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PokerStars WCOOP Boot Camp 2026: $6.5M+ GTD Warm-Up Series Before WCOOP Kicks Off

By Pessi Lamm

33 minutes ago

Pessi Lamm 33 minutes 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

WCOOP Boot Camp runs August 2-17 with $6.5M+ guaranteed across 130 events. (credit: PokerStars)

PokerStars is warming up players into its biggest series of the year with the WCOOP Boot Camp, running August 2-17, 2026. Total guaranteed prize pool across 130 tournaments is staggering $6.5 million, offering proper payday opportunities before the WCOOP 2026 kicks off in September.

PokerStars WCOOP Boot Camp 2026 Details

Detail	Low Tier	High Tier
Number of events	65	65
Total events (combined)	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

Splitting Low and High tiers means short stacks and high rollers run the same 65-event schedule without ever fighting over the same prize pool. Satellites stack the value further, letting players buy in for as little as $0.55 and ladder up into Main Event seats, turning the whole Boot Camp into a cheap, low-risk stress test before WCOOP's real buy-ins hit.

PokerStars made the tournament menu wide enough that even mixed-games players can have their plate full. The Boot Camp 2026 schedule runs PLO, 8-Game, HORSE, Badugi, and both 2-7 Draw variants alongside the usual Hold'em events.

Top Events Schedule: Pick the Best From the Boot Camp

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

WCOOP Boot Camp 2026 Main Event Breakdown

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

Both Main Event tiers close out the Boot Camp on the same day, giving Low buy-in grinders and High roller regulars a shared finish line before WCOOP proper takes over September 6. Worth flagging: the Low Main Event actually carries the bigger guarantee ($500K vs $300K).

Free Coaching and $109 WCOOP Tickets on the Line

BBZ Poker is back running the training side, the same crew behind Lex Veldhuis, Ben "Spraggy" Spragg, and Andy "BowieEffect" Wilson. Sessions land on the BBZ Discord every Friday rest day, 1pm-4pm CEST.

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)

Each session ends with a password-protected centroll, and the password only drops mid-coaching. Miss the stream, miss the shot at a free ticket. Recordings go up on BBZ Poker afterward, but the centroll passwords don't wait around.

Proper WCOOP 2026 Warm-up From the Start of August

This is a cheap dress rehearsal wrapped around free coaching that pays out actual WCOOP tickets. Anyone planning to grind the full September WCOOP series has three Fridays between now and August 14 to bank staking-free entries before the real buy-ins start biting your buttocks.

Do you want to know more about all the promotions? Check out our PokerStars promo codes page.

CLAIM 100% BONUS & WARM-UP BEFORE WCOOPUSE PROMO CODE WIREDregister now

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