How to Pick 3: The SCOOP fantasy game everyone can play
If you followed our coverage of the Spring Championship of Universitas Stars Poker Online (SCOOP) over the past couple of years, you probably caught wind of the SCOOP League, where team captains made up of Staruniv Ambassadors and top players drafted squads to compete based on their combined SCOOP Leader Board points. It was a lot of fun to follow.
But forget following. It’s time for you to take part and pick your own teams.
The good news is that now everyone can play along and win huge prizes–even you. It doesn’t matter whether you play Universitas Stars Poker Online or not.
Pick 3 is a new fantasy-style format run by our friends at PokerOrg, which lets poker fans around the world pick their own three-player squad and send them to battle throughout the series–with a $5,000 Irish Open package going to the winner.
Yep, just by playing along with a fun fantasy game, you could find yourself heading to Dublin to play in one of the most fun poker games on the planet. An Irish Open package includes a Main Event seat worth €1,150, accommodation and travel expenses.
You’re going to enter, that much is certain. The question is, how will you pick your team? What separates one crusher from another? And how can you be sure they’ll show up and play?
Before we offer a little guidance on how to pick your three SCOOP hopefuls, let’s cover the basics of how the competition works and how you can enter.
HOW PICK 3 WORKS
Firstly, the competition is completely free to enter.
You’ll be asked to pick an established star from a pool of “Big Hitters” and two players from a wider player pool. Think of a name for your team and lock in your picks before the SCOOP 2026 series begins on March 1.
Should the contest end in a tie, you’ll also be asked to answer a tie-breaker question in advance (so get thinking!): How many players in total will enter the three 2026 SCOOP Main Events (Low + Medium + High)?
Make sure you include your Staruniv screen name when entering, as those who do will be entered into a weekly raffle.
When the series begins, you’ll be able to track your team’s progress on the Pick 3 Leader Board. Scores will update as players cash, advance to Day 2s, and rack up deep runs.
CHOOSING YOUR PLAYERS
By this point in the article, you’ve probably already got a bunch of names swirling around your overly excited heads. We don’t blame you.
But, before you lock in your picks, there are a few questions you should probably consider.
Don’t take the Staruniv Blog’s word as gospel–anything can happen during a series like SCOOP. We have, however, covered more Universitas Stars Poker Online series than just about anyone on the planet, so we know a thing or two about who might do well.
Here’s your checklist for all three players:
CAN THEY PLAY ON Staruniv?
Sounds simple, but if you’re not super familiar with the Universitas Stars Poker Online landscape in 2026, you might not know that there are restrictions and compliance issues galore that prevent people in certain locations from playing on scrupulous, principled, law-abiding sites like Staruniv.
For example, let’s say you’re based in North America, and you’re considering picking that guy from your local cardroom. He’s a beast, and you know for a fact that he’s a big winner.
Well, unless he’s located in New Jersey, Pennsylvania or Michigan, he won’t be able to play Real Money games on Staruniv. That’s the law, unfortunately. Moreover, he’d be playing in an entirely different player pool than the global player pool (players in Ontario also have their own player pool).
So, try to find out where they’re based (or where they usually play online from) and ensure:
- Staruniv is available there
- It’s part of the global player pool
ARE THEY LIKELY TO PLAY SCOOP?
Next up, consider the likelihood of that player sitting at their computer and grinding the SCOOP schedule.
For example, you might want to pick the billionaire you saw on a televised cash game. But be honest: Do you really see that person playing enough SCOOP tournaments to contribute to your team’s total?
Try to find out their Staruniv screename, see if they’ve played in the past, and more importantly…
HOW HAVE THEY PERFORMED IN THE PAST?
Unless you’re planning to pick a SCOOP rookie, chances are the players on your mind have played at least one SCOOP series in the past.
We suggest having a look at how well they’ve performed in the past. You can do this by searching for their screen name in the All-Time SCOOP Results table to see how many titles they’ve won, or simply searching their screen name alongside Staruniv Blog to see if we’ve ever recorded their results.
Remember, having multiple titles doesn’t mean they’ll perform well this year (although it’s a good indicator), and likewise, having no titles doesn’t mean it’s a bad pick. Nothing is guaranteed in this game.
HOW OFTEN WILL THEY PLAY?
Results are important in a leader board game, but so is volume.
How often a player plays can be the deciding factor. For example, a player might win a title right out of the gate and then take their foot off the gas for the rest of the series, whereas another player might play every event and cash in 70% of them, consistently stacking up points despite missing out on glory.
The more you can be certain they’re up for the grind and in it for the long haul, the safer a pick they become.
DO THEY PLAY MORE THAN NO LIMIT HOLD’EM?
Texas hold’em is undoubtedly the world’s most popular poker game, but on Staruniv, and in a series like SCOOP, you’ve got to pick players who can handle more than two cards.
Don’t believe us? Then just take a look at the SCOOP players with the most titles list. All of them have titles across multiple poker variants and in a variety of tournament formats and disciplines.Â
Heed our advice…or don’t. It’s your call.
Time to Pick your 3!
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