Three WCOOP Main Events Crowned. All Three Chip Leaders Lost.

Today's Big Question

PokerStars finished its 2026 WCOOP Main Events on Thursday. Felipe Boianovsky won the $10,300 for $551,632, Alejandro Lococo took the $1,050 for $343,242 and ihor888888 won the $109 for $172,022. The three players who led the final tables a day earlier did not win any of them.

What happened

PokerStars finished the 2026 WCOOP Main Events and three people went home with the money.

Felipe “lipe piv” Boianovsky of Brazil won the $10,300 World Championship for $551,632. He is the first player to win both a SCOOP Main Event and a WCOOP Main Event at that buy-in level. His SCOOP title came in June 2023 and paid $1,036,200.

Alejandro “Papo AR” Lococo of Argentina won the $1,050 Main Event for $343,242 out of 2,310 entries. He beat “Goodarla” of Ireland heads-up, with Q-4 against 7-10 in the deciding hand. “ihor888888” of Ukraine won the $109 Main Event for $172,022 out of 14,533 entries, beating “shanyji” of Hungary heads-up. He had been sixth in chips at one point in the final.

A day earlier, Dante Goya led the $10,300 final table with 12,889,640 chips, Jorge Abreu led the $1,050 with 36,701,208, and “wes345” led the $109 with 91,454,233. None of the three won.

Why it matters

The chip lead at the start of a final table is a good thing to have. It is not a result. Three tables, three leaders, no trophies.

The $109 buy-in is the one to remember. A field of 14,533 produced one Ukrainian with $172,022, which is the whole pitch for the format.

In the Spotlight

CoinPoker Guaranteed $50 Million, Paid $88.44 Million and Called It a Championship

What happened

CoinPoker's first Global Online Poker Championship ran from August 23 to September 28. It guaranteed $50 million across 6,321 tournaments and paid out $88.44 million, 77 percent over the guarantee. The series drew 2,122,920 entries from 48,815 unique players in 172 countries.

The $530 Main Event drew 7,414 entries and a prize pool over $3.7 million, and “siema” won $423,606. “Trance” won the $25,500 Super High Roller Championship for $397,035 from 51 entries. “PistolWhip” took the $1,500 CoinMasters BTC High Roller for $300,025. “agustinverna” of Argentina led the series leaderboard with 117 points and ten gold medals.

Why it matters

That is about 43 entries per player across five weeks. Somebody is not getting much sleep. The next event is The One on October 4: a $250 buy-in, a $5 million guarantee and a guaranteed $1 million for first place.

The Explainer

Barry Diller Pulls $18 Billion MGM Offer Because the Mix Did Not Come Together

What happened

People Incorporated, Barry Diller's company, withdrew its $18 billion offer for MGM Resorts. The deal would have given it a 50.1 percent controlling stake. It announced its interest in June 2026 and rescinded in late September.

Diller said: “We didn't feel the mix was coming together in the way we had hoped.” CNBC reported that MGM's debt load, which exceeds $30 billion, played a significant role in the decision. MGM shares fell from about $38 on September 23 to about $32 on Monday. People Incorporated says it remains open to a strategic transaction with MGM. The Wall Street Journal reported MGM may instead pursue buying People Incorporated.

Why it matters

A buyer spent about three months on the offer and left. The stock dropped about six dollars over the same stretch, and MGM has issued no direct statement. The mix, by one report, included more than $30 billion of debt.

Follow the Money

Jonas Kronwitter Takes PGT PLO Event 5 for $201,600, His Fourth Cash of the Series

What happened

Jonas Kronwitter won the $10,500 PGT PLO Series Event 5 for $201,600 from 63 entries and a $630,000 prize pool. Richard Gryko took $126,000 for second and Jiyang Gan $88,200 for third. Kronwitter's flush draw hit on the turn against Gryko's two pair. He earned 360 Player of the Year points, for 1,808 on the year, and nearly $4.3 million in lifetime earnings. He had also finished second in Event 1 and cashed Events 2 and 4. Gryko was runner-up to James Chen in the $10,500 PLO event reported yesterday.

The Circuit

50 Cent Debuts Headcrack at G2E and Does Not Attend Its Booth Event

What happened

50 Cent's new casino game, 50 Cent Headcrack, debuted at the Global Gaming Expo at the Venetian in Las Vegas. Players roll three dice and win with a 4-5-6. A 1-2-3 is a natural bust. Limits run $10 to $100. It was developed with TCS John Huxley and is based on Cee-lo, a street dice game. It can be played on a flat table with automated dice or a modified craps table where players throw the dice by hand. The rapper had a scheduled appearance at the booth event and did not attend.

Beyond the Felt

Tiffany Keathley, RunGood Poker Series Champion, Dies at 40

What happened

Tiffany Keathley, a poker player from Arkansas, died at age 40. Fellow professional Daniel Lowery shared the news on social media on Sunday. She won the 2019 RunGood Poker Series Tunica $575 Main Event for $48,796 and had $115,328 in recorded live earnings since July 2019. Her last recorded cash was 43rd in the WSOP Circuit Tunica Main Event in April 2024. The cause of death has not been disclosed. Chris Read described her as “a sweet soul.”

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