MPN knows poker players, and now the online network is going to see how well poker players know the game they love.
Let’s face it: every poker player thinks, deep down, that they might just be the best poker player in the universe. That’s usually a pretty difficult title to claim, but MPN is giving players the chance to do just that in an upcoming tournament series.
MPN has announced the Universal Championship of Poker (UCOP), a tournament series that will feature 12 events beginning this coming Sunday, September 6. The series includes a total of €200,000 ($225,000) in prize guarantees, and culminates in a €250 ($281) buy-in Main Event on September 13.
“The Universal Championship of Poker is our take on the poker tournament series, with a wide variety of fun events with juicy prize pools,” Microgaming Head of Poker Alex Scott said. “Not only that, but in typically ambitious MPN style, we’re giving players the chance to become the ‘Greatest Poker Player in the Universe.’ Who wouldn’t want to have that trophy on their mantelpiece?”
UCOP Could Be Overshadowed by WCOOP
It’s probably fair to assume that even MPN knows that the title they are awarding isn’t much more than a humorous nod to the exalted names given to many poker tournaments, both online and live. It’s even more certain that poker players won’t be looking at MPN’s tournament series as a universal championship: after all, PokerStars’ World Championship of Online Poker is going on at the same time, and it’s fair to say that WCOOP might overshadow UCOP just a bit.
But that doesn’t mean that the series won’t be a good mix of some reasonable prize pools and a lot of fun. The leaderboard race for UCOP is offering some interesting ways to get points: beyond just their tournament results, players can earn points for cashing in multiple events, playing in tournaments of different types, or in participating in the one Omaha event (the other 11 are all No Limit Hold’em tournaments).
Players can also earn points through their use of social media and other platforms that might help publicize UCOP. Tweeting is worth points, while streaming tournament play on Twitch will earn even more.
At the end of the series, the top ten players on the overall UCOP leaderboard will take home prizes, with the top player of the series earning an additional €10,000 ($11,200). They’ll also take home a very special “Greatest Poker Player in the Universe” trophy for their efforts.
Full Tilt Classic Offers Variety of Games
UCOP will overlap with another poker series, the Full Tilt Classic. Scheduled to begin on September 11, the Full Tilt Classic will feature a total of 20 events, offering a total guaranteed prize pool of $270,000 for players.
As is typical for Full Tilt, the Classic will feature an eclectic mix of tournament formats for players to choose from. Along with Hold’em and Omaha, players will be able to take a shot at Razz, Six-Card Omaha, and mixed-game formats that offer up to 25 games in a single tournament.
Tournament buy-ins for the Classic will range from $10 to $100, with the $100 Main Event kicking off on Sunday, September 20. Players who aren’t quite ready or able to risk real money can take part in the Full Tilt Classic Play Chip Series, which is awarding exclusive avatars to winners in order to honor their accomplishments.
