After a successful 17-year stint at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) is ready to move to Bally’s, the future Horseshoe Casino, and the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. The 53rd running of the event is set to take place beginning this May and organizers have just announced the upcoming 2022 schedule. The Las Vegas tournaments kick off on May 31 with events set to continue through July 20.
Details of the Series
The new home of the WSOP will offer large convention space so that the tournament series has more capacity than ever before. By utilizing both casinos, the WSOP has access to more than 150,000 square feet of space with 600 poker tables. Players will be able to take part in a variety of events with buy-ins starting at $400 and going as high as $250,000.
The main cage will be situated at the Paris Las Vegas and Bally’s Event Center will be home to TV set staging. The two buildings are connected and have one parking garage, providing easy access for guests. On opening weekend, players can take part in The Housewarming event which features a $500 buy-in and a huge prize pool guarantee of $5 million.
The Main Event is of course back in action with hits $10,000 buy-in and No-Limit Hold’em World Championship format. Last year, the event has over 6,600 entries and it is expected to be just as large this year. The event will kick off during the July 4 holiday and will play through the final table on July 15-16.
WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart commented on the upcoming schedule by stating: “This year is particularly historic for the WSOP with its move to the heart of the Las Vegas Strip and debut in the best facilities we’ve ever had. We’re ready to welcome players from all over the world to our housewarming party at Bally’s, soon-to-be Horseshoe, and Paris. The schedule is jam-packed with first-class events, and we expect this to be the biggest and most anticipated WSOP yet.”
The WSOP will work with CBS Sports for daily streaming coverage of events on PokerGO. 18 different bracelet events will be televised with at least 15 hours of coverage set aside for the Main Event. With so many viewing opportunities, players who cannot make it to Las Vegas can at least tune in to all the action.
Operational Details for 2022
There are a few operational notes that players should consider concerning the 2022 WSOP. First, the series will follow all local, state, and CDC guidelines for COVID-19. There is no vaccination requirement this year, but players must follow CDC guidelines.
The WSOP is also encouraging players to use the online/mobile registration process to sign-up to compete in tournament events. This process will help to avoid major congestion and queues at the venues. Anyone who registers online must visit the Champagne Ballroom at the Paris Las Vegas convention area to validate identification.