Caesars Entertainment announced the return of the live World Series of Poker in April, but poker enthusiasts have waited for weeks for details on the full schedule for this year’s series. That wait is finally over, as WSOP.com revealed the full schedule for the 2021 World Series of Poker on Tuesday.
The series returns to its longtime home at The Rio All-Suite Casino & Hotel for this year’s revival of poker’s biggest live tournament festival. The 2021 WSOP schedule includes 88 bracelet events, conducted at the Rio Convention Center Sept. 30 through Nov. 23.
While the dates are different than the normal summer schedule for the WSOP, the format should look familiar to poker players around the world. The 88 tournaments play out over a seven-week stretch, culminating in the WSOP Main Event.
Let’s take a look at some of the biggest events on the 2021 WSOP schedule:
2021 World Series Of Poker Notable Events
| Start Date | Buy-in/Tournament | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 1 | $500 The Reunion | Three Day 1 flights, one per day Oct. 1-3 |
| Oct. 5 | $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship | Field capped at 64 players |
| Oct. 8 | $1,500 Millionaire Maker | 2019 winner cashed for $1,344,930 |
| Oct. 20 | $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship | Long-running five-game mix event |
| Oct. 31 | $50,000 Poker Players Championship | Perhaps the most coveted championship at the WSOP |
| Nov. 4 | $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event | Runs through Nov. 17 |
| Nov. 17 | $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty | Open to all players; Hall of Fame members enter for free; bounties on all HOF members. |
| Nov. 20 | $1,500 The Closer | Often draws huge attendance |
It might be tough to narrow down an 88-event schedule to a few “notable” events.
The Main Event, aka the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em World Championship, plays out Nov. 4-17. Poker’s most famous tournament offers four Day 1 flights for the 2021 edition, one per day Nov. 4-7.
The Reunion, a $500 buy-in, $5 million guaranteed tournament, starts Oct. 1, the second day of the series. With three starting flights and a massive guarantee, The Reunion will likely draw some of the biggest attendance across the series. The tournament needs at least 10,000 runners to meet the guarantee but stands a great chance of going well beyond that mark.
While the Main Event stands as poker’s most recognizable tournament, many pros consider the annual $50,000 Poker Players Championship as the most prestigious tournament in poker. Only the most well-rounded players can survive the high-stakes, mixed-game format of the tournament.
The Poker Players Championship begins Oct. 31, and you can bet on a star-studded field and one of the biggest spectator rails for any tournament at the 2021 WSOP.
The Main Event doesn’t end the action at this year’s series. Ten tournaments begin on Nov. 17 or later.
One of those events, the $1,979 Hall of Fame Bounty, will play as perhaps the most unique event of the series. All living Poker Hall of Fame members are invited to play for free, while the rest of the world must pony up the $1,979 entry free. Knocking out any Hall of Famer earns a bounty.
Satellite opportunities to various 2021 World Series of Poker events play out on WSOP.com (Nevada and New Jersey) in the weeks leading up to the live series in Las Vegas.
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