The PokerNews Cup is a mid-stakes live poker tournament series renowned for its global adaptability, massive player fields, and rich history spanning more than two decades.
First launched in 2007, the tournament has evolved into a headline feature anchored within some of the world's most prestigious poker festivals. By continually reshaping its identity to match the shifting landscapes of live poker, the Cup consistently delivers unparalleled tournament action directly to the players through strategic partnerships with major regional tours and venues such as the Goliath, RunGood Poker Series, Golden Nugget Las Vegas and King's Resort Rozvadov.
The first-ever PokerNews Cup took place in October 2007 at the Crown Melbourne, Australia, as part of an 11-event festival.
The inaugural Main Event saw 428 entrants, generating a prize pool of A$1.1 million. It was Australia native Dory Zayner who emerged victorious to become the inaugural PokerNews Cup champion and take home $266,959.
Dory Zayner won the 2007 PokerNews Cup
The Cup returned to Melbourne the next year, as the Main Event saw a field of 410 entrants to generate an A820,000 prizepool.
Bolstered by this success, the brand expanded into South Africa and Austria in 2008. First, Darren Kramer was crowned champion of a 175-player field in South Africa, taking home $140,575.
Then, Erich Kollman took down a 201-entry PokerNews Cup field in Austria for a €120,600 prize. The event returned to Melbourne one final time in 2009, with Con Tsapkounis topping a 381-player field to win $140,537, before the tournament firmly shifted its focus northward.
Moving to Casino Alpine in Innsbruck, Austria, the 2009 event saw the Netherlands' Marc Naalden secure the trophy and $63,094, topping a 129-player field and becoming the first PokerNews Cup champion on European soil.
Marc Naalden
The Cup Returns After Hiatus
Following a brief multi-year hiatus, the PokerNews Cup returned in 2014, when a €250 buy-in event was held at the Montesio Pokertainment Center in Vienna, Austria. Hanh Tran defeated a 403-player field to win €19,010.
The following year, the Cup found an enduring European home at King’s Casino Rozvadov.
The early 2015 edition saw Christian Krupp navigate a massive 1,550-entry field to lock up €57,473. Later that same year, Germany's Daniel Can won the 689-runner PokerNews Cup at King's for $17,898.
Daniel Can
By 2016, the tournament’s popularity peaked in the region when the €270 buy-in event attracted a colossal 1,082 entries. Timur Caglan conquered the massive field to secure a career-defining $67,541.
Timur Caglan
In 2017, Germany's Holger Bansner emerged victorious over 617 entries to win $28,277, notably denying Caglan an incredible back-to-back title as the former champ finished as the runner-up.
Before the live poker world paused, the PokerNews Cup made one final European stop in 2019 at the Finix Casino in Kulata, Bulgaria, where Greece's Panagiotis Panagiotidis outlasted 141 players to take home $20,708.
Panagiotis Panagiotidis
Viva Las Vegas
PokerNews Cup Las Vegas
In a major evolutionary shift, 2022 saw the PokerNews Cup head to Sin City, partnering with the Golden Nugget in downtown Las Vegas.
The event introduced a $1,100 buy-in paired with the player-favorite Mystery Bounty format. The tournament blew past its $1 million guarantee as 1,245 entries generated a $1,207,650 prize pool, the largest in the history of the Golden Nugget. American Gary Gelman claimed the top spot, pocketing a career-best $202,725.
Gary Gelman
The Cup returned to downtown Vegas in 2023 with the exact same formula. The field exploded to 2,331 entries, generating a staggering prize pool of over $2.2 million to become the largest PokerNews Cup ever held.
The United Kingdom's Johnny Kelly survived an intense final table to secure the trophy and $176,540 following a three-way deal.
Modern Partnerships: Goliath and RunGood Series
Continuing its strategy of aligning with massive community-focused festivals, the Cup returned to European soil in 2025. It partnered with Grosvenor Poker to anchor itself within the legendary Goliath festival at the CBS Arena in Coventry, England. The £550 PokerNews Cup drew 797 entries, where Kartik captured the trophy and £76,600 after defeating British veteran Kully Sidhu heads-up.
Kartik
The most recent chapter unfolded in Northern California, where the Cup partnered with the RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) Passport Season Finale at Thunder Valley Casino Resort. The $400 buy-in event easily surpassed its $250,000 guarantee as players converged on Lincoln, California, culminating in a marquee victory for Xiong Thao. You can read the full tournament recap here.
The inaugural PokerNews Cup took place in October 2007 at the prestigious Crown Melbourne in Australia.
What is the standard buy-in for the PokerNews Cup?
The buy-in has varied to match the event's host region, ranging from value-driven options like the €250 stops in Europe and the recent $400 buy-in event at Thunder Valley, up to $1,100 for the high-profile Mystery Bounty editions in Las Vegas.
Which countries and venues have hosted the PokerNews Cup over the years?
The Cup has visited venues across four continents, including major destinations in Australia, South Africa, Austria, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, and the United States (Borgata, Golden Nugget, and Thunder Valley).
What is the largest-ever PokerNews Cup in history?
The 2023 PokerNews Cup at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas holds the record for the largest field and prize pool in the tournament's history. Utilizing a popular Mystery Bounty format, the $1,100 buy-in event drew a staggering 2,331 entries to build a massive prize pool of more than $2.2 million.
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