WSOP Announce Circuit Schedule 2017/18

(Photo: Twitter.com)

With the WSOP proper starting in Las Vegas starting on the 30th May 2017 and the WSOP Circuit having played the last game of the 2016/17 season on Monday the 22nd, the WSOP marketing team are rolling out their press releases at the moment.

They started off with the announcements regarding the nixing of the November Nine and touting their new partnership with Poker Central, and now they’ve got the 2017/2018 schedule up for the WSOP Circuit. 

The Circuit serves as the small-scale local version of the World Series, allowing home town heroes the chance at, if not a bracelet, at least a ring. With buy-ins ranging from $365 to $5,300 its aimed at a more casual player than the WSOP. While each location will be given some wriggle room on what events it chooses to run there are a few restrictions just to keep some uniformity across the board.

For example, every leg will have a $365 No Limit Hold’em event and a $1,675 buy-in main event. There will be 12 ring events at each stop – where a WSOP Circuit ring will be up for grabs by the winner – with additional events for ladies and the elderly are being encouraged by WSOP management and which will have their own rings, but will not count towards leaderboard points.

As with previous years, each of these events are going to be short, one or two day events following their ‘twelve rings in twelve days’ policy. So it sounds very much like business as usual after all, if it ain’ broke…

“We are very proud of what the WSOP Circuit has become and how it has performed for our partner casinos who have come aboard,” said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart. “Players know they get a consistent structure and schedule at each stop, plus the opportunity to win big prizes as well as their seat into the million-dollar free-roll with a WSOP gold bracelet up for grabs.” 

The freeroll in question is the $1,000,000 added Global Casino Championship event into which all the ring winners will be allowed to buy-in for $10,000 and main-event winners will freeroll into along with the top points winner from each stop and the top 50 overall leaderboard scorers.

There is one small controversy this year though. Two of the dates remain ‘To Be Announced’ and The Bicycle Hotel & Casino in Bell Gardens is not on the list of locations. As one keen eyed Tweeter noticed, the To Be Announced locations are on dates roughly when the Bike was scheduled in the previous season. So it looks like the WSOP may be waiting to see what happens in the alleged criminal prosecution being brought against the Bike.

Ty Stewart and co, also haven’t yet confirmed the International World Series Circuit, so we are still waiting for those. But given the last two weeks, we can probably expect them soon.