The World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP 2023) runs from September 10 to October 4 with more than $80M Gtd. Here’s where you’ll find all our coverage from WCOOP 2023

DAILY RECAPS

Tuesday, September 26

Ever feel like it’s Groundhog Day?

SIXTH TITLE OF 2023 FOR GLASER

Another day, another WCOOP victory for Benny “RunGodlike” Glaser, and this latest win is his biggest yet. 

Glaser emerged victorious in the $320 6-Max (#68-M) to win $55,706, defeating a sizeable 1,175-entry field to capture his 14th WCOOP title and sixth of the year (a new record for a single series).

Not one of Glaser’s six 2023 titles has come in the same variant. He now has an absurd 24 COOP titles to go with his five World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets. 

I DID A THING.
My 6th #WCOOP title of this series. A new WCOOP record 🏆
My 24th COOP title overall.
Genuinely beyond absurd. This one was a big one too.
I'm incredibly happy and grateful.
And thanks for all the love this series, everyone ❤️ pic.twitter.com/fkpEUgz0lx

— Benny Glaser (@BennyGlaser) September 26, 2023

FINTAN FINAL TABLES THE MILLY

PokerStars Team Pro Fintan “easywithaces” Hand came close to his maiden WCOOP title last night, finishing sixth in the $530 Sunday Million PKO (#66-M) for $23,517 total. 

It was Sweden’s “Mikke8282” who finished on top of the 2,939-entry event, banking a whopping $166,338 (including $75,291 in bounties) to win their first WCOOP.

LEKNES MAKES IT 11

Tobias “Senkel92” Leknes is now an 11-time WCOOP champion, picking up his second trophy of the year.

The Norwegian took down the $2,100 NLO8 6-Max PKO (#67-H), defeating 79 entries to win a healthy $55,006, including $36,375 in bounties.

DANCHEV AND MOORMAN WIN TITLE #2

Both Dimitar “KuuL” Danchev and Chris “Moorman1” Moorman captured their second WCOOP titles on Monday.

Danchev’s came in the WCOOP 64-H: $530 NLHE [Progressive KO] for $48,052 (including $26,219 in bounties), while Moorman took down the $55 7-Max Turbo PKO (#73-M) for $19,617 plus a $7,749 bounty haul.

CLASH OF THE TITANS

Benjamin “Bencb789” Rolle came ever so close to his second WCOOP title last night, finishing runner-up in the $5,200 PKO Titans (#66-H) for $88,980 total.

It was Bulgaria’s “AchoBogdanov” who clinched the title and $187,730 (including $115,937 in bounties), defeating a tough 154-entry field and a final table that also included Michael “imluckbox” Addamo.

NOTABLE RESULTS

Winner: “Monsieur Foutre”
Event: WCOOP 65-M: $215 NLHE [Sunday Warm-Up]
Prize: $83,373

Winner: “MarceloLG30”
Event: WCOOP 65-H: $2,100 NLHE [Sunday Warm-Up]
Prize: $107,273

Winner: “HaruoB”
Event: WCOOP 66-L: $55 NLHE [Progressive KO, Mini Sunday Million]
Prize: $52,691 (including $16,066 in bounties)

Winner: “jokee_apart”
Event: WCOOP 68-H: $3,150 NLHE 6-Max
Prize: $90,599

Winner: Renan “Internett93o” Bruschi (third WCOOP title)
Event: WCOOP 71-M: $109 6+ Hold’em
Prize: $4,511

Winner: “WarleyBruno”
Event: WCOOP 73-H: $530 NLHE 7-Max Turbo PKO
Prize: $49,770 (including $29,990 in bounties)

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

BENNY GLASER BENNY GLASER BENNY GLASER

Apologies for sounding like a broken record, but Benny “RunGodlike” Glaser simply won’t stop winning WCOOP titles.

The all-time leader extended his COOP total to 23 on Saturday, winning his 13th WCOOP title and fifth of the year. The event was the $1,050 NL 5-Card Draw 6-Max (#61-H) and Glaser bested 34 total entries to bank $14,207, overcoming some of the greatest mixed game tournament players in the world.

This is truly one of the most astonishing poker achievements we’ve seen, and it’s not over yet.

$130K DAY FOR VELDHUIS

Saturday was also an incredible day on the felt for Lex Veldhuis, even if he didn’t manage to secure his maiden COOP title.

Veldhuis – who displays his WCOOP results on his Twitch stream – was stuck a significant amount but managed to turn it all around in one session, cashing for more than $130,000.

Here’s a look at the PokerStars Team Pro’s results from Saturday:

4th – 55-H: $10,300 8-Game 6-Max High Roller – $22,630
3rd – 56-H: $5,200 NLHE 6-Max Turbo – $58,066
3rd – 62-H: $1,050 4-Max Turbo PKO – $15,639 (including $6,184 in bounties)
2nd – 63-H: $1,050 NLHE Turbo – $34,067

THREE FOR ODEEN

Sweden’s Jerry “Perrymejsen” Odeen has captured his third of the year and fifth WCOOP overall, taking down the $215 NLHE Turbo (63-M) for $31,356.

Odeen has been on fire this series, as his tweet below proves:

Its been a pretty good week 😅 pic.twitter.com/5u27JVgCYp

— jerry ödeen (@jerryodeen94) September 24, 2023

NOTABLE RESULTS

Winner: “XD89lol<3”
Event: WCOOP 55-H: $10,300 8-Game 6-Max High Roller
Prize: $127,483

Winner: “Gavin “gavz101” Cochrane (third WCOOP title)
Event: WCOOP 58-H: $2,100 NLHE Deep Stack
Prize: $72,607

Winner: “boerni21”
Event: WCOOP 59-H: $5,200 PLO 6-Max
Prize: $108,753

Friday, September 22

This is getting ridiculous now.

You know what’s coming…

GLORIOUS GLASER WINS AGAIN

Benny, could you please slow down until we can take some more photos of you to use in our recaps? We’re running low…

Yep, Benny “RunGodlike” Glaser has done it again, winning his fourth title of the series to become the all-time leader in WCOOP titles, and extending his lead as the all-time COOP winner.

The Brit’s latest triumph came in the $2,100 PLO8 6-Max (#53-H) for $44,201, besting a 70-entry field and a tricky final table. Tobias “Senkel92” Leknes finished third, Jerry “perrymejsen” Odeen was fourth (more on him in a moment), and Yuri “theNERDguy” Dzivielevski came fifth.

If Glaser can win one more, he’ll tie the all-time record of five titles in a series, set by both Connor “blanconegro” Drinan and Denis “aDrENalin710” Strebkov.

TWO-TITLE NIGHT FOR ODEEN

Jerry “PerryMejsen” Odeen may have finished fourth in the aforementioned event, but he had plenty to celebrate on Thursday night. 

First, the Swede took down the WCOOP 52-H: $1,050 NLHE for $64,302, overcoming a 346-entry field. To get the title he had to wade through an FT featuring Andy “bowieeffect” Wilson, Alex “Pwndidi” Theologis, and Yuri “theNERDguy” Dzivielevski, who seems to make every single WCOOP final table.

But he wasn’t done there. Odeen also won the WCOOP 53-L: $22 PLO8 for $4,598, besting a much larger field (1,447 entries).

He now has four WCOOP titles.

TWO FINAL TABLES FOR VELDHUIS

Saturday is going to be a wild one on Lex Veldhuis’ Twitch stream.

The PokerStars Team Pro has made not one but two final tables, both in huge events.

He’s fourth in chips with nine remaining in the $5,200 6-Max Turbo High Roller (#56-H), guaranteed $13,553 but playing for $103,915.

He’s also chip-leading the $10,300 8-Game High Roller after a very-last-second registration and some run good, winning a huge pot against Dzivielevski with aces beating aces in a PLO hand.

Only four players remain and they all have a min-cash of $22,630 locked up. But there’s $127,483 awaiting the winner.

Those standing in Veldhuis’ way? Drinan, Rui “RuiNF” Ferreira, and “XD89lol<3”.

Make sure you tune in to Veldhuis on Saturday night for the conclusions of both events.

MEGA SAT TO MAIN EVENT THIS SUNDAY

Attention anyone who hope to win their way into the $109 WCOOP Main Event (#98-L).

There’s a huge Mega Satellite running this Sunday with 750 seats guaranteed for an $11 buy-in.

It kicks off at 18:30 WET.

NOTABLE RESULTS

Winner: “aferrao147”
Event: WCOOP 49-M: $530 NLHE [Midweek Freeze]
Prize: $40,365

Winner: Guillaume “Nolet20” Nolet
Event: WCOOP 49-H: $5,200 NLHE [Midweek Freeze High Roller]
Prize: $104,093

Winner: “_sennj_” (fourth WCOOP title)
Event: World Championship of Razz: $1,050, $65K Gtd
Prize: $19,973

Winner: “Aziz.Mancha” (second WCOOP title)
Event: WCOOP 51-H: $530 NLHE [6-Max, Freezeout]
Prize: $31,290

Winner: “TheDomotron”
Event: WCOOP 52-M: $109 NLHE
Prize: $33,285

Winner: “Drawinddead”
Event: WCOOP 57-H: $1,050 NLHE Turbo PKO
Prize: $54,809

---

Thursday, September 21

We better get through this quickly because, by the time we’ve published these reports, this load of crushers have won more titles!

Here’s what went down on Wednesday.

GLASER THE GREAT WINS 11TH WCOOP

He’s done it again.

Benny “RunGodlike” Glaser has now tied Denis “aDrENalin710” Strebkov as WCOOP’s all-time leader in titles, winning his 11th and third of the series.

His hat trick was completed in the $1,050 NL 2-7 Single Draw (#50-H), where he defeated 51 entries to bank $19,490. 

Let's go! 🏆
So nice to win this one, in my favourite game! 😁
(and I've come 2nd in this event twice before)
3rd #WCOOP title of this series! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/K17HeB1gdB

— Benny Glaser (@BennyGlaser) September 21, 2023

Glaser makes this look easy, but it certainly wasn’t. The final table included Thomas “WushuTM” Muehloecker and Patrick “pads11” Leonard, to name just a couple.

Incredibly, Glaser almost won another title yesterday too. He finished runner-up in the $530 NLHE (#48-H) for $34,572, losing out to “zavor”.

Just how many titles will Glaser get in 2023? Whatever your answer, we’ll take the over.

What a day! 😄
Almost a truly epic one, for what would have been the 2nd title today. (An unfortunate ending here, doubling him up 4 times all-in.)
But still an amazing day! 😁
And back on top of the leaderboards! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/wTt4tpt1vG

— Benny Glaser (@BennyGlaser) September 21, 2023

VIEIRA MAKES IT 10

Another all-time WCOOPer, Joao “Naza114” Vieira has picked up his first title of the 2023, taking down the WCOOP 45-H: $3,150 NLHE [Super Tuesday] for $87,674.

The event received 129 entries and produced a tough final table that saw Aleksejs “APonakov” Ponakovs finish second for $67,929, while PokerStars Team Pro Lex Veldhuis fell in fifth for $31,594.

Vieira now has 10 WCOOP titles and ties Tobias “Senkel92” Leknes on that number. He also has six SCOOP trophies.

LEONARD IS HEADS-UP WORLD CHAMP

Make that two wins in two days for Patrick “pads1161” Leonard.

The Brit added another WCOOP title – his seventh – to his CV by taking down the $5,200 World Championship of Heads-Up for $80,500, besting all 46 entries.

He defeated “Neverstandard” heads-up, forcing them to settle for $46,000.

Leonard’s up to 14 COOP titles now.

FIVE FOR SHAKERCHI

Widely regarded as one of the best of the “business people” to play high stakes poker, the UK’s Talal “raidalot” Shakerchi took down the WCOOP 43-H: $530 NLHE [Deep Stack] yesterday for $52,266.

The event got 594 entries and Shakerchi denied Espen “Hymn2Ninkasi” Jørstad his second title of the year, beating him heads-up.

This is Shakerchi’s fifth WCOOP title and second in no limit hold’em. Shakerchi also has five SCOOP wins.

NOTABLE RESULTS

Winner: “YieldJoker”
Event: WCOOP 43-M: $55 NLHE [Deep Stack]
Prize: $31,681

Winner: “Dainiux” (fourth WCOOP title)
Event: WCOOP 44-H: $1,050 PLO [Progressive KO]
Prize: $51,294 (including $34,297 in bounties)

Winner: “huiiiiiiiiiii”
Event: WCOOP 45-M: $320 NLHE [Super Tuesday]
Prize: $53,064

Winner: “jwolter”
Event: WCOOP 47-H: $530 NLHE [7-Max, Progressive KO, Freezeout]
Prize: $37,104 (including $17,022 in bounties)

Winner: “zavor”
Event: WCOOP 48-H: $530 NLHE [Single Day]
Prize: $46,712

---

Wednesday, September 20

What looked to be a quiet night in WCOOP in terms of events finishing turned into a very interesting one, with big names adding titles and some final tables for PokerStars Team Pros.

Here’s what happened on Tuesday in WCOOP 2023.

LEONARD’S ON THE BOARD

It was only a matter of time before Patrick “pads1161” Leonard broke through with a win and while the prize won’t mean much to him, his 13th COOP title surely will.

Leonard came out on top in the $109 FLHE 6-Max (#46-M), defeating a 204-entry field to win $4,011. This is the Brit’s sixth WCOOP title, plus he has seven SCOOP trophies.

Ten-time WCOOP champ Tobias “Senkel93” Leknes finished third in this one.

Meanwhile, Leonard has a shot at another title tonight as he’s down to the final four players in the $5,200 World Championship of Heads-Up, with $23,000 locked up.

FERREIRA MAKES IT SEVEN

Another perennial COOP crusher picked up their seventh WCOOP title in the low version of the same event.

Rui “RuinF” Ferreira outlasted 992 entries in the $11 FLHE 6-Max (#46-L) to bank $1,589 – again, not an amount that will mean much to a high roller like Ferreira. It’s all about titles for these guys, and of course, the leader board standings (we’ll get to those in a moment).

Ferreira had a massive series last year, winning four WCOOPs, and now has 14 COOP titles in total.

SECOND TITLE FOR HRABEC 

Roman “Gogac sniper” Hrabec picked up his second WCOOP victory yesterday, taking down the $2,100 NLHE [6-Max, Progressive KO] for $89,121 (including $49,031 in bounties).

The event received 238 entries and the $400K guarantee was smashed, ending up at $476K.

Hrabec won his maiden title last year in a $2,100 buy-in PLO8 event.

FINAL TABLES FOR MORAES AND VELDHUIS

Let’s catch up on the latest from PokerStars Team Pro.

Sebastian “peace&loove” Huber had a great run in the $109 NLHE 7-Max PKO Freezeout (#41-M), finishing in eighth place out of 2,255 players (to bubble the final table) and earn $1,216 plus $373 in bounties.

Meanwhile, Rafael “GM Valter” Moraes also came close, finishing sixth out of 242 players in the $1,050 medium edition for $4,840 plus $2,063 in bounties. This is Moraes’ second final table of the series following his runner-up in the $530 Deep Stack (#27-H) for $39,607.

Finally, it will be a big night on Lex Veldhuis’ Twitch stream today.

He’s down to the final 14 players in the $3,150 Super Tuesday (#45-H) and sits sixth in chips, guaranteed $7,310 but playing for a first-place prize of $87,674. He’ll be up against chip leader “srxakgirona”, Andres “PTFisherman23” Marques, “hello_totti”, “DingeBrinker”, Joao “Naza114” Vieira, and Aleksejs “APonakov” Ponakov, to name just a few.

Make sure you tune in for that.

SHOUT OUT TO THENERDGUY

We’ve just got to highlight a fantastic night for Yuri “theNERDguy” Dzivielevski, even if he didn’t add any trophies to his collection.

Dzivielevski finished second in two events on Tuesday, first the $1,050 Stud Hi/Lo (#40-H) for $11,113, then the $1,050 FLHE 6-Max (#46-H) for $10,866.

Those results have helped the Brazilian take control of the High Leader Board.

Speaking of which…

LEADER BOARD STANDINGS

Now that we’re well over a week into the series, let’s take a look at the WCOOP 2023 Leader Boards.

As mentioned, Yuri “theNERDguy” Dzivielevski sits atop the High Leader Board, followed by two-time 2023 winner Benny “RunGodlike” Glaser and Joao “Naza114” Vieira.

The UK’s “deepincidurr” leads the Medium, while last year’s Player of the Series “Fal1st” of Thailand tops the Low.

It’s Glaser who leads overall though, closely followed by reigning champ “Fal1st”.

You can look through the full Leader Boards (and the prizes up for grabs) here.

NOTABLE RESULTS

Winner: “rickyibrah45”
Event: WCOOP 39-M: $215 NLHE [6-Max, Progressive KO]
Prize: $54,247 (including $19,136 in bounties)

Winner: “000000000136”
Event: WCOOP 41-H: $1,050 NLHE [7-Max, Progressive KO, Freezeout]
Prize: $47,169

Winner: “Gambler4444”
Event: World Championship of PLO8: $1,050
Prize: $29,019

---

Tuesday, September 19

BIGGEST PRIZE SO FAR

The appropriately named “Starwins :)” from Denmark has pipped Parker “Tonkaaaa” Talbot to clinch the largest prize of WCOOP 2023 so far.

They defeated an 84-entry field to win the $10,300 PKO High Roller (#35-H) for a whopping $228,541, including an enormous bounty haul of $139,609. This is “Starwins :)” first WCOOP victory.

Alex “Pwndidi” Theologis finished runner-up, while Talal “raidalot” Shakerchi clinched the other podium spot.

6-MAX WORLD CHAMPION

Finland’s “thelpoker” banked a healthy $180,507 for their victory in the $5,200 World Championship of 6-Max event, outlasting all 181 entries to clinch their first title.

The best in the game showed up for this one and to get the job done, “thelpoker” had to defeat a final table that included “drew.derzh”, Rodrigo “seijistar” Seiji, and Patrick “pads1161” Leonard.

Sam “SamSquid” Grafton and Talbot cashed this one, finishing in 10th and 14th, respectively.

NEMETH WINS FIFTH TITLE

Andras “probirs” Nemeth captured his fifth WCOOP trophy yesterday with a win in the $215 5-Card PLO (#36-M) for $23,257. The event received 678 total entries.

This is Nemeth’s third PLO title. He took down the $10,300 PLO 6-Max Main Event in 2021 for $308,556.

Nemeth also has five SCOOP titles under his belt, taking his total COOP tally up to 10.

DOUBLE FOR DRINAN

Connor “blanconegro” Drinan also picked up his fifth WCOOP win yesterday, making him a double champion in 2023.

Drinan took down the 36-H: $2,100 5-Card PLO for $59,193, defeating 141 total entries.  This win comes fresh off the back of his $1,050 8-Game (#28-H) win over the weekend.

Drinan, who plays from Mexico, now has 11 COOP titles overall.

NOTABLE RESULTS

Winner: “MaxHendrix”
Event: WCOOP 33-M: $109 NLHE Sunday Kickoff
Prize: $39,784

Winner: “SerVlaMin” (third WCOOP title)
Event: WCOOP 33-H: $1,050 NLHE Sunday Kickoff
Prize: $63,930

Winner: Nils “pudelpower” Pudel
Event: WCOOP 34-H: $530 PKO Sunday Warm-Up
Prize: $74,908 (including $38,627 in bounties)

Winner: “Sp1tter”
Event: WCOOP 35-L: $109 NLHE [Progressive KO, Sunday Million]
Prize: $107,789 (including $34,522 in bounties)

Winner: “mikke8282”
Event: WCOOP 35-M: $1,050 NLHE [Progressive KO]
Prize: $168,070 (including $78,461 in bounties)

Winner: “leonidus1988”
Event: WCOOP 37-H: $1,050 NLHE [7-Max, Progressive KO, Freezeout]
Prize: $63,262 (including $37,258 in bounties)

Winner: “berny9623” (second WCOOP title)
Event: WCOOP 42-H: $530 NLHE [Turbo, Progressive KO]
Prize: $36,184 (including $18,408 in bounties)

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Monday, September 18

GLASER WINS 10TH WCOOP

We’re only a week into the WCOOP 2023 and the all-time leader in Championship of Online Poker (COOP) titles has already added two more to his collection.

Benny “RunGodlike” Glaser took down his second WCOOP of the year (and 10th overall) on Saturday, with victory in the $1,050 World Championship of 2-7 Triple Draw. He overcame a 91-entry field to earn $22,650 in the same event he won his fifth World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet earlier this year.

The result follows an exceptional opening week that saw him win 16-M: $109 FL Badugi [6-Max] for $3,550 and make multiple final tables.

Glaser now has an astonishing 20 COOP titles for his career, as well as five WSOP bracelets. Needless to say, he’s simply one of the greatest tournament players on the planet across all poker variants.

COOP title #20! 😁
This one was a very tough battle. I'm happy to get the win! 🏆
(Also it's fun that I'm now the current 2-7 TD "World Championship" winner both live and online 😊)
Also I'm now back on top of the leaderboards. Let's go! 🔥

— Benny Glaser (@BennyGlaser) September 17, 2023

MARQUES TAKES DOWN THURSDAY THRILL

It’s been three years since Andre “PTFisherman23” Marques won the WCOOP Main Event for $1.14 million, his maiden title. But on Saturday, the Portuguese pro (who now plays from Brazil) captured his second trophy.

Marques defeated a 113-entry field in the 24-H: $5,200 NLHE [Progressive KO, Thursday Thrill High Roller] to bank a massive $179,126, including $104,258 in bounties. The final table included Prebben “prebz” Stokkan and the eventual runner-up, Simon “C Darwin2” Mattsson, who was seeking his second title of the year.

ÅSTEDT MAKES IT SIX

It was only a matter of time before Niklas “Lena900” Åstedt announced himself in WCOOP 2023, and on Sunday he did so in style.

The Swedish superstar came out on top in 38-H: $5,200 NLHE [Turbo, Progressive KO, Sunday Cooldown High Roller] for a cool $113,570, $65,781 of which came in bounties.

The 81-entry event produced a fantastic final table that included eight-time WCOOP champ and runner-up Yuri “theNERDguy” Dzivielevski, two-time champ Pedro “pvigar” Garagnani, one-time winner Ben “bencb789” Rolle, two-time winner Christian “WATnlos” Rudolph, and four-time champ Ognyan “cocojamb0” Dimov

This is Åstedt’s sixth WCOOP title and 12th COOP win overall. He remains online poker’s all-time money winner with a staggering $45 million in cashes, according to Poker Stake.

NOTABLE RESULTS

Winner: “necgaidziai”
Event: WCOOP 22-H: $530 NLHE
Prize: $58,934

Winner: “ferkovsk”
Event: WCOOP 24-M: $530 NLHE [Progressive KO, Thursday Thrill]
Prize: $103,927 (including $50,224 in bounties)

Winner: “klem90”
Event: WCOOP 25-M: $320 NLHE [6-Max, Single Re-Entry]
Prize: $43,984

Winner: “Pantoja RO”
Event: WCOOP 25-H: $3,150 NLHE [6-Max, Single Re-Entry]
Prize: $67,389

Winner: “SuspiciousCat”
Event: WCOOP 27-H: $530 NLHE [Deep Stack]
Prize: $54,554

Winner: Connor “blanconegro” Drinan (fourth WCOOP title)
Event: WCOOP 28-H: $1,050 8-Game
Prize: $18,668

Winner: “Koy__Spartac”
Event: WCOOP 29-H: $1,050 NLHE [Progressive KO, Saturday KO]
Prize: $95,488 (including $48,168 in bounties)

Winner: “FAL1st” (third WCOOP title)
Event: WCOOP 30-H: $1,050 FLO8 [8-Max]
Prize:$20,522

Winner: “simbadlion”
Event: WCOOP 31-M: $215 NLHE [Freezeout]
Prize: $32,076

Winner: Alexandre “aminolast” Raymond
Event: WCOOP 31-H: $2,100 NLHE
Prize: $47,315

Winner: Kelvin “kelvin_fp:ar” Kerber (second WCOOP title)
Event: WCOOP 32-H: $1,050 NLHE [5-Max, Turbo, Progressive KO]
Prize: $41,619 (including $26,953 in bounties)

Winner: Pablo “pabritz” Brito
Event: WCOOP 38-M: $530 NLHE [Turbo, Progressive KO, Sunday Cooldown]
Prize: $63,765 (including $35,066 in bounties)

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Friday, September 15

There’s never a dull day during the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP). 

(Seriously – even today’s day off is full of fantastic side events).

Here’s what went down on Thursday.

SENSATIONAL STREBKOV WINS SECOND OF SERIES

Before this series began, it had been five years since Denis “aDrENalin710” Strebkov had won an event during WCOOP. The Russian went out with a bang in 2018, winning an incredible five titles, but since then…silence.

Well, not only is Strebkov back, but he’s back with a vengeance.

Strebkov won his first event of the year on Tuesday: a $5.50 NLHE PKO. It marked his 10th career title and put him one ahead of Benny “RunGodlike” Glaser, who had tied him on nine that same evening.

Now Strebkov is back in front as the player with the most WCOOPs, and he retook the lead in style. On Thursday, he took down the $1,050 World Championship of HORSE event, defeating a 93-entry field to win $23,699.

At this rate, he could end up besting his 2018 performance.

Strebkov is our first double-winner of the series so far.

LEKNES CLINCHES 10TH TITLE

Like Strebkov, Tobias “Senkel92” Leknes is also a master of mixed games and a player who wins COOP titles with ease.

Leknes – who won three SCOOP events earlier this year – has picked up his first WCOOP of 2023, and 10th of his brilliant career.

He came out on top in the $109 PLO 6-Max (#20-M), overcoming 865 entries to earn himself $14,477, and on the same night, he finished third in the $11 Razz (#23-L).

Leknes has a chance to tie Strebkov on Saturday as he’s also on the final table of the $1,050 World Championship of 2-7 Triple Draw. 

The Norwegian now has 17 COOP titles in total.

DZIVIELEVSKI MAKES IT EIGHT

Brazilian superstar Yuri “theNERDguy” Dzivielevski picked up his eighth WCOOP trophy on Thursday, winning the $1,050 PLO 6-Max (#20-H) for $36,301.

Dzivielevski won three WCOOPs in 2020 and another three in 202, plus his maiden title in 2015. He also has two SCOOP victories.

NOTABLE RESULTS

Winner: “Tr!pleeeee”
Event: WCOOP 18-H: $1,050 Deep Stack
Prize: $59,341

Winner: “Eltucu64”
Event: WCOOP 19-H: $2,100 7-Max PKO
Prize: $78,819 (including $40,641 in bounties)

Winner: “Luis_faria” (Second WCOOP title)
Event: WCOOP 21-H: $530+R [Rebuy]
Prize: $47,514

Winner: “Iamkenough”
Event: WCOOP 26-H: $530 Turbo PKO Freezeout
Prize: $39,119 (including $21,461 in bounties)

---

Thursday, September 14

Huge news from Wednesday night’s action as a PokerStars Team Pro clinched the first title for the team in 2023, winning the largest prize of the series so far.

Plus, the player with the most WCOOP titles in history added another trophy to the mantle, and other big names added themselves to the winner’s sheet.

Here’s a quick recap.

TONKAAAA WINS THIRD WCOOP TITLE

Three-handed in the massive $10K Super Tuesday (#15-H), Parker “Tonkaaaa” Talbot told the thousands watching him on Twitch that when he returned from the five-minute break, he was going to bust a player, enter heads-up with the chip lead, and then win.

That’s exactly what he did, defeating “srxakgirona” heads-up to bank $213,229 – the largest first-place prize of WCOOP 2023 so far. 

This is Talbot’s third WCOOP title and the second-largest online cash of his career.

Victory ✌️ @tonkaaaap is a #WCOOP 2023 champion. 🏆

Parker took down the $10k Super Tuesday High Roller, winning $213,228.71 pic.twitter.com/xdtT86tLhm

— PokerStars (@PokerStars) September 13, 2023

STREBKOV EXTENDS LEAD WITH 10TH TITLE

This result somehow snuck by us yesterday, but it’s well worth shouting about.

Denis “aDrENalin710” Strebkov, WCOOP’s all-time leader in titles, added a tenth trophy on Tuesday night by winning the $5.50 PKO (#13-L) for $4,283, including $1,140 in bounties. He defeated an enormous field of 11,698 entries to get the job done.

The result came on the same night that Benny “RunGodlike” Glaser tied him on nine.

Strebov now has 14 COOP titles in total.

MATTSSON DENIES GRAFTON IN $3K PKO

Talbot wasn’t the only Team Pro to reach a big final table last night.

Sam “SamSquid” Grafton was among the finalists in the $3,150 PKO (#17-H) seeking his second WCOOP title, but alas, his run ended in fourth for $31,718, including his $13,219 bounty haul.

It was Swedish phenom Simon “C Darwin2” Mattsson who came out on top of the 111-entry field to win $81,255 (including $44,062 in bounties) and this third career WCOOP title.

Mattsson — widely considered to be among the best online tournament players in history — won two events in last year’s series, but this prize surpasses both.

NOTABLE RESULTS

Winner: David “missoracle” Yan (second WCOOP title)
Event: WCOOP 13-H: $530 NLHE [Progressive KO], $325K Gtd
Prize: $53,996 (including $28,308 in bounties)

Winner: Pedro “PadiLhA SP” Padilha (third WCOOP title)
Event: WCOOP 15-M: $1,050 NLHE [Super Tuesday]
Prize: $103,124

Winner: “SAFADA1” (second WCOOP title)
Event: WCOOP 15-L: $109 NLHE [Super Tuesday]
Prize: $56,838

---

Wednesday, September 13

What did we miss?

A lot, as it turns out.

Apologies for the late start to our WCOOP coverage (a couple of days off after EPT Barcelona and UKIPT Brighton were very much needed) but we’re here now and have much to tell you.

It’s been a wild opening to WCOOP 2023 with huge storylines emerging. 

Let’s get to it.

GLASER EXTENDS ALL-TIME COOP LEAD

If SCOOP 2023 was anything to go by, this won’t be the only time we’ll use that headline throughout this series.

The all-time leader in COOP titles heading in, Benny “RunGodlike” Glaser is off and running, winning his ninth WCOOP title and 19th COOP in the opening days of the series.

Glaser took down 16-M: $109 FL Badugi [6-Max], good for $3,550, and has made five final tables so far. The prize may be small in comparison to what he’s used to, but trust us, the Brit is thrilled with the result.

It's been a wild last 2 days of #WCOOP!
I made 5 Final Tables 😁
I got that 19th COOP title! 🏆
As well as two 2nd places.
It's been a good start to the series and I hope it continues like this! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/IbOEbJzg04

— Benny Glaser (@BennyGlaser) September 13, 2023

He now has 19 COOPs overall, having won three SCOOPs earlier this year. Incredible.

FERREIRA MAKE IT SEVEN

Another titan of COOP poker added to their overall tally in the first few days of the series.

Portugal’s Rui “RuiNF” Ferreira (who now plays from Brazil) enjoyed his seventh WCOOP victory by taking down 09-M: $530 NLHE [Progressive KO] for $77,322, including $36,711 in bounties. 

Ferreira had a series for the ages last year, winning four titles, and his 2023 campaign is off to an incredible start. His WCOOP record now matches his SCOOP, with 14 COOP titles overall.

TALBOT AND GRAFTON ON FINAL TABLES

Don’t miss tonight’s $10,300 Super Tuesday High Roller (#15-H) final table, where PokerStars Team Pro Parker “Tonkaaaa” Talbot is second in chips with nine players remaining.

He’ll be battling the likes of Thomas “WushTM” Muehloecker, Yuri “theNERDguy” Dzivielevski, and Samuel “€urop€an” Vousden.

They’re all guaranteed $25,080, but there’s $213,229 awaiting the winner.

Talbot’s fellow Team Pro Sam “SamSquid” Grafton is also on a final table over in the #17-H: $3,150 7-Max PKO. He is currently in third place with seven remaining and will be playing for a first prize of $37,192 plus bounties.

NOTABLE RESULTS

Espen “Hymn2Ninkasi” Jørstad – the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champ in 2022 – picked up his first WCOOP title, while Roman “RomeOpro” Romanovsky won the biggest prize of the series so far.

We also saw mixed-game master “Chillolini” pick up his third WCOOP title, and three players win their second.

Here’s a look at some other notable results from the first three days of WCOOP 2023:

Winner: Espen “Hymn2Ninkasi” Jørstad
Event: WCOOP 03-H: $3,150 NLHE [Progressive KO Sunday Warm-Up]
Prize: $122,371 (inc. $84,703 in bounties)

Winner: Roman “RomeOpro” Romanovsky
Event: WCOOP 04-H: $10,300 NLHE [High Roller]
Prize: $203,121

Winner: Renan “Internett93o” Bruschi (second WCOOP title)
Event: WCOOP $5200 World Championship of Progressive KO NLHE 
Prize: $198,665 (inc. $110,312 in bounties)

Winner: “Chillolini” (third WCOOP title)
Event: WCOOP 16-H: $1,050 FL Badugi [6-Max]
Prize: $15,641

Winner: “tablepanic” (second WCOOP title)
Event: WCOOP 08-L: $5.50 NLO8 [6-Max] 
Prize: $2,075

Winner: “Kzhh” (second WCOOP title)
Event: WCOOP 09-H: $5,200 NLHE [Progressive KO, High Roller]
Prize: $100,380 (inc. $48,984 in bounties)

Winner: “Adkaf” (second WCOOP title)
Event: WCOOP 10-H: $2,100 HORSE
Prize: $28,611

TWEETS OF THE DAY

I'M A WORLD CHAMPION!!!

I'm lost for words, I can't even speak. Thank you @pyefacepoker and @GJReggie for railing it with there community. Means so much, don't think ill sleep much tonight 😂
@PokerStars #WCOOP @PokerStarsUK pic.twitter.com/mZXsjBYMXl

— Joejoe1122 (@joeglenn2) September 12, 2023

5 from the money in the $1k Super Tuesday.

I bet the flop. Opponent check raises. I call.

Opponent bets turn. I call.

And then we get to the river. One of the wildest bluffs I've made on the $1k bubble! pic.twitter.com/PFkUNr9l2Q

— Spraggy (@spraggy) September 12, 2023

I'm a WCOOP champion!!! @PokerStarsUK @PokerStarsBlog pic.twitter.com/qE1IgnTjUD

— SKP (@PharmaPoker) September 12, 2023

WCOOP 2023 SCHEDULE

The waiting is over so let’s get right to it.

Here’s the full WCOOP 2023 schedule. It’s 110 events long and this year boasts an $80 million guarantee.

Scroll through and check the entire schedule below. Then check out details further down about the Championship events – plus, a few extra details you’ll want to know.

SOME HIGHLIGHTS

Here’s a rundown of what you can look forward to:

• $80M GTD, from September 10 – October 4

• 12 World Championship Events

• $12.5M across three Main Events on October 1:

• $109 WCOOP Main Event-L – $2,500,000 guaranteed

• $1,050 WCOOP Main Event-M – $4,000,000 guaranteed

• $10,300 WCOOP Main Event-H – $6,000,000 guaranteed

• Each event three tiered with buy-ins from $5.50-$25,000

• Leader Board prizes worth $100K.

And a special freeroll on the first Sunday for WCOOP 2022 winners (invite only).

You’ll also have numerous options whatever your bankroll size, or your experience.

• Satellites start from $0.55

• Special Spin & Go’s with $0.75, $4, $20 buy-ins

• Fast Track satellites into the Main Events, from $2.20.

How to play WCOOP through Power Path

For the first time ever qualifying on Power Path is available to players, with WCOOP tickets worth $285K added to Power Path Step 3 & 4 tournaments. Players will be able to exchange passes for WCOOP events and ticket bundles.

• Bronze ($109 buy-in events)

• Two options of $2,500 Silver Pass bundles

• A $10,300 Gold Power Pass can be used either for a buy-in to the Main Event High, or exchanged for a ticket bundle.

All Bronze Passes will be able to be used for $109 buy-in events, with three other Pass bundles available.

Silver Pass ticket bundle 1

• 1 x $530 WCOOP ticket​
• 3 x $215 WCOOP tickets​
• 6 x $109 WCOOP tickets​
• 8 x $55 WCOOP tickets​
• 10 x $22 WCOOP tickets​

Silver Pass ticket bundle 2

• 2 x $1,050 WCOOP Main Event-M tickets​
• 2 x $109 WCOOP Main Event-L tickets​
• 8 x $22 WCOOP ticket​

Gold Pass bundle

• 1 x $5,200 WCOOP ticket​
• 4 x $1,050 WCOOP tickets​
• 4 x $109 WCOOP tickets​
• 6 x $55 WCOOP tickets

The $10,300 Gold Power Pass can also be used to buy into the WCOOP Main Event-H which starts on October 1, with $12.5 million guaranteed across the three Main Events:

• $109 WCOOP Main Event-L: $2,500,000 GTD
• $1,050 WCOOP Main Event-M: $4,000,000 GTD
• $10,300 WCOOP Main Event-H: $6,000,000 GTD

CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS

WCOOP is the year’s most prestigious online series, and with WCOOP Championship events we’re talking cherry on top. Each comes with the title “World Champion”.

And, while every WCOOP winner will receive a trophy, those earning Championship Event titles will celebrate with even larger silverware.

ABOUT THE SERIES

The World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) — the world’s longest-running and premier online poker series — will return for its 22nd edition later this year.

So get these dates marked on your calendars right now:

Sunday, 10 September to Wednesday, October 4, 2023.

That means incredible WCOOP action for 25 days, and it’s coming your way.

The WCOOP Main Events will begin on Sunday, October 1.

Twenty-one years after its first running, WCOOP remains the online tournament series that still gets the pulse racing faster than any other. Ask online players for their ambitions, and a WCOOP title is still at the top.

Few could have predicted when PokerStars players first contested WCOOP in 2002, that it would still capture the imagination more than two decades later. Through those first 21 years, players accounted for more than 7.8 million entries and 2,105 champions were crowned from more than 70 countries. In prize money terms that added up to more than $1.2 billion.

Online titles don’t get more prestigious or more significant than a WCOOP crown — but these tournaments are open to anyone. Buy-ins start at only $5.50, with numerous ways players can qualify for higher buy-in events for a minimal outlay.

Watch out for satellite events starting very soon.

MORE ABOUT WCOOP:
YEAR-BY-YEAR GUIDE | COMPLETE RESULTS | MULTIPLE CHAMPIONS

WCOOP 2022 STATS

STAT TRACKER

Tournaments completed: 367
Entries: 1,184,919 (inc. 273,917 re-entries)
Prize pools: $108,569,090
First-place prizes: $17,001,233 (inc. $3,225,152 in bounties)

Countries Leaderboard final standings:

70 titles — Brazil
42 — UK
28 – Austria
21 – Sweden
18 – Germany
16 – Ukraine
15 — Canada
14 – Norway
12 – Romania
10 – Bulgaria, Finland
9 — Belarus
7 – Kazakhstan, Lithuania
6 – Argentina, Hungary, Mexico, Montenegro
5 – Andorra, Croatia, Poland
4 — Armenia, Estonia, Malta, Uruguay
3 — Belgium, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, Peru
2 — Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Morocco, Slovenia, Switzerland
1 — Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Greece, Indonesia, New Zealand, Slovakia, Tunisia, Uzbekistan.

ALL-TIME WCOOP STATS (2002-2022)

No. of Tournaments: 2,105
Total Entrants: 7,808,769
Total Prize Pools: $1,203,803,287
First Place Prizes: $184,472,406

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