Online Poker

August 17, 2009

The PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker for 2009 will start on 3 September and run through to 21 September, with $40 million in prize money to be won.

After a modest beginning in 2002 with 9 events and just $730,000 in prize money, the WCOOP has grown each year to its current size of 45 events and $40 million in total guaranteed prize money. These events cover a wide range of poker games and budget levels, but many are restricted to only the talented and the wealthy thanks to massive buy-in amounts.

While many online poker series will only offer a large prize pool for tournaments in Hold ‘Em and Omaha games, PokerStars is able to offer big money for tournaments in Badugi poker and Razz as well. The Badugi poker tournament, for instance, will offer a $100,000 total prize pool, much larger than what is normally offered at mainstream online poker rooms.

It’s the big money events in Hold ‘Em and Omaha that really draw the crowds, though, and the WCOOP is definitely stacked when it comes to those. The final event – a NL Hold ‘Em Main Event over 2 days – will have a guaranteed prize pool of $10 million, with a $5,000 plus $200 buy in. There are plenty of other big events leading up to the grand finale, however, with 14 events in total offering guaranteed prize pools of more than $1 million. This includes a HORSE high roller tournament with a $10,000 plus $300 buy-in and $1 million in guaranteed prize money, as well as several other 2-day NL Hold ‘Em tournaments in addition to the Main Event 2-day tourney.

The buy-ins for the WCOOP do not make it particularly accessible to players with lower poker budgets. Luckily, PokerStars understands that sometimes the best players just haven’t built up a big enough bankroll, so many satellite tournaments are currently available. These satellite tourneys are offering entry into WCOOP events for as little as $1 if you can come in ahead of the rest of the field. With the lowest tournament entry fees costing $215, satellite tournaments into events are a good option. They are made even better value because you can win multiple satellites into the same event and receive W$ instead of additional entries. W$ can be used to enter other tournaments at PokerStars, including WCOOP tourneys.

Registration for WCOOP events is open now. Be sure to clear your schedule if you wish to enter 2-day tournaments, though, as you could otherwise find yourself having to bow out of a World Championship of Online Poker event when on the verge of breaking into the money. To register, you will need to be a member of PokerStars and you will need to deposit at least enough money for an entry fee. New players can also earn up to a 100% bonus on early deposits by playing in real money games and tourneys at PokerStars, worth up to $600. With one of the richest tournament series in online poker and a massive player base, PokerStars is one of the best online poker rooms.