In April, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas was postponed by Caesars Entertainment. Today, the organizers of the world’s biggest poker tournament unveiled the World Series of Poker Online.
The online version of WSOP is not intended to replace the annual live WSOP event held at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. This online event is set to be the largest of its kind with 85 tournaments and a prize pool of $134 million. Furthermore, players will have the opportunity to compete for the prestigious gold bracelet on two gaming platforms, namely WSOP.com and GGPoker.
WSOP Online schedule
The WSOP Online tournament is set to kick off on July 1st, featuring a $500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em event. The schedule on WSOP.com includes a bracelet event each day for the entire month of July. The tournament will conclude on July 31st for players in Nevada and New Jersey.
The GGPoker Network will officially commence WSOP Online bracelet tournaments for players outside the U.S. on Sunday, July 19. This international series will continue until Sept. 6. This marks the first instance where players outside the U.S. can compete online for an official WSOP bracelet. Details regarding specific events will be released soon by GG Poker.
2020 WSOP.com NV/NJ online bracelet schedule
Here’s a glance at the schedule for local events.
| Event | Date | Time | Event | Buy-In |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 1 (W) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em Kick-Off | $500 |
| 2 | July 2 (Th) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em 8-Handed Deepstack | $1,000 |
| 3 | July 3 (F) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em | $400 |
| 4 | July 4 (Sa) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em Super Turbo | $500 |
| 5 | July 5 (Su) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em Freezeout | $1,000 |
| 6 | July 6 (M) | 3:00 p.m. | PLO8 6-Handed | $600 |
| 7 | July 7 (Tu) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em Knockout Deepstack | $800 |
| 8 | July 8 (W) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em Freezeout | $500 |
| 9 | July 9 (Th) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em 6-Max | $1,000 |
| 10 | July 10 (F) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em MonsterStack | $600 |
| 11 | July 11 (Sa) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em Turbo Deepstack 6-Handed | $500 |
| 12 | July 12 (Su) | 3:00 p.m. | The BIG 500 No Limit Hold’em | $500 |
| 13 | July 13 (M) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em High Roller Freezeout | $1,500 |
| 14 | July 14 (Tu) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em High Roller | $3,200 |
| 15 | July 15 (W) | 3:00 p.m. | PLO 8-Max HR | $1,000 |
| 16 | July 16 (Th) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em Turbo | $500 |
| 17 | July 17 (F) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em | $777 |
| 18 | July 18 (Sa) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em 8-Handed Turbo DeepStack | $1,000 |
| 19 | July 19 (Su) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em | $400 |
| 20 | July 20 (M) | 3:00 p.m. | PLO 6-Handed | $500 |
| 21 | July 21 (Tu) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em 6-Handed | $777 |
| 22 | July 22 (W) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em Turbo Deepstack | $500 |
| 23 | July 23 (Th) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em Knockout | $500 |
| 24 | July 24 (F) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em 8-Handed | $400 |
| 25 | July 25 (Sa) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em Summer Saver | $500 |
| 26 | July 26 (Su) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em Grande Finale | $500 |
| 27 | July 27 (M) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em Freezeout | $400 |
| 28 | July 28 (Tu) | 3:00 p.m. | Omaha 8 6-Max | $1,000 |
| 29 | July 29 (W) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em Turbo Deepstack 6-Handed | $600 |
| 30 | July 30 (Th) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em Senior’s Event | $500 |
| 31 | July 31 (F) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold’em Championship | $1,000 |
The No-Limit Hold’em High Roller event on WSOP.com has buy-ins ranging from $400 to $3,200.
“Winning a WSOP bracelet is an unparalleled experience,” stated Daniel Negreanu, GGPoker ambassador. “By moving this experience online, we’re paving the way for a fresh wave of poker players to experience the thrill of vying for the game’s top reward.”
Las Vegas casinos reopening but WSOP still on hold
This year was expected to be one of the biggest years for the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas, with over 100 online and live bracelet tournaments scheduled at the Rio this summer. However, the WSOP is currently on hold, with hopes that the poker tournament will occur sometime in the fall.
“Summer wouldn’t be the same without WSOP,” said Ty Stewart, Executive Director of the World Series of Poker. “We are delighted to reopen our venues and hopeful about future offline events. But our excitement is at its peak about strengthening our relationship with GGPoker and witnessing some historic moments online this summer.”
Caesars Entertainment has begun the process of reopening its casinos in Las Vegas. However, live poker is currently unavailable at the re-opened casinos, including Caesars Palace, Flamingo, and Harrah’s. Meanwhile, The Rio is still closed and is set to reopen when visitor numbers to Las Vegas increase.
Life is different and so is this WSOP event
The WSOP Online is not intended to be a substitute for the live tournament. The tournament was delayed due to the public health crisis caused by COVID-19. In Nevada, gatherings of more than 50 people in a single room are still not permitted. Despite this, Caesars Entertainment remains hopeful that they will be able to hold the event later in the fall, if restrictions are lifted.
The proliferation of coronavirus is altering daily routines for everyone. In response, WSOP is providing increased online poker opportunities for those interested in playing.
WSOP Online shares similarities with the live event, as intrigued players might need to travel to participate. The event on WSOP.com is exclusively accessible to US players in Nevada and New Jersey. Just like the conventional WSOP, players interested can travel to either state to play, regardless of their residency status.
Choice to have so many online WSOP bracelets generates controversy
WSOP Online differs in that it only offers a limited variety of poker tournaments. American players are restricted to participating in only Hold’em and Omaha events. Moreover, some players express concerns that WSOP might be diminishing the prestige associated with winning a gold bracelet.
A tirade concerning @WSOP pic.twitter.com/s9WKUmErRz
This was tweeted by Brandon Shack-Harris (@Oscillator_WSOP) on June 8, 2020.
WSOP Online is not an exact copy of the live poker tournament that has been held in Nevada for over 50 years. Whether or not it serves as a suitable alternative for players wishing to play cards this summer remains uncertain.
