The World Series of Poker (WSOP) and most live tournaments in April have been postponed by Caesars Entertainment. The company is presently preparing to hold the world’s biggest poker tournament in Las Vegas this coming fall.
In the interim, Caesars has transitioned its live tournaments to WSOP.com. Consequently, the Global Casino Championship (GCC) will, for the first time, be held entirely online.
The WSOP.com Season Finale will usher poker players into the GCC. The series consists of 12 online poker tournaments, starting on Wednesday, June 3 with the Online Finale Kick-Off tournament. With a buy-in of $215, this tournament offers a $100,000 prize pool.
The online tournament series is set to conclude on June 14 with the Online Finale Circuit Main Event. Participants can enter this tournament with a $525 buy-in, competing for a piece of the $300,000 prize pool. In total, the WSOP.com Season Finale offers a whopping $1.5 million in guaranteed prize money.
WSOP.com ‘Season Finale’ online circuit event
The “Season Finale” on WSOP.com is scheduled for June 3-14, during which 13 guaranteed spots will be awarded for the exclusive WSOP Global Casino Championship. This championship, taking place on Sunday, September 13, boasts over $1 million in guaranteed prize money.
This is the updated schedule for the official ring events of the WSOP.com “Season Finale.”
| Date | Event | Buy-in | Guarantee | Re-entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 3 | Kick-Off | $215 | $100,000 | 2x |
| June 4 | No Limit Hold’em | $320 | $100,000 | 2x |
| June 5 | No Limit Hold’em Turbo Deepstack | $250 | $100,000 | 2x |
| June 6 | BIG 500 | $500 | $150,000 | 3x |
| June 7 | Monster Stack | $525 | $200,000 | 3x |
| June 8 | Freezeout | $320 | $100,000 | NA |
| June 9 | High Roller 6-Max | $1,000 | $150,000 | 2x |
| June 10 | No Limit Hold’em | $215 | $100,000 | 2x |
| June 11 | No Limit Hold’em | $320 | $100,000 | 2x |
| June 12 | No Limit Hold’em Monster Stack | $320 | $100,000 | 3x |
| June 13 | Double Stack | $320 | $150,000 | 2x |
| June 14 | Main Event | $525 | $300,000 | 3x |
Besides cash rewards, winners will also be awarded points determined by the number of participants and the payout ratios from each ring event. There are two methods by which players can secure a spot in the Global Casino Championship:
- Succeed in a WSOP.com Online Finale circuit ring event.
- Accumulate the most points through the 12-event schedule above to win the WSOP.com Online Circuit Casino Championship.
You can find more information and the complete terms and conditions for WSOP.com players in Nevada at WSOP.com.
Global Casino Championship moves online
The Global Casino Championship, typically a live poker tournament hosted at Harrah’s Cherokee in North Carolina, has been entirely shifted online due to social distancing restrictions. To participate, players need to be located in one of three states:
- Nevada
- New Jersey
“Our aim is to treat our players fairly and ensure the promised prize money is up for grabs,” stated Ty Stewart, the Executive Director of the World Series of Poker.
We hope that by offering a choice of East Coast or West Coast locations, more qualifying players will find it feasible to participate. Our Online Circuit events at WSOP.com have been incredibly successful, and it also offers a viable option for securing the last few qualification spots and for this year’s championship. We eagerly anticipate returning to Harrah’s Cherokee in 2021, but until then, the event will continue…online.
Shifting a live poker tournament to an online platform is somewhat contentious. However, it could be advantageous for Nevada residents who may not have considered travelling to the east coast to partake in the GCC in North Carolina.
While casinos have been closed, many Nevada poker players have migrated to WSOP.com.
The new social-distancing measures in casinos and larger online tournaments could encourage players to remain on WSOP.com rather than visiting physical casinos.
Limited live poker at Nevada casinos
Some residents of Nevada may opt to forego the online poker tournament and instead play a live poker game at a casino. Although casinos are authorized to reopen on Thursday, June 4, some poker players express reservations about immediately participating in a live game.
Poker players may immediately avoid live games in casinos for several reasons. One significant concern could be the fear of contracting COVID-19.
Anyone visiting a casino can understand this, but it isn’t the sole reason why poker players might avoid their favorite casino game. Not all poker rooms are expected to reopen immediately once casinos get the green light to operate in early June.
The poker rooms at The Venetian and South Point are set to open on the first day. In contrast, it appears Wynn and Caesars Palace will keep their rooms shut for an extended period.
The poker rooms that do open, as per the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB), will be required to maintain social distancing during games. When Nevada casinos reopen, live poker games in casinos will be limited to four players per table.
Some players find four-handed poker insufficient. However, this may change in the future, once the NGCB evaluates the social distancing guidelines within casinos. Until then, players will have to make do with online poker.
