Pack your bags and book your tickets. With less than 100 days to go before kick-off, the schedule for the 2022 World Series of Poker has finally dropped.
The accordion-like nature of time during the pandemic means that after 18 months without a WSOP, we are now getting two within 6 months of each other. This time in a whole new location.
"This year is particularly historic for the WSOP with its move to the heart of the Las Vegas Strip and debut in the best facilities we’ve ever had," the WSOP's Executive Director, Ty Steward explained in the WSOP's press release."We’re ready to welcome players from all over the world to our housewarming party at Bally’s — soon-to-be Horseshoe — and Paris. The schedule is jam-packed with first-class events and we expect this to be the biggest and most anticipated WSOP yet.”
This will be Stewart's 17th time presiding over the Series having shepherded it through most of the poker boom.
Along with the live schedule, the WSOP has also issued the 2022 WSOP Online schedule and some of the key rules for the live events.
The announcement also notes that the 2022 WSOP will run in Rozvadov from October 12 to November 3, 2022.
New and partially improved
The new live schedule for 2022 features 88 numbered tournaments, plus a Tournament of Champions. The numbered events range in scale from the $400 buy-in Colossus to the $250,000 Super High Roller. The TOC will be a $1 million freeroll open to all of 2022's bracelet and WSOPC Ring winners.
Key tournament highlights include the main event, a $25k heads-up event, a $1k Mystery bounty (with bounties up to $1 million), and a Lucky $777 (presumably because Natural8 did not resume sponsorship of the Lucky $888). Then of course there is the Main Event.
However, it is in the middle of the buy-in range that the biggest changes have been made. This year the WSOP is laying on some extra mid-stakes tournaments in the $2k to $5k range, along with some additional bounty tourneys. These adjustments suggest that the WSOP management has been listening closely to some of the poker community's gripes.
Though not all of them. Unfortunately, the ubiquitous rebuys and ultra-late registration are still here, including Day 2 registration for the Main Event.
COVID restrictions
The announcement that is most likely to generate debate is of course the vaccine and masking rules. Right now it sounds like the WSOP is not setting its own position. Instead, it defers to the state guidelines, writing that "the WSOP will follow local, state, and CDC guidelines relating to COVID-19 that are in effect during the event.
"While there will be no vaccination requirement to play in the tournament, players will be accountable to follow CDC guidelines appropriate to them as individuals."
At the moment that will mean no vaccine requirement or mask mandate.
However, since these are dependent on state mandates, that could change with Governor Sisolak's haircut.
Featured image source: WSOP.com
