The World Series of Poker (WSOP) announced the 2012-2013 WSOP Circuit schedule Monday, revealing the largest tour of all-time, complete with an impressive 20 stops. The new season is just around the corner, beginning August 9 at the IP Casino Resort & Spa in Biloxi, Mississippi and culminating with the WSOP Circuit National Championship May 21-23 at Harrah’s New Orleans.
There will be four new stops on the WSOP Circuit this coming season, including Horseshoe Cleveland March 14-25, 2013, Foxwoods Resort Casino March 27-April 8, 2013, and Harrah’s Cherokee in North Carolina April 4-15, 2013. The fourth is the first-ever Circuit stop outside of the United States, at the River Rock Casino in Vancouver, October 27-November 7.
This year, the WSOP National Championship was held at the Rio in Las Vegas, starting the day before and finishing during the WSOP Main Event. Next year, it will be moved to Harrah’s New Orleans and pushed up to May, rather than July. A total of 100 players will receive free entries into the tournament. There are three ways to qualify for a freeroll into the National Championship:
- Win the $1,600 Main Event at any Circuit stop.
- Earn the most points in the official “ring” events at any Circuit stop.
- Earn enough points across all Circuit stops to rank in the top 60 at season’s end.
As there will likely be some player overlap in the three qualification criteria, the list of the top 60 points earners will probably be extended to fill out the 100 qualifiers.
Those who rank in the top 100 players in the WSOP World Rankings (based on performances in WSOP and WSOP Europe open events over a two-year period) will be allowed to buy-in to the National Championship for $10,000.
In a press release, WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart said, “We’re coming off the best year of participation in the history of the WSOP Circuit and the addition of these new markets really brings our vision to life. We want to have the #1 regional tour to go alongside the number one super event in poker. We believe we have the best offering in terms of value and ROI at these stakes and the most exciting championship format.”
He added, “We’re thrilled to add a big-time marketing partner like Southern Comfort 100 Proof, who is a natural fit for this platform and will truly help grow the profile of the tour.”
2012-2013 WSOP Circuit Schedule
August 9-20, 2012 – IP Casino Resort & Spa (Biloxi, MS)
September 13-24, 2012 – Horseshoe Bossier City (Louisiana)
September 27 – October 8, 2012 – Horseshoe Southern Indiana
October 11-22, 2012 – Horseshoe Hammond (Chicago)
October 27 – November 7, 2012 – River Rock (Vancouver, Canada)
November 8-19, 2012 – Harveys Lake Tahoe
November 29- December 10, 2012 – Harrah’s Atlantic City
December 6 – 17, 2012 – Harrah’s Rincon (San Diego area)
January 3-14, 2013 – The Bicycle Casino (Los Angeles)
January 10-21, 2013 – Choctaw Durant (Dallas/Oklahoma)
January 24 – February 4, 2013 – Harrah’s Tunica (Mississippi)
February 7-18, 2013 – Caesars Palace (Las Vegas)
ebruary 14-25, 2013 – Palm Beach Kennel Club (Florida)
February 28 – March 11, 2013 – Caesars Atlantic City
March 14-25, 2013 – Horseshoe Cleveland
March 27 – April 8, 2013 – Foxwoods (Connecticut)
April 4-15, 2012 – Harrah’s Cherokee (North Carolina)
April 11 – 22, 2013 – Horseshoe Council Bluffs (Iowa/Omaha)
April 25 – May 6, 2013 – Harrah’s Philadelphia
May 9 – May 20, 2013 – Harrah’s New Orleans
May 21-23, 2013 – (National Championship) Harrah’s New Orleans
