It seemed like a long shot. Even to the most optimistic person, the odds seemed pretty rough. There were thousands upon thousands of tables running early Monday morning on PokerStars. Not only did an optimist have to be sitting at the right table, but he also had to be dealt in on the 25 billionth hand. Really, it's a wonder people even tried.

The man known on PokerStars as NeonFrost was just the right kind of optimist.

"I talked about the 25 billion bash promotion to my friends the entire week. I could not stop thinking about how incredible it would be to win the kind of money that was up for grabs," he said. "'I joked about doing everything in my power to be at the tables while the 25 billionth hand was being dealt."

NeonFrost is actually a 27-year-old named Mike Soroka. A one-time pro golfer, he now works in the golfing industry and plays a little poker on the side. It's a game he's been playing since fifth grade when he played in games where the bets were made out of sugar and fruit chews.

Early Monday morning, Soroka (left), noticed the big hand coming. He knew there was big money on the line. He madly started opening tables.

"I joined about 15 tables with limits ranging from .01/.02 up to 3/6 and had Hold Em, Omaha, and Omaha H/L tables going," he said. "Fifteen was insane. I literally folded every hand that was dealt to me because a new table would pop up before I could even look at my hand."

Then, just like in the movies, everything slowed down. A announcement popped up that the big hand was being dealt at table Susilva, a $1/$2 limit Omaha Hi-Lo table.

"Right away I looked down at the 15 tabs that were open and noticed Susilva was one of them," Soroka said later. "'When I clicked on the table and saw myself sitting there, I lost it."

PokerStars gave the rail time to crowd in. So many people were at the one table, the server hiccuped ever so slightly. Suddenly, things looked very odd and very wrong to Soloka.

"Out of nowhere, the alert that lets you know it's you turn went off and my hand was folded before I could do anything," Soloka said.

See, Soloka knew he was guaranteed some money if he was dealt in the hand, but if his hand actually won, he stood to win up to $80,000 more.

Cue the insanity. Cue the expletives. Cue a young man in southern California losing his mind. The only thing that would make matters worse was if his folded hand actually would've won.

Oh, and it would have. His queen-high flush would have been good for the top half of the pot, $50,000 in cash, and $50,000 in tournament entries. Suddenly, it all slid over to another player. Soroka was beside himself.

That said, he had noticed that several other of the players had been oddly disconnected. Luckily for Soroka, PokerStars noticed the same issue and said it would count his Soroka's hand as being in play.

That meant $50,000 was going to come out of the pocket of the other player.

And how did that player react?

One word: Class.

That was what Julio Lau, aka tupapi777, was all about.

"I would've been happy just splitting the 100k prize if I didn't win the grand prize," he said. "Plus, I understand no one would've mucked a hand in that spot, so I was satisfied with the decision."

Julio Lau aka tupapi777

Lau, a man with a ton of good karma coming his way, describes himself as a struggling poker player. Watching his bankroll swell by $50,000 was a moment he not only won't forget, but may still not have fully grasped.

"I was very excited," he said. "I couldn't believe it was happening."

Now, Lau is trying to decide what he will do with his newly-won bankroll. All he knows for sure is he is going to play the World Series Main Event this year.

"Definitely!" he said.

For his part, Soroka is sending his thanks to Lau and PokerStars. He's looking to pay off his truck and credit cards and be debt free very soon. After that, the Vegas travel fund will get a boost, and Soroka's pad will have the biggest TV he can buy. "Just in time for March Madness," he said.

Indeed, Soroka is an optimist. He saw his chance, he took it, he saw it ripped from his grasp, and then given back. That's how an optimist rolls. Now, it's on to Monte Carlo.

"I'm looking forward to having the opportunity to travel and to play against the best players in the world," Soroka said. "I've never been to Europe and can't explain how excited I am for Monte Carlo."

To read more about the 25 billionth hand, read 25 Billion Bash: Big hand ends in split pot, more prizes.

In all the excitement leading up to PokerStars' 25 billionth hand, no one could've predicted how interesting the big hand would be.

It happened in the early morning hours of Monday February 16th. PokerStars had given away hundreds of thousands of dollars in milestone hand money. All that remained was giving away the big prizes. No one could've predicted how hard it would be to determine exactly who would get the money.

It happened at Susilva, a $1/$2 limit Omaha Hi-Lo table.

Here's what it looked like to start.

At first, the players let the reality sink in. tupapi777 called it "a dream come true." NeonFrost could only say, "This is unreal." n47j25s joked "I'm just working on points for an iPod."

But then, tupapi77 brought up a pretty relevant question.

"What happens if it is a split pot?"

In Omaha Hi-Lo, it seemed a pretty good possibility.

PokerStars was quick with an answer. In the event of a split pot, the big $100,000 prize would be split among the winners of the main pot. That said, anybody who won the main pot would get the big tourney package. That package alone was worth $50,000 itself.

That was just fine with everybody.

Then, we saw the most horrible of beats.

Player Confedrate had just sat down and was waiting to post his blinds. Not dealt into the hand, he was not eligible for the prize. All he could do was sit there and watch it play out.

With so many people watching the table (and the wait list growing to more than 1,600) the PokerStars server hiccuped a little bit upon the re-start. Suddenly, NeonFrost was apoplectic.

"What happened to my hand?" he said.

No one was really sure. All we knew was, it looked like he folded.

"Why would I ever fold?" NeonFrost said.

Looking at the $7 in his chip stack, we agreed that was a pretty good question.

Regardless, the hand played out as you see below (we added in NeonFrost's cards for posterity).

PokerStars was quick on the case. The people behind the scenes reviewed the hand and awarded the prizes as if NeonFrost had been dealt into the hand. That was a good thing for him. He had the queen-high flush, good enough for the high pot and half the big prize. To his credit, tupapi777 was completely cool with giving up half the $100,000 first prize.

When it was all sorted out, here's what the prizes looked like.

NeonFrost: Won high pot -- $50,000 and tourney package
tupapi777: Won low pot -- $50,000 and tourney package
FrtSpkndMn: $33,333.33
n47j25s: $33,333.33
chris12080: $33,333.33

We'll be trying to chat with NeonFrost and tupapi777 in the coming days. In the meantime, congratulations to everyone who won big money during the 25 Billion Bash.

You can also see previous milestone hand winners on our previous 25 Billion Bash coverage.

Sometime within the next several hours PokerStars, the world's biggest online poker site, will deal its 25 billionth hand of poker. We have decided to count down from 24,900,000,000.

Click refresh to see the latest information or visit our previous 25 Billion Bash coverage while you wait.

5:22am ET--25 billion hits, and get this...split pot!

After 24,999,999,999 hands, who could've guess the 25 billionth hand would be so odd.

It happened at Susilva, a $1/$2 limit Omaha Hi-Lo table. We will have a complete wrap up of the hand in a few minutes (and explain how things got worked out).

In the meantime, here's a look at the winning table and who walked away with what.

NeonFrost: Won high pot -- $50,000 and tourney package
tupapi777: Won low pot -- $50,000 and tourney package
FrtSpkndMn: $33,333.33
n47j25s: $33,333.33
chris12080: $33,333.33

4:36am--Minutes away

And here we go folks. It's been eight years in the making...PokerStars 25 billionth hand. It will happen in the next few minutes. This is your last chance to get in on it. Don't say we didn't warn you.

3:53am--Omaha gets penultimate hand

This is it. Hand 24999000000 went to $5/$10 Omaha hi-lo game. Vendo won nearly $2,000. Now, it's time for the big one. You can watch the penultimate hand play out below, but frankly we think your time would be better spent trying to hit number 25 billion.

3:05am--Cost of winning gets lower

It doesn't get any cheaper than this. The latest hand, number 24,998,000,000, saw the milestone hit at a .01/.02 NLHE game. The hand and $300 went to bobbiwithai. You can see it play out below.

With that hand in the books, we are now down to just one more hand before we hit the big one. Now would be a very silly time, so stick with us. Somebody is about to have a very good morning.

2:07am--Down at the five and dime, hand 24,997,000,000

The six-max .05/.10 NLHE table drew one of the last 25 Billion Bash milestone hands.

In the hand below, Mikey9275 picked up a quick $300.

It's looking to be a little late before we see the big 25 billionth hand. The milestones are nearly an hour apart now. It looks to be after 3am before we see the 24,997,000,000th hand.

That's why we have caffeine, folks.

1:15am--Play slows down, prizes keep coming

As the hour gets late, people are heading to bed (apparently some people still have jobs they have to go to on Monday).

Nonetheless, we are now on hand 24,996,000,000. It happened at Ronsina III, a $1/$2 NLHE table where first place was good for at least $1,250.

And what a hand it was. Can you say...set over set?

vhunter's set of kings and VIP club multiplier earned him $2,750.

Three more milestone hands and then the big one, folks.

12:29am--Omaha gets its due on hand 24,995,000,000

For the past few hours, players had been commenting on how it seemed very few Omaha tables were hitting. That was rectified on hand 24,995,000,000 when a $1/$2 Pot-Limit Omaha game hit.

The winner of the hand was guaranteed $1,250. Even those who lost the hand were sure to get $500. Seems like a good time to get it all in.

And that's what they did. Nobody did anything silly like fold, and a big ol' pot developed.

For the fives full of threes, juc58 won $2,750 and got the rest of the PokerStars players one more step toward the big hand.

At this moment, we have four more regular milestone hands and then the big one.

11:47pm ET-- Low limits holding strong

Halaesus III, a .25/.50 NHLE table made it yet another score for the low-limit players. Despite only having to put in a .50 blind, the winner could win up to $750 just for coming out on top.

But get this...despite the low limit, there was a Supernova at the table. So for winning the hand, OMGWTFJ/KLOL won more than $1,600.

To which, we can only comment...OMG...WTF...J/K....LOL.

11:09pm ET-- Dime and a quarter for 24,993,000,000

It's not very often you see a waiting list 175 people long for a dime-quarter no-limit game, but when it's a 25 Billion Bash milestone hand, things change.

The winner of the hand was guaranteed $300.

Mago 88 ended up taking down the hand with a queen-high spade flush for a $345 win.

10:33pm ET -- .50/1.00 limit scores 24992000000

Six-man .50/1.00 limit is an awesome place to hit a milestone hand. The only question...how many people would fold? Answer: Zero.

For the third straight hand, the winner was guaranteed at least $750.

Here's how the hand played out.

HpNOtiC won $862 for the rivered queen.

Now, onto eight million more hands.

10:15pm ET--Get in line

Okay, we know, you can pretty much always get a seat at PokerStars. Still, when was the last time you saw nearly 180,000 people playing at PokerStars at 10:17pm ET?

10:00pm ET-- Rhodia VII gets 24991000000

No-limit five card draw. Now there is a game of a poker.

It was also the game in action when PokerStars dealt hand number 24991000000.

Again, half the table folded pre-flop. In the end, xchris85x got it all-in against D0nkitup. Two pair, queens and deuces, took it down for the $750 win. Everybody else in the hand won $250.

Looks like we're running about two million hands per hour. Still remains to be seen if that slows down or we hit 25 billion by 2am ET or so.

9:31pm ET-- Hand 24990000000 in the books

Within seconds of PokerStars announcing hand #24990000000 was about to be dealt, the wait list on Maja V jumped to more than 100 players.

The game was .25/.50 NLHE. One player had to laugh.

PokerStars player bigshoota420 said, "I just sat."

Everyone at the table was guaranteed at least $250, which made it a small surprise to see people fold for $50. Nonetheless, here is how the hand played out.

So, a pair of fives was good for the win and no small amount of money.

Because bigshoota420 is a Platinum Star, he won $1,200

We're probably 15 minutes from the next big hand, so stick around.

9:15pm ET-- 24,900,000,000 approaches

There are now less than 400,000 hands until the next milestone hand. Now would be a silly time to log off for the night.

Wow.

It has been quite an afternoon. Throughout the day, we have see around a quarter million people trying to hit the milestone millionth hands. We're now just 16 hands away from hitting the big one, and when we do, it's going to be a doozy.

The winner will automatically get $100,000. He or she will also pick up:

After 131 milestone hands, PokerStars has already given away $286,591.35 to 789 winners. Among those people is PokerStars jlclark311. He won more than $1,250. Normally a tourney player, he just happened to be playing cash when his milestone hand hit.

"The extra cash couldn't have come at better time," he said. "I have been planning a Vegas trip for my girlfriend's 21st birthday. With the cash I won, we will be booking the Wynn! Thanks Pokerstars!"

Player 5iveofaKind also picked up some free cash. He already plans for it.

"I'm probably just gonna invest it wisely.. well, maybe just donk it off at the tables," he said.

It won't be long before we're writing about the big hand hitting. Keep it right here for all the news that's fit to blog (see our 25 Billion Bash coverage for previous winners).

In the meantime, check out all of the recent winners below or see the 25 Billion Bash information page.

#24970000000
jtfricke $400
skotty119 $400
pkrtiltsme $975
Nussdorf $400
Bot You $325

#24971000000
23skido $250.00
MSG85 $862.50
louloutch $250.00
GBACE64 $287.50
shagsi $550.00
drakosha76 $325.00

#24972000000
paultjuh $162.50
mik2211 $125.00
LEGEND2003 $125.00
WoNdErEr092 $125.00
Charly1712 $345.00

#24973000000
homeboy933 $287.50
jarhead072 $250.00
Timbur34 $250.00
Taavi_Wolf $750.00
xkalistax $325.00

#24974000000
d@do-li $125.00
Luv2Nutz $162.50
PascalMara $125.00
nucore $125.00
mr.pravilnii $125.00
innosthereal $300.00

#24975000000
XARTOX $325.00
JoshuaKeen $400.00
AFO1306 $250.00
tefloncoin $250.00
Pris0n $750.00
farfalla7 $550.00

#24976000000
Gnarfy $1,100.00
hjuonegy $1,250.00
hmoney225 $500.00
Mark402 $650.00
brad44 $650.00
clyde cory $500.00

#24977000000
Pudde2 $325.00
Emil77 $287.50
scatman09 $250.00
Raist_M $325.00
jumpman717 $750.00
Kinslayer44 $400.00
bschwarz56 $287.50
FF01001 $325.00
gutter23 $550.00

#24978000000
joe007112 $125.00
JMarsh69 $125.00
nolevegas $125.00
oTez2003 $143.75
farmerDE $125.00
CappinFool $390.00

#24979000000
Tyson Winter $325.00
deckstks $862.50

#24980000000
13juli2007 $125.00
tomyymot62 $125.00
lokopako $125.00
Kiara707 $212.66
guru300 $125.00
scf-beesd68 $212.34

If you happen to be playing on PokerStars today (and, really, if you're not, you are missing out), you might have noticed the rotating message in the corner of the lobby looks a little bit different. Instead of telling you about the most recent EPT win or how you can qualify for the LAPT, it is dedicated to people winning money for getting dealt into the 25 Billion Bash milestone hands.

For the rest of the day (and maybe into tomorrow), people will win some serious cash if they are dealt into one of the big hands.

It has already happened to PokerStars player hodge05. In fact, it's happened to him twice. The most recent time, he was playing $1/$2 NLHE. He wasn't paying as close attention as he might have liked. That is understandable, what with him playing 24 tables at once.

"I was having a pretty poor start to the session," he said later. "I had absolutely no idea that the milestone bonus had hit one of my tables and when I saw that two people had shoved all in, I typed into the chat box 'lol' and folded my hand, which undoubtedly made me look pretty stupid to the massive crowd of observers."

To make matters worse, hodge05 mistakenly believed he had to put money into the pot to get paid for the bonus. Having folded pre-flop, he was, to say the least, unhappy.

"I was really disappointed in myself," he said. "All of a sudden, I got a message telling me that $1,100 dollars had been put into my account!"

In case any of you don't know, as long as you're dealt into the hand, you win some cash. Hodge05 ended up getting a 120% increase on his winnings because he is a VIP Club Supernova. He will be graduating from college in May and plans to play cards professionally after that.

"I'll probably just save the money for stuff in my apartment," he said. "Promotions such as these are a testament to how well PokerStars treats its customer base. That is only one of many reasons why I will only play on Pokerstars in the future."

With 225,000 people online at this moment, the milestone hands are flying by. If you want your shot at the big money, you better get online soon. Remember, the person who wins the 25 billionth hand gets $150,000 worth of cash and prizes.

Stay tuned today as the hands fly by (see our 25 Billion Bash coverage for previous winners).

In the meantime, check out all of the recent winners below or see the 25 Billion Bash information page.

Hand #24958000000
dolfinAK $250.00
FrankBou $325.00
gabstar12 $250.00
Reckless_bet $400.00
MrDunns $1,200.00
usercd $325.00

Hand #24959000000
JayCo $550.00
jolind $287.50
todayilose $325.00
drykillogic $975.00
leslieace $550.00
cluelessiam $550.00

Hand #24960000000
Bergzilla $125.00
Sherlock55 $125.00
IneedBet21 $125.00
sTimple $125.00
petti99 $125.00
lylyhif $300.00

Hand #24961000000
SantaMaria73 $750.00
primaxp $550.00
Scubasteve86 $400.00
bbaxel $250.00
MDG bcn $250.00

Hand #24962000000
SomnambulAA $144
E.Darwin $125
kscwby99 $300
Luchs7979 $125
GoChewit $125
19frank77 $125

Hand # 24963000000
Dellul $300
mas_da_masta $125
zumpen $125
Masera $125
Karn56 $125
lylyhif $125.00

Hand #24964000000
saffraan $125
just4mykix $125
nielsen3133 $125.00
signperson $125.00
mommom247 $125.00
jimnjax $125.00
adioscn $125.00
De4angel $300.00
acmac18 $125

Hand #24965000000
foent22 $325
nagypower $250
pokerpal80 $750
Lumberjack $250
weilaicqw20 $288
robnaja $250
neuge2 $325

Hand #24966000000
douzlar $162.50
Eliyano $162.50
check6941 $125
EREDAYHUSLIN $163
FATSALI1 $345.00
avp777 $125.00
xlarkman $143.75
taejin1997 $200.00
jepins $125.00

Hand #24967000000
fisherman-ch $125.00
TGravy13 $300
tibcsi15 $125
elfinius $125.00
kassiedevon $125
Limpin1982 $125.00

Hand #24968000000
6soudeal $125
DOS LUNAS $300
tommyfofinga $125.00
KenmineM $125.00
Dagobert55 $143.75
gibonu $143.75
FoxBW16 $125.00
LEZNAW $125.00

Hand # 24969000000
pintercsaba $575
PokMikeFever $2,750
LaPoCaFlame $1,100
Ajven $1,500
daniela249 $1,100
Larivor $1,100
Frank0376 $500.00
ryanj9352 $1,500.00
gl79 $1,500.00

Jenn415 is goal-oriented. That's never a bad thing to be if you are a poker player, but it's 100% required if your goals look like Jenn415's. Not only is she a no-limit high-stakes cash game regular on PokerStars, she also is gunning to be a Supernova Elite. That takes some work.

Her work kept her at the tables during the 25 Billion Bash promotion.

"I was lucky enough to be sitting at one of the tables where the milestone hand was being dealt," she said. "I could not believe my eyes!"

That's Jenn415 below. She is the one who is not drinking a beer.

Like so many of the people in the 25 Billion Bash before, Jenn415 saw the table freeze and one of the PokerStars hosts arrive at the table. You can see it all play out below.

"It was so exciting hitting that. I felt like I won a jackpot or the lottery, I mean what are the chances?" Jenn415 said. "Luckily, I am a Supernova, and had my bonus plus a 120% reward multiplier."

That means the young lady on her way to Supernova Elite won a $2,200 cash prize, just for sitting around and doing what should would normally do on a given day.

"Time to go shopping!" she said. "That totally made my day, but I'm still waiting to be dealt the 25th billionth hand!"

Jennn415 and the other 130,000 players on PokerStars right now may very well see that 25 billionth hand dealt today.

Today is going to be huge. The PokerStars Sunday Warm-Up will carry a $1.25 million guarantee in just a few hours. Later this afternoon, the Sunday Million will be worth a whopping $2.5 million.

Stay tuned today as the hands fly by (see our 25 Billion Bash coverage for previous winners).

In the meantime, check out all of the recent winners below or see the 25 Billion Bash information page.

#24918000000
Dexter GT $1,600.00
DonkvFish $5,500.00

#24919000000
NogarDzx $250.00
Scubasteve86 $1,200.00

#24920000000
heartlas $250.00
pascal3089 $287.50
dddani $400.00
tybox216 $750.00
grabli11 $287.50
SpyRed82 $250.00

#24921000000
Axl86 $125.00
brianbk69 $300.00
Pusi12 $143.75
mrmossy84 $162.50
Juecksel $162.50

#24922000000
awwh $500.00
littlebanban $1,437.50

#24923000000
Scubasteve86 $1,200.00
xXBoneThugXx $250.00

#24924000000
jd185152 $212.50
Thud77 $125.00
J_smitter $125.00
TheMasterJ33 $143.75
Lutzinger $212.50

#24925000000
cr0sss $575.00
NoFreeBids $2,750.00

#24926000000
gropakos $300
Sheva Alomar $125
Till2307 $125
Dellul $125
moggimoggi $125
Easy A $125

#24927000000
STERNI263 $300
bmwslw $125
car710 $125
tdjedwards $125
LolloSam1 $125

#24928000000
natisfinest $2,750
GreenEyes017 $800

#24929000000
stef 74 $345
Juicy38 $125
bukkert $125
bilimb $125
sed157 $125
Radar009 $125
Ypizouglout $125
bull7272 $125
Zodiak444 $125

#24930000000
Buckeroo B $212.50
HumanDelight $212.50
AcedePique $275
urstroyer $200
bmichail $162.50

#24931000000
kiddebx $862.50
grandmg $325
iCloneChips $325
paIIe $287.50
stoKech $259

#24932000000
GODINHO_2 $750
hidepuller19 $250

#24933000000
fureeny $300
thanec $200
Lator80 $125
ajekk $125
utiss $125
tom2906 $125

#24934000000
n0g0oD $143.75
lowdown.6969 $300.00
Playerdrm $143.75
Champini $125.00
stipey169 $162.50
62luvbud $125.00
lockmaster64 $125.00
R18A1-I4 $200.00
theagent_777 $125.00

#24935000000
ajfennewald $1,100.00
Mikmikmik1 $650.00
CMOT_Donkey $2,750.00
iCountDead$ $800.00

#24936000000
RS147 $250.00
Dasha_1989 $400.00
DavveN86 $750.00

#24937000000
cr0sss $1,150.00
NoFreeBids $5,500.00

#24938000000
ironhorse63 $125.00
MOE_UNIT $125.00
TheRo81 $125.00
liebherr32 $300.00
farmos $125.00

#24939000000
HeySpanky $125.00
gelle321 $125.00
googijh $125.00
Irishglenn $125.00
Cisne XT $125.00
moineau123 $125.00
onleds $300.00

#24940000000
fgmm2406 $125.00
abdegilmob $300.00
LifesChosen1 $125.00
NyfikenFia $125.00
Klabia $143.75

#24941000000
le_lunatic $250.00
Bigstud4 $550.00
nickgolf72 $250.00
Sebinoack $1,200.00
austjohn $250.00
Telepuzic $325.00
redacesfull $550.00
snoopdog111 $250.00
EPT-Boss $250.00

Hand 24942000000
LeConner $125.00
Frangus01 $125.00
neivapoker $125.00
Ithildin $125.00
kaltrapuff $300.00
jrjumbo $125.00
parrelli85 $125.00
LUNA RENOI $125.00
Wirknerklahn $125.00

Hand 24943000000
cool_baby23 $345.00
winwinwin87 $125.00
nyphix $125.00
THE KEL 66 $125.00
Beastyburger $125.00
sargantana $125.00

Hand 24944000000
00Govan00 $125.00
dollybob101 $125.00
aquinovitch $125.00
Duchess13 $125.00
rhyspaxton $125.00
rucktseca $480.00
Whytefly $125.00
wydadodinio $125.00
imadreamer74 $125.00

Hand 24945000000
pro_don $660.00
JalleAA $125.00

Hand 24946000000
DrivingDog $550.00
Hr. Zyniker $400.00
mrrenfield $975.00

Hand 24947000000
TeeKei $250.00
kcpkr1970 $750.00
timberpuppie $250.00

Hand 24948000000
flowric_ch $125.00
GJRSV $143.75
Miifka $125.00
holmsie12 $300.00
C1e4ner $125.00
dPiero10 $125.00
mitho187 $125.00
ajpowel $125.00
haukso $200.00

Hand 24949000000
Sgt.pepper73 $1,100.00
n�n�05 $500.00
Big "C" 1985 $500.00
hodge05 $1,100.00
od_jeb_i $1,250.00
majaero $800.00
roberlander $1,100.00
zrlevin $575.00

Hand 24950000000
Kapteeni2000 $125.00
farttalk45 $345.00
bavaro02 $125.00
sany2 $162.50
Squatch87 $125.00
VikingNorway $162.50

Hand 24951000000
poetic $250.00
glissdaddy $400.00
CC839 $400.00
MGoBlue56 $750.00
viviansdream $550.00
kowals50 $250.00
Federer1414 $550.00
Wake09 $550.00

Hand 24952000000
Mr.G-unot222 $416.34
RockHolly $550.00
gmsnead2 $416.34
GoFish19 $287.50
TWhyde $250.00
jonnyangel99 $417.33
sloHandAAA $250.00
Big LouMcgee $250.00
zeroputt $250.00

Hand 24953000000
BlondeCrisis $300.00
snowjob $125.00
XxtwistedxX $125.00
localmill $125.00
fcarci $125.00
y_childs $125.00

Hand 24954000000
robby robb 1 $125.00
mrfsh $125.00
inuthat $125.00
Villainz $345.00
ToB-King $125.00
bstarrett $125.00
Nitrami $125.00
sterlingdad $143.75

Hand 24955000000
boogi $550.00
Narboy $250.00
Jefftrez $550.00
starinfo $287.50
syzygy144 $287.50
maxer3 $250.00
muscovey $1,650.00
mathoma $250.00

Hand 24956000000
Mat99 $650.00
-vxd-vxd- $1,100.00
kostyles $500.00
TBCrepNY $1,100.00
little1 $1,625.00
Wa Wahey $650.00
Waylanderl $1,100.00
patmurph $500.00

Hand 24957000000
Slicer23_2xt $125.00
gafa80 $125.00
loco2474 $125.00
xGCEx $275.00
xwarlockx $162.50
scrappledude $300.00
M4000 $162.50
itspoker2004 $143.75

PokerStars Sinistral7 was playing some cards on Thursday.

"It was kind of a surreal experience," he said.

He knew that PokerStars was running the 25 Billion Bash promotion, but he wasn't sure of all the particulars.

"I wasn't even aware of the VIP multiplier or that the bonus was bigger for the higher limit tables so I was expecting the bonuses to be a lot smaller than they were," he said.

Playing a $30/$60 Stud Hi-Lo game, Sinistral7 ended up making quads on 6th street, good for the $650 pot and a $4,000 25 Billion Bash bonus.

"It was a very pleasant surprise," he said.

A couple of million hands later, cmacnaug had this happen to him.

"I was just planning to quit my session to go out with my friends just before the hand, but I decided to stay around till the next milestone hand about five minutes away," he remembered. "Next thing I knew one of my tables had been paused and I was dealt T8o in middle position."

You can see how it played out below.

That was good for a nearly $1,000 bonus, as well.

"As soon as the hand was over I was in complete shock but incredibly happy considering how unlikely it was. Once I got the congratulations message I immediately logged out and spent the next five hours celebrating," he said.

So far, PokerStars has given away more than $160,000 in prizes in the 25 Billion Bash promotion. At the end of this post, you can see a list of everyone who won on Friday.

Milestone hands are continuing to play out all day long and the big 25 billionth hand is still on the way. Also, don't forget tomorrow's big $2.5 million guaranteed Sunday Million and $1.25 million guaranteed Sunday Warm-Up.

For complete information on how the week will play out, see the 25 Billion Bash information page.

Hand #24882000000

HOMEP1 $125.00
Jim1027 $125.00
DrDrUnK $125.00
gwanyu $300.00
Manny24 $125.00
acoyle $125.00

Hand #24883000000

unscared69 $125.00
acoyle $300.00
MacJr12 $125.00
tellurien $125.00
74653 $125.00
cmyaces $125.00
Joronamo $125.00
Baron.Pocket $125.00
edzwoo $200.00
AlphaGoat $125.00

Hand #24884000000

oruot $125.00
ocFlush $125.00
brittney101 $125.00
mr_miggstrom $125.00
zoe13579 $125.00
zogobrcar $143.75
jetblacktib $345.00
miketka $125.00

Hand#24885000000

fenfen55 $125.00
Marystars0 $125.00
cboliverr $125.00
anthoj21 $125.00
qwertasyx $345.00
OGtilt $125.00

Hand#24886000000

KillingAce $1650
Achilles1978 $400
birkwitz $325
ricdieu $287.50
vilvon3 $287.50
Lorenzo6tr $550
chrisleto $550
HippieAlbino $400
uniqueHandle $250

Hand#24887000000

x.sebi.x $1100
Hoffke1970 $650
woshizhua $650
piscogay $1500
KingBoromir $1100
younggunn24. $575
Roundhauskik $2750
billzfan86 $1100

Hand#24888000000

Pal Pit 8 $143.75
Slace69 $125
kaech $125
k8andden $300
Dejison $125
tinnz187 $125


Hand#24889000000

pilsberg $125.00
d0nn4 $125.00
redrose x $125.00
HurricaneDGB $125.00
WastingMy$$$ $125.00
marietta m $300.00
Duck oil $125.00
Virix $162.50

Hand#24890000000

ROL.X.WIL 68 $125.00
DonPiedro2 $212.42
SergiusVVV $125.00
Felsenkeller $125.00
drinkodrivo $125.00
WinterSPY $125.00
themaikel $125.00
Cazeusp $212.58

Hand#24891000000

MAQAS $550.00
Dr. Fells $750.00
derAUCH? $250.00
SpeckBasu $550.00
oelem444 $287.50
Raynor_88 $550.00
bejy $862.50
Min9 $550.00

Hand#24892000000

BenjaminKoch $125.00
nonazi777 $125.00
FullGainer $125.00
rjulius $125.00
marcbapt $300.00
simonbirch86 $125.00
MuccoSolvan $125.00
franxic $162.50

Hand#24893000000

Kill423 $250.00
17_10_87 $750.00
kisen1234 $250.00
Ronnen2 $250.00
Yo-One 1 $550.00
aggresive19 $400.00

Hand#24894000000

Mighty Muis $125.00
loswiek $125.00
H_for_short $125.00
Unk�rper $125.00
lharveyz $300.00

Hand #24895000000

Mayer1234 $1,437.50
CALLANDREBUY $1,100.00

Hand #24896000000

AACANTSTOPME $125.00
monkeymanon $300.00
14u1 $143.75
allin465 $125.00
kerstin32 $125.00
Prioritet $125.00

Hand #24897000000

upsidaysi $125.00
Silencer21 $125.00
Holleeder53 $125.00
0mahaqueen $300.00
AAssair $125.00
daraspicer $125.00

Hand #24898000000

eeddyy44 $212.50
ktm11ktm $212.50
Tournmaster $143.75
PumpItUp007 $125.00
evep3 $125.00

Hand #24899000000

pjenergy $162.50
RVJohnD $125.00
doncrombie $300.00
BTLD1989 $125.00
BigPapa1933 $125.00
AreboursS $125.00

Hand #24900000000

Veiler $125.00
leg_cramp $143.75
ss22414 $125.00
vincentyuan $125.00
EbonyAdder $125.00
Fabito_play $300.00
kovacsk $125.00
Søborg $125.00
Eaten_Brain $143.75
walkermen $143.75

Hand #24901000000

Txikirov $125.00
Ramon_PS3 $212.50
MaNGiRoX $125.00
Dimatogen $125.00
szamon $125.00
hrandmat $212.50
Aryxo $125.00
CypherEST $125.00

Hand #24902000000

Kaplautz $125.00
jnels0987 $125.00
TheIcyC $125.00
laff2020 $125.00
Mateo1218 $125.00
piolamente $300.00

Hand #24903000000

guthiers763 $212.50
MPAKAPM $143.75
AreboursS $125.00
Mount-Money $125.00
Pick2000 $212.50

Hand #24904000000

2Cards2Come $1,100.00
schaefer $1,100.00
V Diddy KC $500.00
jlclark311 $1,437.50
bet2live $1,100.00
juniex $500.00
tigowoods $500.00

Hand #24905000000

mue17 $325.00
dutchorange $325.00
brudman $1,650.00
none86 $250.00
GutShotSlaya $325.00

Hand #24906000000

asomich $125.00
popeyester $125.00
nazsan $125.00
cruz2nice $125.00
Dr. Azzgee $300.00
revivaI $125.00

Hand #24907000000

ThePwn26 $750.00
perten $550.00

Hand #24908000000

wildmanatee $250.00
par no 7 $250.00
cetnik1408 $287.50
baseball55 $975.00
ezy-ezy777 $550.00
stopacting $250.00

Hand #24909000000

Dashornman $200.00
why360 $125.00
nerlan $125.00
mizzouwho2 $125.00
666PiK $143.75
ClovenHooff $143.75
TMLFAN1967 $300.00
sarah45 $143.75

Hand #24910000000

fizzioman $125.00
maxijswigg $125.00
aaaws $125.00
thegame61912 $125.00
FXSTS $125.00
fourman4 $125.00
sweetthing $125.00
Escalade.ga $125.00
BeerDude $300.00

Hand #24911000000

dpbl $287.50
gabesaid $550.00
TubbyWon $325.00
Ponus $250.00
Pedromartins $750.00
-Ak47-2009- $400.00
AlienCorpse6 $550.00
staig $287.50

Hand #24912000000

biker1376 $575.00
hodge05 $1,100.00
fileasfog $800.00
tatsu111 $500.00
SlowHand22 $1,100.00
uno bandido $500.00
frenchfish94 $2,000.00
Timke00 $650.00
5iveofaKind $1,100.00

Hand #24913000000

solo_vicio $125.00
Candinho13 $125.00
magome $125.00
enfield23 $125.00
ralph1430 $300.00
FalconEagle $143.75

Hand #24914000000

optosmile $125.00
PlainRed $125.00
LESABRE16 $125.00
lakermtn $300.00
luy mr.h $125.00

Hand #24915000000

McBluff4u $250.00
blznblntz $250.00
Let'sHuggle $250.00
SMKiefer $750.00
R0DANR0 $250.00
rickir18 $250.00
sammydog $250.00
Shaddow2000 $250.00
DaPreachy $250.00
kudasai $250.00

Hand #24916000000

gangip $650.00
Simplicity8 $2,750.00

Hand #24917000000

AAindaBB $575.00
gplayer_unit $500.00
matze1987 $2,000.00
DerkDerk $575.00
element64 $1,100.00
fooligan dan $575.00

PokerStars simply gave away $86,054.84 yesterday. Just gave it away to people who were dealt into particular hands. In one notable hand, PokerStars handed $15,850 to a table when it played hand #24,862,000,000

Why?

Well, if you're asking that question, you missed our big announcement about PokerStars' 25 Billion Bash.

Sometime within the next several days, PokerStars is going to deal its 25 billionth hand and somebody is going to to win $150,000 in cash and prizes. In the meantime, PokerStars is giving away tons of money to people dealt into every millionth hand.

Make sure you click that link above to see everything going on over the next few days. In the meantime, we can't let the day go by without reminding you about the huge guarantees in the Sunday Million and Sunday Warm-Up this weekend.

On Sunday, PokerStars' had beefed up the guarantees in those events. The Sunday Million will have a $2.5 million guarantee. The Sunday Warm-Up will have a $1.25 million guarantee.

In the meantime, we encourage you to spend as much time as you can on PokerStars. Keep an eye on those hand numbers. Just check out the list of people below to see how much money people are winning.

For complete information on how the week will play out, see the 25 Billion Bash information page.

Hand: 24850000000

farsightedme $975.00
shirabi $287.50
$-SUJ-$ $287.50
NICE_HAND_98 $250.00
prime81 $250.00
Lyzolda $250.00
Occypunt $250.00
betmoredrunk $325.00

Hand: 24851000000

gopet $125.00
Chris609 $125.00
A58W9ER $300.00
PairofAces23 $125.00
Ahimsa 00 $125.00
westiehopper $125.00

Hand: 24852000000

feetfirst25 $287.50
chrisleto $1,099.70
Mosconi007 $325.00
yhua108 $325.00
WupYoDonkey $500.14
bhurak147 $325.00
KillingAce $550.00
stopme10 $400.00

Hand:24853000000

Rufco Thug $125.00
IveGot0uts $125.00
KersalMass $275.00
paultjuh $162.50
Mikeyy17 $390.00
tsunaguitar $125.00

Hand:24854000000

Timewalker $550.00
relaxer12345 $862.50
Str8ontheflp $250.00
RaiseAndRoll $325.00
Laquesis $250.00
agrofish $250.00
SgtSchultz $250.00
diresuym $400.00
frenkie $250.00
PitterPiper $250.00

Hand:24855000000

dakhin $125.00
wewilllold $125.00
BoeserTweety $125.00
Hoost079 $300.00
drMurlly $125.00
Dfelli $125.00

Hand:24856000000

GRMNPS $2000.00
Mr Ratzinger $1100.00

Hand:24857000000

moertelmu $143.75
grruuz $125.00
cianus-ie $125.00
dwcc_esco $125.00
rekena $300.00

Hand:24858000000

renanstos $125.00
prekoshus69 $125.00
Colliders $300.00
Dop242 $125.00
FRODO-KORPS $125.00
SweetNaddel $125.00

Hand #24859000000

ASAM_Tom $300
Emuday $125.00
hallraser $125.00
J.Krix $125.00
geegeehf $125.00

Hand #24860000000

nikii $550.00
steve11977 $250.00
Sensor $1,650.00
jiacstrap $550.00
sssikisss $325.00

Hand #24861000000

teddé $300.00
Not Now Jon $125.00
AjThor $125.00
donkssuck $125.00

Hand #24862000000

bfl4me $3,000.00
Dogg11 $2,200.00
Jenn415 $2,200.00
Allegrapeni $3,250.00
tsifknits $2,200.00
redargoe $3,000.00

Hand #24863000000

fizix87 $2,000.00
Wakebreak $575.00
Reggie999 $1,100.00
DennisGPunkt $1,100.00
myke11 $1,100.00
Wideheim $575.00

Hand #24864000000

jeanchris83 $143.75
Dr slump 78 $125.00
pokerirl $125.00
SjoerdBackus $125.00
urnehe $390.00

Hand #24865000000

LitoLitoCT $250.00
maximus2a $862.50
mysterio6185 $250.00
Iflewthemoon $250.00
syc22lax $250.00
tomekz $400.00
MisterKriss $400.00
bschwarz56 $250.00
markotm $287.50

Hand #24866000000

Fats488 $125.00
robvleugel $162.50
upunked $125.00
mysolnysz $143.75
Woody785 $345.00
cool_baby23 $143.75

Hand #24867000000

PratDo $125.00
MICA 81 $125.00
wustler011 $345.00
lacos2 $125.00
billy3211 $125.00

Hand #24868000000

Nostromo9366 $550.00
vladimir23 $287.50
CruzArg $400.00
crakdanuts $250.00
tyson1381 $250.00
eYeLovErAgS $550.00
7.2.08 phil $250.00
ariolis30 $1,650.00

Hand #24869000000

Denfairycat $287.50
TheCurse1908 $250.00
Totte31 $250.00
NiCrave $325.00
puchex $325.00
LaughingWolf $750.00
ngarina $550.00
staig $250.00

Hand #24870000000

NexXa $125.00
Rwinus $125.00
toennes1986 $125.00
GermanatorX $300.00
Slambonez $125.00

Hand #24871000000

QPhelddagrif $287.50
tom allessio $862.50
BxN88 $287.50
MN_LaC $325.00
D.END.49 $287.50
ginzugrits $287.50

Hand #24872000000

kinga26 $1,000.00
Sinistral7 $4,000.00
1Matrix $2,200.00
YouGotIt $1,600.00

Hand #24873000000

onlymnh $125.00
niquito89 $300.00

Hand #24874000000

Rallipalli $287.50
tenzeros $250.00
CrazyTltD $550.00
wmaker89 $287.50
PKS Ace $862.50

Hand #24875000000

dfjaajk $400.00
villa777 $250.00
cmacnaug $975.00
Mr.smith12 $550.00
Arcsibald $250.00
pkuboy $400.00
Weak Tite $750.00
dudasdb $550.00
Qmain $250.00

Hand #24876000000

justDgmt $550.00
ripessec $400.00
ramba1954 $250.00
mamaloo $250.00
Alphagolf $250.00
ncboiler $550.00
Wilkall $550.00
germania62 $750.00
mogwai316 $400.00

Hand #24877000000

boobs Marley $125.00
xxgcarp29 $125.00
TheGaDude $300.00
JayBeech $125.00
z1zip $125.00
JohnnieHo $125.00

Hand #24878000000

GirlsHolic $400.00
mukzR $550.00
dirtay8 $550.00
kizza_om $550.00
TheL0bster $550.00
Mother2849 $750.00

Hand #24879000000

brwnpprbag$$ $125.00
joehelms85 $125.00
jvw05 $125.00
danimal125 $125.00
docholiday84 $300.00

Hand #24880000000

patfitz111 $800.00
KUDUZ $1,100.00
bbomirang $1,100.00
pazzu1 $575.00
Nomar5 $2,750.00
Realist007 $500.00
tomtom2 $1,100.00
jwp22 $650.00
Ashley1 $650.00

Hand #24881000000

XXSCULLXX $125.00
graneh $213.85
Mollser $125.00
ACozener $125.00
nullpacket $211.15
BUCKiBUDDHA $143.75

It's well known that McDonald's gave up on on counting burgers served a long time ago. Now, if you look at a sign under the golden arches, you will see the simple "billions and billions served."

PokerStars has not given up on counting.

The people with the calculators tell us that PokerStars' 25 billionth hand is going to be dealt in the very near future. As it usually is with PokerStars, that is reason for a party. And, again, as it usually is with PokerStars, the party is going to be huge.

Over the next several days, you are going to see lots of money given away for milestone hands (including a lot of money given away for the 25 billionth hand). It doesn't end there, though. PokerStars is also offering its biggest ever site-wide reload bonus, huge guarantees on a couple of the major Sunday tournaments, and first depositor freerolls.

Ready to get the party underway? Here's what you need to know.

Milestone hands

Beginning with hand 24,850,000,000 (boy, that is a big number), PokerStars is going to start giving out free money to people dealt into every millionth hand. The amount of money you earn for getting dealt into a milestone hand is based on the stakes you're playing and VIP level, but it's safe to say, no one is going to turn down free cash.

When PokerStars finally reaches the 25 billionth hand, the money is going to get huge. Wanna see what the winner of the 25 billionth hand will earn? How about...

You might remember when Justine Hall won the 10 billionth hand at PokerStars. If you missed it, here's what it looks like to win $100,000 in one hand of poker.

Watch The 10 Billionth Hand on PokerStars.tv

Now, let's be honest. If you're sitting at that table and you don't manage to win the hand for the big prize, you're going to be a little sad. PokerStars will ease the pain. The rest of the table will split $100,000 in cash and prizes. Our advice: don't fold.

Big guarantees on Sunday

It seems like the PokerStars Sunday Warm-Up and Sunday Million can't get any bigger, doesn't it? Well, just wait until February 15. PokerStars is bumping the Sunday Warm-Up guarantee to $1.25 million. As if that wasn't enough, you will also have the chance to play in a $2.5 million guaranteed PokerStars Sunday Million.

First depositor freerolls and biggest site-wide reload bonus

These kinds of celebrations tend to bring out the bonuses at PokerStars, and this party is no different. People who make their first deposit using the code 'fdf2500' will be able to play in the $2,500 freerolls running every day during the week February 15-22, 2009.

If you already have money in your PokerStars account, you will not be left out. PokerStars is running its biggest ever site-wide reload bonus. Reloaders who use the code '25bash' from February 11 at 12:00 ET to February 18 at 23:59 ET will get a 25% up to $250 reload bonus.

For complete information on how the week will play out, see the 25 Billion Bash information page.

Good luck!