Back to Articles WCOOP Main Event Champions September 21, 2022 | Jack Stanton Share WCOOP Main Event at a Glance 23 Editions played $2.27M Largest first prize 2,998 Largest field (2007) $10,300 Current buy-in The World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) on PokerStars is the most prestigious online tournament series in poker. Running annually since 2002, it is the online equivalent of the World Series of Poker, crowning champions across dozens of events in every major format. The NLHE Main Event is the flagship. It has produced some of the biggest prizes in online poker history, drawn fields full of the best players in the world, and launched careers that are still going today. Fedor Holz, J.C. Tran, and Yevgeniy Timoshenko all have WCOOP Main Event titles on their resumes. Below is the complete list of every WCOOP NLHE Main Event champion, from the first edition in 2002 through the most recent in 2024. Complete WCOOP Main Event Winners Year Champion Country Prize Entries Buy-in 2002 “MultiMarine” Sweden $65,450 238 $1,050 2003 Joseph “DeOhGee” Cordi USA $222,750 891 $1,050 2004 Edgar “Ragde” Skjervold Norway $424,945 843 $2,600 2005 Jordan “Panella86” Berkowitz USA $577,342 1,494 $2,600 2006 J.C. “area23JC” Tran USA $670,194 — $2,600 2007 Chris “kas$ino” Lee* — $1,370,000 2,998 $2,600 2008 Carter “ckingusc” King USA $1,260,000 2,185 $5,200 2009 Yevgeniy “Jovial Gent” Timoshenko USA $1,710,000 2,144 $5,200 2010 Tyson “POTTERPOKER” Marks USA $2,270,000 2,443 $5,200 2011 Thomas “Kallllle” Pedersen Denmark $1,260,000 1,627 $5,200 2012 Marat “maratik” Sharafutdinov Russia $1,000,907 1,825 $5,200 2013 David “PlayinWasted” Kaufmann Germany $1,490,000 2,133 $5,200 2014 Fedor “CrownUpGuy” Holz Germany $1,300,000 2,142 $5,200 2015 Kristof “Coenaldinho7” Coenen Belgium $1,300,000 1,995 $5,200 2016 Jonas “llJaYJaYll” Lauck Germany $1,500,000+ 2,091 $5,200 2017 Steven “SvZff” van Zadelhoff Netherlands $1,620,000 2,183 $5,200 2018 “wann2play” Netherlands $1,350,000 — $5,200 2019 Fraser “BigBlindBets” Russell UK $1,660,000 — $5,200 2020 Andres “PTFisherman23” Marques Netherlands $1,140,000 1,977 $5,200 2021 “CrazyLissy” Russia $1,500,000 1,965 $5,200 2022 Luis “luis_faria” Faria Portugal $1,293,826 760 $10,300 2023 Ivan “ILS007” Stokes — $1,047,257 600 $10,300 2024 Samuel “€urop€an” Vousden Finland $1,007,059 502 $10,300 *2007: Original winner Mark “TheV0id” Teltscher was disqualified for multi-accounting. Chris “kas$ino” Lee was awarded the title. Some prize amounts reflect final table deals. Dashes indicate data not confirmed. Notable moments in WCOOP Main Event history The early years (2002 to 2006) The first WCOOP took place in 2002, just one year after PokerStars was founded. The series had nine events, and the $1,050 Main Event drew 238 entries. By 2003, the Moneymaker effect had taken hold and field sizes swelled. The buy-in doubled to $2,600 in 2004, and by 2006, J.C. Tran became the first well-known live pro to win the title, adding it to a resume that would eventually include WPT titles and over $13 million in live earnings. The boom era (2007 to 2010) The 2007 Main Event set a record of 2,998 entries that still stands today. It also produced the series’ first major controversy when the original winner, Mark “TheV0id” Teltscher, was disqualified for using multiple accounts. The buy-in doubled again to $5,200 in 2008, and the event consistently awarded seven-figure first prizes. The 2010 edition produced the largest prize in WCOOP Main Event history when Tyson “POTTERPOKER” Marks won $2.27 million from a field of 2,443. Post-Black Friday (2011 to 2015) The 2011 WCOOP was the first after Black Friday, which shut American players out of PokerStars. Fields shrank but remained strong. The era produced memorable champions including Marat “maratik” Sharafutdinov, who refused to make a deal at the 2012 final table, typing “I wont million” in the chat box and then backing it up with a win worth just over $1 million. Fedor Holz won the 2014 edition, launching what became one of the most dominant heaters in poker history. The modern era (2016 to present) PokerStars introduced a three-tier buy-in structure in 2017, adding Low and Medium Main Events alongside the High. The $10,300 buy-in was introduced in 2022, making the Main Event even more exclusive. Portuguese player Luis “luis_faria” Faria was the first champion at the new price point, dominating the final table wire to wire for $1.29 million. Ivan “ILS007” Stokes took the 2023 title, and Finland’s Samuel “€urop€an” Vousden won in 2024, his fifth career WCOOP title. How the WCOOP Main Event has evolved The WCOOP has changed significantly since 2002. The original series had nine events. By 2024, it featured over 370 tournaments with combined guarantees exceeding $80 million. The Main Event buy-in has scaled from $1,050 to $10,300, and PokerStars now offers three tiers (Low, Medium, High) so players at every bankroll level can compete for a WCOOP Main Event title. Satellites remain widely available. In 2024, players could qualify for the $10,300 Main Event starting from as little as $1.50 through PokerStars’ Fast Track satellites and PowerPath system. PokerStars also runs the WCOOP Boot Camp warm-up series each August, which BBZ Poker has partnered on for the last two years with free coaching sessions and ticket giveaways. Read more about the WCOOP Boot Camp here. Prepare for the next WCOOP The 2025 WCOOP runs September 7 to October 1 on PokerStars, with $65 million in total guarantees and the $10,300 Main Event carrying a $4 million guarantee. If you are serious about making a deep run, the difference usually comes down to the decisions you study before you sit down, not the cards you get dealt during the event. Preflop ranges, ICM adjustments, final table dynamics, and bubble play are the spots that decide WCOOP Main Events. Daily Seminars 8 live coaching sessions per week covering MTT strategy, ICM, final table play, and more. 3,000+ hours in the archive. The same coaches who lead the WCOOP Boot Camp teach seminars year-round. Try Free for 7 Days Preflop Charts and Trainer Solver-approved ranges for every position and stack depth. Lock in your preflop game before the series so every open, 3-bet, and shove is automatic when it counts. Try Free for 7 Days Related articles BBZ Poker x PokerStars WCOOP Boot Camp ICM in Poker: What It Is, How It Works, and How to Use It How to Play the Bubble in Poker Tournaments Share StudyTournaments Related articles DiscordInterviewsNewsPoker The Preflop System That Helped This Player Win Brazil’s Fenomeno Tournament September 20, 2024 Read more DiscordInterviewsNewsPoker Playing poker professionally – Part 2: Overcoming pressure, setting study routines and achieving goals July 25, 2024 Read more DiscordInterviewsNewsPokerStrategy Playing poker professionally – Part 1: Are you ready to turn pro? July 19, 2024 Read more