There wasn’t a single TV camera at one of the world’s largest poker tournaments this year. Though you could still watch live coverage with commentary, you’d be hard-pressed to point out any familiar faces. That’s because the action took place entirely online. For the last two weeks, things have been hectic over at PokerStars’ virtual lobby with 43,973 players logging on to compete in the 2009 World Championship of Online Poker.
The tournament ran from September 3 through September 21 and featured 45 events with guarantees ranging from $100,000 up to $10,000,000 for the Main Event. Living up to its “world” designation, 140 countries were represented with champions hailing from at least 12. The series awarded well over $50 million this year, with approximately half the cash prizes going to American players.
Under the name of Jovial Gent, Russian pro Yevgeniy Timoshenko took home the WCOOP Main Event title and a top prize of $1,715,200, but it was American pro Daniel Kelly (playing as djk123) that stole the show. At the end of the 2009 WCOOP, Kelly logged off with 11 cashes to his name including two Championships (in Event 2 and Event 44) and a final table finish at the Main Event. His total winnings were just short of a million dollars in cash plus the Player of the Series trophy and a seat at the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.
While participation at live poker tournaments has been suffering this year, the WCOOP posted some incredible numbers and a $10 million gain in prizes, proving yet again that online poker could very well be the future of the game.
