PokerStars, the online poker site responsible for the World Cup of Poker, also offers a yearly event dubbed the World Championship of Online Poker (or WCOOP). Not only is it the largest online poker tournament in existence, but it’s literally one of the biggest poker series in the world.

WCOOP 2007 - World Championship of Online Poker

The 2007 WCOOP will offer 23 events (including new events like 5-Card Draw and 2-7 Triple Draw) and a total prize pool of $15 million dollars. And the gem of the competition, the No Limit Texas Hold’em Main Event will offer a prize pool worth $5 million, well over $2 million more than the last 2006 World Championship of Online Poker. Winners of each competition will also receive an engraved 14 karat gold bracelet.

How to Enter the World Championship of Online Poker

To enter the World Championship of Online Poker you must have a PokerStars account in good standing. If you meet those 2 simple qualifications, you have 3 options for how to enter the WCOOP:

1. You can buy into the World Championship of Online Poker directly.

For example, you can get a seat at the $2,600 buy-in Main Event by simply paying the $2,600 entry fee.

2. You can win smaller satellite events and advance to the main events of the WCOOP.

3. By accumulating Frequent Player Points at PokerStars, you can become eligible for freeroll tournaments which will qualify you for the 2007 WCOOP.

These tournaments are free to enter if you have enough Frequent Player Points, and winning one of them will ensure you a spot at one of the main event games. $1.5 million in free entries will be offered in this way.

2007 World Championship of Online Poker Events Schedule

The WCOOP continues to grow, with 23 events being offered in 2007. Here’s a breakdown of when each event will take place, as well as the buy-in cost and guaranteed prize pool (prize pools for each event may be substantially higher).

1 - No Limit Hold’em (6 max) - $215 buy-in - $400,000 prize pool - September 14th
2 - Pot Limit 5-Card Draw - $215 buy-in - $100,000 prize pool - September 14th
3 - Pot Limit Omaha (6 max) - $215 buy-in - $200,000 prize pool - September 15th
4 - 2-7 Triple Draw - $215 buy-in - $100,000 prize pool - September 15th
5 - No Limit Hold’em - $530 buy-in - $2 million prize pool - September 16th
6 - Pot Limit Omaha w/Rebuys - $320 buy-in - $400,000 prize pool - September 17th
7 - Limit Hold’em - $215 buy-in - $100,000 prize pool - September 18th
8 - Limit Omaha Hi-Lo - $530 buy-in - $300,000 prize pool - September 19th
9 - No Limit Hold’em w/Rebuys - $215 buy-in - $1 million prize pool - September 20th
10 - No Limit Hold’em Match Play - $320 buy-in - $500,000 prize pool - September 21st
11 - Razz - $215 buy-in - $100,000 prize pool - September 21st
12 - HORSE - $215 buy-in - $200,000 prize pool - September 22nd
13 - Pot Limit Hold’em - $530 buy-in - $400,000 prize pool - September 22nd
14 - No Limit Hold’em - $1,050 buy-in - $2 million prize pool - September 23rd
15 - 7 Card Stud - $320 buy-in - $100,000 prize pool - September 24th
16 - Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo - $320 buy-in - $200,000 prize pool - September 25th
17 - No Limit Hold’em (6-max) - $320 buy-in - $400,000 prize pool - September 26th
18 - 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo - $530 buy-in - $200,000 prize pool - September 27th
19 - Pot Limit Omaha - $530 buy-in - $300,000 prize pool - September 28th
20 - No Limit Hold’em Triple Shootout - $530 buy-in - $300,000 prize pool - September 28th
21 - HORSE - $5,200 buy-in - $500,000 prize pool - September 29th
22 - Limit Hold’em - $1,050 buy-in - $200,000 prize pool - September 29th
23 - No Limit Hold’em Main Event - $2,600 buy-in - $5 million prize pool - September 30th

Poker Games Played at the World Championship of Online Poker

Here's a brief summary of the poker games being played at the WCOOP. These games sometimes changes from one year to another.

Omaha and Omaha Hi-Lo

Similar to Texas Hold’em, the biggest difference in that you’re dealt 4 hole cards instead of just 2, and your 5 card hand is formed from 2 and only 2 cards from your hand and 3 and only 3 community cards. (As opposed to Texas Holdem, where your hand is made from any combination of cards from your hand and the board.) In Hi-Lo Omaha, pots are split between the player with the highest hand and the one with the lowest hand.

Texas Hold’em

The most popular poker game in the USA. You get 2 cards in your hand (also called “hole cards”) and must make a 5 card hand with those two cards and any combination of the 5 community cards.

7 Card Stud and 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo

Each player gets 7 cards, 3 face down and 4 face up. As players receive cards, round of betting will follow. In Hi-Lo, the pot is split between the players with the highest and lowest hands.

5 Card Draw

Players are dealt 5 cards. After betting, they can discard any number of cards and receive new ones. One of the most well-known poker games.

Razz

A form of stud poker where the object is to build the lowest possible 5 card hand from the 7 cards you are dealt.

H.O.R.S.E.

Often played at high stakes tables in casinos, HORSE is a poker player's poker game. As the game progresses, players compete in Texas Hold’em, Omaha Eight or Better, Razz, Seven Card Stud and Seven Card Stud Eight or Better.

History of the WCOOP - World Championship of Poker

2002 WCOOP

The first year of the WCOOP, 9 events were offered. A points system was also used to reward those players who demonstrated outstanding all-around play. This player received the Best All-Around Player Award and receive a bonus of $5,000. 2002 was the only year that the Best Player Award was offered, and it was won by TheBeat, an American player with 783.56 combined points (which reflected their solid play in a number of events).

In the No Limit Hold’em Main Event, MultiMarine of Sweden got the win and took home $65,450 in prize money. Second place went to sdm9201 of the USA ($41,650), and ElmerFudd of the U.S. took third ($27,370).

2003 WCOOP

This was the first WCOOP held after Chris Moneymaker achieved his shocking win at the World Series of Poker. Since he was a member of Team PokerStars, players came flooding into the tournament to see if they could also strike it rich like the average Joe they had just watched on ESPN.

The events were increased to 11, and the number of entrants set an online record at the time. 1,358 players participated in the $300 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event (with a prize pool of $407,400), and the $1,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Main Event drew 891 entrants (for a prize pool of $891,000). DeOhGee of the United States won the Main Event and took home $222,750.

2004 WCOOP

More records were set, as the 2004 WCOOP became the largest online poker tournament in history. Over 10,000 players competed in the primary events, and over 20,000 players duked it out in satellite tournaments. In all, there were players representing over 40 countries from around the globe. Over $6 million was paid out, and the No Limit Hold’em Main Event generated a prize pool of over $2.1 million.

When the dust settled, Ragde from Oslo, Norway was crowned the WCOOP champion and leave with $424,945. Second place, Denmark’s mr. steal, still won a $396,979.

2005 WCOOP

The WCOOP continued to grow, and the fourth annual competition now offered 15 events for poker-crazed players to enter. More records were set, as an impressive $12,783,900 in prize money was up for grabs.

In the No Limit Hold’em Main Event, the last three players each walked away with over $500,000 each. Panella86 from the United States outlasted the other 1,494 entrants and took home $577,342 in prize money. The total prize pool for the event was a generous $3,735,000.

2006 WCOOP

The number of events increased to 18 in 2006, and the overall prize pool of the WCOOP was in excess of $18,500,000. The No Limit Hold’em Main Event had over 2,510 entries, with 330 players finishing in the money (from a prize pool of $6,275,000). Area23JC (also known as poker pro J.C. Tran) took home the first place prize of $670,194.