WCOOP 2025: Niklas “Lena900” Astedt wins 12th title

September 26, 2025

News

by Jack Stanton

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36 Minute Read

LATEST NEWS

STAT TRACKER

Tournaments completed: 290
Total entries: 571,505
Prize pools:  $47,168,632
First-place prizes: $8,088,628
Biggest score: $216,666 (Leonard ‘Grozzorg’ Maue – $10K PKO #38-H)

FRIDAY 26/09

ASTEDT BREAKS THROUGH: After an incredible four-title 2024 series, Niklas “Lena900” Astedt has been conspicuous by his absence from the WCOOP 2025 winner’s sheet. The Swede has been close plenty of times–including three runner-up finishes–but a win had eluded him… until Thursday. Astedt broke through with victory in the $530 5-Card PLO (#94-H) for $22,842, a variant he also won a title in last year. One of the GOATs of tournament poker, Astedt now boasts 12 WCOOP titles for his storied career.

Niklas Astedt’s 12 titles:

2018 – 27-M: PLO [6-Max] – $58,228
2020 – 39-H: $5,200 NLHE PKO HR – $201,055
2020 – 44-H: $2,100 NLHE – $80,642
2022 – 04-M: $109 NLO8 – $6,567
2022 – 20-H: $5,200 Closer – $94,468
2023 – 38-H: $5,200 NLHE PKO HR – $113,570
2023 – 93-H: $1,050 NLO8 – $22,224
2024 – 36-H: $1,050 NLHE Kickoff – $47,687
2024 – 39-H: $2,100 5-Card PLO – $51,257
2024 – 97-H: $10,300 NLHE PKO HR – $188,988
2024 – 110-H: $530 NLHE PKO – $83,541
2025 – 94-H: $530 5-Card PLO – $22,842

Astedt was Universitas Stars Poker Online’s biggest money winner with more than $50 million in cashes before tracked records were taken offline

TWO DOUBLE CHAMPS CROWNED: Austria-based player Ilija “isavevski” Savevski scored his second title of the year, and third overall, in the $215 NLHE PKO (#91-M) for $24,008, including $10,717 in bounties. The event had 840 entries and a $175K prize pool.

We also saw Belarus-based Russian player Viktor “papan9_p$” Ustimov become a double champion, taking down the 256-entry $530 NLHE 7-Max Turbo PKO (#99-H) for $25,880, including $15,070 in bounties. He won a $1K NLHE event for $45,471 earlier this series and now has six titles to his career.

OTHER NEWS: Long-time crusher “hello_totti”, who plays from Mexico, picked up their maiden WCOOP on Thursday with victory in the 66-entry $2K NLHE Turbo (#98-H) for $41,016. They defeated Felipe “lipe piv” Boianovsky heads-up.

Only five players remain in the $1K World Championship of Badugi and its “FAL1st”, who takes the chip lead into the final session on Saturday, looking for their fourth win of the year. Benny “RunGodlike” Glaser is still in contention, looking for his 17th WCOOP title, but he’s got his work cut out as the short stack.

Over in the $10K Thursday Thrill PKO, just seven of the 59 entries remain, led by Alisson “heyalisson” Piekazewicz. The remaining field is made up of Dimitar “KuuL” Danchev, Pedro “PaDiLhA SP” Padilha, Ben “bencb789” Rolle, Samuel “go4gunners” Mullur, Pascal “Pass_72” Lefrancois, and “drew.derzh”. There’s $78,860 up top, plus bounties.

THURSDAY 25/09

NEMETH DOES THE DOUBLE: After an uncharacteristically quiet WCOOP in 2024, Andras “probirs” Nemeth is back on the winner’s sheet for the second time in 2025, taking down the $530 PLO PKO (#90-H) for $23,717, including $15,219 in bounties. Nemeth topped the 196-entry event to clinch his seventh career WCOOP (five of which have come in PLO variants). His second victory takes Hungary up to six titles for the series.

Nemeth up to seven

SUPER WEDNESDAY FOR YURASOV: After two days of play, Dmitry “Yurasov1990” Yurasov “Yurasov1990” of Belarus was crowned the $1K Super Tuesday champ (#86-M). This is Yurasov’s third career WCOOP, and to secure it, he had to battle through 348 entries, then, after making a heads-up deal, beat Latvia’s “Rigapols81” heads up. Yurasov came out on top, earning $59,161, while Rigapols81 took second place for $54,957. Staruniv Ambassador Benjamin “Spraggy” Spragg had a deep run in this one, but a lengthy stretch of being card dead saw his stack dwindle before busting in 12th for $5,723.

MULLUR MAGIC: Austria’s Samuel “go4gunners” Mullur worked wonders in the $5K Super Tuesday High Roller (#86-H), locking up the third WCOOP title of his career—and the third in as many years. Mullur battled through a field of 107 elite entries before coming out on top for $123,283.

Samuel “go4gunners” Muller

ENTER SANDMAN: Canada’s “sandman201” had a dream session on Wednesday, capturing their fourth career WCOOP title in the $1K HORSE (#88-H). The 53-entry field was stacked, featuring the likes of “FAL1st” (hunting a fourth win of the series), “CMoosepower” (going for a double), and Renan “Internett93o” Bruschi (eyeing a hat trick). In the end, sandman201 proved unshakable, claiming the $20,254 top prize. All four of their titles have come in mixed-game formats, including last year’s $2K World Championship of 8-Game. They also finished third in the PLO event that Nemeth won.

WEDNESDAY 24/09

WILSON HITS SERIES TRIPLE: Andy “BowieEffect” Wilson became the fourth player to win three titles in 2025 on Tuesday, defeating his friend Tomi “elmerixx” Brouk heads-up to win the $1K NLHE (#77-H) for $47,568. After battling through the 271-entry field, the pair made a deal that secured Brouk $42,915, but the Finnish player will have to wait for his second WCOOP title. Wilson, on the other hand, is now up to five for his career.

Wilson keeps winning

FAL1ST WINS 11TH: One of the COOP greats, “FAL1st”, also secured a hat trick yesterday, topping the 31-entry $2K FL 2-7 Triple Draw (#85-H) for $25,969. The Russian all-rounder, who plays from Thailand, won two events on the same day last weekend (and won an incredible five titles in 2024). This latest victory takes them up to 11 for their career. Speaking of COOP greats, Benny “RunGodlike” Glaser finished fourth in this one, a day after he won his record-extending 16th WCOOP title.

FAL1st’s 11 WCOOP titles:

2021: 15-M – $109 NL 2-7 Single Draw – $6,300
2021: 98-M – $109 6+ Hold’em 6-Max – $8,039
2023: 30-H – $1,050 FLO8 [6-Max] – $20,522
2024: 33-H – $1,050 FLO8 [6-Max] – $17,365
2024: 55-H – $1,050 NL 2-7 Single Draw [7-Max] – $19,490
2024: 61-M – $1,050 8 Game [6-Max] – $22,061
2024: 74-H – $2,100 NLO8 [6-Max, Progressive KO] – $19,122
2024: 113-H – $530 NLHE [7-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Mystery Supersonic] – $21,212
2025: 61-H – $1,050 8 Game – $18,354
2025: 61-H – $1,050 NL 5-Card Draw – $16,714
2025: 85-H – $2,100 FL 2-7 Triple Draw – $25,969

CAMOSCI DENIES SCHEMION: Malta-based Italian high stakes pro Enrico “WhaTisL0v3” Camosci won his second WCOOP title in 2024 after a six-year wait, but he’s only had to wait another year for his third. It was a big one, too: the $5K Bounty Builder SHR (#78-H) for $108,259, including $62,734 in bounties. Ole “wizowizo” Schemion finished second in this 86-entry event, while Renan “Internett93o” Bruschi made yet another final table. No title for him today, though.

Camosci now has three WCOOP titles

8-GAME CHAMP CROWNED: The $2K World Championship of 8-Game came to an end on Tuesday after two days of play, with Finland’s “Peraaukonseutu” winning their maiden WCOOP for $43,565. The event had 57 entries and a final table that included “king153246” (2nd), Blaz “Scarmak3r” Zerjav (4th), and Patrick “pads1161” Leonard (6th).

What makes Peraaukonseutu’s victory even more special is that they qualified for the event for just $11, and beat some of the game’s best players. An incredible result for the recreational player.

TWO DOUBLE CHAMPS: Tuesday saw two players win their second titles of the series. “Team PokerBR” of Brazil won the $1K NLHE Freezeout (#80-H) for $29,596, having won a $2K Bounty Builder earlier this month. The other two-timer was Canada’s “PokinStaR”, who won the 151-entry $530 PLO8 (#83-H) for $15,303, beating Talal “raidalot” Shakerchi heads up. They’d already won a $2K PLO8 event.

TUESDAY 23/09

NEYMAR SO NEAR: Neymar Jr couldn’t have come closer to scoring his first WCOOP title on Monday, as the football legend finished runner-up in the $5K Titans (#73-H) for $99,075. It’s clear Neymar is in his poker prime right now, and the Staruniv Ambassador held a big chip lead when the 112-entry field (made up of the game’s very best players) was down to three. But Canada’s “Notmystyle” closed the gap by knocking out Nikita “Ebaaa11” Kuznetcov in third, then doubled up heads-up with top pair versus a flush draw to grab the lead, which they never relinquished. Notmystyle collected $129,044 and their maiden WCOOP—something Neymar Jr will keep battling for.

The WCOOP GOAT: Benny Glaser

RECORD-EXTENDING 16TH FOR GLASER: The most notable name in WCOOP has been missing from the winner’s list, but it was just a matter of time. Benny “RunGodlike” Glaser–who won a record seven titles in 2023–extended his lead as WCOOP’s all-time title winner on Monday, picking up his 16th trophy. And this wasn’t in a small field mixed-game event; Glaser’s latest victory saw him tear through 2,592 entries in the $55 6-Max Turbo PKO (#81-M), banking $14,516, including $6,480 in bounties. Glaser is now two ahead of his nearest rival Denis “aDrENalin710” Strebkov, who has already won two this year to take his tally up to 14.

GLASER’S 16 WCOOP TITLES:

2018 – 27-L: PLO [6-Max] – $18,058
2019 – $109 Razz – $10,924
2020 – 55-H: $2,100 HORSE – $43,055
2021 – 50-M: $55 NLO8 6-Max – $9,293
2022 – 09-H: $2,100 HORSE – $33,300
2022 – 18-H: $1,050 PLO – $39,638
2022 – 04-L: $11 NLO8 (6-max) – $2,334
2022 – 14-H: $1,050 HORSE – $19,107
2023 – 16-M: $109 FL Badugi – $3,550
2023 – 50-H: $1,050 NL 2-7 SD – $19,490
2023 – 53-H: $2,100 PLO8 – $44,201
2023 – 61-H: $1,050 NL 5-Card Draw – $14,207
2023 – 68-M: $320 NLHE Freezeout – $55,706
2023 – 94-H: $1,050 NLHE Turbo – $38,894
2023 – $1,050 World Championship of 2-7 Triple Draw – $22,651
2025 – 91-M: $55 6-Max Turbo PKO – $14,516

Renan Bruschi is having a sensational series

BRUSCHI’S CONSISTENCY CONTINUES: Yesterday, we reported the brilliance of Renan “Internett93o” Bruschi, as he won his eighth career title and ran very deep in just about every event he played. Nothing changed in Monday’s session. The Brazilian is now up to nine titles and two for the series after his victory in the $2K NLO8 (#74-H) for $42,259, including $25,312 in bounties. The event had 58 entries, and Bruschi denied “FAL1st” a hat trick in a heads-up match. It was Bruschi who was denied in the $215 Medium edition, though; he finished second in #74-M, won by “vratario”, and also finished fourth in the $320 NLHE 6-Max (#75-M) for $13,236 (Brazil’s “gusmaa” won it for $37,758).

FOUR MORE DOUBLE CHAMPS: Four more players became two-time champions in the series on Monday, including Andy “BowieEffect” Wilson. The Brit topped 294 entries in the $530 6-Max Turbo PKO (#81-H), banking $26,316 (including $12,214 in bounties) and his fourth WCOOP title overall. 

Andy Wilson does the double

Hungary’s “kZhh” can now call themselves the World Champion of PKO NLHE, winning the 1,182-entry championship event for a massive $174,871. This follows their win in a $5K turbo last week and takes them up to six titles overall–all from $1K+ buy-in events.

The third player to do the double was Brazil’s “ramonkrop”, who won the $530 PKO (#71-H) for $25,744. This followed an almost identical result earlier in the series when they won the $530 NLHE (#53-H) for $24,581.

And the fourth double champ was Belarusian “Zanos_goda”. They added the $1K 5-Card PLO8 (#79-H) title for $20,718 to the $109 FLO8 (#33-M) they won earlier in the series, worth $4,405.

Juan Pardo lands title #6

SIX FOR PARDO: Juan “Malaka$tyle” Pardo captured his sixth career WCOOP title in the 155-entry $2K Sunday Warm-Up. The Spaniard, who played from Andorra, banked $65,070 and overcame a tough final that included Bruno “botteonpoker” Botteon, “FAL1st”, Samuel “€urop€an” Vousden, and Bruschi.

MIXA19977 WINS THE MILLY: Finally, the $530 Sunday Million was won by Ukraine’s “MIXA19977”, who battled through 2,135 entries to bank a whopping $159,272. Vladimir “SerVlaMin” Minko was also on the final table but will have to wait for his third of the year.

MONDAY 22/09

NEYMAR SECOND IN CHIPS IN $5K TITANS: Just 13 of the 112 entries remain in the $5,200 buy-in Titans event (#73-H), and Staruniv Ambassador Neymar Jr sits second in chips. The Brazilian superstar–no stranger to battling in high rollers–is on the hunt for his maiden WCOOP title and the $129,043 first-place prize. But it won’t be easy. “Ebaaa11” of Bosnia and Herzegovina has just a handful of chips more than Neymar, while Daniel “starwins :)” Petersen, Pascal “Pass_72” Lefrancois, and Adrian “Amadi_017” Mateos remain in contention. 

The event plays down to a winner today – check out the tournament lobby here.

BRILLIANT BRUSCHI: Renan “Internett93o” Bruschi enjoyed a sensational weekend in WCOOP, taking down his eighth career title and running very deep in just about every event he played. The Brazilian’s victory came in a big one–the $2K Thursday Thrill (#62-H), where he topped a 163-entry field to bank $68,832, including $39,688 in bounties. Bruschi’s copatriot Bruno “botteonpoker” Botteon finished second, followed by Alex “Pwndidi” Theologis and Leon “RUMUKULUS” Sturm. Neymar Jr enjoyed another good run in this one, finishing 15th for a min-cash.

Bruschi is in fine form

All eight of Bruschi’s WCOOP victories have come since 2022, but it could have been more. He also finished second in the $530 PLO (#66-M) for $14,067, and third in both the $109 and $1K NL 5-Card Draw events, for $1,930 and $6,438, respectively.

Bruschi’s eight WCOOP titles:

2022: 62-H – $5,200 NLHE [Progressive KO, Titans] – $173,293
2023: 106-H – $530 Mixed NLHE/PLO [6-Max] – $17,194
2023: 71-M – $109 6+ Hold’em [6-Max] – $4,511
2023: $5,200 World Championship of Progressive KO NLHE $198,665
2024: 65-H – $1,050 NLHE [Deep Stack] – $40,859
2024: 66-M – $530 PLO [6-Max] – $23,324
2024: 88-H: $1,050 HORSE [6-Max] – $22,498
2025: 62-H: $2,100 Thursday Thrill PKO – $68,832

FAL1ST DOMINATES: This was a weekend for the mixed game masters. The mysterious ‘FAL1st’ always crushes throughout these series, but they hadn’t found their way to the winner’s circle until Saturday, winning not one but two. The Thailand-based Russian player first won the $1K 8 Game (#61-H) for $18,354, overcoming 68 entries. 

A few hours later, they won the $1K NL 5-Card Draw for $16,714 and their tenth WCOOP title of their career. Another leader board crusher, “king153246”, finished runner-up, and the final table included Bruschi (3rd), the WCOOP’s all-time title leader, Benny “RunGodlike” Glaser (4th), and Patrick “pads161” Leonard.

Amazingly, FAL1st almost took down the $109 8 Game too, but was denied heads-up by Denmark’s Christian “Cmoosepower” Elgstrom, who banked $6,099 for his fourth WCOOP win.

FAL1st’s 10 WCOOP titles:

2021: 15-M – $109 NL 2-7 Single Draw – $6,300
2021: 98-M – $109 6+ Hold’em 6-Max – $8,039
2023: 30-H – $1,050 FLO8 [6-Max] – $20,522
2024: 33-H – $1,050 FLO8 [6-Max] – $17,365
2024: 55-H – $1,050 NL 2-7 Single Draw [7-Max] – $19,490
2024: 61-M – $1,050 8 Game [6-Max] – $22,061
2024: 74-H – $2,100 NLO8 [6-Max, Progressive KO] – $19,122
2024: 113-H – $530 NLHE [7-Max, Hyper-Turbo, Mystery Supersonic] – $21,212
2025: 61-H – $1,050 8 Game – $18,354
2025: 61-H – $1,050 NL 5-Card Draw – $16,714

STREBKOV CLOSES IN ON GLASER: The other prominent Thailand-based Russian all-rounder, Denis “aDrENalin710” Strebkov, also picked up another trophy on Saturday–his second of the series and 14th overall. Strebkov topped 169 entries in the $109 NL 5-Card Draw (#68-M) for $3,419 (Bruschi finished third in this one) and is now just one title behind all-time leader Benny “RunGodlike” Glaser.

Strebkov’s 14 WCOOP titles:

2014 – $530 FL Omaha H/L – $30,152
2015 – $215 NL Omaha Hi/Lo 6-Max – $28,681
2016 – $1,050 PLO8 Championship – $63,780
2016 – $320 HORSE – $17,849
2018 – 05-M: PLO 6-Max – $31,824
2018 – 11-H: Razz – $49,595
2018 – 20-L: NL 5-Card Draw – $3,234
2018 – 25-H: 8-Game – $70,720
2018 – 34-H: Stud Hi/Lo – $29,145
2023 – 13-L: $5.50 NLHE PKO – $4,283
2023 – $1,050 WC of HORSE – $23,699
2024 – $1,050 WC of 2-7 TD – $19,664
2025 – 10-H: $2,100 HORSE – $23,456
2025 – 68-M: $109 NL 5-Card Draw – $3,419

QUICKFIRE HEADLINES:

Belarusian crusher “|gammi|€120” completed a hat trick by denying Niklas “Lena900” Astedt in the $1K Deep Stack (#65-H). They won their third of the year (having won two in a day last week) and $33,668 for besting 167 of the game’s elite, including Astedt (2nd) and Juan “Malaka$tyle” Pardo (4th).

“Anonymstruts” from Sweden won their maiden WCOOP in the $5K PLO (#66-H), beating Ole “wizowizo” Schemion heads-up to top a 38-entry field and win $83,572. Just five players made the money, with Astedt sneaking in to finish fifth.

Both “roo_400” and “JustHoldPlz9” became double champs over the weekend. Canada’s roo_400 added a $1K 4-Max title (#69-H) to their CV, denying Blaz “Scarmak3r” Zerjav his fourth of the year to win $30,769 total. Meanwhile, Hungary’s JustHoldPlz9 grabbed their second in the $215 Turbo (#70-M) for $22,101.

FRIDAY 19/09

HAT TRICK FOR GRINDER1992: Blaz “Scarmak3r” Zerjav no longer sits alone atop the multiple champions list. Mexico-based Bulgarian player Aleks “grinder1992” Dimitrov got their hat trick on Thursday, tying Zerjav with victory in the 412-entry $530 Bounty Builder HR (#54-H) for $39,924, including $20,502 in bounties. Dimitrov’s previous titles both came in a $530 turbo PKOs.

WILSON WINS TITLE #3: The UK’s Andy “BowieEffect” Wilson is now a three-time WCOOP winner, taking down the $1K 6-Max PKO (#56-H) on Thursday for $39,872, including the $22,113 in bounties he collected over two days of play. The event had 151 entries, and the final table included Simon “C. Darwin2” Mattsson and Juan “Malaka$tyle” Pardo. Wilson’s prior WCOOP wins came in 2021 ($530 NLHE Freezeout) and 2024 ($1K NLHE).

Another good run for Neymar — no cash though

NEYMAR RUNS DEEP IN $5K TURBO: A $5K buy-in, done-and-dusted-in-one-night, 6-Max NLHE turbo will always attract those with big bankrolls and little time. All the big guns were out in #63-H, including Staruniv Ambassador Neymar Jr, who finished 11th out of 49 total entries. But it was Hungary’s “kZhh” who took it down for $99,088. Blaz “Scarmak3r” Zerjav made his bazillionth final table of series in this one, alongside Alex “I Attack95” Kulev and Jans “Graftekkel” Arends. 

This is the fifth WCOOP title for “kZhh” (who also won the $10K SCOOP Main Event in 2021 for $878,781), and all of them have come in events with buy-ins of more than $1K. Here’s a look at their wins:

2021: 34-H – $25,000 NLHE 8-Max, Super High Roller – $657,557
2023: 09-H – $5,200 NLHE [Progressive KO High Roller] – $100,430
2024: 56-H – $1,050 NLHE [6-Max, Turbo, Progressive KO] – $49,795
2024: 86-M – $1,050 NLHE [Super Tuesday] – $86,673
2025: 63–H – $5,200 NLHE [6-Max, Turbo, High Roller] – $99,088

RAZZ WORLD CHAMP CROWNED: The $1K World Championship of Razz came to an end on Thursday, with Lithuania’s “Dainiux” topping the 64-entry field. The mixed-game maestro–who won three titles in 2022–defeated Denis “aDrENalin710” Strebkov heads-up to bank $20,522 and their fifth WCOOP title. It’s only right we show their wins too!

2022: 27-H – $1,050 8-Game – $18,458
2022: 81-M – $215 8-Game [8-Max] – $10,504
2022: 85-M – $109 Stud – $4,869
2023: 44-H – $1050 PLO [6-Max Progressive KO] – $51,294
2025: $1,050 World Championship of Razz – $20,522

THURSDAY 18/09

VOUSDEN VICTORIOUS: The 2024 $10K Main Event winner, Samuel “€urop€an” Vousden, is now on the winner’s sheet in 2025.  The Fin—who banked just over a million bucks for the Main win—took down the $5K Super Tuesday (#51-H) on Wednesday for $101,216, besting a 75-entry field and clinching his sixth career WCOOP title. Talal “raidalot” Shakerchi finished heads-up, but the final table was unsurprisingly stacked, as you’ll see in the results below:

• 1. Samuel “€urop€an” Vousden – $101,216
• 2. Talal “raidalot” Shakerchi – $75,811
• 3. Vladimir “SerVlaMin” Minko – $56,782
• 4. Patrick “pads1161” Leonard – $42,530
• 5. Felipe “lipe piv” Boianovsky – $31,855
• 6. Leon “RUMUKULUS” Sturm – $23,859
• 7. Pedro “PaDiLhA SP” Padilha – $17,871
• 8. Simon “C. Darwin2” Mattsson – $11,691

QUICKFIRE HEADLINES: We had three players added to the multiple champions list on Wednesday.

Adam “ISmellToast” Crawford won his second title of the year (and fifth) overall, topping the $1K NL 2-7 Single Draw (#55-H) for $18,804. The Canadian’s earlier win came in a $11 Stud Hi/Lo (#44-L) for $1,635.

Bulgaria’s “zidix” is a double champ, too. Their first title was in the $22 Badugi (#16-L) for $1,956, and they’ve followed it up with a $109 PLO PKO (#48-M) win worth $10,098 total. Zidix also won two titles during SCOOP 2025–impressive stuff.

The third double champ is Mexico’s “waitforhiit”, who won the $530 Super Tuesday (#51-M) for $48,621, defeating Vladimir “SerVlaMin” Minko heads up to deny him a hat trick. Waitforhiit’s first of the year came in the $1K Sunday Kickoff (#36-H) for $40,592. They now have three titles overall.

Slovenia’s “ds10JQKA” won their maiden WCOOP for $32,165 in the $530 Deep Stack (#47-H), overcoming one of the toughest final tables you’ll see all series.  Niklas “Lena900” Astedt finished runner-up and will have to wait for his 12th title, followed by Andras “probirs” Nemeth, Christian “WATnlos” Rudolph, Talal “raidalot” Shakerchi, Daniel “starwins :)” Petersen, and Andy “BowieEffect” Wilson. 

WEDNESDAY 17/09

STAT TRACKER

• Tournaments completed: 147
• Total entries: 316,233
• Prize pools:  $24,656,421
• First-place prizes: $4,109,070
• Biggest score: $216,666 (Leonard ‘Grozzorg’ Maue – $10K PKO #38-H)

TWO IN ONE DAY FOR “IGAMMI€120”: What a way to kick off your WCOOP title run. Belarusian grinder “IgammiI€120” won their first WCOOP trophy on Tuesday and immediately followed it up with a second, both in High buy-in 7-Max PKO events. Their first title came in the tough $2K 7-Max PKO Super High Roller (#43-H), a 150-entry event that they won for $54,500, including $26,727 in bounties. Around two hours later, they won the $1K 7-Max PKO (#45-H) for $41,653, with $24,617 coming from bounties. 

SERIES SECOND FOR SWIFTIE: Mexico’s “Swiftie4Life” has followed up their 2-7 Championship win earlier in the series with another victory, this time in the $1K Limit Hold’em (#50-H). The event had 38 entries and a top prize of $15,366. Interestingly, “IgamiI€120” also finished third in this one–what a session.

ACTION IS THE JUICE: Five years after winning their first, Canada’s “Juicy_J_93” is now a two-time WCOOP champion. They took down the 165-entry $1K PLO8 Championship, defeating “FONBET_RULIT” heads-up and a final table that also included Renan “Internett93o” Bruschi and Talal “raidalot” Shakerchi to bank $33,376. Juicy’s first win came in 2020 in a $2K PLO event, won for $50,910.

Spraggy is back today with a top-10 stack in the Super Tuesday

SPRAGGY AND LEONARD SEEK SUPER TUESDAYS: Benjamin “Spraggy” Spragg will return with a top 10 stack for Day 2 of the $55 Super Tuesday today (#51-L). Just 116 of 3,286 entries remain in contention for the $23,659 up top. Over in the $5K Super Tuesday High Roller (#51-H), it’s Patrick “pads1161” Leonard who leads the final nine with $101,216 up top, seeking his second win of the series. He’ll face a tough line-up including the player he often refers to as the GOAT, Samuel “€urop€an” Vousden, as well as Shakerchi, Vladimir “SerVlaMin” Minko, Leon “RUMUKULUS” Sturm, Pedro “PaDiLhA SP” Padilha, Simon “C. Darwin2” Mattsson, and Felipe “lipe piv” Boianovsky.

TUESDAY 16/09

LEONARD MAKES IT 12: It took eight days of deep runs, final tables, and three heads-up battles, but Patrick “pads1161” Leonard has done it. The Brit took down his 12th WCOOP title on Monday, and he did so in style, overcoming a 1,866-entry field in the $109 Sunday Kickoff (#36-M) to bank $28,023. On Instagram—where he shares daily WCOOP updates—Leonard revealed that his mother has been unwell and had told him another trophy to polish would lift her spirits. “Well, Mum,” he wrote, “get the duster out.”

Great series so far for Patrick Leonard

Here’s a look at all 12 of Leonard’s WCOOP titles:

2015 – $700 NLHE 6-Max – $108,416
2016 – $700 NLHE Ultra-Deep – $162,055
2021 – 08-H: $5,200 NLHE PKO HR – $121,328
2021 – 15-H: $1,050 NL 2-7 SD – $20,475
2022 – 67-H: $1,050 6+ Hold’em – $17,445
2023 – 105-H: $1,050 NLHE Super Tuesday – $54,506
2023 – 46-M: $109 FLHE 6-Max – $4,011
2023 – 93-M: $109 NLO8 – $7,449
2023 – $5,200 WC Heads-Up NLHE – $80,500
2024 – $1,050 WC of Razz – $19,414
2024 – 107-H: $2,100 NLHE Warm-Up – $103,349
2025 – 36-M: $109 Sunday Kickoff – $28,023

Leonard Maue has biggest winning session of the series

HUGE WINS FOR MAUE AND NITSCHE: Leonard “Grozzorg” Maue had a sensational Monday session. The German, who plays from Austria, won the $10K PKO High Roller (#38-H) for $212,666—the biggest prize of the series yet—including $125,312 in bounties. To get it done, he had to top a 59-entry field and a final table that included runner-up “efkinis24”, Niklas “Lena900” Astedt, and Vladimir “SerVlaMin” Minko. 

Maue almost made it two in one night, too, because just five minutes after his $10K win, he was defeated heads-up by Dominik Nitsche in the $5K 6-Max World Championship event. The final three players made a deal, securing Nitsche $135,555, Maue $130,401, and third-place finisher “Jepser8” $106,423. The event had 157 total entries.

Nitsche is the champ of 6-Max

That means Maue banked at least $343,607 in one session, as well as winning his second WCOOP title. Nitsche, meanwhile, secured his maiden trophy.

CLOSE CALLS FOR TEAM PROS: Three Staruniv Ambassadors came close to glory yesterday. Marle “MarlzTV” Spragg finished seventh in the 809-entry $1K PKO Sunday High Roller (#38-M) for $18,488 (while nine months pregnant!); Alejandro “[Papo]AR” Lococo finished fourth in the 156-entry $1K 7-Max PKO (#40-H) for $10,079; and Sebastian “peace&loove” Huber finished third in the $22 5-Card PLO (#39-L) for $2,522.

OTHER NOTABLE RESULTS: The UK’s “MASTERALI 27” became Sunday Million champion, winning the WCOOP PKO edition (#38-L) for $UK wins Million for $87,803, including $29,601 in bounties. It was a tough final table with Christian “WATnlos” Rudolph finishing in fifth.

Over in the $530 Turbo PKO (#46-H), Leon “RUMUKULUS” Sturm was denied a hat-trick that would have seen him tie Blaz “Scarmak3r” Zerjav. Sturm finished runner-up for $16,903 in the 255-entry event, but “99dm84” from Bosnia and Herzegovina took it down for $25,653 and their second career title.

Three more players won career seconds on Monday. Mexico’s “waitforhitt” topped 208 entries in the $1K Sunday Kickoff (36-H) to win $40,592; Brazil’s “marceloaziz” won the $215 NLHE 7-Max Turbo (#40-M) for $31,463; and Austria-based Polish player Jakub “Olorionek” Michalak won the 809-entry $1K Sunday High Roller PKO (#38-M) for $104,033.

One player picked up the third WCOOP—”dantegoyaF” from Brazil. They won the $215 5-Card PLO for $15,541, adding to the $5K PLO High Roller and $55 NLHE PKO titles they won in 2020 for $168,608 and $80,550, respectively.

MONDAY 15/09

HAT TRICK FOR ZERJAV: Blaz “Scarmak3r” Zerjav was the first player of the series to win two events in one day. Now he’s become the first player of the series to win three titles. The Slovenian completed his hat trick on Sunday with victory in the $1K FLO8, besting a 55-entry field to win $17,365. It could have been four as Zerjav made it to heads-up of the $1K Thursday Thrill on Saturday, but was denied by “BC1989RF”. With so many great results, Zerjav now sits atop the Player of the Series overall leader board.

CHECK OUT THE FULL WCOOP 2025 LEADER BOARDS HERE

Blaz Zerjav is the current Player of the Series

TWO FOR STURM: Leon “RUMUKULUS” Sturm has joined the double champions list, finishing his Sunday session by winning the $5K Turbo for $64,180. The event had 35 entries and follows Sturm’s win in the $5K PKO Super High Roller (#09-H) for $109,822. The Austria-based German now has three WCOOPs for his career.

Two wins this year for Leon Sturm

PROUD MOMENT FOR PROUDFOOT: Jonathan “Proudflop” Proudfoot took down one of the biggest prizes yet on Saturday, overcoming an outstanding 72-entry field in the $5K Thursday Thrill High Roller for $120,603, including $78,125 in bounties. This is the second WCOOP title for the Brit (who plays from Ireland), his first coming back in 2021 when he won the $530 WCOOP Kickoff for $90,131.

Jonathan Proudfoot banks six figures

QUICK-FIRE HEADLINES:

Brazil’s “Mulatin18” won their third WCOOP title on Saturday, taking down the 3,219-entry $55 NLHE (#24-M) for $23,167.  Their previous titles came in 2021 ($11 Stud) and 2022 ($109 HORSE).

Vlad “VladTheSlaye” Martynenko clinched his maiden WCOOP title in the $1K Mystery Bounty (#26-H), banking $68,911, including $46,250 in bounty prizes.

Mexico’s “Swiftie4Life” is the $1K FL 2-7 Triple Draw world champion, beating Joao “Naza114” Vieira heads-up to win $21,154. The event had 67 entries.

Slovakia’s “Samustti” won the $530 8-Game (#31-H) for $9,334, beating Dzmitry “Colisea” Urbanovich heads up, with Blaz “Scarmak3r” Zerjav finishing third. This is Samustti’s first title.

Patrick “pads1161” Leonard was again denied his first win of the year, falling second to “Shevliak” of Slovenia in the $2K NLHE (#34-H). This was an excellent final table that also included Joao “Naza114” Vieira, Daniel “starwins :)” Petersen, and Samuel “€urop€an” Vousden.  Shevliak banked $42,646 for the win and their first WCOOP.

FRIDAY 12/09

CHAMPION CHALKIOTIS DENIES ZERJAV HAT TRICK: The first major Championship event of the series ran from Wednesday to Thursday, with 79 entries gunning for the $1K HORSE title. In the end, it was Manolis “hangoverdose” Chalkiotis from Greece who took it down, defeating Blaz “Scarmak3r” Zerjav heads up (and denying him the series hat trick) to bank $19,664. This is Chalkiotis’ third WCOOP title—he won a $320 HORSE in 2015 for $25,650, and an $11 5-card PLO last year for $2,586.

SIX FOR NEMETH AND ROO: Two players picked up their sixth career titles on Thursday. Hungary’s Andras “probirs” Nemeth clinched his victory in the $1K PLO (#21-H) for $28,547, topping a 136-entry field and a final table that included “Sintoras”. Four of Nemeth’s six titles have come in PLO variants.

Six WCOOPs for Andras Nemeth

Meanwhile, Canada’s “roo_400” also won number six, courtesy of some good fortune. Theirs came in the $530 Turbo PKO (#29-H) and earned them $21,870, including $13,035 in bounties. At one point, roo_400 was all-in with pocket tens and pocket aces, then flopped quads to surge up the chip counts. Benjamin “Spraggy” Spragg also made the final table from the 201 entries, finishing eighth for $2,998 total. Three of Roo_400’s titles were won in 2022, including the $2K 8-game Championship.

DOUBLE FOR B00MSLANG: Germany’s “B00mslang” has become the fourth player to win two titles in 2025, and the second player (after Blaz “Scarmak3r” Zerjav) to win two in one night. “B00mslang” took down a $109 PLO (#21-M) for $10,649, then the $1K 6-Max for $31,485. These are their first WCOOP titles.

OTHER NOTABLES: The biggest prize of the night went to Brazil’s “Team PokerBR” for their victory in the $2K Bounty Builder (#20-H). After overcoming a final that included Pedro “PaDiLhA SP” Padilha (2nd) and Patrick “pads1161” Leonard (4th), “Team PokerBR” added $54,221 to their bankroll, including $33,031 in bounties.

Reigning EPT Prague champion Pedro “pm_marke” Marques won his first WCOOP on Thursday, besting 496 entries in the $320 6-Max (#28-M) to win $26,675.

Pedro Marques won EPT Prague 2024 for €963,000

THURSDAY 11/09

NOLET DENIES NEYMAR $10K TITLE: It would have been the story of the series: A footballing legend known for his love of poker rocks up, fires the $10K Super Tuesday (#17-H), and takes it down for his first WCOOP title. But Neymar Jr always had an enormous mountain to climb. He entered Day 2 in seventh place with seven remaining, and couldn’t ladder up, cashing for $26,111. 

That left six wizards to battle it out. Ole “wizowizo” Schemion (6th), start-of-Day 2 chip leader Pedro “PaDiLhA SP” Padilha (5th), Linus “LLinusLLove” Loeliger (4th), and “Jepser8” (3rd) all fell, leaving Guillaume “Nolet20” Nolet heads-up against Talal “raidalot” Shakerchi.

Nolet takes it down

The Canadian got the best of the duel and won $186,434, the series’ biggest prize to date, plus his third career WCOOP. Shakerchi–once considered a strong player for a ‘businessman’, but now considered one of the toughest non-professionals out there–settled for $134,352. Nolet has now won a WCOOP in three consecutive years.

18 YEARS LATER, BUCHANAN STRIKES AGAIN: For years, Shawn ‘buck21’ Buchanan ranked among SCOOP’s elite, with six titles between 2012 and 2016 that placed him near the top of the all-time leaderboard. He only had one WCOOP title, though: a $530 PLO win way back in 2007 worth $97,263.

Well, it took 18 years, but Buchanan is back on the WCOOP winner’s sheet. He finished first in the $1K Super Tuesday (#17-M) over a 290-strong field, winning $55,354. 

FOURTH TITLE FOR ROMANOVSKY: Over in the $109 Super Tuesday (#17-L), Ukrainian crusher Roman “RomeOpro” Romanovsky picked up the fourth WCOOP win of his career, besting a 2,444-entry field to bank $36,739. 

Romanovsky’s first title came in 2023 with a bang: a $10K High Roller win for $203,121. He followed it up with a $2K PKO win that year worth $65,304, then took down a $5K PKO Thursday Thrill High Roller for $152,821 in 2024.

DOUBLE FOR DIMITROV: Aleks “grinder1992” Dimitrov became the third player of WCOOP 2025 to win two titles. His second came in the $530 6-Max Turbo PKO (#23-H) and banked him $20,992, including $11,281 in bounties. The Bulgarian won his first of the year the night before, taking down a $530 7-Max Turbo PKO for $22,617.

WEDNESDAY 10/09

Across our many years covering WCOOPs and SCOOPs for the Staruniv Blog, we’ve probably typed the sentence “It truly was a Super Tuesday…” around 100 times. And we’d hate to be repetitive and trite.

But this really was a Super Tuesday. Keep reading if you don’t believe us.

NEYMAR JR RETURNS FOR SUPER TUESDAY TODAY: Just seven players remain in the $10,300 Super Tuesday (#17-H) – the biggest buy-in event so far — and Neymar Jr is among them. The football superstar has the shortest stack, but it’s still good for 23 big blinds, so he’s got plenty of room to work. 

Neymar Jr’s fellow Brazilian Pedro “PaDiLhA SP” Padilha leads the group, joined by Ole “wizowizo” Schemion, Talal “raidalot” Shakerchi, Guillaume “Nolet20” Nolet, “Jepser8”, Linus “LLinusLLove” Loeliger.

There’s $186,434 awaiting the winner, with all seven finalists guaranteed $26,111. Play resumes at 19:05 WET today – don’t miss it!

ZERJAV WINS TWO ON SAME NIGHT: It took only three days for us to find our first double champions of the series. Talented Slovenian Blaz “Scarmak3r” Zerjav has not only done the double (equalling his 2024 total), but he did so on the same evening.

Blaz Zerjav: Oh, what a night

Zerjav took down both the $215 HORSE [6-Max] (#10-M) and the $320 NLHE (#13-H) on Tuesday, banking $8,477 and $22,018, respectively. He now has five WCOOP wins for his career, his first title coming in 2021.

ANOTHER WIN FOR MINKO: Vladimir “SerVlaMin” Minko also became a double champion on Tuesday after his victory in the $1K NLHE PKO (#11-H) for $42,296, including $27,844 in bounties. 

Minko took down the $530 7-Max Turbo (#12-H) for $24,095 on Monday, and like Zerjav, he also now has five career titles.

STURM WINS BIGGEST PRIZE YET: Fresh off his €1.45 million Super High Roller win at EPT Barcelona, Leon “RUMUKULUS” Sturm has now taken down the biggest prize of WCOOP 2025 so far (at least until the Super Tuesday finishes). His victory in the $5K PKO Super High Roller (#09-H) was worth $109,822, including $67,344 in bounties, besting a 72-entry field made up of the game’s elite. This is the Vienna-based German’s second career title.

Sturm recently took down the SHR at EPT Barcelona

13 FOR STREBKOV: Denis “aDrENalin710” Strebkov was the king of WCOOP for years, but recently he’s dropped down the all-time list a few places, entering this series with 12 titles. The Russian, who plays from Thailand, has got his 2025 campaign off to a great start, winning his 13th in the $2K HORSE (#10-H) for $23,456, after defeating Patrick “pads1161” Leonard heads-up. 

Denis “aDrENalin710” Strebkov’s 13 titles:

2014 – $530 FL Omaha H/L – $30,152
2015 – $215 NL Omaha Hi/Lo 6-Max – $28,681
2016 – $1,050 PLO8 Championship – $63,780
2016 – $320 HORSE – $17,849
2018 – 05-M: PLO 6-Max – $31,824
2018 – 11-H: Razz – $49,595
2018 – 20-L: NL 5-Card Draw – $3,234
2018 – 25-H: 8-Game – $70,720
2018 – 34-H: Stud Hi/Lo – $29,145
2023 – 13-L: $5.50 NLHE PKO – $4,283
2023 – $1,050 WC of HORSE – $23,699
2024 – $1,050 WC of 2-7 TD – $19,664
2025 – 10-H: $2,100 HORSE – $23,456

TEAM PRO DAY 2S:

WCOOP 15-L $33 – Marle “MarlzTV” Spragg
WCOOP 17-L $109 – Sebastian “peace&loove” Huber
WCOOP 15-M $215 – Lali “LaliTournier” Tournier
WCOOP 15-H $1,050 – Sebastian “peace&loove” Huber
WCOOP 17-H $10,300 – Neymar Jr

TUESDAY 09/09

BIGGEST PRIZES SO FAR: After a short summer hiatus, the Sunday Million is back for WCOOP and awarded the biggest prize from the series’ opening days. Bulgaria’s “K0VAK” topped the 5,095-entry field in the $215 PKO Milly (#04-M) to bank $62,097 plus $37,239 in bounties, adding up to an almost $100K score.  

Over in the $1K PKO Sunday High Roller, Ireland’s “conoror96” bested 516 entries to win $93,106 (including $53,223 in bounties) and their first WCOOP title.

LIVE LIKE A KING: In recent years, no player has cemented themselves as a COOP force more than the elusive “king153246”. The Albanian crusher is a perennial leader board competitor and got their 2025 WCOOP campaign off to a fantastic start, winning the $530 NLO8 (#08-H) for $13,809 and their third career title. This was no small feat when you consider their final two opponents were both beasts from Bosnia and Herzegovina: FONBET_RULIT (2nd) and Andre “Premove” Skvortsov (3rd).

Both of King153246’s two previous titles came in 2024, where they won stud and NLO8 events.

4TH WIN FOR SERVLAMIN: Vladimir “SerVlaMin” Minko picked up the fourth WCOOP title of his career on Monday, winning the $530 7-Max Turbo (#12-H) for $24,095. The event had 240 total entries and to get the job done, Minko—who’s based in Mexico—had to defeat the likes of Pavel “silentm0de” Plesuv (3rd) and Renan “Internett93o” Bruschi (4th) on the final table.

Two of Minko’s previous titles were in 2022, and he won his third in 2023.

Spraggy starting strong

SOLID START FOR SPRAGGY: Coming back for two Day 2s after the opening day of a series is a great place to be, and that’s where Benjamin “Spraggy” Spragg found himself heading into Monday’s session. Unfortunately for Spraggy, he bowed out in seventh in the $1K Mystery Bounty (#03-H) for $3,969 (the title and $39,595 went to the UK’s “BenMiller500”) and 14th in the $1K 6-Max Turbo (#06-H). Austria’s “DontMesswithM11” took that one down for $16,807 plus $21906 in bounties, winning their second WCOOP title.

This was BenMiller500’s first WCOOP win, following their first SCOOP win earlier this year. What makes the ~$40K score more impressive is that BenMiller500 qualified for the event from a $55 satellite–that’s an ROI of 719%!

MONDAY 08/09

UK KICKS THINGS OFF: Brazil always dominates these series, but it was the United Kingdom who came out flying in the $530 WCOOP Kickoff (#02-H) on Sunday, boasting all three podium finishers. “elKKKitow” was crowned champion of the 398 entrants, winning $36,210 and their first WCOOP title. Andy “BowieEffect” Wilson had to settle for second and $26,790, while Patrick “pads1161” Leonard placed third for $19,820. 

Close call for Andy “BowieEffect” Wilson

Meanwhile, in the $55 Medium edition, America’s Kurt “kurt23x” Fitzgerald (who plays from Costa Rica) clinched his maiden WCOOP title, topping a 3,593-entry field to win $22,510.

RESULTS SO FAR

MULTIPLE CHAMPIONS

THREE TITLES

Blaz “Scarmak3r” Zerjav
Aleks “grinder1992” Dimitrov
“|gammi|€120”
Andy “BowieEffect” Wilson
“FAL1st”

TWO TITLES

Vladimir “SerVlaMin” Minko
“B00mslang”
Leon “RUMUKULUS” Sturm
“Swiftie4Life”
Adam “ISmellToast” Crawford
“zidix”
“waitforhiit”
Denis “aDrENalin710” Strebkov
“roo_400”
“JustHoldPlz9”
Renan “Internett93o” Bruschi
“kZhh”
“ramonkrop”
“Zanos_goda”
“Team PokerBR”
“PokinStaR”
Andras “probirs” Nemeth
Ilija “isavevski” Savevski
Viktor “papan9_p$” Ustimov

COUNTRIES LEADER BOARD

26/09: No real changes as we enter the Friday break. Brazil are crushing, but the battle for second place is a close one.

61 titles – Brazil
28 – United Kingdom
25 – Canada
16 – Belarus
14 – Austria
13 – Finland
12 – Bulgaria
10 – Thailand, Ukraine
9 – Mexico, Sweden
8 – Slovenia
7 – Malta
6 – Germany, Hungary, Romania
5 – Kazakhstan
4 – Argentina, Belgium, Estonia, Slovakia, Switzerland
3 – Ireland, Lithuania
2 – Andorra, Denmark, Greece, Japan, Latvia
1 – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Costa Rica, Guernsey, Iceland, Moldova, New Zealand, Philippines, Vietnam

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO WCOOP 2025

All it takes is one life-changing run. 

That’s the magic of the World Championship of Universitas Stars Poker Online (WCOOP). It’s Universitas Stars Poker Online’s most prestigious series and its ultimate proving ground, yet it’s also where dreamers can become champions.

WCOOP 2025 is set to be one of the biggest yet, with more than $65 million guaranteed in prizes. Running from September 7 to October 1, the series spans 123 events and 378 tournaments across almost every imaginable format, with buy-ins ranging from as little as $5.50 all the way up to the nosebleeds: $25,000.

There are leader board races, trophies, and the WCOOP 2025 Main Events, where you could etch your name into poker’s history books.

Here, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about WCOOP 2025: The events you can’t miss, how you can qualify, and the stories waiting to be written.

WCOOP 2025 KEY EVENTS

Dates: September 7 to October 1
Guarantees: $65M+

MAIN EVENT SUNDAY
Sunday, 28 September

108-L: NLHE Main Event, $109 – $2M Gtd
108-M: NLHE Main Event, $1,050 – $3M Gtd
108-H: NLHE Main Event, $10,300 – $4M Gtd

111-L: PLO Main Event, $109 – $150K Gtd
111-M: PLO Main Event, $1,050 – $400K Gtd
111-H: PLO Main Event, $10,300 – $500K Gtd

11 Championship events (HORSE, FL 2-7 Triple Draw, NLHE 6-Max, PLO8, Razz, NLHE PKO, 8-Game, Badugi, Women’s NLHE, NLHE Main, PLO Main)

FULL SCHEDULE

WHAT YOU CAN WIN

WCOOP titles carry massive bragging rights, but it’s not just the huge cash prizes and trophies in WCOOP tournaments that you can win this series.

For the dreamers, every time you play a tournament, you’re in with a shot of winning via the Lucky Dip.

And for the elite grinders, you could earn your place in the Universitas Stars Poker Online hall of fame, joining the legends of past WCOOPs.

WCOOP 2025 LEADER BOARDS

There are four WCOOP 2025 leader boards (low, medium, high, and overall), giving everyone from low-stakes grinders to high rollers a fair shot at recognition. 

If you’re planning to pick out a handful of the best tournaments–the ones that most suit your skills and bankroll–then you needn’t worry about the boards. Just have fun out there.

But if you’re planning to put in a big grind and fancy testing yourself against the best in the biz, you’ll want to check the leader boards regularly.

There’s $100K in cash prizes up for grabs across all leader boards, plus a coveted trophy and eternal bragging rights for the winners of each, including the overall Player of the Series.

WCOOP LUCKY DIP

Every WCOOP player has a chance of winning with WCOOP Lucky Dip

This year, we’ve also got the WCOOP Lucky Dip, where players can score a share of $500K in WCOOP tickets just by playing events.

Every player who plays a WCOOP event will be awarded a randomly generated number of points per tournament (between 1 and 1M). These will then be tallied up on Lucky Dip leader boards.

Players can play an unlimited number of WCOOP tournaments per day, and each event will be included towards the boards.

The top players at the end of each day will earn themselves a share of the $500K in prizes.

Available for the following licenses only: .BG, .CH, .COM, .EE, .EU, .RO, .UK

HOW YOU CAN QUALIFY

WCOOP is for everyone, and that includes players with limited bankrolls.

There are many ways you can win your way into WCOOP 2025 events for a fraction of the buy-in (or in some cases, without it costing you a penny).

Special Spin & Go qualifiers start from just $0.50 and offer WCOOP tickets as prizes. Plus, countless traditional satellites will be running daily with a wide range of buy-ins.

You’ll also be in with a shot of winning tickets via the WCOOP Lucky Dip (see above), and you should keep an eye out for special deposit offers awarding free tickets into qualifiers.

ARE YOU A GRINDER? A DREAMER? OR A FIRST-TIMER? 

WCOOP has a path for you.

THE GRINDER

If you thrive on volume and leader boards, then WCOOP is your arena. It’s time to reward your consistency and stamina. 

THE DREAMER

For the dreamers, the road could begin with a $0.50 Spin & Go. Every year, we see players qualify for pocket change and walk away with life-changing sums. Buy-ins start low, but the potential is massive.

THE FIRST-TIMER

New to WCOOP? Don’t worry, you belong here, too. Try freerolls or micro-stakes qualifiers to dip your toes in. Check out beginner-friendly events with great structures—there are plenty on offer this year. We say start small and experience the thrill of competing on Universitas Stars Poker Online’s biggest stage.

POWER PATH EXPRESS – WCOOP 2025 EDITION

Not only does this epic series begin on Sunday, but you also have the chance to fast-track your way to a WCOOP ticket worth up to $10,300, or a Power Pass worth up to $2,500 (Silver Pass).

Even if you don’t manage to go all the way, there are 34 x $1,050 WCOOP Main Event tickets to be won if you make it into the top 50.

Don’t miss the Power Path Express WCOOP 2025 Edition this Sunday!

Date: Sunday, 7 Sep
Buy-in: $55
Time: 1:10 pm ET > earlier than usual!
Guarantee: Over $200K guaranteed in WCOOP tickets and Power Passes

• 1st – 3rd: $10,300 WCOOP Main Event High Ticket
• 4th – 16th: $2,500 Silver Pass
• 17th – 50th: $1,050 WCOOP Main Event Medium Ticket
• 51st – 100th: $109 Bronze Pass

WCOOP 2025 FAQ

What’s the WCOOP Main Event prize pool this year?

There are three NLHE Main Events:

• 108-L: NLHE Main Event, $109 – $2M Gtd
• 108-M: NLHE Main Event, $1,050 – $3M Gtd
• 108-H: NLHE Main Event, $10,300 – $4M Gtd

Can I qualify for just $0.50?

Yes—Spin & Go qualifiers start at $0.50 and satellites run constantly.

How do WCOOP leader boards work?

Points are awarded based on event performance, with separate leaderboards for each buy-in level.

Can I play WCOOP on mobile?

Absolutely—the full schedule is available on desktop and mobile apps.

Are there trophies for winners?

Yes, winners of flagship events receive exclusive WCOOP trophies in addition to prize money.

What’s the cheapest way to play WCOOP?

Freerolls and deposit promotions give players free entry paths.

Can I multi-table during WCOOP?

Yes—the more experienced players grind multiple events at once. That’s how they crush the leader boards.

Where can I follow WCOOP coverage?

Results and stories will be on the Staruniv Blog throughout the series.

GET INSPIRED

WCOOP 2025 isn’t just another tournament series—it’s the pinnacle of Universitas Stars Poker Online.

Just take a look at what happened last year. More than $95 million was awarded in prize money. More than $15 million went to the winners.

Ukraine’s “777ANTONY777” outlasted a 25,075-entry field in the $109 NLHE Main Event and won $209,747. Brazil’s Iago “stek94” Botelho took down the $1,050 Medium for $441,809, while Finnish crusher Samuel “€urop€an” Vousden was victorious in the big one for $1 million.

Samuel “€urop€an” Vousden won the biggest prize of WCOOP last year

“FAL1st” was crowned Player of the Series after winning five titles in 2024. Staruniv Ambassador Parker “Tonkaaaa” Talbot also picked up a sensational five wins in the series.

Whether you’re a grinder chasing glory, a dreamer looking for that one shot, or a first-timer stepping into the arena, your path to poker greatness starts here.

All it takes is one life-changing run. Are you up for it?

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