The World Series of Poker announced Wednesday that the World Series of Poker Europe will return to King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic this fall. This ends the short-lived alternating year schedule for WSOP Europe. Beginning in 2015, WSOP Europe was to run in odd-numbered years, while WSOP Asia Pacific (WSOP APAC) was to be held in even-numbered years. WSOP APAC was cancelled, never seeing the light of day in 2016, while the popular WSOP Europe took its turn in 2017. Without the big second international festival in WSOP APAC, Series big wigs decided to go ahead and run WSOP Europe again this year.
2018 WSOP Europe will start October 11th and proceed through November 2nd, though in that three week timespan, there will only be ten official bracelet events.
King’s Casino, right on the German border, is very accessible to poker players throughout most of Europe. Its poker room is massive, home to more than 200 tables. A venue that most poker players would have been hard pressed to name just a few years ago has become one of the world’s poker hot spots.
“We have long searched for a great venue and host for WSOP Europe and we believe we’ve finally found it,” said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart in a press release. “King’s Casino has been a terrific host and with their expansion complete, we’re pleased to commit to holding WSOP Europe annually each October in Rozvadov.”
King’s Casino owner Leon Tsoukernik added, likely with a bit of a wink, “By all measures, our inaugural WSOP Europe was a great success – even Allen Kessler was pleased. Now that King’s Casino is firmly established as Europe’s most popular poker venue, we have doubled down and have made a bigger commitment to bring WSOP Europe to Rozvadov annually.”
The complete schedule – beyond just the dates – has yet to be finalized.
The World Series of Poker Europe was launched in 2007, the first time WSOP-branded tournaments were held outside of the United States. That first WSOP Europe had just three events, but was particularly notable (aside from being the first) because famed online player Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad won the Main Event just a day shy of her 19th birthday, becoming the youngest player to win a WSOP bracelet. She wouldn’t even be able to play at the traditional World Series of Poker in Las Vegas for two more years (three, technically, as she would not have turned 21 until after the 2009 WSOP). The location of the WSOP Europe has jumped around to several cities, but it appears that there is a solid chance that it may have found a long-term home in Rozvadov, even though it is only in its second year at King’s Casino.
Last year’s World Series of Poker Europe had eleven events with more than 25 million euros in prize money. A total of 7,689 entrants took part in the 2017 festivities.