GGPoker Winter Giveaway Series – The Final Week

As the Winter Giveaway Series (WGS) races toward its completion, the action has reached a whole new level of intensity. GGPoker’s New Year flagship series has proven to be the ultimate playground for poker enthusiasts worldwide, with jaw-dropping prize pools, creative tournament structures, and a celebratory energy fitting for the season. Kicking off in December and carrying the festive cheer into the new year, the WGS has drawn players from all over the globe, eager to grab a piece of the massive $100 million in guarantees and the extra $5 million in free cash.

This past week was nothing short of breathtaking, featuring heart-stopping finishes, underdog triumphs, and payouts that could change lives in an instant. From the adrenaline-pumping bounty tournaments to the lightning-fast Flip & Go events and the ever-enigmatic mystery bounties, players of every style and skill level have had their shot at glory. And with the series now entering its climactic final act, the competition is fiercer—and more thrilling—than ever.

Let’s examine the standout moments from this unforgettable weekend and spotlight the stellar performances that are setting the stage for an epic conclusion to the Winter Giveaway Series!

JOIN THE WINTER GIVEAWAY SERIES!

Event #23: Happy New Year

The first event of the final week was event #23: Happy New Year No Limit Hold’em tournament. This $11 buy-in event offered a $1,000,000 guarantee with $50,000 added as part of the WGS. The multitude of starting days saw 114,890 paid entrants to create a total prize pool of $1,212,686.80. Of the starters, 15,952 survived to the final day of the event to compete for a share of the prize pool. 

The final day of this tournament took 8 hours to run through completion, and when it was done, ‘ys93’ stood at the forefront, claiming $79,262.82 for the victory. Second place went to ‘Moccioso’, who earned $59,893.72, while ‘PlatiBaksi’ placed third for a total of $46,184.54.

Event #24: Bounty High Roller

January 7th saw Event #24: Bounty High Roller start at 13:00 but still attracted 1,527 to surpass the $500,000 guarantee and create a prize pool of $788,500, which included $25,000 added. The $525 buy-in tournament took nearly 9.75 hours to complete, at the end of which, ‘Frdaa’ stood atop the pile of poker players, earning $32,765.91 plus $38,857.09 in bounties. 

The runner-up, ‘Im sooo lucky’, was lucky enough and, although they did not win, did earn $32,765.04 plus $14,937.53 in bounties for finishing second, while ‘borntrouble’ finished third and earned $26,035.03 and an additional $7,046.87 from collected bounty rewards.

Event #25: Deepstacks

The next day, GGPoker ran Event #25: Deepstacks, a $25 buy-in tournament with a $150,000 guarantee, plus $7,500 added with deepstacks and slow blind levels. This event attracted 7,524 players determined to claim victory in one of the most skill-heavy tournaments in the WGS.

When late registration ended, the prize pool had grown to $180,552, and with the size of the field, it took nearly 12 hours to declare a champion. When the last cards were dealt, it was ‘Nightst@lker’ claiming the championship and top prize of $17,483.71. Sitting in second place after losing the final heads-up battle was ‘Can Miral’, who earned $13,476.19. The third best in the biggest deep stack tournament of the year thus far was ‘kAkAovniKK’, who still earned a hefty $10,391.56 to celebrate their hard work.

Event #26: Bankroll Builder Bounty

Building a bankroll always helps, and event #26 was aimed at building bankrolls. Thursday, January 9th, saw the Winter Giveaway Series run a $54 buy-in event with a $300,000 guarantee and $15,000 added. Late registration ran for just over 2.5 hours, and when it closed, 7,198 poker players bought in to create a prize pool of $372,596.64.

The tournament ran for 9 hours and 21 minutes before a winner was declared. When it ended, ‘Lermant484’ took the top spot and earned $11,252.09 plus $9,436.59 in Bounties as a reward. The runner-up, ‘Muusik’, earned $11,245.33 for finishing second and $3,105.27 in collected bounties. The third-place player was ‘saintyves’, who earned a very respectable $8,935.51, which was further boosted by $2,514.09 in bounty rewards.

Event #27: Friday Freezeout

The last Friday of the Winter Giveaway Series offered players a chance to win a share of a $100,000 guarantee plus a $5,000 added bonus for event #27. This freezeout tournament had a $15 buy-in, and 7,500 players joined the event to create a total prize pool of $108,500. The tournament runners played hard for over 10.25 hours before ‘S-o-n-i-c’ claimed the victory and top prize of $10,510.40. Finishing just short of the victory was ‘Donk Corleone’ who earned $8,098.31 for the second-place finish, while ‘Embrazado’ earned $6,244.65 for finishing in third place.

Event #28: Omaholic Secret KO [Mystery Bounty]

The most exciting tournament in poker currently is the infamous Mystery Bounty. It gets even more exciting when the thrill of Omaha is added, and that’s what Event #28 in the Winter Giveaway Series was. This $108 buy-in tournament guaranteed a $100,000 prize pool with $5,000 in added prizes and attracted 1,626 players to the tables, creating a total prize pool of $166,559.36. 

The tournament ran for just over 9 hours before ‘Legionse’ claimed the victory, $12,103.15 for first place and an additional $4,034 in collected bounty rewards. ‘Marquis’ took second place after losing the heads-up battle and earned $8,750.15 for the efforts and collected $2,331 in bounties along the way. Finishing up the podium was ‘SHULAEVA88’, who earned $6,326.53 to go along with bounty rewards totaling $366.

Event #29: Holiday Lucky Sevens [7-Max]

As the end of the WGS approaches, there was still some new year luck to go around. Event #29, the Holiday Lucky Sevens tournament, was a $77 No Limit Hold’em event with a $300,000 guarantee and $15,000 added to the prize pool. A total of 5,967 players joined the event in an attempt to get lucky, but only 1 of them could earn the top prize from the $437,708.28 prize pool. 

When the last hand was dealt and the event finally settled, 11 hours after it started, it was ‘Zecabubi’ taking the top spot and earning $40,782.88 after a deal with ‘ShowNoMercy25’ who earned $34,761.08 for second place. The final spot on the podium went to ‘Valeri Savov’ who earned $23,866.51.

Event #30: Winter Giveaway Grand Finale

The final event of the Winter Giveaway Series was Event #30: Winter Giveaway Grand Finale. This phased event offered players multiple day 1s to choose from and battle for the $3,000,000 guarantee with $150,000 added. Over the multitude of days, a total of 15,516 unique entrants bought in and, with re-buys, created a prize pool of $4,510,340. Of the entrants, just 2,761 survived into the money and Day 2, while the final table would play out on Tuesday, January 14th.

The final table took less than three hours to complete as the final nine battled it out for the championship. When the last Winter Giveaway Series hand played, it was ‘Zadni vezni’ who took the final top prize after striking a deal with eventual second place finisher ‘Graeme Putt’. The final 2 players earned $338,620.49 and $325,621.31 respectively. Rounding out the podium was ‘belatheboss’, who earned $222,971.58 for the third-place finish.

In the winter, it’s dark, so how about some Poker After Dark…

A Fitting Farewell to the Winter Giveaway Series

And just like that, the curtain falls on the GGPoker Winter Giveaway Series. From its festive kickoff in December to its explosive grand finale, the WGS has truly been a celebration of poker at its finest. Players from across the globe have brought their A-game to the tables, creating moments of triumph, heartbreak, and unyielding excitement.

This final week was the perfect capstone to a series packed with creativity and competition. From underdog victories in the Happy New Year event to the thrilling Mystery Bounty and the show-stopping Grand Finale, every tournament left its mark on the poker community. With over $100 million in guarantees shattered and $5 million in added prizes distributed, the Winter Giveaway Series has set a new standard for what online poker can be.

As we bid farewell to this extraordinary series, one thing is clear—GGPoker continues to redefine the poker experience, combining massive opportunities with unmatched entertainment. Whether you were battling for a top spot, chasing bounties, or simply enjoying the festive atmosphere, the Winter Giveaway Series has left us all with memories to treasure.

Congratulations to all the winners, and for those who came close, the next adventure is just around the corner. Until next time, keep chasing your poker dreams—because at GGPoker, the action never stops!