SCOOP 2026 on PokerStars: the spring series kicks off in March

In 2026, the renowned PokerStars SCOOP festival will take place for the first time from March 1 to 25. Discover why the dates have been moved and what this means for players.

In 2026, one of the most prestigious online series on PokerStars — the Spring Championship Of Online Poker (SCOOP) — will, for the first time, take place not in May, but much earlier: from March 1 to 25. This decision came as a surprise to many poker fans, as over the years the series has become firmly associated with May dates. In this article, we take a detailed look at the reasons for the rescheduling, the history and achievements of SCOOP, and also discuss what this change could mean for PPPoker club players. History and Format of the SCOOP Series SCOOP is an annual series of online poker tournaments held on the PokerStars platform since 2009. Since its launch, the series quickly gained the status of one of the most anticipated events in the world of online poker. The main feature of SCOOP is its multi-tiered buy-in structure: each tournament is held in several categories (usually Low, Medium, and High), making participation accessible to players with any bankroll. This approach allows both beginners and professionals to compete for large prizes in world-class tournaments. Since the series began in 2009, more than 3,300 tournaments have been held as part of SCOOP, with over 143 million PokerStars players taking part. The total prize pool over this time has reached an impressive $1.4 billion, with SCOOP winners sharing more than $216 million among themselves. Notable SCOOP Wins and Record Holders The SCOOP series traditionally attracts the world’s strongest players. The first SCOOP champion title in 2009 was claimed by Isaac "westmenloAA" Baron, who won the $55 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Max Rebuy tournament and received $97,806 for it. The largest single win in SCOOP history belongs to British pro Talal "raidalot" Shakerchi — in 2016, he became the Main Event champion ($10,300 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event) and earned $1,468,001. In the history of the series, ten players have managed to win ten or more SCOOP titles. The absolute leader in number of wins is Sweden’s Simon "C. Darwin2" Mattsson, with 14 titles. He is followed by Benny "RunGodlike" Glaser, Niklas "Lena900" Astedt, and Andre "Premove" Skvortsov, each with 11 wins. Calvin "cal42688" Anderson, Denis "aDrENalin710" Strebkov, Patrick "pads1161" Leonard, Ole "wizowizo" Schemion, Jerry "Perrymejsen" Odeen, and "FAL1st" each have 10 titles. SCOOP Record Holders by Number of Titles Simon "C. Darwin2" Mattsson — 14 wins Benny "RunGodlike" Glaser — 11 wins Niklas "Lena900" Astedt — 11 wins Andre "Premove" Skvortsov — 11 wins Calvin "cal42688" Anderson — 10 wins Denis "aDrENalin710" Strebkov — 10 wins Patrick "pads1161" Leonard — 10 wins Ole "wizowizo" Schemion — 10 wins Jerry "Perrymejsen" Odeen — 10 wins "FAL1st" — 10 wins Reasons for Rescheduling SCOOP 2026 PokerStars representatives told PokerNews that they are excited to offer players the SCOOP series earlier than ever before. Although the schedule and prize pool sizes for SCOOP 2026 are still being developed, organizers assure that the quality of the series will remain at its usual high level. PokerStars explained that they regularly review the global events calendar to find the optimal timing for major series, maximizing convenience for players. In 2026, the opportunity arose to move SCOOP to earlier dates, to kick off the year with a strong and well-structured tournament series. According to PokerStars representatives, the new dates will allow for better structuring of the events calendar. It is not yet known whether the rescheduling of SCOOP will affect the dates of another major PokerStars series — the World Championship Of Online Poker (WCOOP), which traditionally takes place in September. PokerStars noted that the change in SCOOP dates is intended to make the events calendar more logical and consistent throughout the year. SCOOP Statistics and Achievements Year founded: 2009 Total number of tournaments: over 3,300 Total number of participants: more than 143 million Total prize pool: $1.4 billion Prizes paid to champions: over $216 million Largest single tournament win: $1,468,001 (Talal "raidalot" Shakerchi, 2016) What This Means for PPPoker Club Players Moving the SCOOP 2026 dates to March may impact the schedule and activity in the online poker community, including PPPoker clubs. Firstly, the early start of a major series could set the tone for the entire poker year: players will get a strong incentive to prepare for and participate in major tournaments as early as spring, rather than the traditional May period. Secondly, the date change could affect the planning of club series and promotions on PPPoker. Club organizers should take the new SCOOP dates into account to avoid overlapping with the largest online tournaments and to distribute player activity as efficiently as possible. Finally, the experience and successes of SCOOP champions show that regular practice and participation in multi-tiered tournaments are key to developing poker skills. PPPoker players should pay attention to SCOOP formats and use the best ideas to improve their own game and organize events within their clubs.