Are You Ready to Drop Everything This May? The 2024 PokerStars SCOOP Kicks Off May 5
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It is almost that time of year again when online poker tournament grinders flock to PokerStars in an attempt to boost their bankrolls with massive prizes. We are, of course, talking about the Spring Championship Of Online Poker (SCOOP). Although PokerStars is still finalizing the 2024 SCOOP schedule, PokerNews has learned that the latest edition of SCOOP runs for 25 days betweenMay 5-29, so keep those dates free in your diary.
The PokerStars SCOOP is one of the most prestigious online poker tournament series and the biggest online festival before thousands of MTT grinders jet off to Las Vegas for the annual World Series of Poker (WSOP).
Without having the yet-to-be-confirmed 2024 SCOOP schedule in front of us, we can only make predictions about what to expect, although we can look back at the 2023 SCOOP and what PokerStars has rolled out in 2024 for some inspiration.
Looking at the 2023 PokerStars SCOOP Numbers
The 2023 edition of the PokerStars SCOOP featured 363 tournaments across 121 events, up from 316 tournaments and 106 events in 2022. It is fair to assume the 2024 SCOOP will have at least 350 tournaments and perhaps as many as 400.
PokerStars guaranteed $75 million for the 2023 SCOOP but awarded far more prize money thanks to 1,277,595 entries across the series, resulting in $91,906,701 in total prize pools. Guaranteeing $75 million again in 2024 seems the way forward; it is an incredible amount but increasing it substantially would be risky business in today's financial climate.
Massive 2024 SCOOP Main Events Expected
Every SCOOP tournament is fiercely contested, yet every PokerStars player dreams of taking down the trio of No-Limit Hold'em Main Events. The 2023 SCOOP boasted three No-Limit Hold'em Main Events, with buy-ins of $109, $1,050, and $10,300. Unsurprisingly, all three NLHE Main Events smashed their guarantees and were awarded three of the five biggest prize pools.
Felipe "lipe piv" Boianovsky came out on top in the $10,300 SCOOP NLHE Main Event and captured a $1,036,200 prize after defeating Laszlo "omaha4rollz" Bujtas heads-up.
Latvia's "rolandinjo" is the reigning $1,050 SCOOP NLHE Main Event champion. They reeled in a $600,640 payout, while Ukrainian "Sodaski" walked away with $232,581 after triumphing in the $109 SCOOP NLHE Main Event.
Expect similarly sized 2024 SCOOP Main Events, so $109 buy-in $2 million guaranteed, $1,050 buy-in $4 million guaranteed, and $10,300 buy-in with $5 million guaranteed.
Have you checked out the PokerNews Online Tournament Calender yet? Our awesome free tool allows you to find your favorite poker tournaments without having to fire up the poker client! Try it now, set some filters, and find your perfect poker tournament.
PokerStars US and Ontario SCOOP
Players in the United States can also be sure to add dates to their diaries with the dates of US SCOOP also announced. Running from April 5-22, players in Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania can also get their taste of big tournament action.
The festival comes with $3 million GTD in PokerStars MI/NJ and $2.25 million GTD in PokerStars PA meaning there's plenty of value for tournament grinders to grab!
Meanwhile PokerStars players in Ontario have a $2.3 million guaranteed festival, also from April 5-22.
Channel Your Inner Boba Fett and Become a Bounty Hunter
Almost half of the 2023 SCOOP's 363 tournaments offered bounties, mostly through the progressive bounty format. Bounty tournaments are excellent fun because they add a fresh dynamic to the tried-and-tested tournament formula. The fact that you can win prize money without cashing in the event is an added bonus.
Bounty events came in all shapes and sizes during the 2023 SCOOP. Patrick "pads1161" Leonard will have his fingers crossed that the 2024 SCOOP schedule features a progressive knockout version of the $5,200 Titans Event like last year. Leonard was crowned the PKO Titans champion, an accolade that awarded him $71,023 in prize money. However, Leonard also banked an incredible $126,094 from the bounty prize pool, taking his total haul to $197,117.
You should expect to see a flurry of Mystery Bounty tournaments throughout the 2024 PokerStars SCOOP. PokerStars has been experimenting with the mystery bounty format, and the attendances in these regular tournaments have been encouraging.
The prize pool in a mystery bounty tournament is split in half, with 50% awarded like a traditional tournament and the other half divided up into bounty payments. Mystery bounty events play like a regular tournament until a predetermined blind level, at which point the mystery bounties come into play and are awarded to players who eliminate an opponent. The bounty amount remains a secret until the hand winner opens the bounty envelope.
Players will possibly get some indication of how large the SCOOP Mystery Bounty prize pools will be after March 18, which is when a $215 NLHE Monday Mystery tournament, part of the Sunday Million Season, takes place at PokerStars.
When Will The 2024 PokerStars SCOOP Schedule Be Released?
Currently, PokerNews knows that May 5-29 are the dates set in stone for the 2024 PokerStars SCOOP. However, the official schedule remains a work in progress. That said, the 2022 SCOOP and 2023 SCOOP schedules were unveiled on April 14 and April 20, respectively, so expect to see the full 2024 SCOOP schedule on PokerStars within the next month.
