World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP), the 24th edition of the event, starts on September 7 and runs until October 1. There are 123 events, 378 tournaments and buy-ins start at $5.50. With big tournaments running around the clock you’ll be spoiled for choice.

But, before you dive in head first and register everything in sight, it’s important to take a step back and plan. As the saying goes, fail to prepare, prepare to fail.

So, here are five tips to help you survive WCOOP 2025.

Manage Your Time and Bankroll

The entire WCOOP 2025 schedule is already available, so grab your beverage of choice and take a look through it.

You can add tournaments to your favorites on PokerStars, bookmarking the events you want to play.

Whilst you’ll have to adjust on the go if you bust early or go super deep, it’s important to avoid overplaying. So set a limit for the number of hours you plan to play each day to prevent burnout. WCOOP is a three week series, not a three day race.

Even more important than managing your time is taking care of your bankroll. Even low stakes games can add up over several weeks, especially if you’re firing multiple bullets into each tournament.

So even if you are a newer player, set aside funds for playing WCOOP. This could be a part of your bankroll or, if you’re taking a stab, a one-off amount you’re willing to spend. Then, decide on the games you will target. Factor in satellites and occasional shots at bigger events such as the Main Event.

You should end up with your own personal schedule of tournaments based on the time and money you want to spend playing.

Take Regular Breaks

WCOOP is a marathon of a series and even the most hardened players find it mentally tough. Very few want to play poker online everyday for three weeks straight. Thankfully, the series has a built in rest day, with no official WCOOP events running on Fridays. You may also want to build your own rest days into the schedule.

Mental fatigue could kick in after a couple of long nights running deep or following an unexpected downswing. Aim to be flexible when it comes to taking day long breaks. It’s impossible to predict beforehand when you will become burnt out.

As well as taking days off, make the most of the five minute tournament breaks every hour. It might not seem like a lot of time, but used well it’s enough to mentally reset. Stretch, walk around, and take a break from staring at the screen to reset your mind.

Create a Winning Environment

During large field events like WCOOP tournaments, you’ll need to optimize your environment. Your aim is to remain relaxed and focused for a long duration of time.

If your usual routine involves playing on your phone from the sofa, while watching TV, it might be time to change your setup and reduce distractions.

Create an environment suitable for a world champion of poker. Use a comfortable chair and desk setup to avoid physical discomfort. And ensure your playing area is well lit. If you’re planning to multi-table, consider adding a second screen so you can see all games at once.

Your WCOOP setup should also be quiet and somewhere free from interruptions. The fewer distractions, the better. All these ‘marginal gains’ will help reduce physical and mental fatigue.

Study and Review

Poker is a complex game with various “levels” of play. To compete and gain an edge at the lower stakes, you’ll need a firm grasp of the basics of poker strategy. As you move up in stakes, you’ll need to develop yourself as a player to stay ahead.

Not all the work is done at the tables. You should also dedicate time to studying, too. Of course this applies all year round, but it’s something you might neglect during a big series. Don’t play, play, play. It’s very important to take time to analyse your game, understand mistakes, and learn from them.

One way to keep learning during WCOOP is to check out PokerStars ambassadors like Spraggy and Fintan Hand playing live on stream on their Twitch channels. This gives you the opportunity to see how experienced players think about hands. You can also read, ask friends for help, or review your sessions to look for leaks.

Sleep Well

It’s super important to recharge your batteries every night before and during WCOOP. You want to avoid running on empty. A good night’s sleep is crucial for maintaining focus and making good decisions. If you can, avoid late-night sessions disrupting your sleep schedule. If you run deep one night, consider taking time off the next day to recover.

It’s also important to stay on top of your diet and nutrition during a long series. Batch cook, if you can, so you can warm-up food during breaks. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and opt for healthy snacks such as fruit or nuts.

Taking care of yourself and having healthy habits outside of poker is always important. But at no time is it more important than during a mammoth poker series like WCOOP.