Lex Veldhuis Wins Big on GGPoker After PokerStars Split

The poker world saw a significant change at the start of 2026. Lex Veldhuis , the most famous face in poker streaming, has officially ended his 17-year partnership with PokerStars . Since 2009, Lex and the “Red Spade” were inseparable, but as of this January, the legendary Dutch pro is officially a free agent.

Lex broke the news during an emotional but high-energy livestream. He explained to his thousands of viewers that it was simply time for a “new chapter.” After nearly two decades as an ambassador, he expressed a strong desire for more freedom in how he plays, where he plays, and how he grows his personal brand.

“2025 is in the Rear-View Mirror”

Veldhuis was very open with his fans in the chat about his mindset. Reflecting on a quieter previous year, he told his audience:

“2025 is in the rear-view mirror. That’s where I want to keep it.”

When fans asked if he was jumping straight to a new sponsor, Lex used a relatable analogy:

“It’s been 17 years. The worst thing you can do after a long relationship is immediately enter another one.” For now, he is happy being independent, telling his community, “I’m excited about this year. I’m excited to play a lot of poker.”

Getting Used to a New Home

Instead of his usual PokerStars setup, Lex fired up his first stream of the year on GGPoker. It was a funny start for his fans; even a pro like Lex felt like a “newbie” with the different software. He spent a good portion of the early stream clicking through menus, trying to figure out how to change the card colors and fix the sound alerts. He even joked about being a bit “rusty” after spending the end of 2025 playing video games like The Legend of Zelda and League of Legends.

On social media, he capped off the announcement by saying:

“After 17 years I have left PokerStars… New chapter begins on stream today.”

After 17 years I have left Pokerstars.

I’m excited about the future and 2026 is going to be a big year!

New chapter begins on stream today. <3

— Lex Veldhuis (@LexVeldhuis) January 3, 2026

A Winning Start: The $108 Bounty Title

If anyone doubted Veldhuis’s skills after his break, he silenced them almost immediately. He entered the $108 Bounty Hunters Special, and the cards fell perfectly. After piecing everything together, Lex even got to use the “peel” feature during the decisive runout. In the final hand, Veldhuis held A♥ 6♣ while his opponent tabled K♣ Q♣. The board ran out A♠ 5♣ 4♣ 10♣, and after a tense pause, the final card slowly peeled off as the 3♥, confirming Veldhuis’ victory.

The Bottom Line

Won my first tournament I ever played on GG yesterday.

Hilarious.

Stream is now LIVE! I have made 2 x Day 2’s

and playing the $10k MILLIONS WAUW! pic.twitter.com/hm8qtZ9u9h

— Lex Veldhuis (@LexVeldhuis) January 4, 2026

Lex walked away with $2,541.22, including over $1,200 in bounties. He even laughed in the chat about the win, saying it was the “first one I ever registered actually ROFL.” Winning the very first tournament of his independent career is a huge statement. It proves that Veldhuis doesn’t need a sponsor’s patch to be a champion. Whether he stays a free agent or joins a new team later this year, 2026 is already looking like a massive win for Lex Veldhuis.