PokerStars Announces 2011 WCOOP Schedule

PokerStars announced the schedule for the 2011 World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP), the world’s premier online poker tournament series.

Despite the decline in numbers at PokerStars after they were forced to leave the USA market, PokerStars remains the largest poker site in the world, and the tournaments that make up the 2011 WCOOP reflect this. There are 62 events in total, with a combined guarantee of $30 million in prizes.

The action starts on September 4^th, when three events will be held: a $10,300 “high roller” No Limit Hold’em event, as well as two more standard $215 No Limit Hold’em tournaments – one of which will utilize a short-handed 6-max format.

Tournaments then continue for the next three weeks, culminating in two major events on September 25^th. The first is a $10,300 8-Game Mix tournament that should attract some of the best all-around tournament players in the world. Later that same day, the WCOOP Main Event will begin. With a $5,200 buy-in and a $5 million guarantee, the tournament is designed so that at least one place will walk away with $1 million or more in prize money.

It remains to be seen if this year’s WCOOP can come close to the level of participation seen last year, given the reduced player pool. Last year’s series also featured 62 events, with over 141,000 buy-ins and more than $63 million in prize money. Last year’s Main Event attracted 2,443 runners, good for a prize pool of more than $12.2 million. The eventual winner was POTTERPOKER, who won $2,278,097 for first place.

Much like the World Series of Poker, WCOOP will also feature a Player of the Series competition. Players will collect points by cashing in tournament events. The winner will receive several buy-ins to major events, including the EPT Grand Final and the 2012 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, along with other prizes. Satellites will be held around the clock for each tournament.

Overall, the WCOOP series will features mostly No Limit Hold’em tournaments, but includes a sprinkling of other events as well. Omaha is featured 14 times, reflecting its increased popularity; there are three Stud tournaments, three Draw events, and a Razz competition as well.