Pennsylvania has only one online card room, but this hasn’t hurt players’ ability to access some fantastic promotions. The upcoming Pennsylvania Championship Online Poker due to kick off on September 19, 2020, this statement rings ever truer.
PACOOP, as the series are known for short, will feature 50 events and a solid $1.5 million in prize money. The news dropped on September 3 and now, only a few days before the big showdown, it’s time to take another look at the event.
The format has not changed and players will get to participate at varying buy-in ranges, from $10 to $500 for the PLO High Roller showdown. The Main Event will have a $300 buy-in but also come with tempting $200,000 in guaranteed prize money.
Who’s Hosting PACOOP and What’s on the Line?
PokerStars PA, the platform hosting the tournament and the only currently licensed operator in the Keystone State, will hold the Main Event on October 4. There will also be a mini-Main Event with a $50 buy-in and $40,000 in money guarantees.
The series will feature a Progressive Knockout (PKO) tournament as well as Deepstack tournament, offering a variety of popular games.
In the first weekend, the series will feature a total of $290,000 spread across two events on September 19 and September 20. The biggest highlight will be the Sunday Special with $100,000 in guarantees but also a $100 buy-in.
The event will start at 17:00 ET and later players will be able to join the Sunday Supersonic that adds another $10,000 in money guarantees at 20:00ET. PACOOP is one of the most generous event series in terms of wealth distribution.
With 50 events and $1.5 million on the line, this brings the average prize pot per individual event to $30,000 which is plenty generous. Players who want to only join the Main Event will get 25 freeroll tickets, or at least a chance to get one.
Second Chance for Everyone Who Goes Bust
The freeroll tickets will be distributed at 14:00 ET on October 4, when the Main Event is also getting under way. Players who bust out will be eligible to join the second chance freerolls and compete in the series once again.
Any player who busts in the PACOOP series will get automatically rolled in the Second Chance Freeroll where $1,250 worth in PACOOP satellites. The Second Chance Freeroll gets underway on September 20 and will run all through October 3.
Online poker in Pennsylvania posted solid results in August, according to Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) data. Revenue for Mount Airy Casino Resort, the official PokerStars partner, reached $2.72million.
Online poker became legal in November, 2019 and it clocked in $2.5 million in December, 2019 which was its first full month of operation.