Benny “RunGodlike” Glaser has won a record-extending 17th WCOOP title. The British mixed-game specialist earned $21,400 in WCOOP 44-H, PokerStars’ $1,050 8-Game event.
The tournament drew 56 entries and created a $56,000 prize pool. It was Glaser’s first WCOOP title in 8-Game, adding an 11th winning format to his record.
Glaser Beats Markus Ristola in WCOOP 44-H
Glaser defeated Finland’s Markus “O.Klunssila” Ristola heads-up, leaving Ristola with $13,228. Meanwhile, Sweden’s ShipitFTW911 finished third for $8,177 and Anton “WhatIfGod” Bergstrom earned $5,054 in fourth.
The final table included players from five countries. In total, Sweden and Austria each placed two players among the seven finalists.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benny “RunGodlike” Glaser | United Kingdom | $21,400 |
| 2 | Markus “O.Klunssila” Ristola | Finland | $13,228 |
| 3 | ShipitFTW911 | Sweden | $8,177 |
| 4 | Anton “WhatIfGod” Bergstrom | Sweden | $5,054 |
| 5 | friedrice47 | Ireland | $3,124 |
| 6 | moggiii | Austria | $2,694 |
| 7 | Oliver “sk2ll_m0dR” Weis | Austria | $2,322 |
This was Glaser’s first final table of the 2026 series. As a result, the win gave him an early boost before the largest events begin later in September.
A Record-Extending 17th WCOOP Title
Glaser won his first WCOOP title in 2018 in a $55 six-max PLO event. Since then, he has taken at least one title every year except 2024.
In 2023, Glaser won seven events during a single WCOOP series. That run remains the most productive championship campaign of his online career.
Moreover, the latest victory is his 29th Championship of Online Poker title when WCOOP and SCOOP results are combined. Of his 17 WCOOP titles, ten are High events, five are Medium and two are Low.
Meanwhile, Niklas Astedt’s two WCOOP wins had reduced Glaser’s lead during the opening week. However, Glaser’s victory has moved the gap back to three titles.
Glaser Has Won Across 11 Poker Formats
Glaser’s total covers three NLHE titles, three HORSE titles and two wins in both PLO and NLO8. Together, Razz, Badugi, 2-7 Single Draw, 2-7 Triple Draw, PLO8, 5-Card Draw and 8-Game account for seven more.
For example, his largest WCOOP win came in a $320 NLHE six-max freezeout in 2023. He beat 1,175 entries and collected $55,706.
Even so, the $21,400 prize from this 8-Game event adds something new to his record. His victories now span buy-ins from $11 to $2,100 and fields ranging from 34 entries to more than 3,300.
The WCOOP Record Race Continues
Glaser’s first win arrived with two weeks of the festival still to play. The WCOOP 2026 schedule contains 350 tournaments and runs through September 30.
Later events include the $10,300 NLHE Main Event and the $10,300 PLO Main Event. In addition, mixed-game players can enter the $2,100 8-Game Championship on September 24.
Glaser began the series as the player to catch, and his lead is now stronger. Therefore, Astedt and the other challengers need at least three more wins to draw level during WCOOP 2026.
