“World Championship of Online Poker ”

The World Championship of Online Poker may not have the prize money the World Series of Poker has, but the event itself should not be overlooked. Unlike its larger rival, the World Championship of Online Poker has bypassed the gambling capital of Las Vegas and has based itself in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Although unable to compete financially with the World Series of Poker’s multi million dollar prizes, the World Championship has grown to be the second biggest tournament for poker fans. Hosted by online gambling operator PokerStars.com, the tournament offers 15 different poker competitions and an initial prize pool of 2.5 million dollars. A final event of no limit hold em poker draws crowds of approximately ten thousand people.

While World Championship of Online Poker spokesman Nolan Dalla denies that his competition seeks to compete directly with the World Series of Poker, he does admit that the tournament aims at those who can’t travel to Las Vegas. “The No. 1 attraction is convenience,” says Dalla. “There’s no airfare and there’s no hotel room. You don’t have to tip the dealer.”

While both tournaments are coordinated in a similar fashion, costs at the World Championship of Online Poker are kept to a minimum, with the final game starting at $2500 instead of the $10,000 fee charged by the World Series of Poker. Games are also played at twice the speed online as those at the Las Vegas competition. The other notable difference is the international crowd the World Championship attracts with approximately 40 percent of participants based outside the United States. “We attract an entirely different demographic,” says Dalla.