Check out the latest news and results from SCOOP on our results page. This though is the alternative look at SCOOP.
Here you’ll find where to get the most fun from SCOOP today. Starting with SCOOP events played for very specific purposes:
- Money is no object
- Money is the object
- There is no money
PLUS…
- Inspiration from the real world, which you might have missed while immersed in SCOOP.
AND…
- How to fill the time while waiting for the next SCOOP event to begin.
But first.
Today is #TopGunDay
Today is officially Top Gun Day, marking the day that hit movie Top Gun was released all the way back in 1986.
Only it isn’t today exactly. It was actually May 16. But that also happens to be Iron Eagle Day, which as everyone knows was a slightly less awesome movie along similar lines, involving F-18s rather than F-14s, but which obviously got it’s afterburners on early to register it’s “official day” on social media first.
But in honour of Maverick, Iceman, Slider, Goose, and the Danger Zone, here are the Top Gun-themed SCOOP players still in contention for titles in events resuming today.
Hat-tip: SlyderS1, Admiralmd, Aviator321, Dangerr44, MagicPilot, IceStream, hopezACE, ShootTheSky, Striker33333, and of course Corny1313 and OverTheTop43.
Events starting today
Remember there are three tiers of entry for every SCOOP event. So, in keeping with that, we’ve graded today’s events based on our own three criteria.
The three levels of SCOOP event available today
Starting with:
Money is no object (biggest buy-ins)
Of the nine tournaments (three events) starting today, three have buy-ins of more than $500. If you prefer to swagger into SCOOP rather than tiptoe, here’s what you’re looking for:
SCOOP 08-H: $530 NLHE. Starts at 13:00 ET.
SCOOP 09-H: $1,075 NL 207 Single Draw. Starts at 14:15 ET
SCOOP 10-H: $1,050 NLHE (8-Max, Win the Button). Starts at 15:30 ET
(Click the links about to find satellites for these tournaments)
Money is the object (biggest prize pools)
The biggest prize pool today is in SCOOP 08-H. That has $1 million in the pot. But there’s more money to be won out there that doesn’t require a four figure buy-in.
SCOOP 08-M: $55 buy-in and a $400K guarantee
SCOOP 10-M: $109 buy-in and $200K guaranteed
There is no money (smallest buy-ins)
This is more like it. Where to get the most bang for the dollar from today’s tournaments? Not organised fun exactly, but tournaments that have a shorter recovery period if things don’t go as planned.
The obvious starting place is SCOOP 08-L.
For just $5.50 (about the price of a Top Gun DVD on eBay) you can play hold’em for a prize pool of $100K Guaranteed. That’s absurd.
There’s more. You can have up to two re-entries, in case Plan A and Plan B require Plan C.
To register, go straight to the SCOOP tab in the PokerStars Lobby, or download the PokerStars software.
Inspiration from IRL
If you happen to dream about poker hands they might be worth paying attention to today.
The BBC had the story of this man today, who managed to win the Australian lottery using numbers that came to him in a dream.
Obviously, we believe wholeheartedly that poker is a skill game. In fact, we’d encourage everyone to practice and apply a little effort, maybe at PokerStars School. But we still don’t walk under ladders.
There’s just one snag with this. The man in question dreamed up the numbers 13 years ago. So you will need to refer to hands dreamed up in 2006.
Just not this one.
How to spend the time between tournaments today
Take part in the SCOOP Battle of the Poker Songs on the PokerStars Twitter account.
In partnership with our friends over at PokerStrategy, you can vote for your favourite poker themed song. Or, use tactical voting to get your own back on Kenny Rodgers.
Battle of the Poker Songs. The only contest to throw Elvis up against Bob the Builder
It’s played on a round-by-round basis until we have a winner. Pretty sure you can win things too.
Here are some of the results so far…
It was bad news for Frank Sinatra, whose classic Luck be a Lady lost out to Viva Las Vegas by Elvis Presley (those under 60 will need to look those up)
The same went for Lazy Poker Blues, by Fleetwood Mac, which lost out to Eric Clapton’s Little Queen of Spaces (those under 50 will need to look those up)
And for LL Cool J, whose seminal Mama Said Knock You Out somehow missed out by 0.8 per cent against Salt n Pepa’s Push It (Those under 40 will need to look those up)
Other songs went the same way. Including Baby Shark by Super Simple Songs, which was battered by Big Fish Little Fish, by the poet and rock legend Bob the Builder (those over 10 will need to look those up).
We know, we know. Just remember, there are prizes.
Got time to read (and practice)?
Practicing your game is a great idea as you wait for the next SCOOP event. But are you practicing your game properly?
Read em and reap
That’s the subject of Purposeful Practice for Poker, which we featured an excerpt from on the blog last week. In it, authors Dr Patricia Cardner and Gareth James examine what makes good active practice – the kind that will make you a better player – as opposed to passively trying to absorb information.
You might not realise it, but this book could change your game, and your life. Start with what you can learn in the extract here.
You can check out all the results and news from the day from our Day 1 post. And remember, unlike in Top Gun, in SCOOP there actually are points for second place. You can check out the leader board page to find out how many.