Spring Is Coming Early: 2026 PokerStars SCOOP Runs March 1-25
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The iconic PokerStars Spring Championship Of Online Poker (SCOOP) is one of the most eagerly anticipated festivals on the online poker calendar, thanks partly to its offering massive prize pools across three weeks of action. Usually, SCOOP runs online at PokerStars throughout May, but the 2026 SCOOP heads to PokerStars two months earlier, with the festival schedule for March 1-25.
PokerStars first ran SCOOP in 2009, and it immediately became a must-play series for tournament grinders of all skill and experience levels. The multi-tiered buy-in structure opens the door for every PokerStars player to experience a world-class poker tournament festival regardless of their bankroll size.
Since its launch in 2009, PokerStars SCOOP has seen more than 143 million PokerStars players buy into over 3,300 tournaments and share a staggering $1.4 billion in prizes, of which more than $216 million has gone to SCOOP champions.
PokerStars SCOOP Legends
SCOOP attracts the biggest names to the PokerStars virtual felt each year. Isaac "westmenloAA" Baron captured the inaugural SCOOP title back in 2009, taking down the $55 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Max Rebuy for $97,806. British star Talal "raidalot" Shakerchi holds the record for the largest single score in a SCOOP event. Shakerchi banked $1,468,001 for his victory in the $10,300 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event in 2016.
Ten PokerStars players have captured at least 10 SCOOP titles. Sweden's Simon "C. Darwin2" Mattsson is the SCOOP king, having accumulated 14 victories over the years. Benny "RunGodlike" Glaser, Niklas "Lena900" Astedt, and Andre "Premove" Skvortsov are tied on 11 wins, with Calvin "cal42688" Anderson, Denis "aDrENalin710" Strebkov, Patrick "pads1161" Leonard, Ole "wizowizo" Schemion, Jerry "Perrymejsen" Odeen, and "FAL1st" currently on 10 SCOOP victories each.
Why Has PokerStars Changed the 2026 SCOOP Dates?
PokerStars informed PokerNews that it is excited to deliver SCOOP to players earlier than ever in 2026. Although the full 2026 SCOOP schedule and prize pools are still being worked on, players can expect the same high-quality festival they look forward to each year.
According to PokerStars, "We regularly review our global events calendar to make sure our major series land at the best possible time for players. We saw an opportunity to bring SCOOP forward and start the year with a stronger, clearer run of events. The new dates simply allow us to optimize timing."
It remains to be seen if the SCOOP's new dates for 2026 will have a knock-on effect for the 2026 World Championship Of Online Poker (WCOOP), which traditionally runs throughout September or if, as PokerStars told PokerNews, "adjusting SCOOP's timing helps us create a more streamlined sequence of events across the year."
