The official schedule for the 2016 World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) has now been fully released by PokerStars. The 2016 WCOOP edition will feature a total of 82 events, which is a significant increase from last year when a total of 70 events were hosted.
The tournament will begin on September 4 and go on till September 26. A number of exciting events are expected to take place which will include three-max progressive knockout zoom, a four-day marathon, a $21,000 PLO high roller, $320 buy-ins for razz, stud hi-low, Omaha hi-low and three-max pot-limit Omaha.
There are also plans to host two players’ choice events which will be decided by the players themselves after a vote takes place.
PokerStars: WCOOP 2015
The $5,000 Main Event will have a $10 million guarantee with $1.5 million guaranteed to the winner. The Main Event will start on September 26. Another major event is the $102,000 Super High-Roller Event which has the largest ever buy-in in history for an online tournament and is set to become the most prestigious online tournament ever.
Bryan Slick, Senior Manager, Online Championships at PokerStars published a detailed blog post on the WCOOP and stated that many of the changes implemented in the 2016 edition were driven by player feedback.
Among the major changes introduced this year is the launch of a companion event called Mini-WCOOP which will have buy-ins 1/100th of the buy-ins of corresponding WCOOP Events except for those with buy-ins over $1,000 where the mini-WCOOP will have the buy-in capped at $11. According to Slick this will offer an opportunity for everyone to participate in the WCOOP experience.
Other major changes introduced include the removal of 2nd Chance tournaments. Slick said the need for it had declined with the size of WCOOP increasing over the years along with the introduction of late registrations.
Another key decision is the withdrawal of WCOOP bracelets which was done after an extensive review. According to Slick, feedback from players revealed that while some appreciated the bracelets most did not see it as a major motivating factor. The high cost of bracelets along with its limited reach led to PokerStars deciding to stop awarding these bracelets. He however clarified that the company would still be sending a token of recognition to winners and final table participants.
The WCOOP Leaderboard will be offering cash prizes of $70,000, one Ultimate Bahamas Experience and TCOOP Main Event tickets. The Bahamas trip prize will be won by the WCOOP Leaderboard Champion. This will include a $5,000+ Main Event entry for an event at Atlantis Paradise Island Resort, luxury hotel stay, business class flight tickets and VIP treatment and extras throughout the stay.