[toc]Previously, poker players had to adjust their schedules to fit in the largest tournaments offered by the World Series of Poker (WSOP) each summer. However, this year, they can choose any weekend and be assured of finding a major event with an almost certain high turnout.
The thrilling news is that players can now choose to use a credit card to buy-in to these tournaments.
Schedule of flagship events
What the company is referring to as a “flagship” tournament will be featured each weekend of this year’s WSOP.
Here’s a glimpse of what’s to come:
- Colossus III costs $565 and starts on June 2nd, continuing for three consecutive days. There will be two flights each day, one at 10 a.m. and another at 4 p.m.
- The Millionaire Maker of $1,500 will begin on June 10 and 11 with one starting flight each day at 10 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
- On June 16th at 10 a.m., there will be a $1,000 competition for Seniors and Super Seniors. The Seniors’ competition is on Friday and the Super Seniors’ competition is on Sunday.
- The Monster Stack event, with a $1,500 entry fee, will start at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 24 and Sunday, June 25.
- For two consecutive days starting on July 1, the $888 Crazy Eights event will have two starting flights each day at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
- The Main Event with a prize of $10,000 will take place on July 8, 9, and 10. There will be one starting flight each day at 11 a.m. for three consecutive days.
More on the WSOP flagship tournaments
Every tournament on the flagship weekend features a unique twist or price point, making it an essential event for poker enthusiasts to participate in.
Colossus
This is the third edition of the Colossus event, which is the only open-field event in the series with a buy-in of $565.
There are six initial flights in total and players are allowed to re-enter up to one time per flight. This implies that you can potentially have 12 attempts to win a bracelet if necessary.
The tournament boasts a guaranteed first-place prize of $1 million. An impressive 21,613 entries were recorded in the event last year. Ultimately, the prize pool exceeded $10.8 million.
Millionaire Maker
Returning for its fourth consecutive year, this tournament is a $1,500 buy-in event, promising a guaranteed first-place prize of $1 million. Offering two starting days, it allows players the opportunity to re-enter once each day, providing up to four attempts to win the seven-figure prize.
The event last year attracted 7,160 participants and ensured $1 million winnings for the first and second places. However, this skewed payout structure received some backlash. This year, the format reverted to guaranteeing a single $1 million prize for the winner.
Seniors and Super Seniors
As the younger crowd attends the Electric Daisy Carnival, individuals over 49 will likely gather in record numbers at the Rio. The previous year saw 4,499 participants, with the winner, Johnnie Craig, walking away with nearly $540,000 from the $4 million prize pool.
The Super Seniors event restricts the age range by permitting only players who are 65 years and older. Each tournament requires a buy-in of $1,000.
Monster Stack
Since its introduction in 2014, players have been eagerly seeking to participate in the tournament where they receive ten times the regular starting stack.
The event, which requires a buy-in of $1,500 and is a freeze-out with just one entry permitted per person, attracted 6,927 participants despite the no re-entry rule. This resulted in a considerable prize pool of $9.4 million.
Crazy Eights
This is an eight-handed no-limit hold’em tournament event with a buy-in of $888 and a guaranteed $888,888 first-place prize. The event is scheduled over two days, each having two flights, and allows unlimited re-entries.
Last year, a new tournament was added to the WSOP schedule. It ultimately became the fourth-largest tournament of the summer, attracting 6,761 entries.
Main Event
What else can be said about the WSOP Main Event that hasn’t already been mentioned? This prestigious event, often referred to as the ultimate, commences on July 8, beginning with three starting days. Last year, Qui Nguyen outperformed 6,737 participants to win slightly above $8 million.
The 2017 WSOP is set to start on May 30 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
