September 21, 2006
This is the second part of the three part
online poker article we are doing that takes
a detailed look inside PokerStars.com’s
World Series of Online Poker (WSOOP) events.
Be sure to read part 1
first.
PokerStars.com thinks that this series of
online poker events known as the WSOOP
belongs to the online poker players
themselves. After all it is the money of the
players that generates the action. Without
the amazing amount of interested online
poker players this event would not be as
successful as it is.
One thing to know is that the site requires
that online poker players playing in the
event leave an assured amount of prize money
in the pool when competing for first place.
You should understand that this is required
to protect the reliability of the WCOOP
championships. This way the online poker
player who does win at the final table will
have really earned the title.
SO, besides the worthwhile prize money,
winning online poker players get a 14 karat
gold bracelet a la WSOP.
This online poker event (WSOOP) and its
series started only 5 short years ago with
just under 2460 online poker players. That
first year, the prize pool was already an
impressive $799,000. Now, in 2006, the No
Limit Hold'em Event number 2 had 4,495
online poker players alone. That is just one
of the events folks!
Each year, the event at least doubles itself
with t biggest changes happening from 2003
to 2004 and 2004 to 2005. This was when
Poker Stars online qualifiers Chris
Moneymaker and Greg Raymer won the WSOP Main
Event. We all know the stir that event
caused in all sorts of poker.
Even though the amplified player
participation is so impressive, the most
notable growth statistic is the prize money
itself. We all love the money and the winner
of the 2006 WCOOP Main Event is anticipated
to earn almost twice as much as the all of
the 2002 WCOOP winners did all together.
The only online poker room or online casino
site with a comparable gaming series is
Party Poker. But even their events, which
carry a total prize pool of more than $30
million, is not set up to be a championship
series. Party Poker online poker winners
from that event get cash, but WCOOP
champions get gold bracelets and online fame
too.
The most prestigious WCOOP tournament is the
Main Event. This year's edition is set to
start Sunday, September 30th at 430 PM EST.
The $2,600 buy in online poker tourney may
keep some online poker players from being
able to come up with that kind of cash, but
its easie than heading to some far away land
based casino that is not in your town (extra
expenses) and PokerStars runs satellites
each day and more than likely will play host
to 2,000 players. That figure would boost
the prize pool to more than $5 million.
Again, no travel expenses, just the buy in
and the prize pool speaks for itself.
Now this year’s event will boast many new
changes from previous years. This year,
WCOOP online poker players were able to play
in Razz and HORSE tournaments, with one of
the main draws being the Saturday, September
29th Event number 16, a $5,000
HORSE online poker event. Banking on seeing
the same amount of success the WSOP had with
their $50,000 H.O.R.S.E tournament, Poker
Stars is hoping the prize pool exceeds their
$100,000 guarantee.
Be sure to continue on to our
part 3 of this
informative look in side PokerStars.com’s
great WSOOP events.
