 (6,727,111 in chips) 
Seat 5: joshuah333 (11,233,178 in chips) 
Seat 6: Budoa2 (9,394,500 in chips) 
Seat 7: Mascarenhasa (12,284,275 in chips) 
Seat 8: ilya-vd (24,724,376 in chips) 
Seat 9: kondikurt (4,094,645 in chips) 

kondikurt busts six hands in

It took only six hands of the final table before the first player was felled. kondikurt found a great spot to get his chips in but ilya-vd has played pocket aces sneakily and called to bust him. Mascarenhasa raised from the cutoff and ilya-vd just flat called with [ad][ah] before kondikurt squeezed all-in from the small blind for 11 big blinds holding [ac][td]. ilya-vd was the only caller and sailed through a [4d][8h][ks][6d][qd] board to move into second place behind facunha. 

ilya-vd pounces to remove Budoa2

ilya-vd was at it again a few hands later, and once more the Russian took a very tricky line.  Budoa2 opened with [kh][jd] and picked up two callers, including ilya-vd with [kc][qc]. All three checked a [ks][9h][kd] flop before Budoa2 led the [7s] turn and shoved the [5d] river. All ilya-vd had to do by that stage was call and call. Job done. 

facunha extends lead by eliminating JonnyB6971 in seventh

ilya-vd was still narrowly behind facuna after eliminating Budoa2 but the latter stretched clear again by winning a race to bust JonnyB6971. The Canadian had fewer than nine big blinds when he picked up [kc][qd] in the big blind, and facing a cutoff raise from the chip leader. He shoved; facunha called with [8h][8s] and survived an [ah][9d][6d][4d][3s] board. 

Bad timing costs Mascarenhasa

After JonnyB6971 went there was a long period where no player busted. A few short stacks doubled, there were two split pots and facuna lost a pot, and chip lead, to holly17. 

If there was one player to end the bust-out drought though, it was ilya-vd, and no tricks were needed this time. The action folded around to Mascarenhasa in small blind and the Brazilian moved all-in for 12 big blinds with [qd][8c]. ilya-vd made an easy call with [js][jc] and the board rolled out as [3h][4h][5c][8s][5h]. That moved the Russian to within a whisker of holly17, and after a small pot the very next hand, the chip lead was secured for the first time at the final table.

No regal end for joshuah333

First joshuah333 lost a pot to an opponent holding pocket kings, then a few hands later, he busted holding them. "run better" he said pit25271 after the latter found kings in the small blind when he ace A-9 in the big blind. 

The next time joshuah333 was in the big blind; it was he who was holding [kd][ks]. He three-bet all-in for 9.5 big blinds and holly17, who had raised the button with [as][2d], called and flopped an ace on a board than ran [qd][3s][ad][5s][9h]. 

That win put holly17 back into the lead, a position the UK-based player cemented even further over the coming hands. When talks of a deal were mentioned, it was holly17 who refused after saying that the title meant too much.  

ilya-vd's fun ride ends in fourth

The entertaining and tricky ilya-vd couldn't ride the SCOOP train all the way to the end, busting in fourth place. Firstly he became the next player to double pit25271 - when [kh][qd] could come from behind to beat [ad][2s] - and then the same player came back to finish off the job. 

The Russian three-bet all-in for 13 big blinds from the small blind holding [3h][3s] but pit25271 had opened his button with [ac][ah], called, and improved on a [ad][kh][8c][js][2h] board.

pit25271's luck runs out

Once play got down to three-handed, and any deal talk was firmly in the past, the action was tuned up to 11. All three players were going for it, and all three had turns leading as well as turns as the short stack. 

pit25271 had been all-in more than any other player at the final table, sometimes ahead, sometimes behind, and the showdown luck finally gave in. The German's last three hands were all preflop all-ins, losing the first, doubling back up the second, before falling on the third. The last saw holly17 move all-in from the small blind with [qh][9s] and pit25271 call all-in with [4s][4h], before a board ran [qd][qs][ad][5s][jc]. 

Heads up counts:

Seat 1: facunha (40,851,385 in chips) 
Seat 2: holly17 (98,061,115 in chips)  

holly17 started heads up with a big advantage and that only grew, as the Brit became the first player in the tournament to amass a nine-figure stack. From there though, holly17 found it hard to push on, as facunha seemed to channel the Brazilian spirit that seems to be burning so brightly during the early periods of this SCOOP series. Almost 100 heads-up hands passed before something gave, and it wasn't the end, it was facunha winning a series of pots to take over the lead. Only one small pot went to showdown, the rest headed facunha's way with pure aggression, and before long holly17 had a shoving stack. 

The Brit moved all-in with [kd][7s] for just over ten big blinds and spiked a seven on the turn to beat [ad][kh]. The next time holly17 was all-in and dominated the luck ran out. Six hands passed and the chips were in again.

Facnha: [ah][ks]
Holly17: [ac][9s]

The board ran [qh][jh][8c][qs][3s] to see big-slick hold. 

A valiant effort by holly17 but after an epic heads up battle, the title goes to facunha of Brazil who win an incredible fifth SCOOP title already for the country. 

SCOOP 7-L: $7.50+R NL Hold'em, $50k guaranteed
Entrants: 8,419 (10,401 rebuys, 5,975 add-ons)
Prize pool: $169,101.90
Places paid: 1,080

1. facunha (Brazil) $25,370.06
2. holly17 (UK) $18,663.77
3. pit25271 (Germany) $13,528.15
4. ilya-vd (Russia) $8,962.40
5. joshuah333 (Canada) $6,933.17
6. Mascarenhasa (Brazil) $5,242.15

Last year, Luke "lb6121" Schwartz won two SCOOP titles to go with two others he'd won in years past. Schwartz picked up right where he left off on Tuesday and won his fifth SCOOP title, which ties him with Shaun Deeb and puts him just one behind Calvin Anderson's record six wins.

Schwartz topped a field of 145 entries to win SCOOP-06-H: $2,100 NL Omaha Hi/Lo [6-Max, Progressive Super-Knockout] for $19,578.12 in bounties and a $32,151.93 prize. The tournament, which started each player with a $1,000 bounty that progressively got bigger each time they eliminated another player, nearly tripled its $100,000 guarantee by creating a $290,000 prize pool, half of which went to the regular prize pool and the other half to the bounty prize pool. 

Day 2 saw just 12 players returned to action with Vladimir "vovtroy" Troyanovskiy and his stack of 239,616 leading the way, while Team Online's Naoya "nkenyo" Kihara began the day second in chips with 175,823. Unfortunately for the man from Japan, things went about as bad as they could and he ended up busting in 11th place for $8,750 in bounties and a $3,117.50 prize. 

Austria's "kuhns89" preceded him in 12th place for $4,000 in bounties and a $3,117.50 prize, while "Isidinho" (9th - $5,500 in bounties & $4,712.50 prize), "blanconegro" (8th - $6,625 in bounties & $4,712.50 prize), and "Mikleler" (7th - $7,500 in bounties & $4,712.50 prize).

Here's a look at how things stacked up at the start of the final table:

Vladimir "vovtroy" Troyanovskiy - 367,834
Luke "lb6121" Schwartz - 360,123
Nelson "FeCoNiCuZn" Maccini - 250,080
João "Naza114" Vieira - 233,479
biszibosz - 184,089
Bernardo "bedias" Dias - 54,395

Dias Busts Sixth to Vieira

The first final table came in the 2,000/4,000/500 level when Bernardo "bedias" Dias raised to 8,769 only to have João "Naza114" Vieira three-bet all in for 141,960. Dias called off his remaining 89,070 and the cards were turned up.

Dias: [ad][3h][kh][qh]
Vieira: [ah][2c][5c][jc]

The board ran out [4s][6d][5h][8s][6s] and Vieira scooped the pot with the nut low and two pair for a high. Dias, who won the March 23, 2014 Sunday Million for $233,674.32, took home $5,062.50 in bounties and a $6,525 prize for his sixth-place finish.

Aces No Good for Vieira, Who Falls in Fifth

With the blinds at 3,000/6,000/750, Schwartz raised to 18,000 under the gun and Vieira three-bet jammed for 119,436 from the cutoff. The rest of the players folded and Schwartz made the call.

Vieira: [ad][ah][5c][9c]
Schwartz: [Qh][Qd][8h][4d]

Vieira got it in good, but he fell way behind after the [Ks][Qc][9h] flop delivered Schwartz a set. Neither the [3h] turn nor [7h] river helped Vieira, and he hit the rail in fifth place for $10,093.75 in bounties and a $9,425 prize.

Schwartz Scores Another Bounty, Maccini Falls in Fourth

In the next level, with the blind at 3,500/7,000/875, action folded to Nelson "FeCoNiCuZn" Maccini in the small blind and he moved all in for his last 65,448 and Schwartz called from the big.

Maccini: [qd][qc][3d][Ts]
Schwartz: [6d][9s][kh][4s]

Maccini was out in front, but the [2s][6s][8c] flop made things interesting by giving Schwartz a pair with a flush draw. The [5s] turn completed the flush, and Schwartz scored another bounty after the [T10] was run out on the river. Maccini was awarded $7,250 in bounties and a $12,325 prize for his fourth-place finish.

Biszibosz Misses All His Draws to Fall in Third

With the blinds at 4,000/8,000/1,000, Troyanovskiy raised to 16,800 from the button, "biszibosz" called from the big blind, and the flop came down [5c][2h][qc]. biszibosz check-called a bet of 16,240 and then moved all in on the [5h] turn. Troyanovskiy made the call and the cards were turned up.

Troyanovskiy: [ac][8c][3s][7s]
Biszibosz: [8h][6d][4h][3h]

Biszibosz held an open-ended straight flush draw, but the [7d] river was a big blank. Troyanovskiy scooped the pot with the nut low and two pair, while biszibosz took his leave in third place for just $1,500 in bounties, though a nice $18,850 prize.

Two Top Pros Battle for the Title

Heads-up play began with Schwartz out in front with 848,852 in chips to Troyanovskiy's 601,148. Still, the two opted to strike a deal that saw the former lock up $32,151.93 and the latter $30,923.07, while leaving the bounties and title up for play.

In what would be the final hand of the tournament, which took place in the 7,000/14,000/1,750 level, Troyanovskiy raised to 28,000 from the small blind and Schwartz called to see the [7h][7c][9s], which they both checked.

The [3s] turn saw Troyanovskiy bet 29,750, Schwartz called, and the [As] completed the board on the river. Troyanovskiy bet 59,500, Schwartz moved all in, and Troyanovskiy called off his remaining 464,198 with the [9c][7s][jh][Ts] for a flopped full house. 

Unfortunately for him, it was no good as Schwartz had rivered a bigger one with the [ah][ad][2d][7d]. There were no lows in play, and Troyanovskiy, who previously won the 2014 SCOOP-12-H: $2,100 Stud for $36,060, was eliminated in second place with $8,562.50 in bounties. Meanwhile, Schwartz captured yet another SCOOP title plus $19,578.12 in bounties to go along with his $32,151.93 prize.

SCOOP-06-H: $2,100 NL Omaha Hi/Lo [6-Max, Progressive Super-Knockout]
Entrants: 145
Prize Pool: $290,000 ($145,000 in regular prize pool; $145,000 in bounty prize pool)
Place Paid: 18

1st - Luke "lb6121" Schwartz (UK) $19,578.12 in bounties & $32,151.93 prize
2nd - Vladimir "vovtroy" Troyanovskiy (Russia) $8,562.50 in bounties & $30,923.07*
3rd - biszibosz (Poland) $1,500 in bounties & $18,850 prize
4th - Nelson "FeCoNiCuZn" Maccini (Australia) $7,250 in bounties & $12,325 prize
5th - João "Naza114" Vieira (Czech Republic) $10,093.75 in bounties & $9,425 prize
6th - Bernardo "bedias" Dias (Brazil) $5,062.50 in bounties & $6,525

*Denotes heads-up deal

This year's SCOOP is just getting started, and you can keep tabs on it all at the 2016 SCOOP homepage. You can also find recaps for each event right here on the PokerStars Blog.

This wasn't your average tournament. 

For starters, it was Omaha Hi/Lo; one of the mixed game variants you'll rarely see on television or played at a home game around a friend's kitchen table. Then you have to take into consideration that this was No Limit, rather than the more traditional Pot Limit or Limit versions. On top of that, the players play around 6-Max tables, increasing the need to play more hands and therefore altering starting hand ranges. And finally, it was a Super-Knockout, which meant that for every elimination, the executioner would pick up half of all bounties collected by the eliminated player.

This all creates a lot of action.

In this game, you can win by having the best Hi hand when no Lo hand is present, or chop by having the best Lo hand. Due to the Hi/Lo element so many pots end up being chopped; throw in the bounties that have been building since Level 1, and the reward for getting involved and busting players increases the action even more.

In the 2016 Spring Championship of Online Poker Event 6-L, a $27 NL Omaha Hi/Lo 6-Max Progressive Super-Knockout, we saw 2,966 action-seekers throw themselves in the mix. The $72,815.30 prize pool smashed the £25K guarantee, and was essentially split in half into a main prize pool and bounty prize pool. Aside from collecting bounties, they were all chasing the first place prize of $5,748.35 and a coveted SCOOP championship. 

PokerStars Team Online's Naoya 'nkeyno' Kihara put in the best showing for the red spade, finishing in 80th for $60.19 plus $166.79 in bounties. Other PokerStars Pros competing in this one included Chris Moneymaker, George Danzer, Twitch legend Jaime Staples, Adrienne "TalonChick" Rowsome, and Stavros 'IDOLLS' Kalfas, but all failed to make the money. 

At the end of Day 1, just nine players remained to come back and fight today, and one of them knew a thing or two about this event. Germany's Mastermandel might very well be the master of $27 NL Omaha Hi/Lo Super-Knockouts, as he had won this very event back in SCOOP 2014. Mastermandel would end up reaching the final table today, but the title and first place would go to Norway's Madkriss. Here's how.

The final table

It took less than half an hour for the three players to bust before we reached our final table of six. Those so-close-but-so-far were aktion90s (ninth for $437.78 + $91.05 in bounties), jason881 (eighth for $437.78 + $367.39 in bounties), and DrPingu (seventh for $437.78 + $192.61 in bounties).

Here's how the stacks looked when the remaining six combined:

Pycckui AA (Russia) 8,978,454
hamlo_ep (Russia) 6,988,526
Madkriss (Norway) 4,256,314
Matu_zaramay (Argentina) 4,072,156
mixxxxx99 (Ukraine) 3,686,705
Mastermandel (Germany) 1,677,845

Both the biggest stacks belonged to Russia's Pycckui AA and hamlo_ep, while the short stack was Germany's 2014 SCOOP champion in this event Mastermandal. The blinds were 40K/80K, and the stacks were deep.

Unfortunately for Mastermandel, his 20-big blind stack was not deep enough to make any impact on this final table. He'd be the first to bust when he moved all-in with the [7h][4d][As][9h] for 1.33 million and was called by Pycckui AA in the big blind with the [Jd][5c][8s][5s].

Flop: [5h][Qd][Kh]
Turn: [5h][Qd][Kh][Qh]
River: [5h][Qd][Kh][Qh][3s]

Mastermandel had made a King-high flush, but the full house of Pycckui AA, fives full of Queens, was best. There was no Lo hand, so the entire pot shipped to the chip leader and eliminated Mastermandel in sixth for $651.92 + $444.36 in bounties.

That elimination was quickly followed by Matu_zaramay's, and the play was similar. The Argentinian moved all-in for 1.365 million and Pycckui AA isolated to 2.64 million from the small blind. Fellow Russian hamlo_ep gave up the big blind and the hands were revealed:

Matu_zaramay: [Ks][Th][Kd][6d] 
Pycckui AA: [4c][3s][Ac][Tc]

Flop: [Kc][9s][3c]
Turn: [Kc][9s][3c][6h]
River: [Kc][9s][3c][6h][Jc]

Matu_zaramay had made a set of Kings, but that wasn't going to cut it against the rivered nut flush of Pycckui AA, who continued to collect bounties at will. Matu_zaramay banked $1,276.86 + $139.25 in bounties.

Four and all to play for

The swings in this game are so intense that it's hard to keep up. The chip lead and short stack titles switched so much that everyone was both at one point. 

Madkriss had become chip leader by the time mixxxxx99 left us in fourth. Pycckui AA min-opened to 320,000 and mixxxxx99 moved all-in for 2.66 million, which the Russian called.

mixxxxx99: [2s][5h][Ah][7s]
Pycckui AA: [7h][2h][4c][2d]

Flop: [9s][Jc][Ts]
Turn: [9s][Jc][Ts][9c]
River: [9s][Jc][Ts][9c][Kc]

A pair of deuces for Pycckui was all it took when all was said and done, and mixxxxx99 had $2,006.49 + $477.03 in bounties added to his bankroll.

When we got to three-handed between the two Russians and the Norwegian, one of the former - hamlo_ep - typed into the chat: "lets deal?" He'd get absolutely no response from the other two, so it was clear in this one we'd see them play for it all.

The chip counts were Pycckui_AA - 12.8 million, hamlo_ep - 8.6 million, and Madkriss - 8 million. Things were tight and it felt like anything could happen. Pycckui AA developed a dominant chip lead over several hands, gaining a 16.5 million to 8.4 million and 4.7 million advantage. But shortly after hamlo_ep began to get grinded down, while Madkriss successfully doubled two times and eventually took the same chip lead that Pycckui AA had at the beginning of three-handed play.

With blinds at 120K/240K, every pot was enormous. It was something that hamlo_ep's short stack just couldn't cope with, and subsequently he'd exit in third. With just 3.2 million to Pycckui AA's 12.7 million and Madkriss' 13.6 million, hamlo_ep moved all-in and was called by Madkriss.

hamlo_ep: [4h][9c][6s][Ac] 
Madkriss: shows [9d][Jd][4s][2s] 

Flop: [Jc][2d][9s]
Turn: [Jc][2d][9s][Qs]
River: [Jc][2d][9s][Qs][7s]

hamlo_ep could only muster a pair of nines and that wasn't even close to Madkriss' rivered flush. As a result, the Russian was out with a prize of $3,100.95 + $685.21 in bounties.

Heads-up

Madkriss came in with the chip lead and increased it further straight away. Pycckui opened to 636,000 and Madkriss called, taking us to a [Jd][5s][6c] flop. Pycckui AA continued for 972,360 after it was checked to him, but Madkriss three-bet to 4,249,080. Pycckui AA then moved-in for 11.6 million total, and got a call.

Madkriss: [As][Qc][Jh][4d] 
Pycckui AA: [7s][7h][4h][Ad] 

Turn: [Jd][5s][6c][Ts]
River: [Jd][5s][6c][Ts][2d]

Madkriss had a pair of Jacks and a 6,5,4,2,A for the LO, while Pycckui had a pair of sevens and the same LO. That meant that Madkriss scooped half of the pot, while they split the other half.

But then, as expected, the lead swung back the other way. Pycckui AA won a big hand by making a bigger two pair, yet despite that it still felt the momentum was with Madkriss. And that feeling turned out to be correct.

By the time of the final hand, Madkriss had 22.5 million to Pycckui AA's 7.07 million. A button-shove from the Russian was called and we were playing for it all:

Madkriss: [6d][Kd][5s][Ac] 
Pycckui AA: [9c][Ks][Qd][2s] 

Flop: [8s][3h][4d]
Turn: [8s][3h][4d][Th]
River: [8s][3h][4d][Th][2c]

Madkriss had hit both a deuce-to-six straight for the HI, and the wheel for the LO, meaning that was all she wrote for Pycckui AA. Still, $4,195.40 + $1,452.68 in bounties is a nice consolation.

Congratulations to your latest SCOOP 2016 champion - Norway's Madkriss, who won $5,748.35 + $1,776.55 in bounties!

SCOOP-06-L ($27 NL Omaha Hi/Lo 6-Max Progressive Super-Knockout) results
Entrants: 2,966 
Total prize pool: $72,815.30 ($36,481.80 regular prize pool, $36,333.50 bounty prize pool)
Places paid: 390

1. Madkriss (Norway) $5,748.35 + $1,776.55 in bounties
2. Pycckui AA (Russia) $4,195.40 + $1,452.68 in bounties
3. hamlo_ep (Russia) $3,100.95 + $685.21 in bounties
4. mixxxxx99 (Ukraine) $2,006.49 + $477.03 in bounties
5. Matu_zaramay (Argentina) $1,276.86 + $139.25 in bounties
6. Mastermandel (Germany) $651.92 + $444.36 in bounties

The live final of The Americas Cup of Poker (ACP) will be held at Resorts Casino Hotel, Atlantic City from June 23-27, 2016, PokerStars revealed today. This year, the Grand Final will coincide with the big soccer event taking place in New Jersey.

Teams representing countries from North and South America will each be composed of five players, who will each qualify online at PokerStars.

The eighth edition of the popular team poker competition will take place on PokerStars from May 9 to June 6 and encompass 12 regions from Canada to Argentina. Team USA will be made up of a combination of the best players from PokerStars' NJ Spring Championship of Online Poker, and the Americas Cup of Poker Freeroll held on Sunday May 29, both played out on PokerStarsNJ.com. This year the USA will play host to the live final, to be held at Resorts Casino Hotel in New Jersey. As the host of the Americas Cup of Poker, the USA team automatically qualify for the final. This year also sees Team Canada return to the competition after a five-year absence.

As in previous years, the Americas Cup of Poker will gather the best poker players from across the Americas to represent their countries in a unique competition. Twelve teams will compete in three groups over four weeks with the top 5 players from each qualified country winning one of the five available seats to represent their country in the Grand Final and play for their share of the $100,000 total prize pool.

Outside of Team USA the remaining online qualifiers will all be determined through an Americas Cup of Poker leader board.

Each group will include four countries. Group 1 will include Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay; Group 2 will include Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Other Latam, and Group 3 will include Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico and Venezuela. PokerStars will run online qualifiers for four weeks with buy-ins as low as $0.11 and freerolls also taking place daily at 18.00, 19.00 and 20.00 EST.

"The Americas Cup of Poker has been growing for the last seven years and this year will not be an exception. This year not only sees an improved structure and more tournaments, but also a great live final in New Jersey to wrap up all the action. The question is will Brazil beat Argentina this time around or will it be the USA's time to shine?" said Andre Akkari, Team PokerStars Pro.

2015 AMERICAS CUP OF POKER RESULTS
1st Argentina $32,500; $6,500 per player
2nd Brazil $25,000; $5,000 per player
3rd Venezuela $17,500; $3,500 per player
4th Uruguay $12,500; $2,500 per player
5th Mexico $7,500; $1,500 per player
6th Chile $5,000; $1,000 per player)