What’s SCOOP?  It’s the Spring Championship of Online Poker so — SCOOP.  PokerStars.com has just announced the schedule for 2010 and they are pitching it as a tournament for players of all levels.  The tournament will run May 2 through May 16 and feature 38 events with three different levels of buy in. So whether you play for low stakes, risk it all for high stakes or fit somewhere in between, you can find a stake that works for you. 

The prize pool for the event is estimated to be a combined $45 million and the Main Event at the end of the series is award prize pools in the millions. The low stakes pool will be 1 million, 3 million for those playing at medium stakes and 5 million for those at high stakes.  And if you’re truly a high stakes player, the high stakes main event, which runs for two days, guarantees a million dollar first prize. 

The tournament will offer a variety of games from Texas Hold’em to Omaha to 5 Card Draw and 7 Card Stud. Even Badugi  and HORSE will be offered, so every player should be able to find a game that suits their tastes. 

So, should a beginning player enter the tournament? Well, with a low stakes option on the table, it could really help increase your playing power.  The buy ins start at $22 which is affordable if you want to experience tournament play.  Of course, buy ins go up to over $2000 for the high stakes players.  But if you want to enter, you have until May to practice your poker play and brush up on your favorite games.