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130 Events, $6.5M+ on the Line: PokerStars WCOOP Boot Camp 2026 Opens August 2

3 hours ago

Pessi Lamm 3 hours ago

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130 tournaments, $6.5M+ guaranteed prize pool
Entry from $2.20, satellites from $0.55
Caters to both recreational and high-stakes players

The WCOOP Boot Camp runs from August 2 to August 17, 2026, featuring 130 events with a combined guaranteed prize pool of over $6.5 million. (credit: PokerStars)

Before WCOOP 2026 takes over PokerStars on September 6, the site is running a proper tune-up round. The WCOOP Boot Camp fills two weeks, August 2 to 17, with 130 tournaments and a combined prize pool north of $6.5 million, giving players a full-scale preview of series conditions at a fraction of the eventual cost.

WCOOP Boot Camp 2026 Tiers & Tournaments

Detail	Low Tier	High Tier
Events	$65	$65
Combined events	$130	130
Entry buy-ins from	$2.20	Higher stakes equivalent, per event
Satellite entry from	$0.55	—
Field type	Recreational / short-stack friendly	High roller / bigger bankrolls
Guarantee pool	Shares of $6.5M+ combined guarantee	Shares of $6.5M+ combined guarantee

Variety fans aren't stuck with Hold'em only. HORSE, 8-Game, PLO, Badugi, and the two 2-7 Draw formats each get dedicated slots throughout the run.

Put These Boot Camp 2026 Events On Your Calendar

Event	Buy-in	Format	GTD	Date
Sunday Special (PKO)	$75	NLHE, PKO	$300K	August 2
Sunday Special (MB)	$75	NLHE, Mystery Bounty	$300K	August 9
Main Event Low	$109.00	NLHE	$500K	August 16
Main Event High	$1,050.00	NLHE	$300K	August 16

PokerStars WCOOP Boot Camp 2026 Main Events

Detail	Low Tier	High Tier
Buy-in	$109	$1,050
GTD	$500K	$300K
Date	August 16	August 16
Format	NLHE	NLHE

Both Main Events land on the same closing date, but oddly, it's the cheaper buy-in that guarantees the bigger payout, $500K on the Low side against $300K on the High side. Not the outcome most would expect, and a good reason to check the numbers rather than assume the pricier tier always pays more.

BBZ Poker Brings the Coaching, and the WCOOP Tickets

Training duties fall to BBZ Poker again this year, fronted by Lex Veldhuis, Ben "Spraggy" Spragg, and Andy "BowieEffect" Wilson. Rather than a single event, coaching becomes a weekly Friday appointment on the BBZ Discord, timed for 1pm-4pm CEST to line up with the tournament schedule's built-in rest days.

Session Date	Prize Pool	Top Prize
Friday, July 31	$1K in WCOOP tickets	$109 WCOOP ticket (1st-3rd)
Friday, August 7	$1K in WCOOP tickets	$109 WCOOP ticket (1st-3rd)
Friday, August 14	$1.5K in WCOOP tickets	$530 WCOOP ticket (1st)

There's a twist built into each session: a centroll locked behind a password, and that password only gets dropped once the coaching is already live. Show up after the fact, and there's nothing to unlock, no matter how good the replay footage looks afterward on BBZ Poker's channel.

Top Choice For WCOOP Bankroll Builders

Between discounted buy-ins and coaching that quite literally pays for entries, the PokerStars WCOOP Boot Camp 2026 gives grinders a legitimate reason to log in before September's heavier stakes arrive. Three Friday sessions remain on the calendar, each one another no-cost chance to walk away with a ticket in hand.

Learn more about promotions on PokerStars Promo Code page.

JOIN NOW & PLAY WCOOP BOOT CAMP EVENTSUSE PROMO CODE HEAVEN & GET 100% BONUS

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