- The WSOP Main Event Final will take place on December 30 and ESPN will be airing the event.
- A winner will be awarded a bracelet, the title of poker world champion, and millions of dollars in prize pool money.
- The European half of the tournament begins on November 29 with the US portion beginning on December 13.
LAS VEGAS – The 2020 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in the US will take place around Christmastime and the buy-in is frozen at $10K.
Details of the event were up in the air as the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino, the venue that has hosted the tournament since 2005, has been closed for eight months due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
However, news of the casino’s reopening set for December 22 led WSOP to finalize plans for their Main Event using their usual location.
“Poker’s history is too important. It’s a unique format for the Main Event, but this is a unique year. We want to keep players’ health and safety top of mind and still deliver a great televised showcase for the game we love,” said Ty Stewart, WSOP Executive Director.
The 2020 WSOP Main Event
Beginning on November 29, poker players from around the world, except those in the US, will begin competing in the GGPoker tournament bracelet series. Individuals that make it into the top nine will be whisked away to Rozvadaov, Czech Republic where WSOP Europe holds their European functions.
The Kings Casino in Rozvadaov will host the European tournament final that will happen live on December 15.
As for American players, WSOP.com will be hosting poker enthusiasts in Nevada and New Jersey. They will begin their online tournament on December 13.
Players from these two locations that make it into the finals will be flown to Las Vegas where the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino will host its 16th WSOP Main Event on December 28.
On December 30, the winner of the European tournament and the US tournament will go head to head for a chance to win the bracelet for the series and the title of the world champion poker player. ESPN will be broadcasting the Final.
Aside from a winning title and bracelet, money is also involved. For the summer bracelet series, the prize pool went over $27 million. There is no word yet as to how much this pool will bring in because everyone that enters throws in $10K.
But on top of whatever that total may be, WSOP.com and GGPoker are adding a combined $1 million into the pot for the take-home prize as well.
The Poker Championship Must Go On
Due to the situation with COVID-19, the tournament is structured as a hybrid of both internet and in-person action. The beginning stages will be through USA online poker platforms with the finals going live in a face-to-face atmosphere.
This helps to cut down on the number of time players are exposed to potential health issues and allows for social-distancing to be implemented with the use of online access for a portion of the tournaments.