2013 WSOP Schedule Announced

For those of you unfamiliar with WSOP, or for those who know it predominately as the World Series of Poker, this series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas is in its 8th year running with Caesars Entertainment at the helm.  According to Wikipedia, The tournament actually dates back to the early 1970’s when Benny Binion invited seven of the most famous poker players for a single tournament at the Horseshoe Casino in Vegas; this year’s poker competition will feature 62 bracelet events over the course of 48 days all televised by ESPN. First cards will be dealt on May 29th.

This year marks the 44th anniversary of the WSOP. “We think this is the most diverse schedule we’e ever had and we’ll be ready for an all-time turn-out,” said Jack Effel, WSOP Tournament Director in the World Series of Poker press release. “Bring your bankroll, whatever it is, and come have the time of your life.”

Here’s a sampling of 2013 WSOP events:

  • The Millionaire Maker: Held on Saturday, June 1, The Millionaire Maker is a one-day, two-flight, single re-entry No-Limit Hold’em game. Winner gets, you guessed it, $1 million in cash.
  • Turbo No-Limit Hold’em: The first Turbo format in WSOP history, Event #34 will play out over two days with the first four levels lasting 30 minutes, the next 13 levels lasting 40 minutes, and the remaining levels lasting the standard 60 minutes.
  • Open Face Chinese Poker: While not an official bracelet event, this new addition to the tournament line-up is a $5K buy-in. It appears to be in a test phase to determine if it will be bracelet-worthy in future events.
  • Daily WSOP Satellites: Every day of the Series will provide ample opportunities for bootstrap players to work their way up the ranks with smaller buy-ins.

Last year, the Series cultivated almost 75,000 poker players from 101 different nations around the world, all vying for over $222 million in prize money. While the money is certainly alluring, most of the players covet the championship gold bracelets, which are akin to Superbowl rings and Stanley Cups. The best of the best will gather on June 30, 2013 to play in a$50,000 buy-in eight-game event to determine who’s name gets chiseled into the prestigious Chip Reese Trophy.

“Dreams are dealt each year at the World Series of Poker,” said Ty Stewart, Executive Director of the WSOP.  “From the opening weekend, where we will make yet another millionaire, to the Main Event, which awards the largest single prize in the world, the WSOP is an annual affirmation about the strength and global appeal of the game.”

Author: GamesAndCasino