Ognyan Dimov won the WCOOP Boot Camp tournament on PokerStars

Bulgarian pro Ognyan Dimov claimed victory in the prestigious $530 NLHE Bounty Builder High Roller tournament at the start of the WCOOP Boot Camp 2026 series on PokerStars.

The opening weekend of the PokerStars WCOOP Boot Camp 2026 series delivered several thrilling events and big scores for online poker fans. Bulgarian pro Ognyan "cocojamb0" Dimov was the standout performer of the first weekend, capturing the title in the prestigious $530 NLHE Bounty Builder High Roller. The series, boasting a $6.5 million guarantee, kicked off on PokerStars and runs through August 18, offering players dozens of tournaments across a wide range of buy-ins and formats. Ognyan Dimov’s Breakout Victory in the $530 NLHE Bounty Builder High Roller One of the marquee events of the WCOOP Boot Camp’s opening days was Event 03-H: $530 NLHE Bounty Builder High Roller. The tournament drew 174 entries, pushing the prize pool up to $87,000—surpassing the advertised guarantee. The prize pool was split 50/50 between regular payouts and progressive knockout (PKO) bounties. The PKO (Progressive Knockout) format means that when a player eliminates an opponent, they receive not only a fixed portion of the bounty but also increase their own bounty value. This adds extra action and strategic depth at every stage of the tournament. Among the participants was football superstar Neymar, who busted in 29th place, just two spots away from the money. Still, he managed to collect $125 in bounties. Other well-known players such as "Sxmon", Peter "Belabacsi" Traply, Jakob "Succeeed" Miegel, and Patrick "JaegsPL" Lauber also made the money, but fell short of the final table. The final table featured several strong contenders. Luiz "G1a1u1s1s" Arruda finished eighth, while Finland’s Casimir "Ceis25" Seire took seventh. Jorge "TakiToRivers" Rios ended his run in fourth place. Heads-up play came down to Ognyan Dimov and "Chengueee". Both had already locked up at least $7,671 from the main prize pool, and with bounties included, each was guaranteed over $10,000. In a tense battle, Dimov emerged victorious, banking $19,314 credited to his PokerStars account. "Chengueee" finished runner-up for $9,864. 03-H: $530 NLHE Bounty Builder High Roller — Final Table Results 1st — Ognyan "cocojamb0" Dimov: $19,314 2nd — Chengueee: $9,864 3rd — [name not specified in the original] 4th — Jorge "TakiToRivers" Rios 5th — [name not specified in the original] 6th — [name not specified in the original] 7th — Casimir "Ceis25" Seire 8th — Luiz "G1a1u1s1s" Arruda 9th — [name not specified in the original] Prize amounts for the other final table spots were not provided in the source. Biggest Score of the Series: "Luis poke187" Wins $75 NLHE PKO Sunday Special The largest individual payout of WCOOP Boot Camp 2026 so far went to Brazilian player "Luis poke187", who took down the two-day Event 04-L: $75 NLHE PKO Sunday Special. The tournament attracted an impressive 4,931 entries, building a total prize pool of $336,195, with a significant portion distributed via the progressive knockout format. The top 815 finishers made the money in this event. PokerStars ambassador Benjamin "Spraggy" Spragg busted just short of the bubble, finishing 872nd. Among those who cashed were Joao "jonespkr" Sobrinho, Jerry "Perrymejsen" Odeen, Ognyan Dimov, Blaz "Scarmak3r" Zerjav, Steven "SvZff" van Zadelhoff, and Caio "Pessagno" Pessagno. At the final table, UK’s "BetForNympho" finished seventh for $4,735, while Henrique "Galochina10" Coutinho of Brazil took fourth place, earning $10,269. In the heads-up showdown, "Luis poke187" quickly dispatched "Sheffdoggy" to secure the top prize of $30,291. "Sheffdoggy" collected $23,261 for second place. 04-L: $75 NLHE PKO Sunday Special — Final Table Results 1st — Luis poke187: $30,291 2nd — Sheffdoggy: $23,261 3rd — [name not specified in the original] 4th — Henrique "Galochina10" Coutinho: $10,269 5th — [name not specified in the original] 6th — [name not specified in the original] 7th — BetForNympho: $4,735 8th — [name not specified in the original] 9th — [name not specified in the original] Prize amounts for the other final table finishers were not listed in the source. Other Notable Results from WCOOP Boot Camp 2026 In addition to the two headline events, the opening days of WCOOP Boot Camp saw several other tournaments where both established pros and new faces made their mark. Alexandre "ReWARds84" Reard won the $530 NLHE Bounty Builder, earning $12,230. "Swaggersorus" took down the $55 NLHE Mini Bounty Builder on the series’ first night, banking $21,216. All prize amounts in these tournaments include bounty payouts, where applicable. WCOOP Boot Camp 2026 Schedule and Key Events The WCOOP Boot Camp series on PokerStars launched with 11 tournaments, but over 50 more events are still to come, running through August 18. Players can find tournaments for every bankroll and skill level. In the coming days, look out for: #16-L: $55 PKO Mini Bounty Builder with a $75,000 guarantee — starts August 5 at 12:30 ET #21-L: $109 NLHE PKO Thursday Thrill with a $100,000 guarantee — starts August 6 at 13:30 ET #27-L: $11 8-Game with a $5,000 guarantee — starts August 8 at 14:05 ET #30-L: $22 NLHE PKO Sunday Kickoff with a $100,000 guarantee — starts August 9 at 10:30 ET The series’ Main Events kick off on August 16 at 13:00 ET. Buy-ins are set at $11 and $75, with guaranteed prize pools of $100,000 and $300,000, respectively. Satellites are already running, giving players the chance to qualify for the Main Events at a fraction of the cost. Tournament Formats and Series Highlights WCOOP Boot Camp 2026 features a wide variety of formats and structures. The main focus is on progressive knockout (PKO) tournaments, where part of the buy-in goes into the bounty pool, and players earn cash rewards and boost their own bounty by eliminating opponents. This format requires a careful balance between survival play and aggressive bounty hunting. The schedule also includes mixed game events, such as 8-Game, allowing players with different styles and backgrounds to showcase their skills. Top Players Who Have Already Made an Impact The opening tournaments of WCOOP Boot Camp 2026 featured both global poker stars and PokerStars ambassadors. Alongside Ognyan Dimov, players like Benjamin "Spraggy" Spragg, Joao "jonespkr" Sobrinho, Jerry "Perrymejsen" Odeen, Blaz "Scarmak3r" Zerjav, Steven "SvZff" van Zadelhoff, and Caio "Pessagno" Pessagno all made deep runs and cashed. Footballer Neymar also took a shot, but fell short of the money in the high roller event. Nevertheless, he added to his bounty tally and once again highlighted poker’s appeal among athletes from other sports. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For PPPoker club members, the WCOOP Boot Camp 2026 experience can be a great source of inspiration and practical ideas. First, the spotlight on PKO formats shows that today’s players value dynamic tournaments where you can earn not only by going deep, but also by actively hunting for knockouts. PPPoker clubs can leverage this format for their own series and events to attract more players and diversify their schedules. Second, the results of such major online series demonstrate that even with relatively modest buy-ins ($11, $22, $75), players can compete for substantial prizes by showing skill and discipline. This is a great reason for PPPoker club members not to shy away from multi-table tournaments and to use satellites to move up to higher stakes. Finally, the participation of well-known players and ambassadors in these events underscores that the poker community is open to everyone. In PPPoker clubs, you’ll find both newcomers and seasoned regulars, and the achievements of players from around the world inspire new goals. Keep an eye on the schedule, join the tournaments, and keep improving your game—so that one day, you too might become a poker news headline!