WCOOP Main Event Kicks Off Tonight

Tonight is probably the biggest night for all serious online MTT grinders – it is the night of $5,200 World Championship of Online Poker Main Event. Featuring the prize pool of $10,000,000, this one is guaranteed to be really massive and a few people are certain to walk away with a seven-figure payday.

Aside from all this, tonight’s Main Event is special because, for the first time in history, it will be streamed live on PokerStars TV with the hole cards and the obligatory 10 minute delay. This will attract greater number of rail birds as they will now be able to follow the action with the complete information and (maybe) the live commentary.

So, @Stapes & I are heading to Edinburgh to host a special webcast on Tuesday morning, as the #WCOOP ME final table plays out... (1/2)
— James Hartigan (@J_Hartigan) September 28, 2014

Expect the #WCOOP show to be entertaining (with plenty of guests & contests). But please don't expect play-by-play hand commentary. (2/2)
— James Hartigan (@J_Hartigan) September 28, 2014

Trip Down the Memory Lane

First ever WCOOP took place in July of 2002, featuring only nine events and $730,000 in combined prizes across the series. In the twelve years that have passed since that time, it grew to establish itself as the biggest and most prestigious series of online tournaments on the planet.

The series experienced the first big climb in 2008 when total of 33 events took place, bringing just shy of 23,000 players to the virtual felt and generating an overall prize pool of nearly $40,000,000. In 2010, this number was nearly doubled, as 62 tournaments were played out over the period of 23 days, garnering a monstrous total prize pool of $63 million. Winner of the $5,200 Main Event that year took home astounding $2,278,000, which was massive not only in terms of online poker but poker tournaments in general.

This year’s WCOOP featured 65 events including different games and big range of buy-ins, with nearly every tournament smashing the guarantee. It was a treat for online grinders as there was no day without action.

Tonight it all comes to an end, for this Series at least, but it will go out in style. With the massive prize pool and live broadcast, this year’s Main Event will have the makings of the ‘real life’ poker tournament, making it a real treat for those with shallower pockets as well, as they will get to enjoy the action in real-time.

Players were certainly not shy to share their enthusiasm and we are bringing you some of their tweets to confirm it.

Been a brutal month so far, but have been on my game and running deep. Going to play 10k+ in buy-ins today. Giving it my all! #WCOOP2014
— Ryan Laplante (@Protentialmn) September 28, 2014

Final day of #WCOOP2014... Playing the Main Event tonight starting at 20:30 CET with 10mio guaranteed:) Wish me luck!
— Bram Haenraets (@BramHaenraets) September 28, 2014

Last day of the #WCOOP! Let's grind it out people!!! Good luck to everyone!
— Katerina Malasidou (@katerina0289) September 28, 2014

Final day of #WCOOP today. Good luck to everyone playing! (Although that is, of course, impossible). pic.twitter.com/e3mEFOksTR
— Victoria Coren M. (@VictoriaCoren) September 28, 2014

I wonder if death row patients have the same sense of anxiety/anticipation the night before their executions #WCOOP
— Pratyush (@pratyushbuddiga) September 28, 2014