Five reasons to follow the 2019 WSOPE

The WSOP has become one of poker’s oldest and finest institutions over the years, providing many of the greatest moments in the history of the game.

That fact alone should be enough to convince you to tune in to the WSOPE when it starts on October 13th in Rozvadov. But if not, allow us to give you five more good reasons to watch Somuchpoker‘s regular coverage of the WSOPE this year.

Player of the Year race

Most of the points for Player of the Year (POY) are collected in Las Vegas during the summer, but WSOPE is where the sharp end of the race is to be found. With limited events left to play, normally there are at least two players in contention for the title going into WSOPE. This makes for compelling viewing as those near the front of the race try to accumulate every fraction of a point they can. Sometimes they even must weigh up whether to play purely for the bracelet when they go very deep or be cautious in the hope of locking up POY points.

With the number of WSOPE events having increased significantly this year, there are more points still available than there normally would be at this point in the race. Barring something extraordinary happening, only the top 4 or 5 players have a serious shot at winning. Although, given the quality of players in the chasing pack and the number of events at WSOPE this year, we cannot completely rule out players who are several hundred points behind.

The current standings for the top 10 are as follows:
1^st – Robert Campbell – 3,418.78
2^nd – Shaun Deeb – 3,280.13
3^rd – Daniel Negreanu – 3,166.24
4^th – Daniel Zack – 3,126.13
5^th – Phillip Hui – 2,881.67
6^th – Jason Gooch – 2,643.72
7^th – Joseph Cheong – 2,595.54
8^th – David “ODB” Baker – 2,480.06
9^th – Chris Ferguson – 2,476.96
10^th – Anthony Zinno – 2,443.22

Daniel Negreanu will be bidding to win his third career POY title which would be an unprecedented accomplishment. He currently stands alone as the only player to have ever won two (2004 and 2013) since the introduction of POY back in 2004. Shaun Deeb is the defending champion and could yet draw level with Negreanu’s tally if he is able to overhaul Robert Campbell to claim back to back titles.

High buy-in event

While almost all the events at WSOPE are affordable to most serious players, one event stands alone as a Super High Roller which will only attract the biggest and richest names in the game. October 16^th sees the €250,000 Super High Roller kick off, and while no POY will be awarded for this event, there is a bracelet on offer. Also, you can be sure that the player who wins it will have to navigate a brutally tough field to get their hands on the gold.

Along with this big buy-in thriller, there is also a €100,000 High Roller starting on October 23^rd which will bring a similar crowd of players. High Roller specialists, top pros and businessmen will see this as a great chance to win a WSOP bracelet, with the field size likely to be somewhat smaller than most WSOP events.

Main Event

The jewel in the crown of WSOPE has always been the Main Event. This title may not command quite the same adulation as the WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas, but it is still a very special title to win. Over the years since WSOPE began, some great names have picked up this bracelet, including Annette Obrestad, John Juanda, Elio Fox, Phil Hellmuth, Adrian Mateos and Kevin MacPhee. Daniel Negreanu also famously finished in 2^nd place in 2009.

After skipping 2016, WSOPE’s return in 2017 marked a spike in numbers for Main Event entries, hitting 529, when 2015 had only attracted 313 runners. Last year saw 534 entries and a top prize of over €1.1 million, and this year should match or surpass that number. The buy in for the Main Event will be €10,000, with €5 million having already been guaranteed for the prize pool. There will be two day 1 starting flights, getting underway on October 25^th and 26^th.

New events and mixed game additions

The number of events on this year’s schedule has risen from 10 to 15, with €22 million guaranteed across the festival. This expansion of WSOPE will see more mixed games added along with more opportunities for bracelets and POY points.

Here are some of the key side events which bring something a little different to the schedule:

• Oct 17^th – €2,500 buy in 8-Game Mix event
• Oct 18^th – €25,500 buy in Short Deck High Roller No-Limit Hold’em event
• Oct 20^th – €25,500 buy in Platinum High Roller No-Limit Hold’em event
• Oct 21^st – €25,500 Mixed Games Championship
• Oct 24^th – €2,500 Short Deck No-Limit Hold’em event

Speaking about the new schedule, Leon Tsoukernik who owns King’s Resort where the WSOPE is to be held said, “We heard the feedback and are happy to add some mixed games and some bigger buy-in tournaments in order to encourage more players to make the trip”.

Negreanu blogging and selling shares

WSOPE package will be released this week with those missing out on the WSOP packages getting priority.

If that’s you, check your emails this week, follow here on Twitter, and you can also check the FB group for info related to how and when you can buy.

— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) September 23, 2019

As is customary during World Series festivals these days, Canadian star Daniel Negreanu will be keeping the world updated on his experiences and thoughts throughout as he seeks a seventh career bracelet.

Having been outspoken about what he sees as flaws in the WSOPE schedule in the past, and newly married, some doubted whether Negreanu would attend this year. He has confirmed though, that he will make the trip, perhaps fuelled by his rivalry with Shaun Deeb and their battle for POY supremacy.

In addition to his popular video blogs, Negreanu is also offering fans another chance to pick up a percentage of WSOPE action, mark-up free. The only condition is that those who attempted to buy his action in the summer and were wrongly informed they had secured a package will be first in line to secure some action this time around. This makes it unlikely that other fans will be able to buy a package at WSOPE, but is a nice gesture by Negreanu, who clearly felt bad that some fans had to be refunded in the summer.

Article by Craig Bradshaw