2020 World Series Of Poker
The 2020 World Series of Poker had originally been planned as a series of 101 bracelet events.
Of those, 87 of the events were to have played out as usual at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. The other 14 were to be hosted online at WSOP.com, the most online bracelets ever for a WSOP. The 51st running of the WSOP was all set to be the largest in its history.
However the coronavirus pandemic and spread of COVID-19 forced a change in plans. In April while Las Vegas casinos were closed and there was uncertainty about the future, the WSOP confirmed its original schedule would be scrapped and the 2020 WSOP would be postponed.
Then in June came the announcement of a new series, 2020 WSOP Online, an 85-event series to play out from July through September across WSOP.com and GGPoker.
The WSOP has yet to abandon the idea of a live tournament series in 2020, but for now all of the scheduled action has moved online.
As such, this summer’s WSOP will be entirely unique not just because of the online-only format, but because not everyone will be eligible to play in the events due to geographical restrictions on participation at both WSOP.com and GGPoker.
2020 WSOP Online Schedule: WSOP.com (July 1-31)
The first part of 2020 WSOP Online takes place on WSOP.com from July 1 to July 31, while the second half of the schedule will play out on GGPoker from July 19 to September 6.
The WSOP.com schedule features one event per day throughout July. Players in Nevada and New Jersey can compete in the events thanks to a multi-state poker alliance.
However those in Delaware who play on WSOP sister site 888 Poker will not be able to play the WSOP.com online bracelet events. Nor will players located anywhere outside of NV and NJ.
| Event | Date | Time | Event | Buy-In |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 1 (W) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em Kick-Off | $500 |
| 2 | July 2 (Th) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em 8-Handed Deepstack | $1,000 |
| 3 | July 3 (F) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em | $400 |
| 4 | July 4 (Sa) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em Super Turbo | $500 |
| 5 | July 5 (Su) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em Freezeout | $1,000 |
| 6 | July 6 (M) | 3:00 p.m. | PLO8 6-Handed | $600 |
| 7 | July 7 (Tu) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em Knockout Deepstack | $800 |
| 8 | July 8 (W) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em Freezeout | $500 |
| 9 | July 9 (Th) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em 6-Max | $1,000 |
| 10 | July 10 (F) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em MonsterStack | $600 |
| 11 | July 11 (Sa) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em Turbo Deepstack 6-Handed | $500 |
| 12 | July 12 (Su) | 3:00 p.m. | The BIG 500 No Limit Hold'em | $500 |
| 13 | July 13 (M) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em High Roller Freezeout | $1,500 |
| 14 | July 14 (Tu) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em High Roller | $3,200 |
| 15 | July 15 (W) | 3:00 p.m. | PLO 8-Max HR | $1,000 |
| 16 | July 16 (Th) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em Turbo | $500 |
| 17 | July 17 (F) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em | $777 |
| 18 | July 18 (Sa) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em 8-Handed Turbo DeepStack | $1,000 |
| 19 | July 19 (Su) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em | $400 |
| 20 | July 20 (M) | 3:00 p.m. | PLO 6-Handed | $500 |
| 21 | July 21 (Tu) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em 6-Handed | $777 |
| 22 | July 22 (W) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em Turbo Deepstack | $500 |
| 23 | July 23 (Th) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em Knockout | $500 |
| 24 | July 24 (F) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em 8-Handed | $400 |
| 25 | July 25 (Sa) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em Summer Saver | $500 |
| 26 | July 26 (Su) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em Grande Finale | $500 |
| 27 | July 27 (M) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em Freezeout | $400 |
| 28 | July 28 (Tu) | 3:00 p.m. | Omaha 8 6-Max | $1,000 |
| 29 | July 29 (W) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em Turbo Deepstack 6-Handed | $600 |
| 30 | July 30 (Th) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em Seniors Event | $500 |
| 31 | July 31 (F) | 3:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em Championship | $1,000 |
2020 WSOP Online Schedule: GGPoker (July 19-Sept. 6)
A total of 54 bracelet events will take place on GGPoker starting Sunday, July 19.
GGPoker first launched in 2014 and originally focused on players in China and Southeast Asia. More recently it has expanded its reach to countries in the rest of Asia, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and the Americas.
GGPoker actually refers to the GGPoker Network, which includes other skins including Natural8 and BestPoker.
There are approximately 30 countries where GGPoker is not available. The United States is one of the countries from which GGPoker prohibits players from playing.
Like WSOP.com, GGPoker does not spread stud or draw games, which limits available variants to either hold’em or Omaha. However GGPoker does feature short-deck hold’em, a.k.a. 6+ hold’em, and there are a couple of short deck events on the schedule.
| Event | Date | Time | Event | Buy-In |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 19 (Su) | 2:30 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - The Opener [Final Day], $2M GTD | $100 |
| 2 | July 19 (Su) | 2:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - Every 1 for Covid Relief [Caesars Cares] | $1,111 |
| 3 | July 19 (Su) | 4:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - Super Turbo Bounty 6-Max | $525 |
| 4 | July 21 (Tu) | 2:00 p.m. | Pot-Limit Omaha - Championship | $5,000 |
| 5 | July 22 (W) | 2:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - FIFTY STACK | $1,500 |
| 6 | July 23 (Th) | 2:00 p.m. | Pot Limit Omaha - Bounty | $1,050 |
| 7 | July 25 (Sa) | 8:00 a.m. | No Limit Hold'em - Monster Stack 6-Max | $600 |
| 8 | July 26 (Su) | 8:00 a.m. | No Limit Hold'em | $1,500 |
| 9 | July 26 (Su) | 2:00 p.m. | Pot Limit Omaha | $2,500 |
| 10 | July 26 (Su) | 2:30 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - COLOSSUS [Day 2], $3M GTD | $400 |
| 11 | July 26 (Su) | 3:00 p.m. | Pot Limit Omaha - PLOSSUS [Day 2], $1M GTD | $400 |
| 12 | July 28 (Tu) | 2:00 p.m. | Short Deck No Limit Hold'em - Championship | $10,000 |
| 13 | July 29 (W) | 2:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - 6-Max | $2,500 |
| 14 | July 30 (Th) | 2:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - Bounty | $840 |
| 15 | Aug 1 (Sa) | 8:00 a.m. | No Limit Hold'em - Deepstack | $500 |
| 16 | Aug 2 (Su) | 8:00 a.m. | Short Deck No Limit Hold'em | $1,000 |
| 17 | Aug 2 (Su) | 2:30 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - MILLIONAIRE MAKER [Day 2], $5M GTD, $1M to 1st | $1,500 |
| 18 | Aug 2 (Su) | 4:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - Turbo DeepStack | $1,000 |
| 19 | Aug 4 (Tu) | 2:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - Bounty Championship | $2,100 |
| 20 | Aug 5 (W) | 2:00 p.m. | Pot Limit Omaha | $400 |
| 21 | Aug 6 (Th) | 2:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em | $1,000 |
| 22 | Aug 8 (Sa) | 8:00 a.m. | Pot Limit Omaha - Double Stack | $800 |
| 25 | Aug 8 (Sa) | 2:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - Heads Up Championship | $10,000 |
| 23 | Aug 9 (Su) | 8:00 a.m. | No Limit Hold'em - Asia Championship [Final Day], HK$8M GTD | HK$8,000 |
| 24 | Aug 9 (Su) | 1:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - GGMasters WSOP Edition [Freezeout], $1M GTD | $150 |
| 26 | Aug 11 (Tu) | 2:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - 6-Max Championship | $5,000 |
| 27 | Aug 12 (W) | 2:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - Double Stack | $2,500 |
| 28 | Aug 13 (Th) | 2:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - Bounty 6-Max | $525 |
| 29 | Aug 15 (Sa) | 8:00 a.m. | No Limit Hold'em - Monster Stack 6-Max | $300 |
| 30 | Aug 16 (Su) | 2:00 p.m. | Pot Limit Omaha | $1,500 |
| 31 | Aug 16 (Su) | 2:30 p.m. | Mini Main Event [Final Day], $5M GTD | $500 |
| 32 | Aug 16 (Su) | 4:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - Super Turbo Bounty | $840 |
| 33 | Aug 18 (Tu) | 2:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - Deepstack Championship | $600 |
| 34 | Aug 19 (W) | 2:00 p.m. | Pot Limit Omaha | $800 |
| 35 | Aug 20 (Th) | 2:00 p.m. | Limit Hold'em | $500 |
| 36 | Aug 22 (Sa) | 8:00 a.m. | No Limit Hold'em - Deepstack | $500 |
| 37 | Aug 23 (Su) | 8:00 a.m. | No Limit Hold'em - Marathon | $1,500 |
| 38 | Aug 23 (Su) | 2:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - POKER PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP, $10M GTD | $25,000 |
| 39 | Aug 23 (Su) | 2:30 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - BIG 50 [Final Day], $1M GTD | $50 |
| 40 | Aug 25 (Tu) | 2:00 p.m. | Limit Hold'em - Championship | $1,500 |
| 41 | Aug 26 (W) | 2:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - 6-Max | $1,000 |
| 42 | Aug 27 (Th) | 2:00 p.m. | Pot Limit Omaha | $1,500 |
| 43 | Aug 29 (Sa) | 8:00 a.m. | No Limit Hold'em - Double Stack | $300 |
| 44 | Aug 30 (Su) | 2:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - FORTY STACK | $400 |
| 45 | Aug 30 (Su) | 2:30 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - MAIN EVENT [Day 2], $25M GTD | $5,000 |
| 46 | Aug 30 (Su) | 4:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - Turbo 6-Max | $1,000 |
| 47 | Sept 1 (Tu) | 2:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - People's Choice Bracelet Event [Most Popular] | TBA |
| 48 | Sept 2 (W) | 2:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - People's Choice Bracelet Event [Pros Vote] | TBA |
| 49 | Sept 3 (Th) | 2:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - People's Choice Bracelet Event [Spin the Wheel] | TBA |
| 50 | Sept 5 (Sa) | 8:00 a.m. | No Limit Hold'em - People's Choice Bracelet Event [Most Popular] | TBA |
| 51 | Sept 5 (Sa) | 2:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - Beat the Pros [Bounty] | $1,050 |
| 52 | Sept 6 (Su) | 2:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - Super MILLION$, $5M GTD | $10,000 |
| 53 | Sept 6 (Su) | 2:30 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - MILLION$ [Final Day], $2M GTD | $100 |
| 54 | Sept 6 (Su) | 4:00 p.m. | No Limit Hold'em - The Closer [LAST CHANCE] | $500 |
All times ET.
How to watch the 2020 WSOP
Originally Poker Central and ESPN had plans to broadcast extensive coverage of the WSOP Main Event. Many hours were planned for both ESPN and ESPN2 and the online network PokerGO.
While there has been no announcement as yet regarding any online streaming of the WSOP.com events, GGPoker has announced a limited schedule of events to be streamed over Twitch at GGPoker.TV. The events may likewise be available on PokerGO. Some of the Twitch streams will air after the events’ completion.
Here is the Twitch streaming schedule for some of the WSOP Online Series events on GGPoker:
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| July 23 (Th) | 2:00 p.m. | #4: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha - Championship |
| July 25 (Sa) | 2:00 p.m. | #2: $1,111 No Limit Hold'em - Every 1 for Covid Relief [Caesars Cares] |
| July 30 (Th) | 2:00 p.m. | #12: $10,000 Short Deck No Limit Hold'em - Championship |
| Aug 1 (Sa) | 2:00 p.m. | #10: $400 No Limit Hold'em - COLOSSUS [Day 2], $3M GTD |
| Aug 1 (Sa) | 2:00 p.m. | #11: $400 Pot Limit Omaha - PLOSSUS [Day 2], $1M GTD |
| Aug 6 (Th) | 2:00 p.m. | #19: $2,100 No Limit Hold'em - Bounty Championship |
| Aug 8 (Sa) | 2:00 p.m. | #17: $1,500 No Limit Hold'em - MILLIONAIRE MAKER [Day 2], $5M GTD, $1M to 1st |
| Aug 13 (Th) | 2:00 p.m. | #26: $5,000 No Limit Hold'em - 6-Max Championship |
| Aug 15 (Sa) | 2:00 p.m. | #25: $10,000 No Limit Hold'em - Heads Up Championship |
| Aug 20 (Th) | 2:00 p.m. | #33: $600 No Limit Hold'em - Deepstack Championship |
| Aug 27 (Th) | 2:00 p.m. | #40: $1,500 Limit Hold'em - Championship |
| Aug 29 (Sa) | 2:00 p.m. | #38: $25,000 No Limit Hold'em - POKER PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP, $10M GTD |
| Sept 5 (Sa) | 2:00 p.m. | #45: $5,000 No Limit Hold'em - MAIN EVENT [Day 2], $25M GTD |
All times ET.
Things to watch for during 2020 WSOP.com Online series
Looking through the schedule events happening on WSOP.com in July reveals a few items of note:
- all events are 1-day events (no multi-day tournaments)
- there are 27 no-limit hold’em events among the 31 total
- the 4 Omaha events include two PLO, one PLO8, and one Omaha-8
- event buy-ins range from $400 to $3,200
- almost all (27 of 31) of the events allow players to re-enter either 2 or 3 times
- the $3,200 High Roller comes midway through the series on July 14
- the $500 Grande Finale appears near the end on July 26, though it is not equivalent or analogous to the WSOP Main Event
- the $500 Seniors Event on July 30 requires participants to be 50 years of age or older
A closer look at tournament structures for the WSOP.com online bracelet events reveals a few other items:
- there will be regular antes (i.e., no “big blind ante”) in all of the no-limit hold’em events
- all regular (i.e., non-turbo) no-limit hold’em events feature 15-minute levels, except for the High Roller that features 20-minute levels
- events listed as “Turbo” have 8-minute levels; “Super Turbo” events have 6-minute levels
- all four Omaha events have 20-minute levels (and no antes, of course)
Things to watch for during 2020 GGPoker Online series
The 54-event schedule of events taking place on GGPoker includes much bigger buy-ins throughout than is the case on WSOP.com.
There are also several multi-day events on GGPoker. Additionally, several events sport large guaranteed prize pools, highlighted by the Main Event’s $25 million guarantee.
- 41 of the events are 1-day events, with the other 13 designated as either 2-day or 3-day events
- the 1-day events each allow 2 re-entries, unless otherwise specified
- 42 no-limit hold’em events appear among the 54 total
- there are 8 pot-limit Omaha events and 2 fixed-limit hold’em events
- there are 2 short deck hold’em events (July 28 and August 2)
- event buy-ins range from $50 to $25,000
- with that $25M guarantee, the Main Event will feature the largest prize pool in online poker history; it also features multiple starting flights that begin August 16
A few other details from the GGPoker schedule worth noting:
- each player participating in a GGPoker WSOP bracelet event will be asked to input his or her real name, date of birth, and nationality when registering; then real names will be displayed at the final tables instead of nicknames
- the Asia Championship (Event #23) will use Hong Kong dollars
- there will be multiple Leaderboard Prizes given away
- a vote will decide participants for the 4 People’s Choice events at the end of the series
Expect the bracelet debate to heat up
WSOP players and fans have already begun debating how to regard 2020 WSOP Online events.
The WSOP is calling the tournaments “bracelet events.” However, opinions differ over whether or not to regard winners of the 85 tournaments as “bracelet winners” in the traditional sense.
A similar debate occurred when the WSOP first started awarding online bracelets in 2015. People engaged in similar arguments when the WSOP Europe debuted in 2007.
There is a difference, however. There are geographical limitations on participation for all 85 of the 2020 WSOP Online events, both on WSOP.com and GGPoker. In that respect, the events are not necessarily “open” in the same way most previous WSOP events have been.
Players can travel to play 2020 WSOP Online, but will they?
Of course, anyone can travel either to Nevada or New Jersey to play on WSOP.com. The site does not require players to be residents, only physically located within either NV or NJ when playing.
Some players may choose to travel to either state to play in the 2020 WSOP Online series on WSOP.com.
Those who do need to be aware that WSOP.com does not allow multiple players on the same IP address to play either at the same cash game table or in tournaments. Such a restriction could make things difficult for players renting a place together in order to play.
Meanwhile those who travel to play in events on GGPoker will of course not be able to play any of the WSOP.com events during the last couple of weeks of July when the two series overlap. That’s because those players will obviously need to be somewhere other than the United States to play on GGPoker, thus making them ineligible to play from either NV or NJ.
Currently a number of countries still have international travel restrictions in place in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. That will be a factor affecting players’ potential travel as well.
Differing age requirements
While players on WSOP.com must be at least 21 years old, the minimum age requirement on GGPoker is 18 years old. The age requirement is subject to local jurisdiction, but many countries GGPoker serves do allow players 18 and older to play.
Annette Obrestad has held the record as the youngest-ever WSOP bracelet winner since she won the 2007 WSOP Europe Main Event the day before her 19th birthday.
If any 18-year-olds do well on GGPoker this summer, Obrestad’s record could be challenged.
Will there be live WSOP events later in 2020?
Speaking of WSOP Europe, that series is still scheduled to take place at King’s Resort in Rozvadov, Czech Republic this fall. That said, the WSOP adds that for all of its events, “all announced dates, times and events are subject to change.”
Technically speaking, the WSOP has postponed the 2020 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, not cancelled it. WSOP officials have yet to say whether or not a shortened series or perhaps the Main Event only will take place this year.
