For the 25th year straight, PokerStars is hosting the world’s most prestigious online poker festival. The 2026 World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) will run from September 6 to 30, bringing the best tournament poker players from all over the world together for the ultimate showdown and test of skill and endurance.

As always, the WCOOP will host dozens of tournaments with millions of dollars in prizes, and test players across a variety of poker disciplines, ranging from traditional ones like Texas Hold’em to the more niche games like 7 Card Stud, 2-7 Triple Draw, and more.

But before the stage is set for the WCOOP, PokerStars is giving players a chance to sharpen their skills and boost their bankrolls through the WCOOP Boot Camp, which starts on August 2 and runs through August 17.

The WCOOP Boot Camp will feature 65 events with $6.5 million in total guarantees, and follow a similar schedule of NLH and Mixed Games events, with buy-ins ranging from $2.20 to $1,050, and online satellites starting at just $0.55.

The Perfect Build-Up for the WCOOP

The WCOOP is one of the most challenging and grueling tournament series in the world, and one that’s seen many of the world’s best players ascend to the top over the years. Before jumping into such an affair, players need some training, and the WCOOP Boot Camp is the perfect opportunity to get just that.

Starting on August 2, the 2026 WCOOP Boot Camp will feature a packed daily tournament schedule, with affordable buy-ins and a variety of game formats. NLH players will get plenty of opportunities to compete in traditional tournament formats, as well as PKO and Mystery Bounty events, while mixed game specialists will get some reps in games like HORSE, 8-Game, Badugi, and more.

The Boot Camp opens with a couple of Series Opener events, featuring $11 and $109 buy-ins, and $40k and $75k guarantees, respectively. From here, the rest of the series will feature each event across two buy-in brackets, with the exact same tournament structure featured in both, but buy-ins adjusted to cater to smaller and larger bankrolls alike.

The WCOOP Boot Camp will culminate in a couple of Main Events on August 16. The Low buy-in Main Event will feature a $109 entry fee and a massive $500k guarantee, while the High version of the same tournament will feature a price tag of $1,050 and a $300k prize pool, ideal for high rollers.

The series will feature an increased number of Mystery Bounty tournaments as well, as the novel tournament format continues gaining popularity with casual poker fans and professionals alike.

Get Ready for WCOOP with BBZ Poker

The WCOOP Boot Camp is not just another tournament series, but a true training ground for players looking to do well in the WCOOP. Apart from putting in the volume and getting the reps in Boot Camp events, players will have a chance to train their skills with some of the best poker coaches in the world, thanks to PokerStars’ partnership with BBZ Poker.

Founded by Jordan “bigbluffzinc” Drummond, BBZ Poker is one of the world’s leading online poker training platforms, where the likes of Ben “Spraggy” Spragg and Lex Veldhuis got much of the poker coaching that made them into the elite players they are today.

Throughout the WCOOP Boot Camp, BBZ Poker will host coaching seminars. The seminars will run on Fridays, which will be rest days in terms of action, as no Boot Camp tournaments will be hosted on those days.

Instead, players will have a chance to join BBZ Boot Camp sessions from 1 to 4 pm CEST, and learn from some of the best tournament crushers in the world. The sessions will run on July 31, August 7, and August 14, with a special password-protected tournament with a $0.01 buy-in played at the end of each seminar, awarding up to $1,500 in WCOOP tickets.

The coaching sessions will be hosted by world-renowned poker coaches and BBZ Poker members Alex “Pwndidi” Theologis, Andy “bowieeffect” Wilson, and Jargo “bungakat” Alavalli, who will share some of their extensive knowledge for free with any PokerStars players interested in improving their tournament skills.

Sunday Million Is Turning 20

As PokerStars celebrates its 25th Anniversary and hosts WCOOP for the 25th time, this year also marks a special milestone for the Sunday Million, the world’s most prestigious standalone tournament.

This year, Sunday Million celebrates its 20th Anniversary, and to celebrate, PokerStars is throwing a $5,000,000 guaranteed edition of the popular event with a $109 initial buy-in.

This year’s Anniversary Sunday Million is being played as a phased tournament, with Phase 1 already in progress. Players can enter Phase 1 across 10 weeks and carry their stacks over to Phase 2 on September 6, when all remaining players will come together to play down to a champion.

The PokerStars tournament lobby is loaded with Sunday Million satellites, starting as low as $0.55, while the Sunday Million Ticket Machine is giving away $800,000 in free tickets to one of the most exciting online poker events of the year.