2% increase in number of cashers
During the past week, we have learned that tournament poker at PokerStars is undergoing a bit of a makeover. While there has always been a gradual shift over the years from paying around 10% of the field to paying more, this latest step marks the most recent chapter in that trend. Many tournaments will be affected, with 2% increases in the number of players paid, creating a little less money up top and more winners overall.
The changes have already come into effect, and began on September 11th, with PokerStars stating that: “It’s clear to us that paying more places has a direct benefit to most of our players”.
Some of the higher buy in events and progressive knockouts will not be affected and will remain as they were before.
Satellite prize package restrictions
Another significant tournament change to arrive at PokerStars is the restriction of tournament packages won in satellites. In times gone by, players could grind satellite tournaments and win numerous packages to live events with the extra packages they won being converted to cash, but this has now been curtailed. Each player will only be able to win a single package, which could bring about serious changes to the satellite tournament landscape.
PokerStars stated that: “a fortunate and skilled few win multiple packages and seats to our live events, when they can only use one of them. These players have taken advantage of a system that allowed them to profit from winning against recreational or less experienced players. While this hasn’t been against the rules, it doesn’t make for as enjoyable experience as we would hope”.
WCOOP has started – Nicolas ‘chilenocl’ Yunis completes “Triple Coop”
The biggest annual online festival, the WCOOP 2017, is now once again underway at PokerStars, and another player has already joined the elite club of champions who have a TCOOP, SCOOP, and WCOOP title to their name. Nicolas ‘chilenocl’ Yunis managed to win the $1,050 6-Max Shootout event early in the festival, picking up $47,520 along the way. This completes the ‘Triple COOP’ as he won a TCOOP title in 2015 and a SCOOP title in 2015 and 2016.
The history behind the Triple COOP achievement is fairly short, and it was only in 2014 that Shawn ‘buck21’ Buchanan became the first player to complete it. His WCOOP title from 2007, along with his SCOOP titles in 2012 and 2013 were joined by a TCOOP title in the $82 Razz event in January 2014, making him the first to ever complete a Triple COOP. James ‘AndyMcLEOD’ Obst was just two days behind him, winning the TCOOP $215 HORSE event to complete his Triple COOP.
Two more years passed before this elite club found a new member. Rui ‘RuiNF’ Ferreira became the third Triple COOP winner by winning the $215 NLH 6-max in January 2016. The fourth member was inducted in the SCOOP series just a few months later, when Fabrizio ‘SixthSenSe19’ Gonzalez won a $215 Stud tournament to complete his Triple COOP. He was followed by Mike ‘goleafsgoeh’ Leah in the 2017 TCOOP series, when he took down the $82 No Limit 2-7 Draw, becoming the fifth Triple COOP winner in history.
Most of the events scheduled for this year’s WCOOP have yet to take place, so we can expect more interesting stories and big-name winners to emerge over the coming days and weeks.
Article by Craig Bradshaw
