PokerStars Announces 2023 $80 Million WCOOP Series
We’ve extensively discussed PokerStars’ recent events and promotions. The newest event everyone is talking about is the return of the World Championships of Online Poker (WCOOP).
It comes with the Galactic Series in Europe and the introduction of the NACOOP series in North America and Ontario. These various concurrent tournaments ensure that PokerStars can run its series across all markets it’s present in. But what does the WCOOP have in store for players this year?
The Return of WCOOP 2023
While the Galactic Series will run in Southern European markets and the NACOOP in Ontario, MI, PA, and NJ, WCOOP will be available to its international players. The series runs from the 10th of September until the 4th of October and promises $80 million in guaranteed prize money.
While this prize money is much more than the €10 million of the Galactic Series and the $7 million of NACOOP, it’s less than the previous year’s prize pool, which was $85 million.
Format
This series highlights various game types. The games range from the popular No-Limit Hold ’em, Pot-Limit Omaha, and Progressive Knockouts to smaller niches like Triple Draw, RAZZ, 8-Game, and HORSE. As such, all players will find something they can participate in.
Buy-Ins
The buy-in levels have three tiers to accommodate players of all bankrolls. The low-tier buy-ins start at $5.50, but it can go up to $25,000 with the high-tier buy-ins. This variety in buy-ins ensures all players with any budget can enjoy the series.
Events
There are 110 numbered events, and with three-tiered buy-ins, it means around 330 to 340 total events are available. Compared to last year’s 322 events, it seems like PokerStars is spreading out the prize money over a broader schedule.
This spread has caused the average guarantee per event to fall from $264k in 2022 to $235k this year. PokerStars spreads $12.5 million across three Main Events: the $109 low event guaranteeing $2.5 million, the $1,050 medium event securing $4 million, and the standard $10.3k high event guaranteeing $6 million.
Affiliated Promotions
PokerStars offers various promotions to help players reach the WCOOP series to sweeten the deal. Three Spin and Go events award tickets, and winners of last year’s series have access to the Champions Freeroll.
Players can use the traditional satellite Fast Track through advancing four layers of SNGs and MTTs to win a ticket. However, they can also use the new Power Path feature. This feature has four steps, starting with sit and Go and progressing to MTTs. The awards are Bronze, Silver, and Gold packages, which convert to WCOOP Main Event tickets and other ticket bundles.
What to Expect from WCOOP
While the 2023 series might seem slightly lacklustre compared to last year’s offering, it shows PokerStars’ change to allow more opportunities for casual players. As such, high rollers and casual players with smaller bankrolls can test their mettle and win millions in prize money. With NACOOP also now available, we expect to see the operator branch more into North America, though it’ll likely never reach the prestige of the European tournaments.
0 comments