FAQ

The ‘Spring Championship of Online Poker’, also known as ‘SCOOP’, is an annual online poker tournament series which began in 2009. SCOOP is unique in poker in that it offers Championship-level poker events to players at all stakes levels, with buy-ins ranging from $2.20 all the way up to $25,000.

SCOOP has been designed to cater for players of all bankrolls, by offering three choices of buy-in for every event. The buy-ins range from low stakes ($2.20) to very high stakes ($25,000). Each tournament features its own guaranteed prize pool.

Anyone with an account with us in good standing can enter. You can buy in directly to any event and there will be cash satellites for most of the events.

Yes, you can play in as many SCOOP tournaments as you like.

You can buy in to the satellites or the events with cash or T$.

There are a variety of satellite types for SCOOP. Some award entry to a target event, while some award a ticket. If you win multiple entries, then each win after the first will award T$ equal to the buy-in plus fee. Please note that most satellites are ‘must-play’ meaning that the first satellite win requires you to play the target event. If you win multiple tickets, then you will accumulate tickets worth the buy-in amount of the target event. Such tickets can be used in any SCOOP event or satellite with the same buy-in value as the ticket.

Many SCOOP satellites do not permit unregistration from the target tournament. When this is the case, the satellite will provide a warning message upon registration. If you register for such a satellite and win a seat, you are committed to playing in the target tournament. When satellite winner unregistration is possible, then T$ or a ticket will be returned to your account, depending on the satellite type.

T$ can be used to register into any of our online tournaments, and most of our live events. To check your T$ balance at any time, visit the USD section of the Cashier window in the client lobby.

Each event has a minimum guaranteed prize pool, and the event champion will receive a large portion of the event's prize pool (the largest, depending on any deals reached at the Final Table).

All tables will have automated deal software enabled for players to use should they wish. The biggest events will be hosted by a senior member of our Support team to help facilitate final table deals. Please note that any deal will have to leave a portion of the prize pool out of the deal to be awarded to the winner. The minimum amount to be left aside will be specified in the tournament lobby. For more details about deals, please see our poker tournament rules.

No. The intent of the satellites is to produce seats into SCOOP events and not just to distribute T$ to players. Therefore, we are prohibiting final table deals during the satellites. Play to win!

Zoom poker is a fast-paced poker format in which your opponents change every hand. This is because you play against a pool of players, instead of fixed opponents on one table. The tournament plays in a Zoom format until a certain point which will be noted in the ‘Structure’ tab of the event. At that point, the tournament dealing will change to the same as that found in a regular format.

In Knockout tournaments, a cash bounty is placed on every entrant in the tournament. Every time you eliminate somebody, you win a cash prize!

In a Progressive KO event, when you eliminate another player, you receive half of the bounty on their head. The other half is added to your own head, increasing the size of the bounty another player will receive for taking all of your chips!

A Phase tournament is one in which some number of levels at the beginning of the tournament are played non-concurrently from the end of the tournament, for different groups of players. Players can choose from different starting phases that begin at different times. Each starting phase will play the same amount of time, and then all remaining players will later combine in a single, larger tournament. Phase tournaments allow the schedule flexibility normally associated with smaller-field tournaments, while still enjoying the large prize pools associated with larger-field tournaments. Chip counts at the end of Phase 1 will be carried over into the next round.

For example, a tournament might have Phase 1 on Friday at 12:00, another Phase 1 on Saturday at 12:00, and then conclude with a Phase 2 tournament on Sunday at 12:00. Entrants would play for a specified number of levels (or until elimination) on Friday and/or Saturday, and all players that survive would combine to finish the tournament at 12:00 on Sunday.

When you enter a Phase tournament you must ensure that you will be available to play in the future phases, as you cannot unregister from Phase 2 (or beyond) in Phased tournaments.

Phase tournaments allow for multiple entries into the first phases. For example, if you play Phase 1 and are eliminated, you may enter another Phase 1 and start again at the beginning. You cannot qualify for the next round more than once, so if you survive Phase 1, you will then be unable to enter another Phase 1 leading to the same Phase 2. Note that if you survive Phase 1 with even one chip, you will still advance to Phase 2, and will not be able to play another Phase 1.

Most of the high-profile tournaments seen on TV are essentially phase tournaments, with the entry phases usually referred to as Day 1A, Day 1B, Day 1C, etc.

A part of the tournament buy-in for PokerStars Mystery Bounty events goes towards the regular prize pool and another portion contributes to the Mystery Bounty prize pool. If you knock a player out during the final stage of the tournament you will receive a Mystery Bounty. The final stage of the tournament is usually when the money bubble bursts but see the tournament lobby for full details. The value of the Mystery Bounty will only be revealed when you have knocked the player out, until then, it’s a mystery.

You must be 18 years of age or of legal age of majority in your jurisdiction, whichever is greater.

The standard Tournament Rules apply. In case of dispute, our decision is final.

Yes, the final tables of the SCOOP events will be replayed with hole cards exposed.

We wanted the name of the tournament series to refer to the time of year at which it would take place. As the majority of our players live in the Northern hemisphere, we decided that Spring Championship of Online Poker would be an appropriate name. We apologize for any confusion or offense caused to our Southern Hemisphere players. Hopefully during SCOOP, spring will be in the air!