It has been one of the biggest questions of the year in the poker world. Will the 2021 World Series of Poker be held? We now have an answer to that – at least some of the question – as Caesars Entertainment and WSOP officials have announced the dates that the tournament schedule will tentatively be run.
Mark Your Calendars for Fall 2021
According to WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart, the 2021 WSOP will be held from September 30 through November 23 at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino. Several of the Caesars properties will be opening their doors at reduced rates for that period, with rates coming in as low as $60 per night for Caesars Rewards members. The pre-registration for events will not be open until the summer, however (more on this in a moment).
Of particular interest to most is when the $10,000 WSOP Championship Event – the “Main Event,” to some – will be run. The event that crowns poker’s World Champion will begin on Thursday, November 4, with Day 1A and subsequent Day Ones will run Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The Thursday/Friday players will gather on Monday (November 8) for Day 2A, while the Saturday/Sunday players will reconvene on Tuesday (November 9). The field will come together for the first time on Wednesday, November 10, and play down to the champion on November 23.
“This year, more than ever, we embrace our role at the WSOP to deliver memorable experiences and bring this community of poker lovers back together. In 2021, the theme is, get vaccinated and get back to Vegas,” said Ty Stewart, the Executive Director of the WSOP.
Plenty of Questions Still Exist
Stewart’s emphasis on vaccinations may not be just hyperbole. At this time, there are no events announced for the 2021 World Series of Poker, although it is expected that the “usual suspects” will still be around. Such tournaments as the $50,000 Poker Players’ Championship are expected on the schedule, but there will be other special tournaments held. A dedicated charity tournament is expected to be held that will benefit frontline workers is in the planning, as is a new event called “The Reunion,” but no details have come forth yet.
It is unknown what restrictions will be on the tournaments in Las Vegas come September. Currently tournaments are being run at some casinos with plexiglass shielding, the mandatory usage of face masks, and eight-max seating, all things that are in force to protect players and staff members from the ongoing COVID threat. These things may still be in place come the time of the 2021 World Series of Poker, with some other possibilities lurking on the horizon.
Many governments are looking at the likelihood of using some method to ensure that travelers have been properly vaccinated. This is for the purpose of ensuring that a person has taken all the proper precautions to be amongst other people. It has been rumored that these mandates for vaccination will be required for any international travel and possibly some travel in the U. S.
2021 WSOP Europe Will Return – Tentatively
During his announcement, Stewart also dropped that the 2021 World Series of Poker Europe would be on the books also. The 15-event schedule has not been declared as of yet, but it is on the calendar for November 19 through December 8 at King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic – provided that situations have improved regarding COVID in Europe come that time. “We hope and anticipate travel restrictions will ease by the fall,” said Stewart. “It’s important to us that we have an excellent tournament schedule available to our European players.”
Caesars and WSOP officials are quite vehement that these announcements entirely depend on the future situation regarding COVID-19. In fact, their announcement states outright that they “reserve the right to make appropriate modifications to this plan and to the policies and procedures under which the tournament series may be held (emphasis by writer).” Right now, all we can do is get the shots, cross our fingers and look to the fall for the potential of the 2021 World Series of Poker.