- Ultimate WPT® Poker Experience: The trip includes entry fee for one person (must be 21 or older) in a WPT® Tournament of the winner’s choice anywhere in the continental United States (maximum entry fee $2,000), choice of first class hotel ($2,100 hotel allowance) for up to six nights (winner selects from a list of three hotels provided by MDI), round trip coach airfare for two ($1,500.
- 1st, one (1) buy-in (buy-in plus tournament fee) to a specific 2011 WPT Main Event plus $1,000 in cash for travel expenses. Dates of World Poker Tour Main Events are subject to change. Additionally, this tournament will award Tournament Points based on players relative position of finish, as follows: Place, Points 1st, 2,500 Points 2nd.
Stoyan Madanzhiev won the 2020 World Series of Poker main event. Or so he thought.
The World Poker Tour (WPT) Philippines 2020 will be held from February 6th to February 17th at Okada Manila, Philippines. DATE TIME EVENT BUY-IN THURSDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2020 2.30 PM 1 ALL BANKROLLS KICKOFF FLIGHT 1 3% OF FIELD ITM PHP5 MILLION GTD (RE-ENTRY) MIN CASH 30K PHP 5,000 7.00 PM 1 ALL BANKROLLS KICKOFF FLIGHT 2 6%. In 2008, the WPT launched a new product called ClubWPT, a subscription-based club where members pay a monthly fee to play in tournaments that award over $100,000 in prizes every month. Professional Poker Tour (PPT) A series of spin-off tournaments, titled the 'Professional Poker Tour', began filming in 2004.
Two months ago, the Bulgarian pro defeated a 5,802-entry field in the $5,000 no-limit hold’em main event for $3.9 million during the international-facing series on GGPoker
But after last week’s announcement of a hybrid main event that will combine the Nevada and New Jersey-facing WSOP.com, the international-facing GGPoker, and a live element taking place at King’s Casino and the Rio, Madanzhiev took to Twitter to voice his displeasure over calling the new event the main event.
So if I won the “51st Annual World Series of Poker Main Event” What will the December one be?
The 52nd
51.1
51 2.0
51 alfa
?
Just wondering #wsoppic.twitter.com/6hhk20pdVZ
— Stoyan Madanzhiev (@Stoyan_Mad) November 14, 2020
WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart helped make Madanzhiev’s point in the press release regarding the event when he said, “There must be a World Champion in 2020.” Stewart’s phrasing indicates that a main event champion hasn’t been crowned this year.
In a follow-up tweet a couple days later, Madanzhiev alluded to the fact that if he was aware that the tournament he played online in the fall wasn’t the main event, he probably wouldn’t have fired multiple bullets in the tournament.
It would have cost him seven-figures in earnings, but the point still stands.
Looking back, If I had known I wasn’t playing the “actual” world series of poker, I probably wouldn’t have reentered. Or maybe even played. It worked well for me but I wonder how many others fell for this false advertising trap? #wsop#scam
*interview for @CardPlayerMediapic.twitter.com/85MyF1ivHF
— Stoyan Madanzhiev (@Stoyan_Mad) November 17, 2020
It sparked a discussion on social media among many high-profile members of the poker community, with most players echoing a similar sentiment.
'There must be a World Champion in 2020,” said Ty Stewart
There is his name is Stoyan Madanzhiev https://t.co/sav5Uyc0Rj
— Sam Greenwood (@SamGreenwoodRIO) November 13, 2020
No one:
Absolutely no one:
WSOP/GG: A SECOND 2020 MAINEVENT … BUTTHISTIMECRAMTHE 9 FINALISTTOGETHER ON 1 TABLE IN LASVEGAS!!
— Melissa Burr (@burrrrrberry) November 13, 2020
Remember all that fuss about the 5k WSOP Main Event having like 40 starting days or something, nobody would’ve cared about that if they thought that it wasn’t the actual 2020 WSOP Main Event lmfao
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— Jeff Madsen (@JeffMadsenobv) November 18, 2020
Is it true the @WSOP branded a main event as the 'main event' this summer and some poor kid won it and now they are saying he isn't the 2020 Main Event Champ?
…not making any accusations. only asking a question.
— Matt Glantz (@MattGlantz) November 15, 2020
For me, if whoever won the online ‘Main Event’ in the summer isn’t reigning @WSOP champion, then whoever wins this freakish hybrid in December won’t be either. https://t.co/qODloqJyNd
— Barny Boatman (@barnyboatman) November 14, 2020
Didn’t we already have an online WSOP Main Event?
What happens if someone wins the GG event and can’t get into the USA?
I don’t hate the overall idea (if we weren’t in a pandemic) but this isn’t the “Main Event” – should be called something like Pandemic Poker Event 2020. https://t.co/lldCpoghEo
— Joey Ingram #passion (@Joeingram1) November 13, 2020
One of the few people to defend the idea was six-time WSOP bracelet winner and GGPoker Ambassador Daniel Negreanu. Ironically, Negreanu’s signature was at the bottom of the letter congratulating Madanzhiev on his victory.
Negreanu’s main argument was that the WSOP main event should always be a $10,000 buy-in freezeout. The GGPoker event was a $5,000 buy-in with unlimited re-entries.
A key difference from the summer series $25 million GTD $5k event is this is a $10k FREEZEOUT no re-entry
Also the final 9 on https://t.co/tOa6L4yo0q and https://t.co/KbqGE6HJxR will each play down to a winner live,with those 2 facing off for an extra milly https://t.co/EGpvAEGzJp
— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) November 13, 2020
When confronted by Madanzhiev about his take, Negreanu pointed to the 2019 WSOP Player of the Year race when he was crowned the champion and then had that title taken away.
Also remember I have experience with this personally! I was crowned the 2019 WSOPPOY!
Then later had that taken away because of a point miscalculation.
Just saying, I feel your pain with this one.
— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) November 16, 2020
Some of the funnier takes on Twitter stemmed from the rule about what would happen if player contracted COVID-19 before the live final table. Unlike traditional rules for medical emergencies, where a player’s stack is simply blinded out of the tournament, under the current rules, if a player contracts the virus before the live final table, they would be disqualified and given a ninth-place payout.
Rounders 2:
He's down on his luck but Mike McD is one of the 5 guys who FT each year
He puts his last 10k in WSOP ME- FTs 1st/9. Knish talks sense into him and he sells 85% at ICM to Teddy KGB. Worm doesn't quarantine and gives him covid. Drives truck 35 years to pay off Teddy https://t.co/R8ucDBBuUR
— Mike McDonald (@MikeMcDonald89) November 13, 2020
Table Of Contents
In-full live major poker tournaments will return to the U.S. with a World Poker Tour event in January.
In a Monday presser, host venue Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood announced they'd be joining forces with the WPT once again for the Lucky Hearts Poker Open. The event will fill its traditional January slot and culminate with the $3,500 WPT Main Event with a $1 million guarantee.
Furthermore, the WPT announced on Wednesday its first U.S.-based online Main Tour event, the $3,500 WPT Online Poker Open Main Event, set for a late December running in New Jersey. That one will also carry a guarantee of $1 million.
Live WPT Events Return
Jan. 22 will mark the return of the WPT to U.S. soil.
The Lucky Hearts Poker Open Main Event will kick off that Friday with the first of two starting flights for the $3,500 reentry event. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday will see the tournament play down to a champion, who will get their name etched onto the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup and earn a place in the WPT Tournament of Champions.
The WPT Main Event will be part of an overall festival running Jan. 14-26. It will include an opening $600 multi-flight event with $300,000 guaranteed, a good mix of non-NLHE events around the $400 price point, and four other tournaments with six-figure guarantees.
The full schedule can be found here.
A WPT card hasn't been pitched in the U.S.since mid-March with the conclusion of WPT Rolling Thunder. Instead, the top brand has opted to go with the industry norm under the cloud of COVID-19, hosting a variety of huge online events, most notably the WPT World Online Championship.
Seminole Hard Rock properties reintroduced poker tournaments several months back, so they've started to ramp up the action in Florida, but nothing has been in the ballpark of the WPT LHPO's scale with its more than $2 million in total guarantees.
The WPT LHPO was last on the schedule in January 2020, when it guaranteed $2 million and created a prize pool a little under $2.7 million, drawing 843 entries.
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COVID Safety Protocols
Of course, the reason the WPT and so many other poker tours have been on ice for the last eight-plus months is the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Key word being ongoing, as the situation in the U.S. and many other countries has, if anything, worsened in recent months.
Florida has been known to be one of the harder-hit states overall, and the past week at the time of writing has seen an average of 6,602 new cases per day, according to official numbers released by the state.
Knowing this, Seminole Hard Rock has instituted special 'Safe + Sound' protocols in an effort to make the playing environment as safe as possible.
- Eight-handed tables with plexiglass shielding players and dealers
- Temperature checks upon entry
- Mandatory mask usage
- Routine cleaning of chips, cards and newly-emptied seats
- Wide availability of hand sanitizer for players and employees
- 50% max capacity on property
- State-of-the-art air filtration system designed to destroy viruses
New Jersey to Host Additional $1M Guaranteed
Those looking to get their names on the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup need not wait until January, though. In fact, they don't even need to leave their own homes or play live poker at all, provided those homes are located in New Jersey.
The WPT Online Poker Open Main Event will be held Dec. 27-29 on partypoker US Network for players in New Jersey. PokerNews has already signed on to provide live reporting.
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The ambitious $1 million guarantee signifies how serious the WPT and partypoker are about making this a premier poker tournament worthy of the WPT name.
“The WPT Online Poker Open brings the most prestigious prize in poker to New Jersey and the partypoker US Network,” said WPT CEO Adam Pliska in a presser. “WPT’s continued pivot toward online will continue with another landmark for regulated online poker in the United States.”
Indeed, the WPT has pivoted into a strong series of online offerings, however all were offered to the dot-com partypoker player pool, a much larger bunch of customers than the prospective New Jersey pool. Drawing the necessary entries to meet the guarantee will require some effort, and the WPT already announced satellites will be available for as little as $5.
Speaking of the dot-cam pool, they'll also get a January shot at WPT glory. WPT Montreal, traditionally occupying a November slot on the schedule, will take place on the main partypoker client. It begins with starting flights on Jan. 10 and Jan. 17, two Sundays that will play down to a short enough percent of the field that the tournament finishes Jan. 18.
That one will have a $3,200 buy-in and a $2 million guarantee. Click here for full details.
The only other WPT Main Tour events currently scheduled at WPT Russia in Sochi for mid-February and the second edition of WPT Online Series, scheduled for May.
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