How much more ambitious can the crown jewel of the poker world get with the 2016 WSOP schedule? Caesars, the organizers of the massive live (and now even online) spectacle, will present their answer starting on June 1. The last few years have brought several fresh ideas and larger WSOP schedules than ever. 2016 promises to continue the trend of bigger, better, and more streamlined.
The 47th WSOP
Beginning in 1970 with humble origins this will be the 47th edition of the World Series of Poker, the annual Mecca of the poker world. It will take place entirely at the Rio in Las Vegas, as it has every year since 2005. WSOP bracelet events, non-bracelet daily tournaments, satellites, and cash games all take place within the Rio’s massive convention center.
8 new events for the 2016 WSOP
Caesars has put an increasing focus on recent years on making the WSOP experience accessible to almost every bankroll by adding numerous sub-$2,000 buy-in events that draw recreational players in massive numbers. WSOP continues this trend with the following 8 new bracelet events:
- Event 4 (June 5) $1,000 Hybrid Online/Live No-Limit Texas Hold’em
- Event 12 (June 9) $565 Pot-Limit Omaha
- Event 23 (June 15) $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em
- Event 40 (June 23) $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball
- Event 45 (June 26) $1,500 Mixed No-Limit Hold’em/Pot-Limit Omaha
- Event 53 (June 30) $1,500 Mixed Pot-Limit Omaha
- Event 54 (July 1) $888 8-handed No-Limit Hold’em
- Event 61 (July 7) $1,000 Team No-Limit Hold’em
It would take $410,805 to buy in to every WSOP bracelet event once.
Cheap Hold’em still reigns supreme
While the Hold’em craze of last decade (the Aughts? The 2000’s?) has waned a bit, giving rise to Omaha and mixed bracelet events, low buy-in Hold’em still makes up the majority of the WSOP schedule.
WSOP News and More
For complete background information on the annual mecca of poker tournaments view our dedicated World Series of Poker hub, which traces the history of the WSOP, current news, every winner, and probably a lot more than you wanted to know.
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The 2016 WSOP Schedule
| Event | Date | Time | Tournament | Buy-In |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, May 31 | 24h | Cash games open at Rio | ||
| 1 | Wed, June 1 | 11a | Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em | $565 |
| 2A | Thu, June 2 | 10a | Colossus II No-Limit Hold'em (re-entry) | $565 |
| 2B | Thu, June 2 | 4p | ||
| 2C | Fri, June 3 | 10a | ||
| 2D | Fri, June 3 | 4p | ||
| 2E | Sat, June 4 | 10a | ||
| 2F | Sat, June 4 | 4p | ||
| 3 | Sat, June 4 | 3p | Seven-Card Stud Championship | $10,000 |
| 4 | Sun, June 5 | 11a | Top-Up Turbo No-Limit Hold'em | $1,000 |
| 5 | Sun, June 5 | 3p | Dealer's Choice (6-handed) | $1,500 |
| 6 | Mon, June 6 | 11a | No-Limit Hold'em | $1,500 |
| 7 | Mon, June 6 | 3p | No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball (one re-entry) | $1,500 |
| 8 | Tue, June 7 | 11a | H.O.R.S.E. | $1,500 |
| 9 | Tue, June 7 | 3p | No-Limit Hold'em Heads-up Championship | $10,000 |
| 10 | Wed, June 8 | 11a | No-Limit Hold'em (6-handed) | $1,500 |
| 11 | Wed, June 8 | 3p | Dealer's Choice 6-handed Championship | $10,000 |
| 12 | Thu, June 9 | 11a | Pot-Limit Omaha (re-entry) | $565 |
| 13 | Thu, June 9 | 3p | Razz | $1,500 |
| 14A | Fri, June 10 | 10a | Millionaire Maker No-Limit Hold'em | $1,500 |
| 14B | Sat, June 11 | 10a | ||
| 15 | Fri, June 10 | 3p | 8-Game Mix (6-handed) | $1,500 |
| 16 | Sat, June 11 | 3p | No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball Championship (one re-entry) | $10,000 |
| 17 | Sun, June 12 | 11a | No-Limit Hold'em | $1,000 |
| 18 | Sun, June 12 | 3p | H.O.R.S.E. | $3,000 |
| 19 | Mon, June 13 | 11a | Pot-Limit Omaha | $1,000 |
| 20 | Mon, June 13 | 3p | Razz Championship | $10,000 |
| 21 | Tue, June 14 | 11a | No-Limit Hold'em (6-handed) | $3,000 |
| 22 | Tue, June 14 | 3p | Limit Hold'em | $1,500 |
| 23 | Wed, June 15 | 11a | No-Limit Hold'em | $2,000 |
| 24 | Wed, June 15 | 3p | H.O.R.S.E. Championship | $10,000 |
| 25 | Thu, June 16 | 11a | No-Limit Hold'em | $2,500 |
| 26 | Thu, June 16 | 3p | Omaha Hi-Low 8/b | $1,500 |
| 27 | Fri, June 17 | 10a | Seniors No-Limit Hold'em (ages 50+) | $1,000 |
| 28 | Fri, June 17 | 3p | Limit Hold'em Championship | $10,000 |
| 29 | Sat, June 18 | 11a | No-Limit Hold'em | $1,500 |
| 30 | Sat, June 18 | 3p | Pot-Limit Omaha (6-handed) | $3,000 |
| 31 | Sun, June 19 | 11a | Super Seniors No-Limit Hold'em (ages 65+) | $1,000 |
| 32 | Sun, June 19 | 3p | Omaha Hi-Low 8/b Championship | $10,000 |
| 33 | Mon, June 20 | 11a | No-Limit Hold'em (90-minute levels) | $1,500 |
| 34 | Mon, June 20 | 3p | Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball | $1,500 |
| 35 | Tue, June 21 | 11a | No-Limit Hold'em (6-handed) | $5,000 |
| 36 | Tue, June 21 | 3p | Mixed Omaha and Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low 8/b | $2,500 |
| 37 | Wed, June 22 | 11a | Pot-Limit Omaha | $1,500 |
| 38 | Wed, June 22 | 3p | Limit Hold'em (6-handed) | $3,000 |
| 39 | Thu, June 23 | 11a | No-Limit Hold'em (6-handed ) Championship | $10,000 |
| 40 | Thu, June 23 | 3p | Limit Triple Draw Lowball | $2,500 |
| 41A | Fri, June 24 | 10a | Monster Stack No-Limit Hold'em (no re-entry) | $1,500 |
| 41B | Sat, June 25 | 10a | ||
| 42 | Fri, June 24 | 3p | No-Limit Hold'em (Shootout) | $3,000 |
| 43 | Sat, June 25 | 3p | Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low 8/b Championship | $10,000 |
| 44 | Sun, June 26 | 11a | No-Limit Hold'em | $1,000 |
| 45 | Sun, June 26 | 3p | Mixed No-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha | $1,500 |
| 46 | Mon, June 27 | 11a | No-Limit Hold'em (Bounty) | $1,500 |
| 47 | Mon, June 27 | 3p | Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball Championship | $10,000 |
| 48 | Tue, June 28 | 11a | No-Limit Hold'em (30-minute levels) | $5,000 |
| 49 | Tue, June 28 | 3p | Seven-Card Stud | $1,500 |
| 50 | Wed, June 29 | 11a | No-Limit Hold'em (Shootout) | $1,500 |
| 51 | Wed, June 29 | 3p | 8-handed Pot-Limit Omaha Championship | $10,000 |
| 52 | Thu, June 30 | 11a | No-Limit Hold'em | $3,000 |
| 53 | Thu, June 30 | 3p | Mixed Pot-Limit Omaha 8/b and Big O | 1,500 |
| 54A | Fri, July 1 | 10a | Crazy Eights No-Limit Hold'em (8-handed, re-entry) | $888 |
| 54B | Fri, July 1 | 4p | ||
| 54C | Sat, July 2 | 10a | ||
| 54D | Sat, July 2 | 4p | ||
| 55 | Sat, July 2 | 3p | Poker Players Championship (6-handed) | $50,000 |
| 56 | Sun, July 3 | 11a | No-Limit Hold'em | $1,500 |
| 57 | Sun, July 3 | 3p | Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low 8/b | $1,500 |
| 58 | Mon, July 4 | 11a | No-Limit Hold'em (30-minute levels) | $1,000 |
| 59 | Tue, July 5 | 11a | No-Limit Hold'em | $5,000 |
| 60 | Tue, July 5 | 3p | Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low 8/b | $1,500 |
| 61 | Wed, July 6 | 11a | Team No-Limit Hold'em (2-4 players) | $1,000 |
| 62 | Wed, July 6 | 3p | High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha (8-handed) | $25,000 |
| 63 | Thu, July 7 | 11a | No-Limit Hold'em | $1,000 |
| 64 | Thu, July 7 | 3p | Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low 8/b | $3,000 |
| 65 | Fri, July 8 | 11a | Ladies No-Limit Hold'em Championship | $1,000 |
| 66 | Fri, July 8 | 1p | Online No-Limit Hold'em (re-entry) | $1,000 |
| 67 | Fri, July 8 | 1p | High Roller for One Drop No-Limit Hold'em (one re-entry) | $111,111 |
| 68A | Sat, July 9 | 11a | No-Limit Hold'em Championship Main Event | $10,000 |
| 68B | Sun, July 10 | 11a | ||
| 68C | Mon, July 11 | 11a | ||
| 68 | Mon, July 18 | TBA | Main Event suspends play after 9 players remain | |
| Sun, Oct 30 | Main Event final table resumes | |||
| Tue, Nov 1 | Main Event winner crowned | |||
| 69A | Tue, July 12 | 3p | Little One for One Drop | $1,111 |
| 69B | Wed, July 13 | 3p | ||
| 69C | Thu, July 14 | 3p |
Top 5 original ideas for WSOP 2016
- Mixed online/offline event. I’m not sure anyone saw this one coming, but it’s a perfect marketing ploy for the WSOP’s own Nevada-only online poker site. Event 4 will actually allow players to top-up their starting chips by playing a special online event first.
- Taking sponsorship to a whole new level. Going the route of college football bowl games the WSOP is actually allowing 888 poker to essentially name event 54 – Crazy Eights No-Limit Hold’em for an $888 buy-in. Welcome to the world of domestic beer and libido medication, 888!
- Tag-team poker. The WSOP is reviving an idea from the mid-’80s and allowing team play for event 61 on Wednesday, July 6.
- Payouts as flat as Phil Hellmuth singing the national anthem.
- Ungodly starting times. Almost every WSOP 2016 event will start at either 11 a.m. or 3 p.m., an hour earlier than in previous years. Red Bull may not like it, but I believe this will improve quality of play by shifting things more into the spectrum of the non-sleep-disorder population. But, oh, the horror of those hours! Curse the poker media! Right, Joe McKeehen?
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[btf_block title=”Highlights of the 2016 WSOP Schedule” symbol=”2″ bgcolor=”618685″ textcolor=”fff”]
- Record 69 events
- About 15% of the field will cash, up 10% in previous years
- Earlier starting times of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. for most events
- The Main Event and other $10,000 events will now receive 50,000 starting chips
- Blind levels will be streamlined to try to get events to end on time
- 8 new low-buy-in events added
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Spotlight: WSOP Colossus 2016
- Event #2
- Starting heats: 6 total. Saturday, June 2, 3, and 4 at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day
- Buy-in: $565
- Re-entry: allowed for another entry day if player doesn’t reach the money
- Game: No-Limit Hold’em
Details: Last year saw the introduction of Colossus, the lowest buy-in of the Series, which proved to be an extremely popular experiment. It only set records for the largest live poker tournament in history and drew over 20,000 players.
The allure of taking part in a real WSOP bracelet event for under $600 simply proved to be too strong for seemingly every recreational poker player able to make it to the Rio. Colossus I also received its share of negative press for the ultimate anticlimax of setting attendance records yet not even guaranteeing $1 million to the winner.
In an event designed to make as many players happy as possible and give a taste of the WSOP experience to everyone the prize structure was spread out so widely and thin that there simply wasn’t enough butter to spread all the way across the toast.
Colossus II
Caesars seems to have learned from that PR faux pas. The WSOP Colossus 2016 will both guarantee a total prize pool of $7 million and a first prize of $1 million. The only complaining pros will likely be able to do at this year’s Colossus will be the throngs of all-in rec donks putting bad beats on them.
Colossus II 2016 will likely break last year’s attendance records as Caesars has been hyping it as a new WSOP centerpiece.
Last year’s Colossus was the largest live poker tournament in history
Spotlight: WSOP main event 2016
- Event #68
- Starting heats: 3 total. Saturday, July 9, 10, and 11. 11 a.m. each day.
- Buy-in: $10,000
- Game: No-Limit Hold’em
Details: This is it. The Big One. The crown jewel of poker tournaments. The WSOP Main Event.
One of the most expensive buy-ins of the year, thousands of players, millions of dollars for the winner, poker immortality, unreal media coverage, and probably the only poker tournament of the year that even non-poker players will care about and watch.
For as modern of a spectacle as it may seem the Main Event hasn’t really changed at all since its inception over 40 years ago. It’s always been No-Limit Hold’em. It’s always been $10,000. It’s always been in Las Vegas.
The WSOP Main Event in 2016 will be full of compelling stories and only one diamond-bracelet-clad winner who will feel truly satisfied. Every honest poker player will tell you they’ve dreamed of it being them. A few dozen times.
Thoughts on the final 2016 WSOP schedule
The finalized and complete 2016 WSOP schedule is finally here. We can all take a deep breath, pore over event numbers, and daydream about how many bracelets we’re all going to win.
Jack Effel and crew took their time and incited plenty of caterwauling, but now you can book your flights, rooms, and time off work. The clock is ticking.
Players finishing in the money increased
Starting with the 2016 WSOP the payout structure will get flatter, payout out more players smaller prizes. The standard will be that 15% of the field now cashes.
I have mixed feelings on this one. On one hand, more happy players is always a thing and, as Caesars points out, this means that events will reach the money/payout phase sooner. This has been the trend online for years.
On the other hand, the ones who really suffer in this structure are the top WSOP 2016 finishers. I still like to see that massive payout to the final table and especially the bracelet winner.
Earlier event starting times for WSOP 2016
I feel like they got it half-right here. The 2016 WSOP schedule will finally bump up the starting times for most events by an hour to 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. That will certainly help tournaments end for the day sooner. Great.
However, the WSOP still doesn’t stop play for the “day” until 2 a.m. I feel like something should be done about that at some point. How about midnight? I understand that would lead to events taking more days to complete, but the upside would be in overall quality of play, which, in turn, just makes the World Series of Poker better.
Outside of the growing vampire population no one is playing at their best after midnight. Doesn’t it seem sort of crazy that players would be playing for millions of dollars at 1 and 2 in the morning? This puts seniors at a marked disadvantage.
Streamlined blind structures
This was a good common-sense change that will help trim levels and thus overall time of each tournament. In previous years there may have been a separate level that simply added in an ante and left the blind levels the same (e.g. 1,000/2,000 blinds followed by a 1,000/2,000/250 ante level).
They will now be streamlined into one level for the 2016 WSOP. I’m all for ending the days sooner and taking fewer overall to complete each event.
WSOP 2016 Team Event
One big surprise that no one saw coming is that there will a WSOP “team” event, where multiple players will take turns in the same seat managing a single chip stack. Team players can switch at any time as long as they aren’t active in a hand. Caesars knows how to surprise and generate a reaction if nothing else, delving into obscure WSOP history for this one.
The team event will be on the 2016 schedule at #61, beginning on Wednesday, July 6th. Predictably, the game will be No-Limit Texas Hold’em. The buy-in will be $1,000, teams can be up to 4 players, and each member of the winning team gets a WSOP bracelet.
While it may seem like a modern invention by the “poker as a sport” segment 2-player team events actually existed on the WSOP schedule for 4 years from 1980-1983. They mostly served as a fun side event with low Seven-Card Stud buy-ins of under $1,000.
Innovating the 2016 World Series of Poker
With the 2016 WSOP schedule right around the corner it struck me how much fresher the annual poker spectacle has felt in recent years.
There was a time in the mid-2000s, after the poker explosion brought thousands of new players and moved to the Rio, that I felt like the WSOP got a bit stale.
Don’t get me wrong. Every Series is incredible and filled with great stories and epic events, but there wasn’t much innovation beyond increasing the number of events and offering more small buy-ins.
However, I’ve been impressed with the response by Caesars and WSOP 2016 tournament director Jack Effel over the past 5 years or so to make things feel fresh again. The 2016 WSOP schedule won’t be an exception.
The main objectives seem to be to throw ideas borrowed from online poker against the wall to see what sticks and to make the WSOP experience affordable to every player who makes the poker world’s pilgrimage to Vegas. Those plans work for me.
The schedule so far
Caesars has released some early details about the 2016 WSOP to whet our appetites before the full schedule is released in the coming weeks. As expected, they are making the Colossus a focal point after setting records and igniting controversy with it last year.
[btf_block title=”Early details on the 2016 WSOP” symbol=”2″ bgcolor=”618685″ textcolor=”fff”]
- The $565 Colossus II will lead off all open events on June 2, 2016 with 2 more entry days following it
- Players can re-enter on another entry day if they don’t reach the money. Each entry day plays to the money
- The guaranteed prize pool is increasing to $7 million with first place guaranteed at least $1 million
- The Main Event will run from July 9 to July 18, 2016
- The $1,000 Seniors Event for players ages 50+ will be held on June 17, 2016
- As expected, the Millionaire Maker, Little One for One Drop, and the Monster Stack events will be returning
- There will be some form of a “team event” where multiple players will take turns playing a single chip stack
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WSOP Satellites 2016
As it has for the past 15 years (wow, is the mainstream popularity of online poker really that old? Am I really that old?) WSOP satellites for 2016 will mainly take place online.
That certainly doesn’t mean that live WSOP satellites are an endangered species. The Rio will host them around the clock starting May 31 and many of your local brick-and-mortar cardrooms will even host 1 or 2 big tourneys to get you a seat.
WSOP satellites are a staple of online poker rooms and, for some, the main reason to even play online. Poker sites are happy to oblige, offering a slew of tournament steps starting at $1 and direct-entry events going up to a buy-in of $1,000. Here are the best options for 2016.
WSOP Satellites at PokerStars
Poker Stars is online poker at this point for everyone outside of the US. Estimates used to have them at sending half of the entire Main Event field.
PokerStars still the best poker room for non-US players with an absurd number of satellites for the 2016 WSOP schedule running around the clock and no shortage of competitors to fill up on-demand tournaments.
888 Poker
888 Poker is now the second-largest funnel for WSOP entrants and second-largest in the world in terms of online players.
They have plenty of satellites and the best promotions online in their $88 no-deposit offer for our players. The poker branch of 888 may not earn the outrageous Fish Rating it used to, but the level of competition is infinitely lower than PokerStars.
Satellites for US Players
WSOP officials don’t allow US-facing poker rooms to to directly buy players in so usually player accounts are just credited with the funds. One of the big US players for next year is likely to be Ignition Poker.
BetOnline is probably the best bet for US players wanting to win their way into the 2016 WSOP. They have strong traffic, excellent credit card success, and a decent amount of WSOP qualifiers. Their first step satellites start at a ridiculous 11-cent buy-in.
The Rio hosts numerous satellites and super-satellites every day leading up to and during of the 2016 WSOP. The buy-ins for Main Event satellites usually range from about $200 for multi-table tournaments to $1,000 for just a single table. Of course, for those lower buy-ins you’re trading the higher chance of prevailing thanks to only 2-5% of the field getting a prize.
Satellite FAQs
How do WSOP satellites work?
At its simplest WSOP satellites work by awarding a WSOP Main Event seat to the winner(s) of special tournaments with low buy-ins.
As an example, a satellite tournament with a $50 buy in that draws 200 players would award one $10,000 Main Event seat to the winner. 50×200 is $10,000 so that’s the total prize pool.
Another might have a $500 buy-in so 1 out of 20 (5% of the field) would get a prize. Any leftover buy-in money that wasn’t enough to add up to another $10,000 seat was just given as cash to the other top finishers. In the early 2000s this was largely the only way WSOP satellites worked.
In the years since online poker sites have crafted countless other creative ways to get smaller players involved in Main Event satellites, usually with minuscule buy-ins or even freerolls that award the very few winners a step up to the next buy-in level.
Typically, it takes 4 or 5 steps to finally make it into the direct-entry satellites that guarantee WSOP seats. Players have to win multiple wild crowded tournaments, but it’s possible to win a Main Event seat for a few dollars or less.
When do WSOP satellites start?
WSOP satellites start in the spring for online poker sites like PokerStars and then at the start of the Series for live satellites at the Rio. You may also be able to find a local cardroom with a one-off tournament awarding a World Series seat all the way through June.
Are there any live WSOP satellites?
Yes. Don’t like to play online, live somewhere where you can’t, or simply prefer to play at a real table? Live WSOP satellites certainly do still exist, mainly at the Rio Pavilion Room running concurrent with the WSOP schedule. Starting May 31, single table satellites and $185 mega satellites will run daily at 9:00 a.m. For every 10 entries, a $1,500 WSOP entry and $100 cash will be awarded.
Aside from the daily mega satellites the Pavilion Room will also host on-demand WSOP satellites. The structure is flexible, with various buy-ins available depending on the demand. Once a table fills up with 10 players the satellite starts, making it akin to a single table Sit and Go with a single winner.
Live WSOP satellite prizes are actually awarded in special $500 chips that are valid for any 2016 WSOP event. Note that they expire after the conclusion of this year’s WSOP so you cannot save them for future years.
Enter directly
Prospective players can enter their chosen 2016 WSOP scheduled event by plunking down the cash directly at the Rio cage usually starting in May.
What will work for the 2016 WSOP schedule
The 2016 WSOP will likely follow the same successful formula of recent years: keep the favorites, refine the experimental from last year, and try a new twist or two to keep things interesting.
[btf_block title=”Sure things for the 2016 WSOP schedule ” symbol=”2″ bgcolor=”618685″ textcolor=”fff”]
- Final schedule will be released in early 2016.
- A record 68 events last year. That number will probably be even higher for 2016.
- Numerous “online” styles: turbo, deep stack, bounty, 50/50, heads-up.
- An online-only event. Last year’s was popular enough to earn another appearance.
- The “Colossus” $565 event. It’s the lowest buy-in ever for the WSOP and set records last year.
- Flatter controversial payout structure: more cashes, lower top prizes for more events.
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The favorites
One thing that I appreciate about the Caesars team running the WSOP is that they don’t change much simply for change’s sake. They take experiments with varying degrees of success, yes, but they’ve never really stripped anything that players really love.
The favorites will be back on the 2016 WSOP schedule culminating, as always, with the Big One, the Main Event that has carried the prestige of the poker world for 46 years.
Guarantees for 2016
- The $10,000 Main Event. This is the World Series of Poker. As long as the WSOP exists this crown jewel of the poker world will close the ceremonies.
- Old favorites. You’ll always find some Stud, Omaha, and some form of lowball.
- New favorites. The $50,000 players championship, the Big one for One Drop, and now the Colossus, which drew over 20,000 players for its inaugural $500 event. These are recent additions that have become staples.
Refining newer features
As discussed above, last year’s WSOP schedule brought some interesting additions to varying degrees of success. It’s a learning experience to try something new so logistics don’t usually go perfectly when thousands of players are involved. Some fresh ideas deserve a refined return in for WSOP 2016.
Bring these back in 2016 and make them better
- The online event. This did well enough to warrant a repeat appearance and serves as advertisement for the WSOP online site.
- The $565 colossus. It had payout controversy with very little weight given to the top prizes, but how can they not bring back the largest live poker event in history?
New additions
Jack Effel and the rest of the Caesars WSOP 2016 team are always good for a surprise or two, which helps keep the schedule relevant and adds some extra interest. Last year it was the “Colossus” $500 event, a new bounty event, and a 50/50 tournament that paid out half the field.
To be honest, I’m having a tough time actually thinking of realistic ideas that haven’t been tried at the WSOP yet. I’ll take a stab at it and return once the final schedule is out to laugh at myself.
My 2016 WSOP surprise predictions
- A rebuy/add-on event. For some reason players seem to love these online. Why not cage them in for their own WSOP tournament?
- Lottery tournaments. Another popular recent online invention that offers a small randomized chance at an increased prize pool. I’m not sure how this would work for a live tournament.
- Pros vote on the winner. I had to have one off the wall prediction. Hearken back to the inaugural 1970 World Series and invite a handful of pros to play an extended cash game, then have them vote on the second-best player. How do they prevent something like this from becoming a popularity contest, though?
[btf_block title=”Top WSOP moments from last year” symbol=”2″ bgcolor=”618685″ textcolor=”fff”]
- Phil Hellmuth extends his record by winning his 14th WSOP bracelet
- Daniel Negreanu just misses the final table of the Main Event, finishing in 11th
- The first online WSOP event draws 905 players
- The colossus $565 event was the largest in live poker history, drawing over 22,000 players
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A lifelong poker player who moved online in 2004, Josh founded Beat The Fish in 2005 to help online poker players make more-informed decisions on where to play and how to win once they got there. He hopes to counter the rampant dishonesty in online gaming media with objective reviews and relevant features. Tech nostalgic. Fondly remembers the soup avatar at Doyle’s Room.
Good Afternoon, I have tried to find out the dates and location of the 2016 WSOP November Nine table. Trying to plan and book for that event. Can’t wait. I know it is in November, that is all I know so far. Is there any information that you can share? Thanks, Michele ????
Hi, Michele. Caesars isn’t great at scheduling far in advance so I was about to say they would probably determine the exact dates for the final table once it got down to 9 players.
However, I actually just checked and they’ve already scheduled the final table for October 30 through November 1! Good news. I will add it into the main schedule shortly.
So much for the “November” Nine.
Thank you very very much. Love this site ???? October 30 to November 1 at Ceasar’s in Las Vegas… Whoohoo. Las Vegas here I come
You’re welcome, happy to help and glad you’re enjoying the site. You helped alert me to the final table dates so thanks for the assist!
All of the WSOP is actually played at the Rio, which is owned by Caesars.
Just don’t get confused because there is the classic Caesars Palace on the Strip as well.
I’m love Wsop. I’m begin from Poker Satellite Tournament with 888 Poker. But it very hard with 8 level. $12.000 buy-in for World Series Of Poker very high with new player from Viet Nam. I will playing every year satellite tournament to become a winner get 1 entry to WSOP. I’m thank you for good article.
That’s great, thanks for your comment. Best of luck winning your seat!
I actually just finished up a new page dedicated to satellites. Maybe it could help you with some strategy ideas.
Are there satellite tournaments to win entry money at any local casinos in Indiana, Kentucky, Or Ohio that are connected with the WSOP 2016?
Linda, I don’t know of any specifically as there isn’t really a central database of cardrooms that run them aside from the Rio during the Series.
That being said, I’m sure there’s a good chance one of Caesars’ properties in those states runs them. In Indiana there’s Horseshoe Hammond and Southern Indiana. In Ohio there’s Horseshoe Cincinnati. I would suggest giving any of those a call.
Do you know how many hours it normally takes to complete a $500 ME mega satellite and a $1000 ME mega satellite? The $1000 starts at 1pm and the $500 starts at 4pm, just wondering what time we can expect to get out of there. I know it depends on how many sign up but was wondering if there was an average end time. Thanks.
That’s a good question. I also see a $575 mega satellite that starts at 8 p.m. and pretty much runs the length of the Series. They aren’t turbo, which is probably smart since there’s a lot at stake.
Satellites can take place with as few as 10 players, although there are going to be more for the scheduled daily ones. I’ve never played a live satellite at the Rio so I couldn’t tell you from experience. It’s going to largely depend on how many players enter each event. I would guess at least a few hours and if you last that long you’ll just be happy to get the prize.
Anyone with experience care to chime in?
It’s OPEN !!!! WSOP 2016 online registration shows as now being open — May 1st !!!! Yah. Be aware of the added fee for credit card use. I’ll be using cashier check, which still takes time to clear, so be aware of that.
Awesome, thanks for the heads-up!
Do you know if there are any other casinos in Vegas holding mega satellites prior to 5/31? I’ll be out there 5/19-22. Looking for something that weekend Before I go back on June 1.
As a rule, not many Vegas poker rooms are too keen on offering WSOP satellites because it’s encouraging you to go play somewhere else in town. If you do find them it’s going to be a one-off thing.
I’ve seen them offered at the Flamingo poker room before, but that’s because they’re now owned by Caesars, who also owns the Rio and the WSOP brand.
I am trying to find out some info on the monster stack tournament s. Can u tell me more
Sure, it’s event 41 and has two starting days, beginning on Saturday, June 25 at 10 a.m.
The buy-in is $1,500 and what makes it a “monster stack” event is that players receive 15,000 starting chips, which is 10 times the buy-in whereas most other events only give 5 times the buy-in.
This theoretically should shift the skill/luck balance more to the skill side as players have more time to make the plays they want to before they have to start worrying about the blinds too much.
It’s a fun event with very good value. The top prize should once again exceed $1 million.
Actually I show day 1A as Friday the 24th. I am keen on registering for day 1B on the 25th. See my whining about registration or lack thereof below.
You’re right actually. Good catch. The Monster Stack (event 41) will start on Friday, June 24th at 10 a.m. with the second heat starting the next morning at the same time.
This is my first time going to the WSOP. Do they have preregistration of events, and when and where do they have this preregistration .
You can pre-register online at the WSOP site at some point, although that doesn’t appear to be active yet.
You can also register at a Rio cage directly probably in late May.
Isn’t the lack of pre-registration at this late date (04/22) shaping up to be a debacle? Why did they do away with mail in (with cashier checks) registration? Am I the only one freaking out about this? How in the world will they put on the Colossus with out pre-registration? BTW, I called the WSOP number a couple of weeks ago and was told that today was the day online registration would start. No sign of it so far.
Yeah, the WSOP has needed a better pre-registration system for years. It isn’t pretty, but the job gets done the day of the tournament and few players actually miss playing in an event they wanted to due to logistics.
I don’t really expect WSOP 2016 to be much different numbers-wise than last year and they handled it. Colossus might be a bit larger due to the hype for its return appearance this year, but it set records last year already.
I’m with you, though. I would much rather be prepared and have everything set in stone beforehand.
Online registration now open — May 1st. Good deal.
Will the SUPER SENIORS event be one of the events?
Absolutely. It’s been part of the WSOP as long as I can remember. Players must be 65 years old and the buy-in is $1,000.
The question is just, “When will it take place?” We aren’t sure yet.
There is absolutely NO good reason why this complete schedule can’t be released by Jan.-30th !!!
This tournament happens every year, and these dates can be figured out, if whoever does it would get off their *** and get it done !!! People need to schedule vacation time in advance, and this lame *** delay makes it almost impossible.
Get it posted already !!!
When will we know the exact dates for the super senior event this year in 2016???
We have no idea, my friend. I’m kind of surprised, but it’s still “any day now” territory.
Josh,
Can you provide the contact information for both Caesar and WSOP? I was not able to find either. It is the middle of February and the events begin in less than 4 months. I would think they would have the schedule prepared by the end of 2015 especially if this is an annual thing. It’s not like it’s new. People still have to book their flights and hotels. Not everyone lives in Vegas and has millions to spare for 6 weeks. We still have to plan our flights and hotels. This is some inconsiderate B.S.
Caesars Interactive Entertainment Inc.
One Caesars Palace Dr.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
[link no longer works] is the best I could find to e-mail them. The phone number and direct e-mail address they list is for issues with their Nevada-online online poker room.
I understand the frustrations and I honestly don’t know why they wait so long every year, but they do. They like to draw what they call “weekend warriors” for the $565 Colossus or the $1,000-1,500 buy-in events, but how can people request time off of work if they wait so long to put out the dates?
You can just pretty much expect the WSOP schedule to be released every February. If we get into March and it isn’t out yet I would really start to get the pitchforks out.
Split the seniors and super seniors tournaments
Give us old guys a break
PLEASE DO NOT START SUPER SENIORS WITHIN 2 DAYS OF SENIORS SO US OLD PEOPLE CAN HAVE STRENGTH TO PLAY BOTH EVENTS.
aLSO MANY OF US SENIORS ARE THE ONES WHO PLAY THE $1500 STUD HI-LO EVENT–WE’VE BEEN PLAYING STUD HI-LO ALL OUR LIVES–PLEASE PLEASE MAKE THIS EVENT WITHIN ONE WEEK OF THE SENIORS EVENT(BEFORE OR AFTER). MOST OF US SPEND TWO WEEKS IN VEGAS AND CAN’T AFFORD TO MAKE TWO TRIPS . THESE ARE THE 2 MOST IMPT EVENTS TO US AND WE WANT TO PLAY THEM BOTH IN THE TWO WEEKS WE COME TO LAS VEGAS. LAST YEAR YOU MADE THIS IMPOSSIBLE. please please please
Why can’t you figure the schedule out in six months ??????
You guys might want to direct your complaints directly to Caesars and the WSOP.
I recently saw a tweet from the official WSOP account responding to a complaint about how slow the schedule was being released basically saying, “We can’t wait, too!” If even their social media people have no clue what’s going on with the 2016 schedule it probably tells you that only Jack Effel and a small committee know any more than we do.
I appreciate the feedback, but I don’t have any control over the release of the schedule. I just report on it. It really is right around the corner, though.
On the seniors and super seniors, have them 3 days apart so we can play in both. If you play the last day of seniors that was the day the super seniors started last year. So better to have them 3 days apart.
I agree that it is ridiculous that they wait so long to announce the full schedule. They act like everyone there has no job to schedule around and will just be able to go the whole 7 weeks. Hello guys why can’t this be scheduled within a few months of the previous series? We are not all professionals and thanks goodness or no one would go. I goes to the point of inconsiderate IMO. Do you jobs so I can do mine please.
Let’s go guys!!!I’m trying to make travel plans…Nedd to get the FULL Schedule out there…
I hear you. There’s nothing I can do to get Caesars to put it out sooner, but I expect it within the next couple of weeks.
Everyone is getting antsy.
I suggested last year a new Tournament (THE YOUNG GUNS EXSTRAVAGANZA)
21-25 only……$2500 buy in…..DO IT FOR THE KIDS
An interesting idea. Why not?
When will the MONSTER STACK DATE COME OUT I MEAN DANG WE HAVE TO TRAVEL FROM ANITHER STATE AND I KNOW PLAYERS TRAVEL FROM OTHER COUNTRIES THIS YEAR WE ARE HAVING TO WAIT SO LONG!!!!!!!!! ???????????? by the time last year we had our whole trip paid for this year can’t even make reservations due to NO EXACT DATES!!!!!!!!!????????????????????
The complete schedule is always released from Caesars around this time of year and I will then update this page immediately with every event listing.
I would guess it would happen within the next couple of weeks, but there simply isn’t ever a set release date.
Think of it sort of like when the NFL schedules are released. We know about when it happens every year, but the exact date is always a mystery.
I’m not really a fan of the lack of transparency, but that’s just the way they choose to do it. We’ll know soon.
The Ladies event is typically on a Friday, one week after the Senior’s event which is scheduled on June 17. If they stick with a Friday: June 24, July 1, or July 8 are possible dates for the ladies. MANY women have already voiced that around the 4th of July weekend would be difficult to travel so they would not attend. I hope the WSOP considers that women will choose family obligations over poker when selecting our date? June 24th would be best.
Heard the woman’s event will be June 9th start date. #rumor
last year I played in the Super Senior event, and would have played in the 50 and older event but they were too close together. Can you space them so an “old dog” can play in both ? 4 days apart! This will be my 3rd year, I look forward to playing again in 2016.
Joe,
It’s good to hear from an “old dog” and I wish you the best in this year’s Series.
That’s an excellent thought and it seems like an oversight that both Senior events are spaced so closely. I hope that Caesars addresses this. It seems like they should be at least a week apart.
I agree , I would like to be able to play in Seniors and Super seniors
98-99% of players can play both, because last year only about 1.5% of players remained in the Friday-starting Seniors event by the time Sunday’s Super Senior started. Seems to make more sense to have them the same weekend while Seniors are still in town.
Good point. It’s a good problem to have if you can’t play in both for that reason.
I remember reading some wild stories about players running back and forth between tables or entering multiple tourneys at once and just being blinded off until they could return to their seat.
I guess that’s the old-school way to multi-table.
Why can’t people pre register and go directly to assigned table and show their phone or printout of registration and not wait on those insane lines. Especially events like colossal. Last year after pre registration, I had to wait three hours.
That definitely would make a lot of sense and be a heck of a lot easier on players.
However, it would be a huge adjustment of infrastructure to either make dealers responsible for checking in players or have a ton of extra floor people ready to do that.
I’m not sure Caesars wants to invest in that simply for the sake of player comfort and sanity. Who needs that, right?
The seniors event is typically on Father’s Day weekend when most fathers and granddads would rather be with family. Why not give that weekend to the “young guns”!
Good point! Agreed.
I’m turning 65 June 26. Do I qualify for super senior event ?
Matt,
That’s a good question and the answer is it’s going to be very close.
Last year, the Super Seniors $1,000 took place on June 21 and the requirement is that players are 65 on the day of the event. It’s going to depend on which day they put it on the schedule this year.
I will update this page with the full schedule as soon as it is released.
Keep it mind there’s still the standard Seniors $1,000 event that only requires players to be 50, which I think 50-year-olds may take issue with.
Start one or two events early, and break by dinner, say 8 to 8. More people will come so they can dine with family.
Have the mega satilites where $500 to $ 1000 can win a $10,000 for entry into main event or whatever you want to use it for.
The scheduling idea is actually an excellent one and one that I may add in to the main page now. As Doyle Brunson has said many times over the years, the current WSOP time schedule is outrageous for seniors or anyone sensitive to loss of sleep.
If you last until the deep levels of an event, which everyone hopes to do of course, you may be playing until 3 a.m. with play starting the next day at noon.
How is that fair to jet-lagged travelers, older folks, or any other player who likes to regulate their sleep for optimal mental and physical performance? Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think that poker should be a physical endurance test.
I think that it would improve the quality of play late in tournaments if everyone was allowed to get more sleep.
Last year’s WSOP schedule had events starting at noon and 4 p.m. What about testing some events with an earlier start time and a reasonable hard end time like you suggest, Barry? I agree.
As for the satellites, I’m pretty sure those already exist at the Rio around Series time and, while rare to have the bigger buy-in satellites, they’re still around online as well at busier places like PokerStars for non-US players.