The 2019 World Series of Poker at the Rio Casino in Las Vegas is currently at 74 events and counting. The final schedule has yet to be released, but the WSOP announced a couple of additions including a special Bracelet Winners Only. There will also be larger starting stacks and Big Blind Ante format for any ante events.
Ooooh, it's almost here. The 50th annual running of the donks is coming this summer. It seems like just yesterday that John Cynn outlasted a field of 7,874 runners to win the 2018 World Series of Poker Main Event for an $8.8 million score. The WSOP is turning 50-years old this year. Hard to think it's been a half of a century since Benny Binion conjured up an idea to host a poker festival in order to spruce up business at the Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas.
If you build it, they will come. The best of the best and the worst of the rich and all noobs and neophytes in between will flock to Vegas this summer for a chance to win a bracelet and become poker famous. Dreams are fulfilled and crushed with the same turn of the card. It's a place where you can walk into the casino a nobody and leave a couple days later and everyone will know your name.
The suits at the WSOP recently tossed poker crackheads a little taste of the schedule. The entire 2018 schedule got leaked last year, but they've done a good job keep the 50th anniversary schedule under wraps. They recently announced 34 more events to bring the schedule to 74 events and counting. There's a rumor that this year will have 100 events, or double the 50. Who knows for sure. The final schedule will be released shortly.
For now, all you need to know is the special bracelet event for bracelet winners. Call it a TOC or a Tourney of Champs or Winner's Club or Bracelet Brahs/Sisbrahs. Whatever you want to call it, it's a special event open to the thousand or so lucky souls who shipped bling since the 1970s. And yes, if you win a bracelet in 2019, you will also be eligible to play in the $1,500 buy-in Champion of Champions event. The WSOP CoC takes place on July 10.
Short-deck poker is coming to the WSOP. Say hello to a $10,000 Short Deck NL event that starts on June 2.
The Big Blind Ante has become the latest rage because it speeds up the action. No more wondering who ante/didn't ante. It will be featured in all events with antes, especially the dailys and satellites.
The starting stacks will be jacked up once again. I'm so old I remember the good old days when your starting stack was the buy-in of your event. Yeah, $1,500 events got 1,500 in chips and the Main Event got 10,000 in chips. Right now it's a 5x series. $1,500 events will now start with 25K in chips.
Also, the Big50 will have a starting stack of 50K. The $500 event doesn't have juice on its first entry. The total prize pool will be guaranteed for $5 million with $1 million set aside to the champion. The levels will be... 50 minutes. How clever!
Early on, there will be a $50,000 buy-in event for 50th Annual High Rollers. That kicks off May 31. There's also a $25K PLO High Roller on June 19. The $100,000 High Roller is at the end of the summer.
As far a premier events go, the $50K Players Championship is the most prestigious event on the schedule every summer. The winner plays for a big stack of cash, bragging rights, and the coveted the Chip Reese Trophy, which kicks off on June 24. And the $10,000 Main Event will be three opening flights starting on Wednesday July 3.
There's also a mini-Main that cost just $1,000 for those dreamers who bust from the Main Event early and want to fire another shot at a bracelet.
The Little One for One Drop has a $1,111 by-in and begins July 6.
Some cool $10,000 events included.... $10K Super Turbo Bounty, $10K Short Deck, $10K Heads Up, $10K Omaha 8 Championship, $10K Deuce to 7 Lowball, $10K HORSE, $10K Dealers Choice (6-max), $10K Seven-Card Stud, $10K Triple Draw, $10K Razz, $10K PLO8, $10K Stud 8, and $10K 6-Max NL.
There's only two $5K events of note with the $5,000 Dealers Choice and $5K NL.
And of course, there's all those super cheesy branded events like the Milly Maker, Marathon, Monster Stack, Colossus, Crazy Eights, and the Closer.
For more info, head over to the World Series of Poker website and check out their current schedule information.
We compiled a list of bracelet winners from the last two summers. Check out our index of 2017 WSOP Bracelet Winners and 2018 WSOP Bracelet Winners.
