There are new rules and procedures in place, and the temperature outside is about 30 degrees cooler than usual, but the World Series of Poker has officially returned to Las Vegas after a hiatus of more than 800 days. It was July of 2019 when Germany’s Hossein Ensan closed out the 50th annual summer series with a $10 million main event win . The 2020 festival promised to be even bigger, but the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to live poker around the world and forced the WSOP online.
In fact, it was only the final tablists of the main event who got to play cards in the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino last year, with Argentina’s Damian Salas coming away with a combined $2,550,969 after topping the international online field and domestic winner Joseph Hebert.
Normally held around June and July, the 2021 series was pushed to the fall. A total of 88 events are scheduled to award bracelets between Sept. 30 and Nov. 23.
The WSOP main event will have four starting flights to choose from between Nov. 4-7. The final table is currently slated for Tuesday, Nov.16 and Wednesday, Nov. 17.
“We’ve spent the last 26 months dreaming of the return of the WSOP live and in-person to the Rio, and it feels incredible to say, today is that day,” said Senior Vice President of the World Series of Poker , Ty Stewart. “There is nothing like the WSOP live with each day making history— from the unforgettable wins to the overwhelming upsets — it’s an unmatched experience. We are incredibly appreciative of those who have traveled near and far to be back in Las Vegas with us, as well as our Team Members and partners considering it takes a huge village to pull this event off.”
Thursday saw the traditional $500 Casino Employees event kick off the series, and although there were the usual lines of players in the Rio hallway, this time the congestion was due to the new vaccine-mandate policy rather than registration delays.
Less than five weeks from the start of the series, tournament organizers surprised many by […]
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