Le Monde du Poker.

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August 27 2011, Mickey Doft

Three weeks, 62 events, $30,000,000 in guaranteed prize-pool money. This can only mean one thing: the PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) is back! Each year PokerStars is host to the WCOOP and SCOOP (Spring Championship of Online Poker), the largest tournament series on the virtual felt. The 2011 WCOOP will undoubtedly have a different feel to it because of the effects of Black Friday, but it may not be as significant as you think. Many of the game's top players have been on the move and will return to the virtual felt in time for the 2011 WCOOP. In fact, Adam "Roothlus" Levy (in Canada for the time being) took down the PokerStars $11 re-buy for more than $4,500 on his first day back on the online scene.

This year's edition will mark the 10th WCOOP, and in the previous nine years, players have achieved impressive feats. After winning two bracelets in the 2009 WCOOP, Ryan "g0lfa" D'Angelo was back in 2010 to claim another bracelet, winning just shy of $200,000 for his efforts. D'Angelo has made three final tables in his WCOOP career and won each of them to top the all-time WCOOP bracelet list.

When you talk online poker tournament series, James "Andy McLEOD" Obst is perhaps the most consistent player across the board. With four final tables made in the 2010 WCOOP, Obst led all participants in that category and is now tied with Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier and Steve "Rabscuttle" Cowley for six career WCOOP final tables made. Obst also happens to lead in SCOOP final tables made, too, with eight.

Tyson "POTTERPOKER" Marks topped a field of 2,443 to win the 2010 WCOOP $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event for $2,278,097.50. Ten players have earned seven figures in the WCOOP in their careers, and not surprisingly, each has final-tabled the Main Event.

Yevgeniy "Jovial Gent" Timoshenko

Leading the way with the most career WCOOP cashes is Thor "osten" Hansen. Most notably, Osten finished runner-up in a $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em two-day event in the 2010 WCOOP, falling just short against Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier.

As of now, Anders "Donald" Berg is registered for 57 out of the 62 events. Berg topped the 2011 SCOOP leaderboard with 23 cashes, including a watch (the WCOOP bracelet equivalent), so the Norwegian certainly knows how to handle a heavy schedule. He is also no stranger to success in the WCOOP, with two bracelets to his name. With WCOOP wins in the Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball in both 2007 and 2010, and a SCOOP win in HORSE, Berg is quite the mixed game specialist. We believe that Berg's online tournament series success will continue with an excellent 2011 WCOOP.

Also due for big things in the 2011 WCOOP is Toby "810ofclubs" Lewis. Currently registered for 38 events, Lewis will raise a few eyebrows during the next few weeks. In the 2011 SCOOP he final tabled the Main Event, earning $167,200 for his sixth-place finish. Expect more big results from the Brit by the time the 2011 WCOOP wraps up.

Here is a look at the 2011 WCOOP schedule:

WCOOP-01: $200+$15 No-Limit Hold’em Six-MaxWCOOP-02: $10,000+$300 No-Limit Hold’em High RollerWCOOP-03: $200+$15 No-Limit Hold’emWCOOP-04: $300+$20 Pot-Limit OmahaWCOOP-05: $300+$20 No-Limit Hold’em Shootout Six-MaxWCOOP-06: $200+$15 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo with Re-buysWCOOP-07: $200+$15 Pot-Limit DrawWCOOP-08: $200+$15 Triple StudWCOOP-09: $1,000+$50 No-Limit Hold’emWCOOP-10: $200+$50+$15 Pot-Limit Omaha KnockoutWCOOP-11: $300+$20 No-Limit Hold’em Ante UpWCOOP-12: $200+$15 No-Limit Hold’em Heads-Up Two-DayWCOOP-13: $200+$15 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi/Lo Six-Max 1R1AWCOOP-14: $200+$50+15 No-Limit Hold’em Six-Max KnockoutWCOOP-16: $200+$15 Pot-Limit Omaha Six-MaxWCOOP-17: $200+$15 No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw LowballWCOOP-18: $300+$20 No-Limit Hold'em 10-Minute LevelsWCOOP-19: $100+$9 No-Limit Hold'emWCOOP-20: $200+$15 Limit Hold’emWCOOP-21: $200+$15 No-Limit Hold’emWCOOP-22: $500+$30 No-Limit Hold'em Two-DayWCOOP-23: $200+$15 No-Limit Hold’em Four-MaxWCOOP-25: $200+$15 Pot-Limit Omaha Turbo 1R1AWCOOP-26: $300+$20 Mixed Hold’em Six-MaxWCOOP-28: $1,000+$50 No-Limit Hold’em Two-DayWCOOP-29: $200+$50+$15 No-Limit Omaha Hi/Lo KnockoutWCOOP-30: $500+$30 No-Limit Hold’em Triple Shootout 10-Max Two-DayWCOOP-32: $300+$20 No-Limit Hold’em Six-MaxWCOOP-33: $300+$20 Pot-Limit Omaha Six-Max 1R1AWCOOP-34: $300+$20 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw LowballWCOOP-35: $200+$15 No-Limit Hold’em with RebuysWCOOP-36: $500+$30 Limit Omaha Hi/LoWCOOP-37: $100+$9 8-Game 10-Minute LevelsWCOOP-38: $500+$30 No-Limit Hold’em Heads-Up Two-DayWCOOP-40: $200+$15 No-Limit Hold’emWCOOP-41: $10,000+$300 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller Heads-UpWCOOP-42: $1,000+$50 No-Limit Hold'emWCOOP-43: $300+$20 Pot-Limit Omaha Six-Max with Re-buysWCOOP-44: $300+$20 No-Limit Hold’em 2X ChanceWCOOP-45: $200+$50+$15 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo KnockoutWCOOP-46: $300+$20 Mixed Pot-Limit Hold’em/OmahaWCOOP-48: $1,000+$50 No-Limit Hold’em Two-DayWCOOP-49: $200+$15 No-Limit Hold’em 1R1AWCOOP-50: $200+$15 No-Limit Hold’em Big AntesWCOOP-51: $300+$20 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi/LoWCOOP-52: $300+$20 No-Limit Hold'emWCOOP-53: $500+$30 No-Limit Hold’em with RebuysWCOOP-54: $2,000+$100 Pot-Limit Omaha Six-Max Two-DayWCOOP-55: $500+$30 No-Limit Hold’em 1R1AWCOOP-56: $1,000+$50 Limit Hold’em Six-MaxWCOOP-57: $200+$15 No-Limit Omaha Hi/Lo 10-Minute LevelsWCOOP-58: $500+$300 Pot-Limit Omaha Heads-Up Two-DayWCOOP-59: $2,000+$100 HORSE Two-DayWCOOP-60: $200+$15 No-Limit Hold'em Two-DayWCOOP-61: $10,000+$300 8-Game High Roller Two-DayWCOOP-62: $5,000+$200 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event Two-Day

*Data regarding WCOOP statistics obtained from wcoop.com.

PokerStars is launching Mega Satellite Week to celebrate the WCOOP and give players the opportunity to win their way into the events. Beginning Aug. 29, two Mega Satellites will run every day for the week. PokerStars is guaranteeing 2,075 seats into 13 events.

Date (All times ETD)TimeSatelliteSat TIDEvent TargetSeats Gtd$ GtdWCOOP-01 Sat: $22 NLHE [6-Max, 125 Seats Gtd]WCOOP-03 Sat: $22 NLHE [125 Seats Gtd]WCOOP-04 Sat: $33 PLO [75 Seats Gtd]WCOOP-06 Sat: $3.30+R NLHE [3x-Turbo, 100 Seats]WCOOP-10 Sat: $27 PLO [KO, 75 Seats Gtd]WCOOP-11 Sat: $33 NLHE [Ante Up, 100 Seats Gtd]WCOOP-13 Sat: $22 PLO H/L [75 Seats Gtd]WCOOP-14 Sat: $27 NLHE [KO, 6-Max, 100 Seats Gtd]WCOOP-16 Sat: $22 PLO [6-Max, 75 Seats Gtd]WCOOP-18 Sat: $33 NLHE [100 Seats Gtd]WCOOP-19 Sat: $11 NL Hold'em [1,000 Seats Gtd]WCOOP-20 Sat: $22 FLHE [100 Seats Gtd]WCOOP-62 Sat: $215 NLHE [25 Seats Gtd]

We will be providing in-depth daily recaps of the WCOOP, so be sure to keep it here at PokerNews to stay up to date on all of the exciting action as it occurs.

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