Race to enter WSOP Main Event begins Thursday

How large tin the World Series of Poker Main Event beryllium amid the coronavirus pandemic? We’ll cognize successful astir a week.

WSOP officials are giving players astir the satellite each accidental to marque it to the Rio normal halfway for the Main Event, the $10,000 No-limit Hold’em World Championship.

Six starting flights volition beryllium held astatine 11 a.m. Thursday done Tuesday. Players tin inactive bargain successful arsenic precocious arsenic 4 hours into the 2 Day 2 sessions Tuesday and Wednesday.

The WSOP added 2 other starting flights to let much clip for planetary travelers to arrive. The U.S. precocious announced that it would assistance question restrictions for vaccinated planetary passengers starting Monday.

“So if you’re an planetary traveler and you couldn’t commencement traveling until the 8th, you virtually person much than 48 hours to get present erstwhile the question regularisation gets lifted,” WSOP vice president Jack Effel said.

With each the starting flights and 2 Day 2s, the afloat remaining tract volition not play unneurotic until Nov. 11. The Main Event is scheduled to extremity Nov. 17.

The Main Event is returning to a afloat in-person format this twelvemonth aft a hybrid online/live Main Event was held successful 2020.

Damian Salas defeated a tract of 1,379 for $2.55 million past twelvemonth successful the hybrid Main Event. Hossein Ensan defeated a tract of 8,569 to triumph $10 million successful 2019.

Besides past year, each Main Event since 2006 has had astatine slightest 6,000 participants. Ensan’s triumph came against the second-largest tract successful Main Event history. (Jamie Gold defeated a tract of 8,773 to triumph $12 cardinal successful 2006.)

This year’s tract volition astir surely autumn determination successful betwixt the 2019 and 2020 numbers. Some players volition not comply with the WSOP’s vaccine mandate. Even immoderate vaccinated players mightiness inactive question to debar being successful adjacent proximity with strangers astatine a poker table.

After a twelvemonth without a unrecorded bid due to the fact that of the pandemic, WSOP enforcement manager Ty Stewart said helium is not focused connected numbers.

“Even a WSOP astatine reduced information crushes immoderate poker lawsuit successful the world,” helium said via email earlier the bid began. “We’re focused connected putting connected the champion 2021 WSOP we tin and are appreciative of everyone who comes retired to play.”

The Main Event volition person a caller broadcast location this year, with TV rights moving from ESPN to CBS Sports Network. Edited Main Event episodes volition beryllium shown astatine a aboriginal date.

Daily streaming sum of the Main Event is disposable connected the subscription video work PokerGO. Thursday’s sum volition beryllium shown escaped connected PokerGO’s YouTube channel.

Despite the determination from ESPN, broadcasters Lon McEachern and Norman Chad volition inactive pb CBS’ coverage, on with Jamie Kerstetter, Ali Nejad, Nick Schulman and Jeff Platt.

Contact Jim Barnes astatine jbarnes@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-0277. Follow @JimBarnesLV connected Twitter.