High Stakes Cash Game World Championship (CGWC)

Last Updated: 3 November 2025

What is the High Stakes CGWC?

The High Stakes Cash Game World Championship is where poker’s elite face off for glory from November 10 to December 7. This special edition brings together the toughest No-Limit Hold’em players on the planet, each chasing prestige, bragging rights, a share of $100,000, a Land-Dweller Rolex for the winner, and GTO-focused rewards.

Expect legendary names, fearless grinders, and the kind of action only high-stakes poker can deliver.

Like our PLO Cash Game World Championship, the High Stakes series features rake-free cash games, running for four intense weeks. This is a proving ground, where the strongest prevail and reap the rewards.

The series is open to all players at NL10k who are ready to compete and climb the leaderboard for the ultimate prize in cash game poker.

Game Info & Schedule

The High Stakes CGWC 2025 is ready for elite players who want to prove their skills in the ultimate NLHE cash game environment. This event is one-of-a-kind, so get familiar with the details.

Event Date: November 10 to December 7, 2025 (4 weeks)
Format: NLHE $10,000 on 6-Max Tables
No Rake: 100% Rake-Free
Buy-In: 100BB
Ante: The High Stakes CGWC will have spawns of both ante and non-ante tables running concurrently. Ante tables will have a 0.17BB ante per player (1BB total when play is 6-handed)
Leaderboard Rankings: EV $ Won
No Heads-Up: Any Heads-Up hands played on CGWC tables will not count towards the leaderboard
Show Rule: On show tables, every winning hand will automatically be shown. All players must play at least one CGWC ‘show table’ to be able to play on other CGWC branded tables

Prizes

Players in the High Stakes CGWC will compete for a total prize pool of $100,000, including cash and luxury rewards:

🥇 1st place: $35,000 Rolex
🥈 2nd place: $17,500 cash
🥉 3rd place: $15,000 cash
4th place: $12,500 cash
5th place: $10,000 cash

Players must log at least 20,000 hands at the CGWC tables to be eligible for the top 5 prizes.

We’ll also give out an additional GTO-focused award which will be revealed soon. This prize will celebrate GTO skill, and we’ll have more details in the coming days.

Where else can cash game players compete on the world stage? Aside from prestige, a beautiful Rolex, big cash rewards, and cash game winnings await high-stakes NLHE players.

The prizes available in the High Stakes Cash Game World Championship

VIP Games

The action doesn’t take a break on the weekend. Certain players will qualify for a 6-max VIP Game, but this isn’t your average cash game.

The five qualifying players will hop into NL10K on Sundays 17:00 UTC, with one action player. The total ante when play is 6-handed will be ~2BB (0.33BB ante per player).

We’re also putting a 5BB bounty on each player with the 7-2 Game rules, paying huge rewards for wins with poker’s worst hand. So, this isn’t just high-stakes, it’s high-action too.

How to Qualify for Weekend VIP Games

Players in the High Stakes CGWC can qualify for the weekend VIP Games in a few different ways.

5 Ways Players Qualify:

Biggest $ Loser of the week
Most under $EV for the week
Most hands played of the week
Coolest hand played (based on a weekly fan vote on X/Twitter showcasing the top 4 hands of the competition from that week)
The Streamer: During the week, any player who streams their play on CGWC tables for a minimum of two hours will be entered into a raffle for the Sunday VIP game. For the qualifier, there will be a requirement to stream with holecards visible in this VIP game as well as having a camera and microphone setup for the best viewing experience.

VIP Game Rules

Coolest hand played qualifier: Eligible hands are reviewed every Saturday. Hands played on the weekend will count toward qualifying for the next VIP Game.
Seat Transfer: Players who cannot attend the VIP Game can transfer their seat to another event participant of their choosing.
Leaderboard Note: Any hands played in the VIP Game will not count towards the High Stakes CGWC main leaderboard.

Leaderboard

The High Stakes CGWC leaderboard will update shortly after the event begins. Track your daily progress, who is currently leading the pack, and who is chasing them.

Heads-up hands do not contribute to this leaderboard.

How The Leaderboard Works

High Stakes CGWC are measured based on EV $ won, which is the expected value of all-in equity-adjusted winnings. This reduces variance and rewards consistent skill over luck and sun-running.

How to Join

Follow these steps for leaderboard glory and top prizes when you play in the High-Stakes CGWC 2025:

Register an Account: Sign up to CoinPoker with an email, nickname, and password.
Download the App: Install the CoinPoker app in seconds.
Deposit Funds: Add funds using crypto or bank cards. Be sure your bankroll can comfortably cover multiple 100BB buy-ins for NL10k.
Locate the Event: Use the lobby filter to find the High Stakes CGWC tables and join the action. Remember, these games are 6-max, at NL10K. You’ll see them clearly marked in our cash game lobby.

Watch Live

Follow all the action and watch the High Stakes Cash Game World Championship live! There’s no competition like this, and you can spectate the entire event.

See the biggest hands, boldest plays, and leaderboard battles unfold at our social media accounts:

🎥 YouTube: Watch full streams and daily highlights.
🎮 Twitch: Join live broadcasts with expert commentary.
🐦 Twitter/X: Watch quick clips, top hands, and fan highlights.
💬 Telegram: Follow hand breakdowns and discussion in real time.

What Happened in the Last Cash Game World Championships?

Our CGWC events have always pushed the boundaries of online poker, bringing together elite players, massive pots, and unforgettable performances.

2024 Inaugural Cash Game World Championship

From early December to January 13, 2024, competitors battled it out over hundreds of thousands of hands on rake-free NL1K tables for a shot at the inaugural title. Owen “Pr0digy” Messer emerged as the champion after 43,529 hands, winning $591,000 in EV and $681,000 in cash (plus a Rolex watch). His victory was especially remarkable, as he overcame a $22,000 loss in the opening week to dominate the final stretch.

2025 Mid-Stakes Cash Game World Championship

The Mid-Stakes Cash Game World Championship kicked off from June 1–28, 2025. After nearly 80,000 hands at NL500, WWSF45 emerged as the winner, taking home a beautiful $17,000 Rolex Yacht-Master with $36,886 and 9.25 bb/100 EV. The close-fought leaderboard battle saw InnerPeace finish runner-up with +$33,181 (15.39 EV bb/100), followed by Yafish with +$27,356 (7.35 EV bb/100).

2025 PLO Cash Game World Championship

The Pot Limit Omaha Cash Game World Championship ran until November 2, 2025. For over a million hands, players battled on rake-free 6-max PLO tables, with the show cards rule in effect. Godfromstock crushed this event, racking up far more points than his peers and being basically unchallenged toward the end of the series. The rewards for the top five finishers were a $15,000 Rolex for first place and four cash prizes from $5,000 to $2,000. The action was intense, with Venividi1993 heading the pack of Omaha specialists for a good chunk of the games.

Promos

More Great Things CoinPoker Has for Players

If the High Stakes CGWC has whetted your appetite for more poker, you’ll find plenty of promotions at CoinPoker to explore.

150% Bonus and 33% Rakeback Paid Every Week

We’ve made your first deposit extra-special! Get a 150% welcome bonus up to $2,000 when you first add funds. It’s an easy-to-clear bonus, paid in tasty 10% portions.

On top of that, earn 33% rakeback weekly, automatically paid into your account every Monday. It’s a great way to build your bankroll while playing your favorite games.

CoinRaces Cash Game Leaderboards Every 4 Hours

$12,000 is given to cash game players every day in our CoinRaces promotion. But it’s not just one leaderboard—we’ve created 6 separate leaderboards so players have multiple chances to collect winnings.

All Hold’em, PLO, and PLO5 cash games qualify (except heads-up tables), and the rankings reset every 4 hours. Play, collect points, and climb the leaderboard.

Hold’em, PLO, & PLO5 Cash Games Running 24/7

Our Holdem games are the tip of the cash game iceberg! Four hole cards in Pot Limit Omaha create tons of action, while PLO5 means even bigger hands (and pots).

We host round-the-clock cash games from $0.01/$0.02 to $1,000/$2,000. Player traffic peaks in the late evening, with thousands joining in from early afternoon.