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WCOOP 2026 Mid-Series Report: Legends Rule the Field
- Benny Glaser leads WCOOP all-time with 17 wins; Leonard second at 15.
- Niklas Åstedt and João Vieira each reach 14 career titles.
- Standout performances include Vanessa Kade's maiden win and Canada's first triple champion.
Benny Glaser and Patrick Leonard continue their historic chase for all-time PokerStars championship records at WCOOP 2026.
The 2026 World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) on PokerStars has reached its halfway mark, establishing a clear theme, where online poker royalty continue to dominate high-stakes tournaments as the race for all-time WCOOP supremacy heats up.
The Battle for WCOOP Supremacy: Glaser vs. Leonard, Åstedt and Vieira Creeps 3rd
The headline story of WCOOP 2026 remains the duel between UK pros Benny "RunGodlike" Glaser and Patrick "pads1161" Leonard.
Glaser extended his all-time series record by winning Event 44-H: $1,050 8-Game for $21,400, securing his 17th career WCOOP victory. Glaser remains the most successful individual in WCOOP history.
Not far behind, Leonard captured his second victory of the 2026 series in Event 69-H: $530 NLHE Turbo ($15,428), following up an earlier triumph in the $530 Deep Stack. This win moved Leonard to 15 career WCOOP titles, two behind Glaser.
Stack those on top of his 17 SCOOP victories, and Leonard remains the undisputed king of PokerStars festivals with 32 total 'COOP titles to his name.
WCOOP All-Time Title Leaders (September 2026):
1. Benny Glaser – 17 titles
2. Patrick Leonard – 15 titles
3. Niklas Åstedt – 14 titles
3. João Vieira – 14 title
High-Roller Double-Digit Club Adds More Titles
Several other members of online poker’s double-digit winners club posted major results during the opening two weeks:
- Niklas "Lena900" Åstedt: Secured his 14th career WCOOP victory by winning the $5,200 Thursday Thrill High Roller PKO for $103,282, completing a stretch where he won two series tournaments in 48 hours.
- João "Naza114" Vieira: Tied Åstedt for third on the all-time list by capturing Event 59-H: $1,050 World Championship of PLO8 ($27,202) for his 14th series trophy.
- Renan "Internett93o" Bruschi: Picked up his 11th career WCOOP win in the $1,050 NL 2-7 Single Draw.
- Andras "probirs" Nemeth: Claimed his 8th career series victory, topping a 91-entry field in Event 66-H: $1,050 PLO to bank $22,196.
More Standouts: Straver, Kade, and Canadian Triple Crown
Outside the lifetime leaderboard race, three notable WCOOP 2026 stories stood out over the weekend:
- Johannes "Jepser8" Straver's Back-to-Back Sweep: The Dutch pro achieved a rare double by winning the $5,200 Super Tuesday High Roller in consecutive weeks, collecting over $196,000 in combined prize money across both fields.
- Vanessa Kade's Triple Final Table: Former Sunday Million champion Vanessa "Niffller" Kade reached the final table in all three tiers of the Sunday Women's events, highlighted by winning the $215 Women’s World Championship outright for $4,049 and her first career WCOOP title.
- First 2026 Triple Champion: Canadian player "ameliaroy007" became the first player of the 2026 WCOOP 2026 to claim three titles, taking down two NLHE Turbo/Hyper events and the $22 PLO.
Top WCOOP 2026 Results So Far
| Tournament | Winner | Country | Top Prize | Milestone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event 44-H: $1,050 8-Game | Benny Glaser | United Kingdom | $21,400 | Sets record with 17th WCOOP victory |
| Event 69-H: $530 NLHE Turbo | Patrick Leonard | United Kingdom | $15,428 | 15th WCOOP title; 32nd 'COOP overall |
| $5,200 Super Tuesday (Week 2) | Johannes Straver | Netherlands | $90,420 | Back-to-back weekly high-roller sweep |
| $5,200 Titans High Roller | |gammi|€120 | Belarus | $98,517 | Tops elite 73-entry super high-roller field |
| Event 59-H: $1,050 PLO8 Champ | João Vieira | Portugal | $27,202 | Clinches 14th career WCOOP title |
| $5,200 Thursday Thrill PKO | Niklas Åstedt | Sweden | $103,282 | Reaches 14 titles with six-figure haul |
| Event 66-H: $1,050 PLO | Andras Nemeth | Hungary | $22,196 | Ships 8th career WCOOP event |
| $215 Women’s Championship | Vanessa Kade | Canada | $4,049 | Ships maiden title; final tables all 3 tiers |
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