WSOP Circuit
We have emerged from our holiday season cocoons into the light of the year 2022 and as such, live poker tournaments are getting ready to kickoff once again. With the omicron variant of COVID-19 causing new virus cases, hospitalizations, and deaths to skyrocket in the United States and around the world, things could change at a moments notice, but for now, let’s take a look at some of the live poker action we expect to see in the next couple weeks.
The World Series of Poker Circuit resumes today, with the first of 13 ring events, plus ladies and seniors events. The entire WSOP Circuit stop at Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Oklahoma runs through Tuesday, January 18. All of the events have $600 buy-ins or less except for the Main Event, which costs $1,700 to enter. It has two starting flights and a $1 million guaranteed prize pool.
January is actually full of WSOP Circuit stops. The Deerfoot Inn & Casino in Calgary hosts events starting next week on January 12. Back in the States, the Thunder Valley Casino Circuit stop in California begins January 13 and a week later (overlapping with Thunder Valley) is WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Tunica in Mississippi.
The 2021-2022 WSOP Circuit began just after the World Series of Poker in late December and has already seen three stops completed: Harrah’s Cherokee in North Carolina, The Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles, and Hilton Aruba.
World Poker Tour
The World Poker Tour kicks off its new season next week down in Florida, the new poker hotspot in the United States over the last few years. The WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open starts on Thursday, January 13 and runs through Wednesday, January 26 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood.
The $3,500 Main Event ($3,200 + $200 + $100) is slated for January 21-26 and comes with a $2 million guaranteed prize pool.
The last WPT event at the Seminole Hard Rock was a rousing success. The WPT Seminole Hard Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open Main Event in November 2021 drew 1,566 entries, a record for that tournament. It also had a $2 million guaranteed prize pool, but the entries put that way in the rearview, generating over $5 million in prize money. The $400 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold’em event attracted 6,196 entries, making it the largest live tournament in the history of Florida.
Mid Stakes Poker Tour
For those on the west coast of the United States who want a low (ish) stakes tournament and can’t get to Oklahoma, the Mid States Poker Tour (MSPT) is in San Diego at the Sycuan Casino beginning tomorrow, January 6. There are ten “trophy events” running through January 16, with most buy-ins under $400.
The Main Event’s price is a bit steeper at $1,110, but there is $300,000 guaranteed.
January 19-30, the MSPT is in Black Hawk, Colorado at Bally’s Black Hawk Casino. The schedule and buy-ins are very similar, though there are only eight trophy events in this one.
