The first five-figure buy-in tournament of the 2008 World Championship of Online Poker kicked off on Sunday. While the guaranteed prize pool of the event, the fifth of the WCOOP, was $2 million, 321 players entered and created an actual prize pool of $3.21 million. First place will receive $617,925 and 46th through 54th places will get $16,050. The event attracted some of the top names in the world of online poker, plus many of the big names that make up Team PokerStars Pro.
Some of online poker’s most talented stars showed up for Event 5. They included Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad, the winner of the inaugural World Series of Poker Europe Main Event. Obrestad took home over $2 million in her first major live tournament win. She’ll be back to defend her title when the 2008 WSOP Europe Main Event kicks off on September 27th.
Also in attendance was Kevin “BeL0WaB0Ve” Saul. He pocketed $1.3 million for winning the Bellagio Cup III during the sixth season of the World Poker Tour. Saul logged two cashes of over $100,000 during the recently-completed Full Tilt Online Poker Series. He won the $100 rebuy on Full Tilt Poker late last month. Others at the final table of that tournament were Mike Matusow and Shane Schleger.
PokerXFactor instructor and top online poker pro Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy also competed in the event. Josephy won a $1,500 buy-in Seven-Card Stud event during the 2005 WSOP, cashing for $192,000 and his first (and only) bracelet. He finished 386th out of 6,844 players in the 2008 WSOP Main Event for $28,950. He won the PokerStars $100 rebuy in June and finished second in the Aruba Poker Classic in 2006. He’s a member of the Ultimate Bet Star Players team.
The winner of the WPT’s Bellagio Cup IV, Mike “Sowerss” Sowers, was also in the field of Event 5. Sowers made the final table and finished eighth in the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of Pot Limit Hold’em during the 2008 WSOP.
A slew of PokerStars sponsored players participated, each trying to make their employer proud. They included WSOP bracelet winner Alexandre “Allingomes” Gomes, three-time WSOP bracelet winner Barry Greenstein, Ultimate Poker Challenge host Chad Brown, 2008 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure winner Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, 2004 WSOP Main Event winner Greg Raymer, Humberto Brenes, Vanessa Rousso, Chris Moneymaker, Isabelle Mercier, and Hevad Khan. Rousso finished second in the 2007 WCOOP Main Event, helping to vault her into the poker spotlight.
Two events are on the docket for Monday on PokerStars:
Event 7
14:30 ET
$215 PL Omaha Six-Max
$300,000 Guaranteed
Event 8
16:30 ET
$320 Eight Game Mixed Event
$200,000 Guaranteed
The Main Event of the 2008 WCOOP kicks off on Sunday, September 21st and will be a two-day tournament. The buy-in is a healthy $5,200. PokerStars is guaranteeing a $10 million prize pool, making it one of the largest online poker tournaments ever held. Several events are being broadcast on PokerStars.tv, with all hole cards shown face up on highlight reels.
