The PokerStars 2012 World Championships of Online Poker (WCOOP) has kicked off its preeminent online tournament poker series in the industry, the 2012 WCOOP is looking as if it will have something for everyone (well, except U. S. players).
Now in its eleventh year, the 22-day tournament will take place between September 2 and September 23, featuring three events each day that cross the divide in buy ins. The first day of the WCOOP, for example, will feature a $200 ($15 in juice) Six Handed No Limit Hold’em event that will begin at 11AM (Greenwich Mean Time), a $10,000 (plus $300) No Limit “High Roller” event at 12:30 and a normal $200 (+$15) NLHE event at 2:30PM. In total, 61 tournaments are on the schedule and every variation of the game will have something to offer to players as the WCOOP plays out.
Last year’s tournament was the first one that didn’t feature players from the United States (at least those that didn’t move somewhere else), but it didn’t seem to dampen the enthusiasm of those who played in the event. Over $47 million in prize money was handed out, with the WCOOP Main Event eventually being won by Thomas ‘Kallllle’ Pedersen taking down the championship for a $1.26 million payday.
In coordination with the 2011 WCOOP, there was a Player of the Year race that featured several Canadians – either transplants or original Canucks – that did very well throughout the schedule.
While Joel Adam ‘2FLY2TILT’ Gordon was able to garner 295 points through his performance, he was tied by Canada’s ‘Big_Nemo’ for that honor. On down the POY race, Daniel Negreanu – under his familiar ‘KidPoker’ moniker – seized the third place slot, while American expatriate Kevin ‘ImaLuckSac’ MacPhee finished in fourth representing Canada. On down the list, another American-in-Canada, Steve ‘gboro780’ Gross, tied for fifth, Dylan ‘ImaLucSac’ Linde finished in seventh and Mike ‘goleafsgoeh’ rounded out the Canadians in the POY race in eighth.
2012 WCOOP schedule:
| Event # | Buy-In | Name | Date | Time | Guarantee |
| (ET) | |||||
| 1 | $215 | WCOOP-01 : NL Hold’em [6-Max] | 2-Sep | 11:00 | $1,464,400** |
| 2 | $215 | WCOOP-02 : NL Hold’em | 2-Sep | 14:30 | $2,121,600** |
| 3 | $320 | WCOOP-03 : PL Omaha | 3-Sep | 11:00 | $250,000* |
| 4 | $320 | WCOOP-04 : NL Hold’em [6-Max, Shootout, No Late Reg] | 3-Sep | 14:00 | $235,200** |
| 5 | $215 | WCOOP-05 : NL Hold’em [Rebuys, Turbo] | 3-Sep | 17:00 | $500,000* |
| 6 | $215 | WCOOP-06 : NL Draw | 4-Sep | 11:00 | $50,000* |
| 7 | $215 | WCOOP-07 : Triple Stud | 4-Sep | 14:00 | $50,000* |
| 8 | $1,050 | WCOOP-08 : NL Hold’em | 4-Sep | 17:00 | $750,000* |
| 9 | $265 | WCOOP-09 : PL Omaha [Knockout] | 5-Sep | 6:00 | $150,000* |
| 10 | $320 | WCOOP-10 : NL Hold’em [Ante Up] | 5-Sep | 11:00 | $300,000* |
| 11 | $215 | WCOOP-11 : NL Hold’em [Heads-Up, No Late Reg] | 5-Sep | 14:00 | $250,000* |
| 12 | $215 | WCOOP-12 : PL Omaha H/L [6-Max, 1R1A] | 6-Sep | 6:00 | $150,000* |
| 13 | $530 | WCOOP-13 : NL Hold’em [6-Max, Knockout] | 6-Sep | 11:00 | $500,000* |
| 14 | $215 | WCOOP-14 : 7-Card Stud H/L | 6-Sep | 14:00 | $50,000* |
| 15 | $215 | WCOOP-15 : PL Omaha [6-Max] | 7-Sep | 11:00 | $250,000* |
| 16 | $215 | WCOOP-16 : NL Single Draw 2-7 | 7-Sep | 14:00 | $50,000* |
| 17 | $320 | WCOOP-17 : NL Hold’em [10-Minute Levels] | 7-Sep | 17:00 | $400,000* |
| 18 | $109 | WCOOP-18 : NL Hold’em | 8-Sep | 11:00 | $750,000* |
| 19 | $320 | WCOOP-19 : NL Hold’em | 8-Sep | 13:00 | $250,000* |
| 20 | $215 | WCOOP-20 : FL Hold’em | 8-Sep | 15:00 | $100,000* |
| 21 | $215 | WCOOP-21 : NL Hold’em | 9-Sep | 11:00 | $1,000,000* |
| 22 | $10,300 | WCOOP-22 : NL Hold’em [High-Roller] | 9-Sep | 12:30 | $1,250,000* |
| 23 | $700 | WCOOP-23 : NL Hold’em | 9-Sep | 14:30 | $1,500,000* |
| 24 | $215 | WCOOP-24 : NL Hold’em [4-Max] | 10-Sep | 11:00 | $350,000* |
| 25 | $320 | WCOOP-25 : 7-Card Stud | 10-Sep | 14:00 | $50,000* |
| 26 | $215 | WCOOP-26 : PL Omaha [Turbo, 1R1A] | 10-Sep | 17:00 | $250,000* |
| 27 | $320 | WCOOP-27 : Mixed Hold’em | 11-Sep | 11:00 | $150,000* |
| 28 | $320 | WCOOP-28 : FL Badugi | 11-Sep | 14:00 | $50,000* |
| 29 | $1,050 | WCOOP-29 : NL Hold’em | 11-Sep | 17:00 | $750,000* |
| 30 | $215 | WCOOP-30 : NL Hold’em [Ante Up] | 12-Sep | 6:00 | $200,000* |
| 31 | $530 | WCOOP-31 : NL Hold’em [10-Max, Triple Shootout, No Late Reg] | 12-Sep | 11:00 | $200,000* |
| 32 | $320 | WCOOP-32 : 8-Game | 12-Sep | 14:00 | $125,000* |
| 33 | $320 | WCOOP-33 : NL Hold’em [6-Max] | 13-Sep | 6:00 | $300,000* |
| 34 | $320 | WCOOP-34 : PL Omaha [6-Max, 1R1A] | 13-Sep | 11:00 | $300,000* |
| 35 | $320 | WCOOP-35 : Triple Draw 2-7 | 13-Sep | 14:00 | $50,000* |
| 36 | $215 | WCOOP-36 : NL Hold’em [Rebuys] | 14-Sep | 11:00 | $500,000* |
| 37 | $530 | WCOOP-37 : FL Omaha H/L | 14-Sep | 14:00 | $125,000* |
| 38 | $215 | WCOOP-38 : PNL Hold’em | 14-Sep | 17:00 | $100,000* |
| 39 | $700 | WCOOP-39 : NL Hold’em [Heads-Up, No Late Reg] | 15-Sep | 11:00 | $250,000* |
| 40 | $320 | WCOOP-40 : NL Hold’em [6-Max] | 15-Sep | 13:00 | $250,000* |
| 41 | $320 | WCOOP-41 : HORSE | 15-Sep | 15:00 | $100,000* |
| 42 | $215 | WCOOP-42 : NL Hold’em | 16-Sep | 11:00 | $1,000,000* |
| 43 | $10,300 | WCOOP-43 : NL Hold’em [High-Roller Heads-Up, No Late Reg] | 16-Sep | 12:30 | $200,000* |
| 44 | $2,100 | WCOOP-44 : NL Hold’em | 16-Sep | 14:30 | $1,250,000* |
| 45 | $320 | WCOOP-45 : PL Omaha [Rebuys, 6-Max] | 17-Sep | 11:00 | $300,000* |
| 46 | $320 | WCOOP-46 : NL Hold’em [2X Chance] | 17-Sep | 14:00 | $500,000* |
| 47 | $265 | WCOOP-47 : NL Hold’em [Turbo, Knockout] | 17-Sep | 17:00 | $400,000* |
| 48 | $320 | WCOOP-48 : Mixed NL Hold’em/PL Omaha | 18-Sep | 11:00 | $200,000* |
| 49 | $530 | WCOOP-49 : Razz | 18-Sep | 14:00 | $100,000* |
| 50 | $1,050 | WCOOP-50 : NL Hold’em | 18-Sep | 17:00 | $750,000* |
| 51 | $215 | WCOOP-51 : NL Hold’em [1R1A] | 19-Sep | 6:00 | $300,000* |
| 52 | $215 | WCOOP-52 : NL Hold’em [Big Antes] | 19-Sep | 11:00 | $300,000* |
| 53 | $320 | WCOOP-53 : PL Omaha H/L | 19-Sep | 14:00 | $150,000* |
| 54 | $320 | WCOOP-54 : NL Hold’em | 20-Sep | 6:00 | $300,000* |
| 55 | $530 | WCOOP-55 : NL Hold’em [Rebuys] | 20-Sep | 11:00 | $600,000* |
| 56 | $2,100 | WCOOP-56 : PL Omaha [6-Max] | 20-Sep | 14:00 | $500,000* |
| 57 | $530 | WCOOP-57 : NL Hold’em [1R1A] | 21-Sep | 11:00 | $600,000* |
| 58 | $1,050 | WCOOP-58 : FL Hold’em [6-Max] | 21-Sep | 14:00 | $150,000* |
| 59 | $215 | WCOOP-59 : NL Omaha H/L | 21-Sep | 17:00 | $100,000* |
| 60 | $700 | WCOOP-60 : PL Omaha [Heads Up, No Late Reg] | 22-Sep | 11:00 | $100,000* |
| 61 | $320 | WCOOP-61 : NL Hold’em [SuperKnockout] | 22-Sep | 13:00 | $250,000* |
| 62 | $2,100 | WCOOP-62 : HORSE | 22-Sep | 15:00 | $200,000* |
| 63 | $215 | WCOOP-63 : NL Hold’em | 23-Sep | 11:00 | $1,000,000* |
| 64 | $10,300 | WCOOP-64 : 8-Game [High-Roller] | 23-Sep | 12:30 | $400,000* |
| 65 | $5,200 | WCOOP-65 : NL Hold’em Main Event [$1M Gtd to 1st] | 23-Sep | 14:30 | $5,000,000* |
For those that didn’t get a chance to take their shot at the WSOP, the WCOOP is the second best choice and all without leaving home! As further details regarding the 2012 WCOOP become available, CanadaPoker will keep you informed.
