While millions of people worldwide were celebrating the start of 2025, Andras “probirs” Nemeth was busy working his way to yet another major online poker tournament victory. Nemeth was one of 149 entrants in the $2,025 No-Limit Hold’em New Year Special, part of the PokerStars New Year Series. A day later, he was the last man standing and the recipient of $62,970.
Three New Year Special events began on January 1, each with buy-ins related to 2025. The $2,025 buy-in was the most expensive of the trio; it came with a $300,000 guaranteed prize pool that the top 17 finishers shared.
“tomfoxpoker” was this event’s unfortunate bubble boy, falling in 18th place and locking in a $4,818 score for the surviving players. By the time Swedish online legend Simon “C. Darwin2” Mattsson fell in tenth, setting the final table, all but one player was guaranteed a five-figure prize.
New Year Series 66-H: $2,025 NLHE Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andras “probirs” Nemeth | Hungary | $62,970 |
| 2 | Eimantasa | Lithuania | $48,747 |
| 3 | Vlad “VladTheSlaye” Martynenko | Ukraine | $37,737 |
| 4 | Sintoras | Germany | $29,213 |
| 5 | Tomi “elmerixx” Brouk | Finland | $22,615 |
| 6 | Ansel21 | Ukraine | $17,507 |
| 7 | Ognyan “cocojamb0” Dimov | Bulgaria | $13,553 |
| 8 | Christian “WATnlos” Rudolph | Austria | $10,491 |
| 9 | Manuel “BigFudge95” Fritz | Austria | $8,637 |
Manuel “BigFudge95” Fritz was the first finalist relieved of their chips. Fellow Austrian Christian “WATnlos” Rudolph and Bulgaria’s Ognyan “cocojamb0” Dimov joined Fritz on the virtual rail before “Ansel21” crashed out in sixth, leaving the final table short-handed.
Finnish star Tomi “elmerixx” Brouk saw his latest deep run end in a fifth-place finish, with “Sintoras” starting 2025 with a fourth-place exit worth $29,213.
Heads-up was set after Vlad “VladTheSlaye” Martynenko bowed out, leaving Nemeth in a one-on-one battle against Lithuania’s “Eimantasa.” Nemeth got the job done and resigned his final opponent to a $48,747 consolation prize, securing the $62,970 top prize for himself, a similar sum to the €67,980 he banked at EPT Prague in December 2024.
Other PokerStars New Year Series Results Since New Year’s Day
Rayan “Beriuzy” Chamas is the biggest winner since the start of 2025, courtesy of triumphing in the $202.50 edition of the New Year Special. Chamas outlasted a 2,205-strong field and claimed a cool $$64,976 for his impressive victory.
Nemeth and Chamas weren’t the only stellar names to rake in a title since the start of the new year. Simon “C. Darwin2” Mattsson took down a $530 No-Limit Hold’em PKO for $19,040 shortly after finishing tenth in the $2,025 New Year Special.
“I Attack95” also found themselves in the winner’s circle, reeling in the $43,867 top prize (including bounties) in the $1,050 edition of the ever-popular Thursday Thrill.
*includes bounty payments
Get Your 2025 Off to a Flying Start PokerStars Tournament Again
Follow in the footsteps of the winners in this article by heading to PokerStars and jumping into one of the many multi-table tournaments running each day. You can use the PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar to plan your attack. Our free-to-use tool lets you see upcoming and in-play tournaments at several online poker rooms, including PokerStars. You can even take advantage of a PokerStars sign-up bonus. You can apply filters to narrow your search, including buy-in, game type, and even prize pool guarantees, enabling you to find your perfect online poker tournament in seconds, all without leaving PokerNews!
Senior Editor