Poker pros prepare for summer showdown in Las Vegas
By Sean Chaffin
This month’s “Poker Notes” takes a look at the schedule for the World Series of Poker as well as some recent big winners, a huge weight loss wager and more.
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) announced this summer’s complete schedule in February and players can expect a packed slate of events for entrants of all levels. The 55th edition of the series heads back to the Las Vegas Strip at the Horseshoe and Paris casinos from May 28-July 17, with a total of 99 events and almost 700 tables.
The $10,000 Main Event is set for July 3, with four starting flights running through July 6 and late registration available on July 7 & 8 on Day 2 flights. The final table is set for July 16 & 17 at the Horseshoe. Last year’s Main Event drew a record 10,043 entrants and crowned Daniel Weinman champion and the winner of $12.1 million—the largest Main Event payout in series history.
Weinman and other former WSOP Main Event champions will kick off the 2024 series with an all-new $5,000 Champions Reunion No Limit Hold’em Freezeout. Players who knock out a former Main Event champion receive an automatic entry into the Main Event as a bounty.
“We’re proud to be Las Vegas’s original Main Event,” World Series of Poker Senior Vice President Ty Stewart said. “Records are made to be broken, so our motto this year is bigger and better. With our best schedule ever and more than 100 additional poker tables, we look forward to welcoming legends, first-timers and everyone in between. If you’re a poker player, there is simply no experience on earth like the World Series of Poker.”
Even more new and noteworthy events highlight the schedule and include:
- $5,000 Seniors High Roller NLHE (Event 65) – For the first time, players ages 50 and up can participate in an exclusive new high roller event beginning on June 26.
- $1,500 Mixed NLHE; Pot-Limit Omaha Double Board Bomb Pot (Event 41) – Beginning on June 15, this is a first-of-its-kind event for the series. A bomb pot format features each player putting a set amount in the pot before the hand is dealt. The preflop betting round is also skipped and all players immediately see the flop.
- $800 Independence Day Celebration (Event 80) – Celebrate Independence Day with this new three-day event with two starting flights on July 3 and 4.
- $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship (Event 89) – For players who bust out of the Main Event, this new four-day event begins on July 11.
Favorite weekend events like the Monster Stack, Millionaire Maker and Colossus all return and now feature three starting flights. Plenty of satellite events are planned throughout the series. Daily Deep Stack non-bracelet tournaments will run every day from May 28 to July 16, with buy-ins ranging from $200 to $400. Official online bracelet events on www.WSOP.com also return daily satellite qualifiers and Main Event satellites for as little as $1.
Main Event Maynia, the WSOP’s official guaranteed seat-qualifier series, returns in May at official partner casinos and card rooms throughout the world. Some of those include Horseshoe St. Louis, Grand Victoria Casino Elgin, Harrah’s Cherokee, Horseshoe Tunica, Harrah’s Pompano Beach, Thunder Valley Casino Resort, Turning Stone Resort Casino, Horseshoe Las Vegas, Foxwoods Resort Casino and Graton Casino and Resort.
For those heading to Las Vegas for some of the action, players will find the WSOP final table, television set and staging again inside the Horseshoe, while the main cage will be located at Paris. The two buildings are connected and share a parking garage.
PokerGO, the world’s largest poker content company and streaming platform, returns as the official livestream and production partner of the WSOP. Throughout the summer, PokerGO will stream dozens of gold bracelet events, including live coverage of the Main Event, across PokerGO.com and other platforms. Episodes will also be produced to air on CBS Sports.
When booking early, players will find reduced hotel room rates at Horseshoe and Paris, as well as all Caesars Entertainment resorts in Las Vegas, by using the special advanced booking code “WSOP24.”
To avoid long lines and congestion, WSOP management encourages participants to utilize the online/mobile registration process at www.BravoPokerLive.com. For more information, visit www.WSOP.com.