Next year’s PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) will feature an additional main event in the form of the 8th installation of the World Cup Poker. All the action will occur in the Bahamas’ Atlantis Resort from January 5th to 15th of 2012. And Poker Stars is giving its players numerous opportunities to find themselves there in the center of the action for nothing, or close to it.
Unlike the PCA main event, the World Cup of Poker is a league, or teams poker, event. Last year, the Italian team, led by Luca Pagano, a PokerStars pro, claimed the cup, beating out runners-up, the UK team, led by Liv Boeree. This time around, seven countries will be competing for the World Cup of Poker, and PokerStars players can win seats to be a part of their country’s team (after putting up a part of the registration fee).
First players submit to a round of qualifier tournaments. The top performers from each region will compete in knockout tournaments to complete a four-person team representing each region. In keeping with the traditions of the real World Cup, that is of football (or soccer to Americans), ach four-person team will include a PokerStars pro as Captain, a defender, midfielder, striker and goalkeeper.
On Poker Stars’ WCP Qualifiers web page, you can find when the Saturday-Sunday qualifier for your region or nation is taking place. First-time depositors can vie for the midfielder position, earning an $11 stage one entry by using the code WCP8 when making that deposit.
As for the rest of the positions, the goalkeeper qualifier is a freeroll. The qualifier for the defender position is $1.10 and, of course, midfielder is $11. To try for the striker position you must have been a top finisher on last year’s Tournament Leader Board, in which case you will receive a special invitation to the qualifier.
65 countries will start out the Poker Stars World Cup of Poker VIII competition, but only 7 countries will make it to stage 3 at the 2012 PCA.