As we all know, last year’s World Series of Poker was moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this year, Kevmath made the announcement that there would be a live WSOP, but until now, WSOP officials had failed to confirm this.
On Thursday, WSOP officials made that confirmation. The 2021 World Series of Poker will run in Las Vegas starting September 30th. Before you ask, this was not an April Fool’s joke.
Live 2021 WSOP Dates Announced
The WSOP couldn’t wait another day to make their epic announcement for the 2021 WSOP. On Thursday, WSOP announced that the 2021 World Series of Poker will be held live from the Rio in Las Vegas, Nevada. The series will run from September 30th through November 23rd.
While life is beginning to return to some semblance of normality, there is still a way to go. As such, the WSOP will adhere to COVID-19 safety protocols as are necessary at the time. This will include any requirements for masks or social distancing. Those guidelines will be revealed closer to the start of the series.
This isn't an April Fools' Joke : the WSOP is back. We couldn’t wait another day to share the good news :
– WSOP back in-person from Sept. 30 to Nov. 23 at @RioVegas
– Summer to see the return of WSOP Online
– WSOP Europe @PokerroomKings to round out 2021https://t.co/kOacLy6PaE pic.twitter.com/srNDjnxSXt— WSOP (@WSOP) April 1, 2021
A full schedule was not announced but we do know a few details about the series. The opening weekend will kick off with a charity event benefiting frontline healthcare workers. There will also be a $5 Million Guaranteed NL Hold’em Event dubbed “The Reunion.” For mixed games players, there will also be a $25,000 HORSE event.
Ty Stewart, WSOP Executive Director, was quoted in the press release for the announcement, stating, “This year, more than ever, we embrace our role at the WSOP to deliver memorable experiences and bring this community of poker lovers back together. In 2021, the theme is, get vaccinated and get back to Vegas,”
Dates for the Main Event were also announced. It will run from November 4th through 17th. There will be four starting flights.
World Series of Poker Online to Return
Last year, the WSOP moved most of its bracelet events online. The success of the event prompted them to hold another WSOP online. There will be a domestic and international version of both events, with both series awarding bracelets to winners.
The American WSOP Online will kick off on July 1st and will be held on WSOP.com in the United States. Only those physically located in Nevada, New Jersey, and possibly Pennsylvania will be able to play. Those are the states where online casinos are legal in the United States. A full schedule will be released on April 15th. Shortly thereafter, the international leg of the series will run.
WSOP Europe May Return
The final announcement in Thursday’s press release is that the World Series of Poker Europe may return to King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic. The series is tentatively scheduled for November 19th through December 8th.
WSOP Europe at King's in Rozvadov is scheduled for November 19 – December 8, offering 15 bracelet events including a €10,000 Main Event and a €50,000 High Roller
— Kevin Mathers (@Kevmath) April 1, 2021
According to Stewart, “We hope and anticipate travel restrictions will ease by the fall. It’s important to us that we have an excellent tournament schedule available to our European players.”
Should the series happen, there will be 15 bracelet events to include a 10,000 Euro WSOP Europe Main Event and a 50,000 Euro High Roller. Out of the two live events to run this year, this is the one that has the greatest chance of being canceled.
Too Many Bracelets?
While full schedules have yet to be announced for any of the series, at first glance one has to wonder if the WSOP is oversaturating the market with bracelets. If the online schedule is as robust as last year, we could see over 200 bracelets awarded this year.
What we hope happens is that the WSOP cuts the online version of the event down to about 15 to 20 events max. If the live version cuts back the bracelet count by dozen or more, this would put the total bracelet total close to what we had last year. We will get a better idea of what to expect once full schedules are revealed.