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One of the world’s largest online poker events by PokerStars is about to kick off on August 30. The WCOOP gets underway with close to $82 million in guaranteed prize money.

PokerStars’ Largest WCOOP to Date Kicks Off

Poker tournament continue to gather steam in 2020 despite the pandemic and the PokerStars WCOOP 2020 is now set to launch on August 30. Following the recently-completed Stadium Series, WCOOP is next on the list.

The platform reported solid engagement and a community base actively engaging with the Stadium Series. However, the company expects more interest in WCOOP which will feature 75 events and offer an $80 million in prize pool guarantees.

Meanwhile, the platform has been running events neck-and-neck with the World Series of Poker and the online format of the event, WSOP 2020 Online, played on the GGPoker platform and the World Poker Tour’s WPT World Online Championships, played on partypoker.

WCOOP, though, is one of the oldest online series, not by circumstance, but owing to tradition. Back in 2002 when the event debuted, and prior to the industry-shattering UIEGA of 2006, WCOOP was the first more serious attempt to establish an online poker tradition.

What to Expect from PokerStars WCOOP 2020?

The event runs on a familiar trope with PokerStars injecting $82 million in cash prizes and specifically $81,637,000. There are 75 events by default, but owing to the three buy-in levels, players can expect as many as 225 tournament opportunities.

So far, the WCOOP hasn’t offered more than 192 tournaments and $75 million in guaranteed prize pool, but 2020 will be able to improve that number owing to the interest in online poker over the past few months, mostly occasioned by the COVID-19 lockdown.

Each event will feature a different level of buy-in, that is low, medium, and naturally, high. All levels will range from $2.20 to $25,000 for the players looking to join the more competitive events.

PokerStars will not only focus on Texas Hold’em and Omaha, but feature as many as 17 different poker variants for players to choose from. These games per number of tournament include:

  • No Limit Hold’em – 50 events
  • Pot Limit Omaha – 5 events
  • 8-Game Mix – 2 events
  • Pot Limit Omaha-8 – 2 events
  • HORSE –  2 events

There will be one event each for 5-Card NL Draw, 5 Card PLO, 6+ Hold’em, 2-7 NL Single Draw, 2-7 Triple Draw, Badugi, Limit Hold’em, Limit Omaha-8, NL Omaha-8, Mixed NLHE – PLO, Razz, and Stud Hi-Lo.

The current selection of events compromises the most versatile offer any poker tournament host can muster and PokerStars, true to the expectations of fans, has delivered.

Qualifications Rounds and Free Entry

PokerStars will allow players to qualify with as little as $1, which is standard for many big tournaments. Qualifiers could lead to a $5,200 buy-in for the Main Event, which could lead to the coveted prize.

PokerStars estimates to allocated $4 million in free entries, or some form of entry, the card room explained. There will also be a unique, new WCOOP Sweepstakes system in place.

The company is also adding a 2021 Slam Packages for next year’s 2021 WCOOP Main Event, SCOOP Main Event, and next year’s Stadium Series Main Event. In short, you don’t want to miss out.

WCOOP 2020 will run from August 30 through September 20.