WSOP Poker Returns To Live Format This Year!

‘WSOP Poker Returns To Live Format This Year!’ (Image Source: images.unsplash.com)

Mark your calendar poker fans because WSOP Poker returns to live format this year courtesy of The Rio Hotel, which will once again play host to the world-renowned poker event!

Currently slated for almost 8 weeks beginning 30 September and wrapping up 23 November, this promises to be the poker world’s coming out party after more than a year of almost nothing but online play. The $10,000 No-Limit tournament that is often referred to as the World championship is also returning in early November 2021, there’s a general belief that they will exceed the almost 8,500 entries from 2019.

Last year, we saw the WSOP go virtual and operate in separate events to which we reported on the international segment won by Salas who won $1,550,979! However, in 2021 it looks like the event will go back to normal with the initial field not playing online, but live at the tables bringing back the notably fun live WSOP broadcasting and commentary on the event we all know and love.

A big-time Charity event will get the ball rolling on the opening weekend, with all proceeds going to Health Care Workers. Expected to draw some of the biggest names in Poker, the WSOP is heralding this $5 Million GTD No Limit game as The Reunion. And it may very well be the first time lots of these players have sat down across the table from each other in a long while.

Not all the kinks have been ironed out yet, and the WSOP says it’s working closely with both the Nevada Gaming Commission and the state’s health department to make sure they fall within whatever rules and regulations are in place when the tournament kicks off this Fall. That means that most of the schedule won’t be ready to be announced until later this year, but you can book your room at the RIO for a great rate now if you want to beat the rush.

No word yet on whether you’ll need a vaccine passport to get in on the action, but World Series of Poker Director Ty Stewart did say that this year’s theme is “take your shot, come back to Vegas”.

The Main Event

The Super Bowl of the Poker World is slated to run 4 November through 17 November. The WSOP will offer players the chance to start any time from 4 November through 7 November. After this, all fields from these dates will join together on 10 November, which is a general departure from normal play but allows the field to be distanced and spread out. It is also perhaps a chance to exceed 10,000 players for the first time. In any case, it should not affect tournament play.

Expect a payout over $10 million for the winner, and probably just as important as that world-famous gold bracelet. Many people prefer to play in satellite tournaments for a chance to win entry into the big game instead of ponying up the $10,000 entry fee.

The 2019 winner, Hossain Ensan picked up his ticket in a $300 (€255) buy-in satellite tournament and won $10 million (€8.5 million)!

WSOP Also Live in Europe

In other news, the WSOP promised not to let off the pedal after a record-breaking year of online play in 2020. They touted their Guinness World Record WSOP Online Tournament last year, with over 40 events in that tournament paying out more than a million dollars in prize money and their top event paying out more than $27 million in prizes. However, they were a little short on details, promising to get a schedule of online events into players’ hands by the middle of April.

And not to leave our friends across the pond feeling left out, WSOP Europe hopes to run a tournament in Rozvadov, the Czech Republic beginning 19 November through 8 December. They promise it will include a 10k Euro WSOP Main Event and an even more high stakes 50k buy-in game for those who have something to prove.

All of this is of course tentative as well, as no one has a crystal ball to see what travel may look like in Europe this winter, but they are taking hotel reservations at Kings Casino, Rozvadov. More information will be forthcoming shortly.