Officials announced Monday afternoon that the 2020 World Series of Poker will be postponed, with hopes to hold the tournament series in the fall.
Staff ‘Committed to Running’ the WSOP
The 51st running of the annual event at the Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas was originally scheduled from May 26 to July 15, but has become another victim of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ty Stewart, executive director of the WSOP, said in a press release that “we are committed to running the World Series of Poker this year but need additional time to proceed on our traditional scale while prioritizing guest and staff well-being.â€
“In the interim, official WSOP competitions are expected to be played online this summer, and we will soon announce details of an expanded series of tournaments to be played on WSOP.com and through partnership with international operators, which will allow players to chase WSOP glory from their homes,†he continued.
The 2020 WSOP was already slated to include 14 online bracelet events, up from nine last year. That number seems poised to grow with the postponement.
Schedule Changes Likely, but Main Event Will Take Place
Stewart said changes to the WSOP schedule will likely occur due to the postponement, but that the series will definitely include the $10,000 buy-in Main Event. The WSOP did not announce rescheduled dates as it continues the planning process.
Las Vegas casinos will remain closed through the end of April as officials begin to talk about how to reopen safely. Howard Stutz, a long-time gaming reporter for The Las Vegas Review-Journal and now executive director of CDC Gaming Reports, told KSNV in Las Vegas that he doesn’t expect live poker to return for a while, even after casinos are operational.
The WSOP said in its press release that the next live event on its calendar, the Global Casino Championship at Harrah’s Cherokee in North Carolina, is still scheduled for Aug. 11-13. WSOP Europe at King’s Resort in Rozvadov, Czech Republic, is also planned for the fall, with no definitive dates set.
