Andrey Zaichenko moved into third place all-time with his fifth career WCOOP victory. (PokerStars photo)

Denis Strebkov and Shaun Deeb sit firmly atop the PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker all-time leaderboard with nine and eight titles respectively. The group right behind is growing and coming hard though.

On Thursday night, Russia’s Andrey Zaichenko moved into a tie for third place all-time after capturing his fifth career WCOOP title. He’s now tied with former #1-ranked PocketFiver Dan Kelly and Dzmitry Urbanovich. Zaichenko’s win came in Event #62 High ($1,050 Stud Hi Lo) where he outlasted 100 other players to earn the victory and $24,745.

Zaichenko, Kelly, and Urbanovich may have company soon. Finland’s Jussi ‘calvin7v’ Nevanlinna won Event #60 Medium ($55 Six Max Pot Limit Omaha) for the fourth WCOOP title of his career.

Fabiano Kovalski outlasted 96 other players in Event #59 High ($5,200 NLHE Midweek Freeze) to win $119,483.15 and his third WCOOP title, one in each of the last three years. Currently ranked #43 in the world, the Brazilian won his first WCOOP in 2018 when he took down a $1,050 NLHE event. He followed that up in 2019 by shipping a $530 Four Max NLHE event.

The last player that Zaichenko vanquished on the way to his Thursday night win,  ‘XD89lol<3‘ didn’t have to settle for a runner-up performance. The Finn grabbed the top spot on the podium in Event #64 High ($1,050 Omaha 8-or-better) to earn $30,855.69.

Pappe_Ruk‘ bagged their second WCOOP title ever, beating out 417 entries in Event #61 High ($1,050 Six Max NLHE PKO). The win came with $32,452.10 from the prize pool plus an additional $35,644.50 in bounties.

There were a handful of first-time winners as well. Germany’s ‘Sintoras‘ topped the 184-entry field in Event #60 High ($530 Six Max PLO) to grab the first WCOOP title of their career and a $56,608.50 score. Estonia’s Markku ‘markovitsus’ Koplimaa, who is ranked #21 in the world, won his first COOP title by beating 407 other runners in Event #65 High ($1,050 Six Max NLHE).

Thursday’s WCOOP slate was a busy one with another 11 players entering the winner’s circle including ‘Her087‘ (#59 Medium), ‘frost3ggg‘ (#59 Low), ‘oyarzun2010‘ (#60 Low), ‘theomatador‘ (#61 Medium), ‘BaNaN4oo‘ (#61 Low), ‘Schmitzen‘ (#62 Medium), ‘MoreVon‘ (#62 Low), ‘Speck ftw‘ (#64 Medium), ‘Sqwadr‘ (#64 Low), ‘Caldini00‘ (#65 Medium), and ‘stilchuka‘ (#65 Low).

WCOOP #59-H: $5,200 NLHE [8-Max, Midweek Freeze]
97 entries
$500,000 prize pool ($15,000 overlay)

  1. Kovalski – $119,483.15
  2. Steve ‘Mr. Tim Caum’ O’Dwyer – $92,337.85
  3. Zagazaur – $71,359.65

WCOOP #59-M: $530 NLHE [8-Max, Midweek Freeze]
811 entries
$405,500 prize pool

  1. Her087 – $60,676.70*
  2. NationalPPP – $57,176.70*
  3. Pablo ‘pabritz’ Brito – $34,962.41

WCOOP #59-L: $5,5 NLHE [8-Max, Midweek Freeze]
4,825 entries
$241,250 prize pool

  1. frost3ggg – $34,356.57
  2. gimmick83 – $24,486.97
  3. tommasi_BR – $17,455.16

WCOOP #60-H: $530+R PLO [6-Max]
184 entries
$331,280 prize pool

  1. Sintoras – $56,608.50*
  2. mikki696 – $46,047.66*
  3. Tulkaz – $52,214.36*

WCOOP #60-M: $55+R PLO [6-Max]
788 entries
$131,660.10 prize pool

  1. calvin7v – $22,363.15
  2. Dundermasen – $15,767.95
  3. Tomatee – $11,117.99

WCOOP #60-L: $5.50+R PLO [6-Max]
2,641 entries
$40,336.80 prize pool

  1. oyarzun2010 – $5,899.13
  2. DACAPP – $4,108.52
  3. iwonthurtyou – $2,862.71

WCOOP #61-H: $1,050 NLHE [6-Max, PKO, Freezeout]
418 entries
$418,000 prize pool

  1. Pappe_Ruk – $32,452.10 + $35,644.50 in bounties
  2. Narcisus90 – $32,451.91 + $16,089.85 in bounties
  3. [MDG]Black) – $19,285.09 + $4,187.50 in bounties

WCOOP #61-M: $109 [6-Max, PKO, Freezeout]
3,403 entries
$340,300 prize pool

  1. theomatador – $15,631.84* + $11,749.89 in bounties
  2. ImBluemagic – $16,384.44* + $4,771.79 in bounties
  3. LazyPiggy91 – $15,403.42* + $3,102.25 in bounties
  4. need2klonk – $14,259.97* + $778.51 in bounties

WCOOP #61-L: $11 [6-Max, PKO, Freezeout]
10,119 entries
$99,166.20 prize pool

  1. BaNaN4oo – $5,535.34 + $1,707.33 in bounties
  2. VittorRod – $5,530.45 + $1,506.70 in bounties
  3. VaFadrian – $3,164.82 + $1,079.64 in bounties

WCOOP #62-H: $1,050 Stud Hi Lo
101 entries
$101,000 prize pool

  1. Kroko-dill – $24,745
  2. XD89101<3 – $17,170
  3. WTFOMFGOAO – $13,130

WCOOP #62-M: $109 Stud Hi Lo
560 entries
$56,000 prize pool

  1. Schmitzen – $10,528
  2. MarkBang – $7,700
  3. Vasafisk – $5,656

WCOOP #62-L: $11 Stud Hi Lo
1,869 entries
$18,316.20 prize pool

  1. MoreVon – $2,398.81*
  2. zagorius – $2,394.05*
  3. xBAPBAPx – $2,365*

WCOOP #64-H: $1,050 FLO8 [8-Max]
147 entries
$147,000 prize pool

  1. XD89101<3 – $30,855.69
  2. Mike ‘SirWatts’ Watson – $23,886.42
  3. PIPON777 – $18,491.32

WCOOP #64-M: $109 FLO8 [8-Max]
486 entries
$48,600 prize pool

  1. Speck ftw – $8,639.70
  2. chokitin – $6,235.23
  3. Fabahaba – $4,500.12

WCOOP #64-L: $11 FLO8 [8-Max]
1,827 entries
$17,904.60 prize pool

  1. Sqwadr – $2,270.62*
  2. submissssion – $2,349.09*
  3. geligniteone – $1,370.17

WCOOP #65-H: $1,050 NLHE [6-Max]
408 entries
$408,000 prize pool

  1. markovitsus – $73,643.15
  2. SsicK_OnE – $53,991.29
  3. ramastar88 – $39.583.67

WCOOP #65-M: $109 NLHE [6-Max, Freezeout]
2,108 entries
$210,800 prize pool

  1. Caldini00 – $25,671.60*
  2. Chrosty – $21,464.93*
  3. ManOrSuu – $21,497*

WCOOP #65-L: $11 NLHE [6-Max, Freezeout]
7,116 entries
$69,736.80 prize pool

  1. stilchuka – $7,958.84*
  2. wraggattack – $6,216.29*
  3. GreenBoo – $7,446.73*