The season for the Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) is here and the series of tournaments begin in a couple of weeks. Online poker fans and the poker fraternity in general is eager to see this year’s winner. Last year, Jason Mercier, an American, won the 138-tournament championship.
What’s the excitement surrounding SCOOP?
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When it began some 8yrs ago, SCOOP played second fiddle to the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) in the field of online poker competitions, and now tables have turned, placing SCOOP on the forefront. Looking at the various online poker tournaments held annually, SCOOP leads the pack as the largest of all.
How big is SCOOP?
The SCOOP festival is set to hold 165 tournaments this year. To get to that number, consider that SCOOP, as a matter of routine, splits each event into three distinct tournaments, namely, the low; the medium and the high buy-ins. When the events in the schedule are 55, as they are this year, the number of distinct tournaments becomes 165, which is simply 55 multiplied by 3. That means the poker fraternity has a lot more activity to enjoy this year than last year, when the events were 46.
Is the money worth the size of SCOOP?
Any serious poker player would cherish the chance to play in SCOOP, whether they are professional poker players or just ordinary poker players who love the game. The prize money is the largest being put on the table, in comparison to all other tournaments of this year. The total amount guaranteed in the prize pool is in excess of $40 million! And to water each player’s mouth, the High Main Event promises the first prize to be a clean $1 million!
When are the actual SCOOP dates?
The events of this online poker tournament that has drawn the attention of many in the world of poker are set to commence on May 8th. They will then continue every day onwards up to 22nd May.
On the poker tournament’s opening day, poker fans will be treated to five events and of all those, four will fall under the category of No-Limit Hold’em. The variations then become broader as the poker tournament progresses in subsequent days. In short, whatever a poker player enjoys to play and whatever each competitor feels most competent in, SCOOP provides something to suit every participant.
SCOOP Keeps the Poker Arena Vibrant
This season when SCOOP is held happens to be spring. And knowing how favorable the weather is during spring, there is little activity taking place indoors as everyone wants to be out doing activities they are unable to do in the cold. So, poker enthusiasts are excited that SCOOP fills the void, keeping the poker field alive and the pockets of lucky poker players well lined.
SCOOP Brings the World Together
Looking at the amounts earned by poker competitors during SCOOP festivals and matching them with the competitors’ respective countries, it is clear that the tournament that is yet to hit a decade has attracted poker players across the world.
Since its inaugural tournament back in 2009, accumulated winnings from the poker tournament puts Canada in the lead at almost $62 million. UK follows closely at almost $51 million. The gap then widens a little, with Germany coming third at around $28 million. Other countries whose winnings in the SCOOP tournament come close to Germany, courtesy of their respective poker competitors, include the US, Russia and Mexico, with their earnings being around $28 million, $27 million and 23 million respectively. With such monies getting into the various economies, it is evident that the impact of SCOOP goes beyond the realm of fun.