Vanessa Kade triumphs at the WCOOP 2026 Women's Championship

Vanessa Kade claimed the title of Women's World Championship at WCOOP 2026, while Patrick Leonard won his 15th series title. Find out more about these major victories!

The 2026 World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) is in full swing on the PokerStars platform, and the series continues to deliver big wins, records, and impressive success stories. This week, several well-known players added new titles to their achievements, and one participant managed to turn a minimal investment into a solid prize. Vanessa Kade Wins the WCOOP Women's World Championship Canadian poker pro Vanessa "Niffller" Kade made her mark once again on the biggest online stage. In 2021, she won the anniversary Sunday Million, outlasting 69,876 players to claim the top prize of $1,514,920. In 2022, Kade came close to winning the WSOP Online Ladies Championship, finishing second behind Huanhua Long. Now, for the first time in her career, Vanessa Kade has captured a WCOOP title by winning WCOOP 73-H: $215 Women's World Championship. This women-only tournament drew 75 entrants, and Kade confidently made her way to the top, earning $4,049 for first place. At the final table, she faced off against PokerStars ambassador Marle "MarlzTV" Spragg, who finished third and took home $2,269. Final Table Results WCOOP 73-H: $215 Women's World Championship 1st place — Vanessa "Niffller" Kade — $4,049 2nd place — [name not specified in the original] 3rd place — Marle "MarlzTV" Spragg — $2,269 Patrick Leonard — 15th WCOOP Title and Second This Year Patrick "pads1161" Leonard continues to cement his place in WCOOP history. This year, he, along with Niklas "Lena900" Astedt and Joao "Naza114" Vieira, have added to their title collections, making the race for the overall lead especially intense. Until recently, this trio and Denis "aDrENalin710" Strebkov each had 14 WCOOP titles, but Leonard pulled ahead by winning WCOOP 69-H: $530 NLHE 7-Max Turbo. He now trails only Benny "RunGodlike" Glaser, who has two more titles. In the final, Leonard defeated "Caldini00," denying his opponent a second WCOOP title and the first since 2020. The tournament drew 147 players, and Patrick earned $15,428 for the win. Final Table Results WCOOP 69-H: $530 NLHE 7-Max Turbo 1st place — Patrick "pads1161" Leonard — $15,428 2nd place — Caldini00 Patrick "pads1161" Leonard's WCOOP Titles This marks the fifth time in six years that Leonard has won at least two WCOOP titles in a calendar year. In 2023, he set a personal record by winning five events in a single series. His current win is the smallest among his 15 titles, which include two world championships — Heads-Up NLHE (2023) and Razz (2024). Leonard's biggest prize came back in 2016, when he won WCOOP 65: $700 NLHE and earned $162,055. Unique Success for "Value858Vn" — Maximum Return from a Satellite Special attention goes to the story of a player from Vietnam with the nickname "Value858Vn." In WCOOP 61-L: $11 Stud H-Lo, he qualified through a satellite for just $1.10 and managed to win the tournament, outlasting 714 opponents. For first place, "Value858Vn" received $1,276, which means a return on investment (ROI) of 1,159% — an impressive result even by the standards of major series. Context: What is WCOOP and Why Are These Wins Important? The World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) is the largest annual series of online poker tournaments, held on PokerStars. Tens of millions of dollars are up for grabs, and winning a WCOOP event is considered a prestigious achievement for any player. Each title is not only a cash prize but also a major milestone in a player's career, and the race for the overall WCOOP leaderboard is comparable to the chase for WSOP bracelets in live poker. The tournament formats are diverse: from classic No Limit Hold'em to exotic variants like Razz and Stud H-Lo. Many events have affordable buy-ins, and you can also qualify through satellites — small qualifying tournaments with minimal entry fees. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players These WCOOP success stories show that the path to big wins is open not only to professionals but also to those who are ready to take advantage of every qualification opportunity. The example of "Value858Vn" proves that even minimal investments in satellites can lead to significant results — the key is not to miss such chances. Taking part in online series and club tournaments on PPPoker can be excellent training for playing on major platforms. Here you can hone your skills in different formats, learn to adapt to opponents' styles, and prepare for more serious battles. Keep an eye on tournament schedules, don't overlook satellites, and use every opportunity to grow. Even if you're just starting your poker journey, the experience of WCOOP players proves: persistence and smart tournament selection can lead to big wins.