It is big, and it is back! Players are eagerly sharpening their knives and poker skills as the iPoker network launches the most awaited poker series of the year, the European Championship of Online Poker or ECOOP. With a total of 14 events and guaranteed money up to £4,500,000, the ECOOP is one online poker extravaganza worth waiting for.

This is the fifth year of the ECOOP, which sees a large number of online poker professionals gearing up for a shot at the prize money and the coveted title of European Champion. This time around, the tournament has a healthy mix of Hold’em, Omaha, and stud games.

The championship sees a large number of online poker professionals, like John ‘doesalrite’ O’Shea, for instance. O’Shea has earlier tasted success in the tournament, racking up wins to the tune of $65,000 and picking up three titles in the process. He will be surely looking forward to adding at least one more title this year.

The format is interesting and designed to test the skills of players. It is not just about skills, though; the ECOOP, with buy-ins from $100 to $2500 is also a test of how strong your bankroll is. This is a big tournament, and only the big survive here. The tournament has a $1500 No Limit Hold’em game as well, which is possibly the biggest single guarantee event.

However, those with small bankrolls can also take heart. If they are not able to participate directly in the ECOOP, there is another route open to them – playing in the satellite events being organized at Boyle Poker, one of the skins of the iPoker network. Players can participate in these satellite events for as low as $2 and if they get through, stand a chance of fighting with the big fish for the prize money and the ECOOP title.

Click here to visit Boyle Poker!