World Cup of Poker 2008 FAQs

World Cup of Poker V - FAQs

  • What is the World Cup of Poker?
  • The PokerStars World Cup of Poker (WCP) is a team event in which PokerStars players from designated countries play off in a series of matches. The tournament will end when one team remains. That team will be the World Cup of Poker V Champions.
  • How do you choose the World Cup of Poker Teams?
  • Each country will assemble a team of four players through Tournament Leader Board (TLB) rankings and qualifying tournaments. Teams that reach the live Final, which will be held at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA), will have an additional player chosen by PokerStars added to their team.

    For more information, including details on how you can represent your country, please visit our WCP information page.
  • How much does it cost to play in my country's qualifier?
  • All regional and national team qualifiers are completely free to enter. All tournaments will be restricted to 15,000 players, so register early to guarantee yourself a chance.
  • What does the winner of the World Cup of Poker receive?
  • The final nine World Cup of Poker teams will win packages – including travel expenses and accommodation at Atlantis in The Bahamas - to play before a live audience, at The PCA. The WCP prize pool ($290,000) will be distributed as follows:
    • 1st: $100,000 ($20,000 per person)
    • 2nd: $70,000 ($14,000 per person)
    • 3rd: $50,000 ($10,000 per person)
    • 4th: $30,000 ($6,000 per person)
    • 5th-7th: $10,000 ($2,000 per person)
    • 8th-9th: $5,000 ($1,000 per person)

    All of the above payments are to the entire team, and will be distributed equally among all five team members. For instance, each member of the winning team will receive $20,000.
  • How do you determine a player’s position within each team?
  • Each team in the World Cup of Poker contains 4 players – 2 TLB Qualifying players and 2 Freeroll Qualifying players. Players are assigned a team position based on how they qualified. The team positions are as follows:
    • Team Captain – The highest qualifying TLB player
    • Position 2 – The second highest finishing TLB player
    • Position 3 – The winner of the Freeroll Qualifier
    • Position 4 –The runner-up of the Freeroll Qualifier
    • Position 5 – Player appointed by PokerStars*

    Should the highest qualifying TLB player turn down the Team Captain position, it will be offered to the next position within the team. Team member’s positions will be adjusted accordingly.

    * Teams are only appointed a fifth player should they reach the final event held at the PCA
  • My country has 2 national teams, how are player’s positions determined within these teams?
  • For countries that have 2 national teams (USA, Canada and Germany), the players are assigned a team position as follows:

    National Team 1
    • Team Captain – The highest qualifying TLB player
    • Position 2 – The third highest qualifying TLB player
    • Position 3 – The winner of the Freeroll Qualifier
    • Position 4 –The third place finisher of the Freeroll Qualifier

    National Team 2
    • Team Captain – The second highest qualifying TLB player
    • Position 2 – The fourth highest finishing TLB player
    • Position 3 – The runner-up of the Freeroll Qualifier
    • Position 4 –The fourth place finisher of the Freeroll Qualifier

    Should the highest qualifying TLB player turn down the Team Captain position, it will be offered to the next position within the team. Team member’s positions will be adjusted accordingly.
  • What if a qualifying player turns down a position on their team?
  • Should a TLB qualifying player turn down a position on the team, then it will be offered to the next highest finishing TLB player.

    Should a Freeroll Qualifying player turn down a position on the team, then it will be offered to the next highest finishing Freeroll Qualifying player.
  • When is the final event?
  • The live Final event is scheduled be held from January 5 -10, 2009, but that date is subject to change. The Final event will be filmed for TV.
  • How old do I have to be to participate?
  • The minimum age to play in the World Cup of Poker V is 18 or the legal age of majority in your country, whichever is higher.
  • Suppose I am a citizen of country A, but live in country B. Which country's team should I play for?
  • You can play for either country, but not both. We will be flexible in allowing a player to decide what country (state, or province) he or she wants to represent, as long as they can make a legitimate claim to being part of that jurisdiction, either by citizenship or residency. Any attempted duplication of tournaments or fraud involving residency or citizenship will result in the player's disqualification from the World Cup of Poker.
  • If I live in a country that does not have a WCP team, can I participate in the WCP?
  • Unfortunately, no. If you have a legitimate tie to a WCP country but reside in a country that is not participating, you may qualify for the WCP country's team. For instance, if you live in Lichtenstein, but were born and raised in Austria, you may compete to play on Austria's team. Note that PokerStars may demand proof of that relationship to the WCP country.
  • What if I live in a country that has a "dotted line" relationship to a WCP country?
  • You may compete to play on a country's WCP team if you live in another country that has a legally established relationship to the WCP country. For instance, if you live in Puerto Rico, you may compete to play on the USA national teams. If you live in the Isle of Man, you may compete to play on the England national team.
  • If I live in Puerto Rico, can I choose a U.S. state and compete to qualify for its team?
  • No. You may only compete to play on the national team of a WCP country to which your home country has a "dotted line" relationship. Only if you have a legitimate tie to a specific state can you compete to qualify for that state's team.
  • What will happen if a player changes his or her address to play for a different country, U.S. state, or Canadian province?
  • If the player is making the change for a legitimate reason (e.g. because he moved), that's fine. However, a player who arbitrarily changes his or her address (or plays in qualifiers for multiple jurisdictions) will be completely disqualified from the World Cup of Poker and will not be permitted to play on any team. Please note that players may be required to show appropriate ID and/or proof of residency at any time during the online or live portions of the event.
  • What is the time period that determines the Tournament Leader Board qualifiers for the World Cup of Poker?
  • Tournament Leader Board qualifiers are based on TLB rankings from January 1, 2007 - December 31, 2007.
  • I live in the United States. How does qualifying work for U.S. players?
  • The "USA" group consists of two national teams (USA 1 and USA 2) plus three state teams. Those five teams will play as a regular group, and one of them will attend the finals at the PCA. Visit the World Cup of Poker Team USA page for more information.
  • How do I get on one of the USA teams?
  • Two members of each USA team will be chosen based on TLB standings for calendar year 2007. Two members of each team will be chosen by free qualifiers that are open to all American players.
  • How do I get on one of the state teams?
  • The qualification for the state teams works the same as the national teams. Each state will have the top two Tournament Leader Board Players for the calendar year 2007. The other two players in each state team will be determined by two state-wide tournaments culminating in an 18-player final. The winner and runner-up of the final will be in their state team.
  • How are the final three state teams determined?
  • The 51 states (including the District of Columbia) are broken down into 3 groups of 17 teams. Each of these groups plays a "Team Score Round" to determine a winner from each group. Each winning team from their group progresses to Division USA.
  • What is a "Team Score Round"?
  • Team Score Rounds are used to determine a winning team from a group of teams through a set of tournaments. Players earn points for their teams based on their finishing position in their tournament. For more information visit the Team Score Round page.
  • Can I attempt to get on both the USA team and my specific state team?
  • Yes. However, the final three state teams will be established before the National Team Qualifying round for the USA teams. If you are already on one of the final three state teams, please do not play in the Qualifiers for the USA teams. Conversely, if you qualify for the USA teams by your TLB standing, please do not play in the qualifying tournaments for the state teams.

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