Patrick Leonard Claims Record 15th SCOOP Title With Historic Back-to-Back
Patrick “pads1161” Leonard made online poker history over the weekend, claiming two SCOOP titles in under 10 minutes on PokerStars to reach a record 15 career victories in the Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) — more than any player in the series’ 17-year history.
A Dominant 2026 SCOOP Run
Saturday’s milestone didn’t show up out of nowhere. Leonard has already secured five SCOOP titles in 2026, across formats ranging from PLO8 and Triple Draw to the 8-Game events that put him over the top. It’s been one of the most concentrated stretches of digital dominance the series has seen from a single player.
The series itself is in the midst of a landmark year. SCOOP recently surpassed $1.5 billion in total payouts across its history, a milestone that underscores just how significant the all-time record truly is.
How Leonard Won the Record
Leonard kicked off his SCOOP weekend with a win in SCOOP 107-M: $109 8-Game, an event with a $15,000 guarantee that ended up with a $26,400 prize pool, earning him $5,088. Around ten minutes later, he took down SCOOP 107-H: $530 8-Game with a $34,000 prize pool, adding another $9,176 to Leonard’s pocket.
The timing made it all the more dramatic. Going into the evening, Leonard, Simon Mattsson, and Jerry Odeen were among those knotted near the top of the all-time leaderboard. It was one of the most congested leaderboard moments in the series’ history, and Leonard broke the logjam in about the time it takes to play a single orbit.
FAL1st, a Thailand-based Russian player, has been the other standout performer of the 2026 series, claiming four titles of his own — making him the second-most decorated player of this year’s SCOOP. He sits at 13 career titles all-time, two back of Leonard’s new record.
The Mixed-Game Edge That Separates Leonard
It’s very telling that the record came in 8-Game events. Most casual poker fans know SCOOP as a No-Limit Hold’em series — and the bulk of the schedule is exactly that. But Leonard has built his title count across formats that most players never seriously study.
A former online world number one, Leonard has won SCOOP events spanning Pot-Limit Omaha, PLO8, Stud Hi-Lo, and 2-7 Triple Draw, in addition to his hold’em results.
That breadth is the product of years of deliberate study. Serious online grinders often use tools like HUDs to analyze opponent tendencies across formats, and the players who reach Leonard’s level typically combine that kind of data-driven preparation with genuine versatility across game types.
While Leonard’s live tournament earnings are close to $3 million, his online accomplishments far surpass his live results, with more than $20 million accumulated playing on virtual felt. He is, fundamentally, an online player — and SCOOP is where players like him are tested most rigorously.
The adjustment from online to live poker is a genuine challenge that many professionals navigate throughout their careers, but Leonard’s dominance has always been rooted in the online game.
What Leonard’s Record Means for Online Poker
Seventeen years is a long time for any record to stand unchallenged. SCOOP has run every spring since 2009, attracting the best online players in the world across hundreds of events. Holding the all-time title count in that context is no minor achievement.
Leonard acknowledged the significance on social media shortly after his wins:
Very happy about this! Was my goal my entire career. Not sure what’s next, maybe to enjoy limit Holdem? https://t.co/tZ7f2Iyfpp
— Patrick Leonard 🫡 (@padspoker) March 23, 2026
It’s also worth noting what the record represents structurally. Leonard’s 15 wins span multiple formats, multiple years, and multiple eras of this ever-changing game — across periods when the player pool evolved significantly, solver use became mainstream, and competition at the highest levels intensified considerably.
These wins were not accumulated in a “soft” era of online poker.
On top of that, Leonard co-founded bitB Poker, one of the top MTT teams in the world and a collective built around serious tournament study. The record reflects a professional infrastructure that treats online poker not just as a game, but as a craft.
What’s Next at SCOOP 2026
The series isn’t over. The three SCOOP Main Events — the $109 Low, $1,050 Medium, and $5,200 High — are currently underway on PokerStars, carrying a combined $5.5 million in guaranteed prize money. All three are scheduled to crown winners on Wednesday.
Leonard has built a decent stack in each of the three Main Events after Day 1 — meaning the all-time record holder isn’t done competing yet. With the series’ biggest prizes still on the table, the final chapter of SCOOP 2026 is still being written.
Image: Courtesy of pokerstars.com
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