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This weekend, the 2020 World Series of Poker Main Event kicks off on GGPoker, as the first flight of a live-online hybrid that looks set to crown the Main Event champion for 2020.
This unorthodox Main Event will begin across both WSOP.com and GGPoker, culminating in not only two live final tables, but a final heads-up battle in Las Vegas on December 30th.
Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the WSOP is set to be played out exclusively online for the first time ever (a handful of bracelet events have been held online for the past several years, but the.
- With large-scale live poker tournaments still problematic because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Series of Poker has announced an expanded WSOP Online Circuit Series schedule. The first online.
- On Monday night, the 2020 World Series of Poker Online Event #7: $800 No-Limit Hold'em Knockout Deepstack attracted 989 players, which resulted in a $731,660 prize pool. After nearly 12 hours of play, it was Joon 'jykpoker' Kim coming out on top to win a $103,127 top prize, $3,000 in bounties, and his first gold bracelet.
Much has been made of this 'second' Main Event of the year, coming only a few months after the successful series of WSOP Online Bracelet Events.
Here PokerNews takes a look at two competing views and asks what it means for poker.
'There Must be a World Champion in 2020'
When the WSOP Main Event was announced, it was WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart who said: 'There must be a World Champion in 2020.'
In the WSOP's eyes, this new $10,000 freezeout will be the 2020 Main Event, irrespective of the online series that preceded it.
This format has decided No Limit Hold'em World Champion since 1972. In 1970, the participants voted on who they thought was the most accomplished player, and in 1971 the buy-in was $5,000.
The $5,000 WSOP Online Main Event was undoubtedly a huge success story, setting a Guinness World Record for largest online poker tournament prize pool, but Stewart maintains that the traditional Main Event format is still important.
'Poker’s history is too important,' he said. '[The hybrid format] is a unique format for the Main Event, but this is a unique year.'
Related: WSOP Main Event at GGPoker Shatters Guinness World Records Title
Madanzhiev: 'I am World Champion'
However, the winner of the $5,000 WSOP Online Main Event Stoyan Madanzhiev has expressed confusion at the decision to host another Main Event.
Madanzhiev spoke exclusively with PokerNews and expressed his bemusement at the announcement, reiterating that in his eyes he was the 2020 WSOP Main Event champion.
'I won it,' he said matter-of-factly. 'I received a certificate. It says that I'm the 51st annual World Series of Poker Main Event champion. So this means I'm the Main Event champion. I mean, what else does it mean if it's not that?
'I am the champion of 2020. They said it.' Bingo slots no deposit bonus.
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The certificate he is referring to is one that he has widely paraded on social media. Madanzhiev uses this as his main piece of evidence that he is the Main Event champion of 2020.
just setting up my twttr
— jack (@jack)Signed by former WSOP APAC Main Event champion and GGPoker Ambassador Daniel Negreanu, the certificate states: 'Congratulations on winning WSOP Event #77: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event of the 51st Annual World Series of Poker hosted by GGPoker.'
This is something Madanzhiev calls 'confusing.'
'Everybody started calling me the world champion. It was confusing. [The WSOP] made it look like that with the way they presented the tournament, with the way they gave me the certificate. And I started believing that I am the reigning world champion of 2020. I still think that is correct.'
So What Does This Mean?
Whether or not you think another WSOP Main Event is a good idea is up for debate.
On the one hand, the WSOP Online Main Event will always hold a special place in WSOP history, whereas others will insist that a $10,000 freezeout will always be needed to crown a Main Event champion.
However, two things are certain as we approach the end of this crazy year. Stoyan Madanzhiev will always be remembered as the first WSOP Online Main Event champion, and that the poker community will have some WSOP action to end the year.
The World Series of Poker Circuit has in store a baker’s dozen of events throughout the year, including a $250,000 year end championship event in December.
Each year, the WSOP hosts numerous Circuit events at various locations around the world, but mostly in the U.S. Some of the most popular stops include Las Vegas and Cherokee, North Carolina. At each stop, players have an opportunity to compete in a dozen or so different events, all of which reward the winner a coveted Circuit ring.
The Circuit series is the WSOP’s low-stakes brand compared to its major series in Las Vegas each summer. But much like the main World Series of Poker in 2020, the WSOP Circuit tour came to a halt due to COVID-19.
As a result, the WSOP moved some Circuit events online to WSOP.com last year. Rings were awarded to all the winners just like normal.
It’s quite evident the global health pandemic isn’t going away any time soon. Major poker tournaments are still on hold all around the world due to COVID-19. And we couldn’t even possibly guess when the next live major event will take place. Neither can those who plan the World Series of Poker.
So, the WSOP has found a new way to continue its popular Circuit series. The 2021 season is moving online with 12 regular season series hosted on the WSOP.com poker site, followed up by a December 28 Year End Championship with a $250,000 guaranteed prize pool.
To reach that championship, players must perform at a high level throughout the year. Each month features a WSOP Circuit Series Leaderboard, with $10,000 in cash to the top performers based on points earned monthly. The top 10 finishers each month will earn a ticket to a $25,000 monthly freeroll.
When does it kick off?
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The 2021 WSOP Circuit Online season begins January 14 with the Winter Online Super Circuit series, which runs until January 31. There will be 18 rings awarded throughout the series. Tournament highlights include a $500 Kick Off event to open the series featuring a $75,000 guaranteed prize pool, a $1,000 High Roller ($100,000 guaranteed) on January 19, and the $525 Main Event ($250,000 guaranteed) on January 31.
The WSOP hasn’t yet released the schedules for future Circuit series. But we do know the second event will be the Planet Hollywood Circuit running February 17-28. That will be followed by the Silver Legacy Circuit March 19-30, and then the Spring Online Super Circuit April 10-27. In total, 168 Circuit rings will be awarded throughout the year.
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You can only play in these events from Nevada or New Jersey. Players aren’t required to reside in those states, but you must physically be within state borders during play.
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Featured image source: Twitter
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