SCOOP 2025 – PokerStars’ Iconic Series Returns from May 11 to June 2

PokerStars has announced that the 17th edition of the Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) will run from May 11 to June 2 in the global market. While the full schedule and prize pool are yet to be revealed, early signs suggest a more modest outlook for this year’s series.

SCOOP 2025 will last 23 days, two fewer than the 25-day run we've seen in recent years. The Main Events are set for May 25, but there’s no official word yet on the total number of events or the guaranteed prize pool.

In 2024, PokerStars maintained a $75 million guarantee, spread across a record 384 tournaments. That record volume led to an average guarantee of under $200,000 per event – the lowest since SCOOP began 17 years ago.

PokerStars has exited several key markets in recent years, including the Czech Republic, Croatia, and Peru. On March 27, it will also leave Poland, which is estimated to account for 5% of global traffic. These exits have impacted player liquidity and may also affect this year’s guarantees.

Further signaling a possible downward trend, the Sunday Million Anniversary event saw its guarantee reduced by 20% this year — from $7.5 million to $6 million. This may indicate that SCOOP 2025’s total guarantee could fall below $70 million.

While PokerStars might attempt to maintain the $75 million target, it would likely require either fewer events with larger guarantees or another record-breaking number of tournaments — the latter being less likely due to the shorter timeframe.

GGPoker’s spring series is also highly anticipated. Last year’s $250 million GG World Festival set a new benchmark for online tournament festivals, and this year’s edition is expected to overlap with SCOOP once again. A comparison between the two series seems inevitable — even though the competitive balance has clearly shifted in recent years.

SCOOP 2025 runs from May 11 to June 2 on the global PokerStars.com platform. While the official guarantees have not yet been announced, trends suggest that players should prepare for a more cautious edition. The shorter schedule, reduced player liquidity, and continued market exits all point toward a more restrained approach from PokerStars — even if no formal announcement has been made yet.