Poker is truly a worldwide game. If you do not believe that, think about this: two of the last three winners of the Championship Event that crowns the World Champion (and five of the last ten) at the World Series of Poker have been foreign players. The fact that poker is a global game will once again be demonstrated this summer as PokerStars and World College Poker team up to offer the 2021 World College Poker Championship Main Event through the “dot net” side of PokerStars.
Event Begins in July
The partnership between PokerStars and WCP will look to crown one player as the collegiate World Champion of poker. Through a four-stage process, players from around the world will compete against each other by regional locations. It is as simple as players registering on the World College Poker website to get their seat in the game.
To play in the tournament, a player has to prove that they are a student that is at least 18 years of age or older. That person must also show that they are currently enrolled in a college, university or vocational school anywhere in the world. Unfortunately, players located in Spain, Italy, Portugal, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New Jersey cannot take part in the event because of state and national laws and regulations.
The tournament kicks off on July 24, with 300 regional tournaments around the world being played. Players will be divvied up between those regions, which should provide for not only some collegiate “smack talk” but also some national pride to show through in the action. The qualifiers from those 300 tournaments will reconvene on July 31 and play down to the final 45 players.
After another week break, the 45 survivors will come together again on PokerStars.net. By making this stage of the tournament, the players will receive some accolades from the PokerStars in the form of “swag bags.” Those 45 players will also battle it out to determine the final six players.
As to that final table, there are possibilities that it could be a live event, hence the reason for the lack of clarity on a date. Many things, including the ongoing COVID issue, may have an effect on whether the tournament is live or online. But a champion will be determined soon after the determination of the final table on July 31.
Colleges Support Poker for Several Reasons
Poker has become a major part of many a college campus. Perhaps because of its key elements – the ability to think critically, take in incomplete information and utilize strategic thought and psychological methods – poker makes itself an excellent method of exercising the mind. Several major colleges in the U. S., including Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University (the home of the Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society), Stanford, and Yale, all have campus clubs and organizations that use poker to hone their mental skills.
All it takes for a college student to play in the tournament is to sign up. World College Poker has a website that offers more information on what to expect in the event, including a link to register for the event. Poker teaches a multitude of skills that can be applied to everyday life, so the partnership between PokerStars and World College Poker in crowning a collegiate poker World Champion can be viewed as a “life lesson.”