With the coronavirus shutting down casinos in the United States, all eyes have been on the World Series of Poker and if they would be able to host their annual festival at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino by May. The WSOP has finally announced the series has been officially postponed. The series will now take place sometime in the fall, though the dates and number of events are unknown.
Details of the Decision:
The WSOP had already sent out their schedule and were ready to get started with the WSOP by May 26th, before the coronavirus outbreak hit the United States. Once the casinos in Las Vegas were shut down, many players felt it was only a matter of time before the WSOP was canceled or at least moved to a later date.
According to Executive Director of the WSOP, Ty Stewart, the organization is committed to running the series this year. However, additional time is needed to ensure guests and staff stay well. Stewart stated that official WSOP competitions should be played online in the summer and an expanded series of poker tournaments will be played at the WSOP site.
The current schedule of the 2020 series will be reviewed and it is expected that changes will be made. When the series takes place, it will for sure include the $10,000 Main Event. Apart from that, it is unclear what the schedule will contain. As plans for the series are finalized, the WSOP will provide the schedule details to the public.
Super Circuit Online Series:
The news of the postponement comes just days after a partnership with GGPoker to launch the new WSOP Super Circuit Online Series via the GGPoker Network was announced. The series will debut on the network in May, offering players hundreds of tournament options. The new series will include 18 headliner events that will provide the winner with an official ring.