May has been filled with surprises already, and with the 49th World Series of Poker approaching, it doesn’t look like this month will slow down at all.
As players prepare for the WSOP, they should be aware of new online poker registrations and the best places to grab snacks. However, the real excitement comes from what the WSOP and Caesars have in store.
Shared liquidity
This list features numerous firsts, but the most significant is the opportunity for New Jersey players to participate in official online WSOP gold bracelet events, alongside Nevada participants, this year. This new opportunity is accompanied by a fresh loyalty reward program called Poker Rewards, which offers players up to 32 percent rakeback. With this shared pool in Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware, 888 and Caesars aim to attract more players.
Shot clock
Over the last few years, shot clocks have become a part of tournament scenes. This year, the WSOP will implement shot clocks in three events for the first time.
- High Roller No-Limit Hold’em Event #5 ($100,000)
- Event #77: No-Limit Hold’em High Roller with a $50,000 Stake
- Event #78: The Big One for Drop $1,000,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Big blind ante
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) will employ the big blind ante, a fresh format designed to accelerate the game, in eight events. In addition to those eight events, the $200 Deepstack at 4 p.m. and the $150 Deepstack at 10 p.m. will also use big blind antes. In essence, only the player in the big blind position will ante. This means that, rather than all players anteing before the hand, the player in the big blind will post an amount equivalent to the big blind/ante on top of the big blind.
The meaning of the ante is altered by the big blind. Rather than contributing a set ante each hand, players are required to pay a designated amount every round. This could potentially level the playing field and simplify the game, as players won’t need to remember to ante, and dealers won’t need to gather antes.
New Player of the Year calculation
This modification begins with a known concept and enhances it, although opinions may vary. As in previous years, players who cash in open gold bracelet events earn Player of the Year points. Now, however, the nature of the victory carries more weight. Players who win or make the final table will earn more points than those with minimal cash-outs.
In 2017, the number of points won ranged from 3.25 to 8 times more than a min-cash amount, depending on the event. Currently, the ratio is consistently around 20:1.
In response to player feedback, the WSOP made efforts to offer more rewards to those who won bracelets and advanced far in an event.
The WSOP will adapt the existing points system from the WSOP Circuit, modifying it according to the number of entries and buy-in, using the same scale.
Players who struggle to grasp it quickly need not fret. The points calculator will be available on the WSOP website to provide players with estimated point counts based on events, entries, and final positions. These points will also be displayed on the individual event results and prize pool sections.
Points adjustments
Although the winner of 2017 would not be altered by this new system, it would modify the points received from 23 cashes, a bracelet, a runner-up finish, and another final table.
Both the WSOP at the Rio (May 29 – July 17) and the WSOP Europe at King’s Casino (Oct. 11 – Nov. 2) are included in the 2018 Player of the Year race.
In summary, the new changes imply that all players cashing in the Giant and PLO Giant will earn points. These points will be computed after the final starting flight to tally the number of entries. For heads-up and shootout events, players who are eliminated in the same round will get an equal number of points. Essentially, they will get the average points that those positions would have earned in a regular flight.
Players have the ability to cash multiple times, however, Player of the Year points will only be activated once per event, depending on the final outcomes.
New events
This WSOP will premiere nine events. They are as follows:
- Event #2 on May 30: $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Super Turbo Bounty with $3,000 bounties each. The event will have 20-minute levels and will last for one day only.
- June 5: The fifth event will be the $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller, which is the largest buy-in in the history of the World Series of Poker that isn’t for charity. This event will include big blind ante and shot clocks.
- Event #11 – PLO GIANT – is a $365 Pot-Limit Omaha game that begins on Sunday, June 3 and continues every Sunday (June 10, 17, 24, and July 1) at 7 p.m. The flights from these dates will come together for Day 2 and Day 3, which will take place on July 2-3.
- Event #34 will take place on June 16/17. It is a $1,000 Double Stack No-Limit Hold’em event, which means participants get double the chips for a $1,000 buy-in. The event offers two starting flights and allows unlimited reentry.
- June 22: The 47th event is the $565 WSOP.com ONLINE Pot-Limit Omaha 6-Handed. This is the first online bracelet event for Pot-Limit Omaha with unlimited reentry. The use of desktop software is essential.
- Event #67 is taking place on July 6. This event is the first-ever WSOP Pot-Limit Omaha Bounty with a buy-in of $1,500 and $500 bounties. The entry fee is $1,500.
- Event #73: $1,000 Double Stack No-Limit Hold’em with 30-minute levels and 10,000 chips is scheduled for July 11. This is a freezeout event with only one starting day.
- Event #75, named “The Closer”, is scheduled for July 12. It is a $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em tournament with 30-minute levels and a $1 million guarantee. It will feature three starting flights, unlimited re-entry, and a starting chip stack of 15,000.
- Event #77 on July 13: $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller with big blind ante and shot clock included.
Image sourced from trekandshoot via Shutterstock.com
