Las Vegas is starting the summer’s biggest poker event next week. Get yourself ready for the action with these 7 reasons to watch this year.
1. The $1 Million Big One for One Drop:
It’s back!! After taking a year off, the $1 million buy-in the Big One for One Drop tournament has returned to the WSOP. An estimated $20 million first place prize is up for grabs this year and as of now, 32 seats of the allotted 56 player cap are filled. There are quite a few first timers, including Vanessa Selbts, the first woman to enter the game, and like the previous edition some mysterious “Anonymous Businessmen”.
One Drop player Jean-Robert Bellande is ready for WSOP with his $1 million cash buy-in.
2. Millionaire Maker:
For its debut last year, this event drew in over 6,000 punters. Just a $1,500 entry and you could be looking to win $8 million in prizes.
3. Ladies, Ladies, Ladies!
We’ve got a ladies tournament this year with a $1,000 buy-in. Of course, men can join as well, but they’ll have to put up $10,000. This 2 buy in level was established last year in order to work around the gender-discrimination laws in Nevada and avoid seeing like in 2011 a men making his way to the final table. And it was a complete success. Last year nearly 1000 women were entered, and incidentally, no men!
4. 65 Events and 65 bracelets
Who doesn’t like a little bling? Who will succeed Daniel Nagreanu as WSOP player of the year? There will be 65 events, over the course of 7 weeks, where the winners receive a coveted World Series of Poker Golden Bracelet (plus the prize money, of course). There will be Razz, HORSE, Omaha, Hold-em, No-Limit Hold-em, $10,000 buy-ins, $1,500 buy-ins, even a 3 day Mixed Max No-Limit Hold-em with a $25,000 buy in…basically, a game for every preference.
Check out the full line up at http://www.wsop.com/2014/2014-wsop-schedule.pdf
5. Prop Bets:
The WSOP is scheduled to have millions of dollars up for grabs, but what about the side bets? Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu have already come up with a Gold Bracelet Bet, where you could win big if these two pros go bust. Negreanu posted on his Twitter account “Min bet is $5k against me and Ivey winning a bracelet this summer and the odds are even money. One of us wins- you lose. Simple.” There are tons of other things to bet on as well: who will win the Main Event, whether a woman will make the final table, even getting the winner’s country of origin right could win you money!
6. Dealer’s Choice Event:
This is the first time we’ve seen this format at the WSOP. “Dealer’s Choice/Six-Handed” will have a $1,500 buy-in and gives the player who is on the button (dealer) the option to choose the game for that hand. Sixteen different variations of poker will be allowed in this new addition, giving it a “home game” feel.
7. The Main Event:
This is what it all comes down to, what everyone waits for: a guaranteed $10 million to the winner of the 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event. Thousands of gamblers will grind it out to take home the first place prize. Last year’s winner was 23 year old Ryan Reiss, who took home over $8 million. Like every year, attendance figures will be carefully observed by the entire poker industry. Will the 2014 WSOP Main Event bring more than 7000 people to the tables as expected?
Louis Hartwell
Graduated in Media Communication at the University of Lausanne, Louis Hartman is a co-founder of somuchpoker.com. He began his career in Cambodia as freelance journalist. In same time he was making his living by playing poker every night at that time. Intense learner, he read dozens of poker strategy books to improve his skills during many years. With a strong interest about poker "behind the scene" in Asia and his communication skills, Louis launched Somuchpoker in 2014.
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