Fall is approaching, and in online poker that means one thing: PokerStars will be running its flagship Championship of Online Poker across markets around the globe.
For Pennsylvania online poker players, that means it is time to get ready for PACOOP, which this year will be the most prestigious poker tournament series ever held in PA.
That’s not hyperbole: This year could well be the largest series ever held in the PA online poker market. At least $2 million in prize money will be paid out, which is up $500,000 (+33%) on last year.
Guarantees match last spring’s PASCOOP, so it equals the largest ever online poker festival guarantee and could well top the total prize pool.
And PokerStars is pulling out all the stops. Trophies for winners, free tickets for all new customers and depositors, promotions galore, spin and go satellites and more. Read on for all the details.
PACOOP 2021 At a Glance
- Starts September 10
- Ends September 27
- Total events of 69 on schedule
- Series guarantee of $2 million
- Main Event guarantees $200,000
- Average event guarantee of $29k
Buy-ins range from $10 to $1,000 across 69 events, so both high rollers and low-stakes players will find games to play through this series.
PACOOP 2021: Headline Stats
| Min Buy-In | $10 |
| Max Buy-In | $1,000 |
| Average Buy-In | $136 |
| Total Buy-In | $9,355 |
| Average Guarantee | $28,986 |
| Total Guarantee | $2,000,000 |
- For more than a decade, PokerStars has led the industry with the best software, largest player pools and safest environment to play
- Great Welcome package: $50 in freeplay after playing just one hand at cash game tables
- Plus a big first deposit bonus: 100% up to $600 with code
STARS600 - Home of the Sunday Special, PACOOP, Spin & Gos and more
PokerStars PA: Best Value Tournaments in PACOOP
While the series is one of the most prestigious in the calendar, new players are certainly not sidelined. On the contrary, it is one of the best times to jump onto the virtual tables if you haven’t done so yet.
You can take advantage of all the regular signup offers, enjoy PACOOP 2021 special offers (see below), play some high-value tournaments for a low price, and have a shot at a high buy-in tournament with special Spin and Gos and freerolls.
| PokerStars PA: Key Facts | |
|---|---|
| Freeplay bonus | $150 in bonus play after playing one cash hand |
| Deposit match bonus | 100% up to $600 with code STARS600 |
| Apps | Windows, Mac, iOS and Android |
| Main highlight | Leading poker operator in PA |
In terms of low-cost, high value tournaments, there’s a great selection. In fact, the $10 PACOOP 01: Warm Up game is one of the highest value games across the entire championship. With $10,000 guaranteed, it is one of four games that guarantees $1,000 in prizes for every $1 of buy-in spent.
There is also the The Big (#11) Kickoff on September 11, which guarantees $50k for just $50 in buy-in, providing a big payday for a small outlay. There are two other events that guarantee $1000 for every dollar of buy-in: Event 12 ($100 buy-in, $100K guaranteed Sunday Special) and #67 ($50 buy-in, $50k guaranteed).
$210 is enough to play all four of these high-value events and vie for $210,000 in prize money.
PACOOP 2021: High Value Events
| Date | Event | Name | Buy-In | Guarantee | Gtd/Buy-In |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 10 | PACOOP 01 | Warm Up | $10 | $10,000 | $1,000.00 |
| Sep 11 | PACOOP 05 | Big Kickoff | $50 | $50,000 | $1,000.00 |
| Sep 12 | PACOOP 11 | Sunday Special | $100 | $100,000 | $1,000.00 |
| Sep 27 | PACOOP 67 | $50k | $50 | $50,000 | $1,000.00 |
| Sep 26 | PACOOP 62 | Mini Main Event | $50 | $40,000 | $800.00 |
| Sep 26 | PACOOP 61 | Main Event | $300 | $200,000 | $666.67 |
| Sep 19 | PACOOP 39 | Mini Sunday Special | $30 | $20,000 | $666.67 |
PACOOP Schedule Highlights
As is typical, the Main Event has the biggest guarantee. With a $300 buy-in, the Main Event runs on Sep 26 with a $200,000 guarantee.
Close to 50 events in the series are priced at $100 or less, and 22 cost $50 or less to buy-in.
At the other end of the bankroll scale, there are 9 events priced at $250 or above, but only one game costs more than $500 to get into.
The PACOOP 63: HR Championship Trophy Event on Sep 26 is the only $1,000 entry, with three other high roller games priced at $500.
PACOOP 2021: High Rollers
| Date | Event | Name | Buy-In | Guarantee | Gtd/Buy-In |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26 | PACOOP 63 | HR Championship Trophy Event | $1,000 | $75,000 | $75.00 |
| Sep 11 | PACOOP 07 | Progressive KO HR | $500 | $50,000 | $100.00 |
| Sep 12 | PACOOP 13 | High Roller | $500 | $50,000 | $100.00 |
| Sep 19 | PACOOP 40 | High Roller | $500 | $50,000 | $100.00 |
| Sep 18 | PACOOP 35 | PLO HR Championship Trophy Event | $250 | $20,000 | $80.00 |
Special Offers for PACOOP 2021
PokerStars PA is putting on four promotions and special events to promote the series and give all players a chance at playing in the series: Depositor Freeroll, Second Chance Freerolls, special Spin and Gos and a Leaderboard.
All players—new and existing—can take advantage of all four offers. We break each of them down below.
Depositor Freerolls
Any existing PokerStars PA player that deposits $30 or more with code PACOOP before September 26 will get a ticket to play an exclusive Main Event Depositor Freeroll. This will give away 50 tickets to the $300 Main Event—a promotional value of $15,000 for doing nothing but making a deposit.
Even better: If you are new to PokerStars, you just need to create an account and get a ticket free, no deposit required! Just register before September 26 and you will get the ticket, no strings attached.
That means you can take advantage of a signup bonus on your first deposit with a special deposit code—see details below—and you’ll also get a ticket free.
- Make any deposit to PokerStars PA
- Play just one cash game hand at any stakes
- Get a mix of Spin & Go and MTT tickets worth $50
NO CODE NEEDED- Deposit $10 or more
- Get a 100% match added to your bonus balance
- The bonus is released in $10 increments
STARS600Second Change Freerolls
If you play in any PACOOP event but bust out before the money, you will get a ticket to a Second Chance Freeroll which will have $15,000 in tickets to a subsequent PACOOP event.
There are 3 of these freerolls—on September 13, 20 and 25—and you don’t need to do anything special to get access: Just play an PACOOP event, and know that if you miss the money you’ll get another shot at COOP glory for free!
PACOOP Spin and Gos
Along with the usual satellite schedule, you can try the operator’s lottery sit and go game and try and win your way to the events that way.
Running right now and available through to the end of the festival, there are special $3 events in the lobby where the top prize is a $300 PACOOP Main Event ticket. These only trigger 0.25% of the time, so it’s a long-shot, but if you play these tournaments anyway it’s a nice way to get a shot at a high buy-in tournament for small outlay, and the field could be softer than usual.
PACOOP 2021 Leaderboard Challenge
If you’re a more serious player and are thinking about playing lots of PACOOP events, then the leaderboard challenge might have some serious draw.
The operator will award $8000 in cash prizes to the top 15 finishers in the PACOOP leaderboard, with $2500—and a PACOOP trophy—going to the overall series winner. Only the top nine places in any event pay out points, so you’ll need to get some deep runs across multiple events to have a strong chance at a prize.
PACOOP 2021 Full Schedule
| Event | Date | Name | Buy-In | Guarantee | Gtd/Buy-In |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #01 | Sep 10 | Warm Up | $10 | $10,000 | $1,000.00 |
| #02 | Sep 10 | Big Warm Up | $100 | $25,000 | $250.00 |
| #03 | Sep 10 | Turbo Warm Up | $30 | $7,500 | $250.00 |
| #04 | Sep 11 | Mixed Game Warm Up | $30 | $5,000 | $166.67 |
| #05 | Sep 11 | Big Kickoff | $50 | $50,000 | $1,000.00 |
| #06 | Sep 11 | Escalating Antes | $150 | $35,000 | $233.33 |
| #07 | Sep 11 | Progressive KO HR | $500 | $50,000 | $100.00 |
| #08 | Sep 11 | 5-Card Draw | $50 | $5,000 | $100.00 |
| #09 | Sep 12 | Marathon | $100 | $30,000 | $300.00 |
| #10 | Sep 12 | HORSE | $100 | $7,000 | $70.00 |
| #11 | Sep 12 | Sunday Special | $100 | $100,000 | $1,000.00 |
| #12 | Sep 12 | PLO | $100 | $15,000 | $150.00 |
| #13 | Sep 12 | High Roller | $500 | $50,000 | $100.00 |
| #14 | Sep 12 | Sunday Second Chance | $50 | $10,000 | $200.00 |
| #15 | Sep 12 | Super Sonic PKO | $75 | $10,000 | $133.33 |
| #16 | Sep 13 | Battle Royale PKO Turbo | $30 | $12,500 | $416.67 |
| #17 | Sep 13 | Battle Royale PKO | $200 | $40,000 | $200.00 |
| #18 | Sep 13 | PLO H/L | $100 | $10,000 | $100.00 |
| #19 | Sep 14 | Bigstack | $200 | $50,000 | $250.00 |
| #20 | Sep 14 | Limit Hold’em | $100 | $6,000 | $60.00 |
| #21 | Sep 14 | PLO PKO | $50 | $8,000 | $160.00 |
| #22 | Sep 15 | NLHE | $30 | $15,000 | $500.00 |
| #23 | Sep 15 | Single Re-Entry | $100 | $20,000 | $200.00 |
| #24 | Sep 15 | Championship Trophy Event | $250 | $40,000 | $160.00 |
| #25 | Sep 15 | Progressive Total KO | $100 | $25,000 | $250.00 |
| #26 | Sep 16 | Deepstack PKO $50 Bounty | $200 | $40,000 | $200.00 |
| #27 | Sep 16 | Deepstack PKO | $75 | $20,000 | $266.67 |
| #28 | Sep 16 | Stud | $50 | $3,500 | $70.00 |
| #29 | Sep 17 | Nightly Stars SE PKO | $100 | $30,000 | $300.00 |
| #30 | Sep 17 | NLHE | $200 | $35,000 | $175.00 |
| #31 | Sep 18 | Afternoon Deepstack | $30 | $10,000 | $333.33 |
| #32 | Sep 18 | Stud H/L | $100 | $8,000 | $80.00 |
| #33 | Sep 18 | Duel Threat | $50 | $20,000 | $400.00 |
| #34 | Sep 18 | Duel Threat PKO | $50 | $20,000 | $400.00 |
| #35 | Sep 18 | PLO HR Championship Trophy Event | $250 | $20,000 | $80.00 |
| #36 | Sep 18 | Zoom | $100 | $20,000 | $200.00 |
| #37 | Sep 19 | Bigstack Marathon | $100 | $30,000 | $300.00 |
| #38 | Sep 19 | Sunday Special SE | $200 | $100,000 | $500.00 |
| #39 | Sep 19 | Mini Sunday Special | $30 | $20,000 | $666.67 |
| #40 | Sep 19 | High Roller | $500 | $50,000 | $100.00 |
| #41 | Sep 19 | Sunday Second Chance | $100 | $17,500 | $175.00 |
| #42 | Sep 20 | Nightly Stars SE PKO Battle Royale | $100 | $30,000 | $300.00 |
| #43 | Sep 20 | #Freezeout | $200 | $20,000 | $100.00 |
| #44 | Sep 20 | Progressive Total KO | $50 | $12,500 | $250.00 |
| #45 | Sep 21 | Super Tuesday PACOOP SE | $250 | $55,000 | $220.00 |
| #46 | Sep 21 | PKO | $50 | $20,000 | $400.00 |
| #47 | Sep 21 | Super Tuesday Late Edition | $75 | $20,000 | $266.67 |
| #48 | Sep 22 | Nightly Stars SE 6-Max Edition | $100 | $30,000 | $300.00 |
| #49 | Sep 22 | Zoom | $100 | $25,000 | $250.00 |
| #50 | Sep 23 | Thursday Thrill PKO | $250 | $55,000 | $220.00 |
| #51 | Sep 23 | NLO H/L | $50 | $5,000 | $100.00 |
| #52 | Sep 23 | Thursday Thrill PKO Late Edition | $75 | $20,000 | $266.67 |
| #53 | Sep 24 | Stars SE 4-Max Edition | $100 | $20,000 | $200.00 |
| #54 | Sep 24 | Deepstack | $200 | $30,000 | $150.00 |
| #55 | Sep 24 | Progressive Total KO, Zoom | $20 | $7,500 | $375.00 |
| #56 | Sep 25 | Afternoon Bigstack | $75 | $20,000 | $266.67 |
| #57 | Sep 25 | PKO Bigstack | $200 | $30,000 | $150.00 |
| #58 | Sep 25 | PKO Bigstack | $50 | $20,000 | $400.00 |
| #59 | Sep 25 | PL 5-Card Omaha | $100 | $10,000 | $100.00 |
| #60 | Sep 26 | Sunday Marathon SE | $100 | $25,000 | $250.00 |
| #61 | Sep 26 | Main Event | $300 | $200,000 | $666.67 |
| #62 | Sep 26 | Mini Main Event | $50 | $40,000 | $800.00 |
| #63 | Sep 26 | HR Championship Trophy Event | $1,000 | $75,000 | $75.00 |
| #64 | Sep 26 | Deepstack | $100 | $15,000 | $150.00 |
| #65 | Sep 27 | #Wrap Up | $100 | $40,000 | $400.00 |
| #66 | Sep 27 | Mini Wrap Up | $20 | $5,000 | $250.00 |
| #67 | Sep 27 | $50k | $50 | $50,000 | $1,000.00 |
| #68 | Sep 27 | Championship Trophy Event | $200 | $20,000 | $100.00 |
| #69 | Sep 27 | NLHE | $150 | $20,000 | $133.33 |
Stacking Up Against Previous Series
When PokerStars PA last ran a COOP series, it was at the tail end of the 2020 pandemic boost, in September of 2020. Even still, the series only had $1.5 million guaranteed—half a million dollars less than the 2021 version.
The first ever PACOOP series in December of 2019 collected an impressive $1.55 million in prizes, more than the $1.125 million guaranteed. That was an impressive result coming just weeks after its November 2019 launch.
There have been two PASCOOP series run in Pennsylvania since PokerStars PA launched, in April of 2020 and March of this year. Both series crushed their guarantees, with 2020 collecting $2.6 million on $2.1 million in guarantees while 2021 blew past $3 million in total prizes on $2 million in guarantees.
The current PACOOP series looks on pace to match the guarantees, but it remains to be seen if it can reach the stratospheric heights of the SCOOP series so far.
COOP and SCOOP Historic Comparison
| Series | Guarantee |
|---|---|
| PACOOP 2019 | $1,125,000 |
| PASCOOP 2020 | $1,500,000 |
| PACOOP 2020 | $2,100,000 |
| PASCOOP 2021 | $2,000,000 |
| PACOOP 2021 | $2,000,000 |
FAQ
When does PACOOP happen?
The latest edition of PACOOP runs from September 10 to September 27.
How big is PACOOP?
The series spans 17 days with 69 different events. There is $2 million guaranteed across the series, with three games that guarantee $100,000 or more.
Is it all no limit hold’em games?
No. While NLHE makes up the majority of the games, with a few variants like Escalating Antes and PKOs, there are a few other games in the mix as well. Fans of the seven-card games have two chances to play with a Stud and a Stud H/L event, while fans of Omaha games get several shots at four- and five-card versions. Additionally, there is a 5-Card Draw game and a HORSE game on the schedule.
How does the 2021 PACOOP compare to past COOP and SCOOP series in PA?
This version of the PACOOP will be among the biggest series ever run in the market, or the USA as a whole. By guarantee, it is tied with PASCOOP 2021, and just a hair behind PACOOP 2020. It remains to be seen how the final prize pool will compare with the massive PASCOOP 2021’s more than $3 million in prizes, or PACOOP 2020’s $2.6 million, but the series is guaranteed to be among the biggest ever.
I am looking for low-cost events. What are my options?
Most of the series costs $100 or less to enter, and there are some events at even lower prices. The opening Warm Up game is just $10 to enter, and there are 9 games that cost $30 or less.
PACOOP 2021: Lowest Buy-Ins
| Date | Event | Name | Buy-In | Guarantee | Gtd/Buy-In |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 10 | PACOOP 01 | Warm Up | $10 | $10,000 | $1,000.00 |
| Sep 24 | PACOOP 55 | Progressive Total KO, Zoom | $20 | $7,500 | $375.00 |
| Sep 27 | PACOOP 66 | Mini Wrap Up | $20 | $6,000 | $300.00 |
I am a high roller. What are the biggest games?
The biggest game on the schedule is the $1,000 PACOOP 63: HR Championship Trophy Event. There are also four other games labeled as High Rollers costing $250 or $500. Additionally, the Main Event is a $300 buy-in with $200,000 guaranteed.
PACOOP 2021: High Rollers
| Date | Event | Name | Buy-In | Guarantee | Gtd/Buy-In |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26 | PACOOP 63 | HR Championship Trophy Event | $1,000 | $75,000 | $75.00 |
| Sep 11 | PACOOP 07 | Progressive KO HR | $500 | $50,000 | $100.00 |
| Sep 12 | PACOOP 13 | High Roller | $500 | $50,000 | $100.00 |
| Sep 19 | PACOOP 40 | High Roller | $500 | $50,000 | $100.00 |
| Sep 18 | PACOOP 35 | PLO HR Championship Trophy Event | $250 | $20,000 | $80.00 |
| Sep 26 | PACOOP 61 | Main Event | $300 | $200,000 | $666.67 |
What bonuses are available leading up to PACOOP 2021?
New players to PokerStars PA can get some help for their PACOOP bankrolls with the $50 Free Play and 100% Deposit Match bonuses for new accounts. The $50 Free Play option can be claimed just by playing one hand of cash poker, while the 100% Deposit Match will match funds on the first deposit up to $600, with some wagering requirements to unlock the funds.
Players can get full details on these deals from our handy PokerStars PA FAQ. Just click the Bonuses link for all the details.
I need to add funds to my account. How can I do it?
You can find full banking details at our handy PokerStars PA FAQ by clicking the Banking link, but PokerStars PA has most major money transfer options. That includes credit cards like Visa and MasterCard, bank transfers, as well as online options like Paypal and Skrill and others.
