The 2012 Pokerstars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) started off this week, seeing a massive number of around 20,000 players enter the two events on the first day.

Over the next three weeks, the championship will feature 65 tournaments with an overall guaranteed prize pool of at least $30 million.

The first day saw two events – the $215 buy-in NLHE 6-Max which attracted 7,322 players, and generated a prize pool well beyond its guarantee with $1.4 million; and the $215 buy-in No-Limit Hold&em with its 10,608 entrants and a prize pool of $2.1 million.

The championship has once again proved its popularity not only in terms of numbers, but also in terms of the big names taking part – this year they include the likes of Sandra Naujoks, Victor Ramdin, Humberto Brenes, Johnny Lodden, Jim Collopy and Marc-Andre Ladocouceur.