The WCOOP 2025 series once again proved that online poker is capable of surprising even experienced players. Despite the decline in PokerStars’ popularity in recent years, the competition remains the main event of the fall. This year, the series includes 123 tournaments with a total prize pool of $65 million, and each set of games is held in three buy-in categories — from Low to High. At the time of the review, 55 meetings have taken place, and new leaders have already been determined, while the old heroes have confirmed their status.

Blaz Zerjav: From Football to Poker

Blaz “Scarmak3r” Zerjav from Slovenia became one of the main heroes of the series. In three days, he won two tournaments, and in total — three titles at WCOOP 2025. His victories:

  • #10-M: $215 HORSE — $8,477;

  • #13-H: $320 NLHE — $22,018;

  • #33-H: Omaha Hi-Lo 6-Max — $17,364.

Interestingly, in tournament #33-H there were only 55 entries, and once again FAL1st stood out at the final table, finishing in 3rd place. Zerjav is not afraid of mixed games: he plays them mainly during the SCOOP and WCOOP series, studying strategies directly in the process. His path to professional poker started with football: in the 16/17 and 17/18 seasons, he played 36 matches in the second Slovenian league as a defensive midfielder. In 2018, Zerjav qualified for the partypoker MILLIONS Online for $5 through a satellite and finished 3rd with a buy-in of $5,300, winning $1,364,688. After that, he left his football career and focused on poker.

FAL1st and Swiftie4Life: Consistent Finals and Unexpected Victories

FAL1st confirmed his status as one of the most consistent players in the series. He finished 3rd several times at final tables, demonstrating the ability to manage bankroll and precise mathematical calculations in tournaments with progressive bounties. Swiftie4Life, playing under the Mexican flag, won two titles in the series: #24-H and #50-H, earning $21,153 and $15,366. These results show the importance of combining an aggressive strategy with discipline, especially in heads-up matches.

Legends of Russian Limit Poker

Russian limit poker has always been known for strong, disciplined players who can combine mathematical precision and psychological pressure at the table. At WCOOP 2025, several professionals from Russia once again confirmed their status. Their achievements demonstrate not only skill but also the ability to adapt to different tournament formats — from classic NLHE to mixed games like HORSE.

Denis “aDrENalin710” Strebkov

Denis is one of the most experienced Russian players in limit formats. At WCOOP 2025, he secured his 13th victory by winning tournament #10-H: $2,100 HORSE, where he received $23,456. This tournament was particularly challenging: 79 entries, a mix of five disciplines in HORSE, requiring skills in stud, Omaha Hi-Lo, and NLHE simultaneously.

Strebkov demonstrates outstanding discipline in stack management and selecting optimal game lines. He knows how to distribute aggression correctly between tournaments with progressive bounties and classic turbo setups. Denis often chooses a bankroll control strategy, minimizing the risk of significant losses in the early stages, allowing him to consistently reach the final table.

Alexander “Shevliak” Shevlyakov

Alexander won tournament #34-H: $2,100 NLHE, earning $42,646, defeating stars like Naza114 and €urop€an. The event attracted 98 participants, each of whom was a serious contender for victory. Shevlyakov is known for his ability to combine online strategy with offline tournament experience, allowing him to anticipate moves several levels ahead.

His game is characterized by a high level of aggression in the late stages, precise calls, and the ability to build positional pressure. Alexander skillfully uses opponents’ stack dynamics, which is especially important in high buy-in tournaments where any mistake comes at a high cost.

Patrick Leonard

Patrick is a master of re-entry and turbo tournaments. At WCOOP 2025, he won a heads-up match in #34-H: $2,100 NLHE and earned $28,023 in the #36-M: $109 NLHE [Sunday Kickoff] event, which had 1,866 entries. Leonard is known for maintaining focus in long sessions, skillfully managing his stack and decision-making time.

He emphasized that re-entry formats are a real school for grinders, as they require an adaptive strategy: quickly analyzing opponents’ actions, correctly assessing outs, and balancing risk with potential reward. His approach combines mathematical precision with psychological pressure on opponents, allowing him to achieve regular results even in the most massive tournaments.

Footballers and High Rollers at WCOOP 2025

Online poker and professional sports — seemingly different worlds, but the WCOOP 2025 series showed that the boundary between them is becoming increasingly transparent. Footballers are becoming more active in the poker industry, bringing with them experience in teamwork, stress resistance, and the ability to concentrate in critical moments. These qualities directly affect their game at the table, especially in turbo tournaments and heads-up matches.

Take Neymar, for example, who finished 7th in this series, earning $26,111. His game was characterized by aggressive strategies, such as check-calling on the flop and going all-in on the river. These moves show that athletes can make risky but justified decisions under pressure. The footballer controlled his psychological state excellently: he did not panic after losing a bank and did not let emotions influence subsequent decisions. This experience directly translates from the football field, where instant decisions in stressful situations often determine the match’s outcome.

Other footballers participating in the series demonstrate a similar approach. They study bankroll management, evaluate progressive bounties, and actively explore mixed games like HORSE or Omaha Hi-Lo. By mastering these formats, athletes learn not only the mathematical aspects of poker but also the psychology of opponents: how to make opponents make mistakes, which lines of pressure to choose, and when aggression will yield the maximum result. Their presence in online tournaments not only adds to the competition but also to the spectacle, attracting new fans to poker and making the series more popular among a wider audience.

High rollers, performing on par with footballers, create an even more intense atmosphere. Their experience in major tournaments and high stakes requires precise reading of opponents and strategic thinking at the level of professional play. When a sportsman faces a high roller, they are forced to adapt, applying the skills they previously used on the field: concentration, patience, and the ability to make choices in limited time. This creates a unique intersection of the worlds of sports and poker, where the player’s physical and psychological preparation becomes as important as knowledge of rules and probabilities.

The WCOOP 2025 series serves as a clear example of how the experience of professional athletes, especially footballers, can successfully transition to the world of poker. Their participation raises the level of competition, makes tournaments dynamic and spectacular, and inspires novice players to study strategies and the psychology of high-level play.

Series Leaders and Outstanding Achievements

At the moment, the series demonstrates the following records:

  1. Benny “RunGodlike” Glaser — 15 titles in WCOOP history.

  2. Naza114 and Denis Strebkov share 2nd place with 13 victories each.

  3. Blaz Zerjav — three titles in this series, demonstrating a unique transition from sports to poker.

WCOOP 2025 Prize Pool and Distribution

The total prize pool for the WCOOP 2025 series this year is $100,000 for the leaderboard. Winners of the events receive prizes in all buy-in categories, and the leaderboard leader receives $25,000. An example of final payouts from one of the tournaments:

  1. Guillaume “Nolet20” Nolet — $186,434.

  2. Talal “raidalot” Shakerchi — $134,351.

  3. Johannes “Jepser8” Straver — $96,818.

  4. Linus “LLinusLLove” Loeliger — $69,771.

  5. Pedro “PadiLhA SP” Padilha — $50,279.

  6. Ole “wizowizo” Schemion — $36,233.

Conclusion

WCOOP 2025 has shown that online poker is alive and exciting. The series brings together professionals, high rollers, and well-known athletes, creating a unique competitive field. Footballers like Blaz Zerjav and Neymar demonstrate that athletic discipline helps adapt to the poker environment. Russian and CIS players continue to show consistent results, and the leaderboard with large prizes motivates grinders and high rollers to new achievements. WCOOP remains a place where experience, strategy, and risk create a dynamic, exciting, and unpredictable game.