WSOP Releases 2015-2016 WSOP Circuit Schedule
The World Series of Poker Main Event is without a doubt the focus of the poker world, but never content to just let things marinate, the WSOP let loose with some news last week to make sure the WSOP brand is always out there: the 2015-2016 WSOP Circuit schedule.
There will be 25 total stops on the WSOP Circuit in the coming year, 19 in the United States and 6 new international locations. Four tour stops will be featured twice: Horseshoe Baltimore, Harrah’s Cherokee (North Carolina), The Bicycle Casino (Los Angeles), and the Palm Beach Kennel Club. Bally’s Las Vegas is the lone new venue on the WSOP Circuit.
Not all of the international locations have been set. So far, the WSOP lists Casino de Campione in Italy in September 2015, King’s Casino in the Czech Republic in November, and the Jubilee Casino Monterrey sometime in early 2016.
WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Cherokee
The WSOP Circuit season will once again culminate with the WSOP Global Casino Championship, previously called the WSOP National Championship. A total of 100 players will earn a free entry into the $1 million guaranteed gold bracelet event. The 25 winners of the WSOP Circuit $1,675 Main Events will receive automatic bids, as will the 25 “casino winners.” These casino winners are those who earn the most points (based on where they finish in the tournaments) throughout the 12 “ring events” at an individual tour stop. The other 50 players earning free seats into the WSOP Global Casino Championship will be the 50 people who earn the most points during the entire WSPO Circuit season but did not win a casino title or Main Event. If there is an overlap in automatic qualifiers – for example, if the Main Event winner at a tour stop is also the casino winner – an additional season points qualifier will likely be added. Additionally, if more tour stops are added (naturally resulting in more Main Event and casino winners) or WSOP.com qualifiers are tacked on, the WSOP will contribute an additional $10,000 to the Global Casino Championship prize pool.
Each Circuit stop will have, as mentioned, a dozen “ring events,” which are the “official” events, so to speak, that count towards the season-long points race. Each host casino will also be encouraged to run a Ladies Event and Seniors Event, but other than the ring events, the casinos can structure the schedule however they would like. Circuit event buy-ins (aside from the Main Events) will range from $365 to $1,125, allowing players from different areas of the U.S. the chance to participate in World Series of Poker-sponsored tournaments with generally much smaller buy-ins than there are at the traditional WSOP in Las Vegas. No, it is not exactly the same, but for someone in North Carolina who can’t afford to plunk down $10,000 on the WSOP Main Event or even, say, $2,500 on a lesser event plus airfare, hotel, and meals, it is nice to be able to drive over to Harrah’s Cherokee for a more reasonably priced event that still has the WSOP stamp on it.
“We know not everyone can make it out to Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker, and this is our way of bringing the flavor and feel of the WSOP to regional markets,” said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart in a press release. “The WSOP Circuit continues to be a great success, both at getting new players to the game and creating tomorrow’s stars and we’re excited to kick off the twelfth season August 6.”
2015-2016 World Series of Poker Circuit Schedule
TOURNAMENT DATES | TOURNAMENT LOCATION | MAIN EVENT | |
1. | August 6-17, 2015 | Foxwoods Resort Casino (Connecticut) | August 15-17 |
2. | August 20-31, 2015 | Horseshoe Baltimore (Maryland) | August 28-30 |
3. | September 17-28, 2015 | Palm Beach Kennel Club (Florida) | September 26-28 |
4. | October 1-12, 2015 | Horseshoe Southern Indiana | October 9-12 |
5. | October 15-26, 2015 | Horseshoe Hammond (Chicago) | October 23-26 |
6. | October 29 – Nov. 9, 2015 | Harveys Lake Tahoe (Nevada) | November 6-9 |
7. | November 12-23, 2015 | Planet Hollywood (Las Vegas Strip) | November 20-23 |
8. | Nov. 26 – December 7, 2015 | Harrah’s Cherokee (North Carolina) | December 4-7 |
9. | December 3-14, 2015 | The Bicycle Casino (Los Angeles) | December 12-14 |
10. | January 7-18, 2016 | Choctaw Durant (Dallas/Oklahoma) | January 15-18 |
11. | January 21 – Feb. 1, 2016 | Horseshoe Tunica (Mississippi) | Jan. 29-Feb. 1 |
12. | February 4-15, 2016 | Palm Beach Kennel Club (Florida) | February 12-15 |
13. | February 25 – March 7, 2016 | Bally’s (Las Vegas) *new stop | March 4-7 |
14. | March 15-26, 2016 | Harrah’s Atlantic City (New Jersey) | March 24-26 |
15. | March 19-30, 2016 | The Bicycle Casino (Los Angeles) | March 27-30 |
16. | March 24 – April 4, 2016 | Horseshoe Baltimore (Baltimore) | April 2-4 |
17. | March 31 – April 11, 2016 | Horseshoe Council Bluffs (Omaha/Iowa) | April 8-11 |
18. | April 14-25, 2016 | Harrah’s Cherokee (North Carolina) | April 22-25 |
19. | May 12-23, 2016 | Harrah’s New Orleans (Louisiana) | May 20-23 |
| TBD | WSOP Global Casino Championship | TBD |
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