How Does A WSOP Tournament Work

Among the beloved casino games, poker is one of the most popular, without a doubt. Over the years, the already famous card game has gained incredible popularity thanks to one of the greatest inventions of our time: the Internet. We can play poker not only in traditional casinos but also online on various sites. It’s a great opportunity to practice for the biggest poker competition. Let’s see how a WSOP tournament work!

What is the WSOP?

The biggest dream of every poker player is to win the World Series of Poker championship in Las Vegas. The popularity of poker has grown rapidly, thanks to the promotional campaigns of the big and smaller poker tournaments.

Many countries organize competitions, but the most outstanding and famous one is the World Series of Poker. Nowadays, it is not uncommon for the biggest tournaments to be broadcast on TV. You can check out online poker sites in the UK to watch a live stream.

On TV, you can see these parties on tape, carefully edited, but at online streaming sites, where they broadcast the events for several hours or several days live, you can analyze the game. Of these tournaments, the World Series of Poker is undoubtedly the most popular and prestigious. This is a tournament that attracts players from all over the world, and it requires a lot of organization. 

Winning the WSOP, which not only comes with an unbelievable cash prize but also with winning the coveted bracelet, is the biggest honor. The biggest difference between the WSOP and the World Poker Tour or other tournaments is that players can try not only Texas Hold’Em but also many other types of poker, such as Omaha, Seven Card Stud, Razz, and other mixed game formats. Today we will examine this tournament! 

How Does the WSOP Tournament Work?

The WSOP is a series of poker tournaments, which is an annual event. The origins of the WSOP tournaments date back to 1970. Gambling icon Benny Binion invited the seven best poker players to play in a single tournament at the Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas. When the battle lasted for five months, the interest only grew. However, at that time, the competition series was not well-organized, so the players decided on the winner by voting. 

The first vote failed, as everyone voted for themselves, but in the next round, they forbade anyone to vote for themselves, and Johnny Moss became the winner. Its fame grew, and at the turn of the millennium, not only professionals but also enthusiastic amateurs could sign up. Not only did they apply, but in 2003 the main prize went to Chris Moneymaker, who previously only played poker online and qualified for the main event via a satellite tournament.

This is a chaotic game that makes even the biggest pros sweat. Moneymaker was not the only amateur winner, who won two and a half million dollars at the time, by the way. A year later, Greg Raymer became the champion. The attention, interest, and popularity are still undoubted. We doubt Benny Binion knew he would create an event of this magnitude. In addition, there is an online version of the game series, which you can check out at 888poker!

The Most Important Rules

As we already mentioned, the WSOP is a prestigious event, the greatest among poker tournaments, so it requires long preparations. The competition follows the usual tournament format, with everyone starting with the same number of chips.

The course of the tournament was determined years ago, but the rules have changed a little. The first and most important rule is that only players over 21 can participate in the competition. The casino where the tournament is held has the right to refuse registration to anyone.

 You can register in person or online. The casino has the right, among other things, to cancel, reschedule or relocate the tournament. If you win at WSOP, it can only be received personally, and no one else gets it instead. In order to verify their identity, the organizers can ask for a passport, driver’s license, and identity card.

If they refuse to give it or don’t have either one on them, the organizers are not allowed to pay. Many players group together and pitch in, sending a representative on behalf of the group.

 If they win, the winning will be distributed among the members. However, these direct methods are not the only ones that have contributed to the incredible popularity of the WSOP. Players are increasingly taking advantage of the opportunity provided by satellite tournaments, with which they can secure their place in the competition of their dreams for a small sum. For example, one out of every 20 players in a $500 satellite event can play in the WSOP. Here you can check out the most unusual WSOP rules!

How Does the WSOP Tournament Work?

WSOP’s official language is English for the entire competition, so everyone has to speak it. They must use the official terminology, which they notify the players beforehand. It is crucial to mute any gadgets that may ring, beep or otherwise disturb the party and players. On the other hand, it is possible to listen to music with headphones or use noise-canceling headphones. Rabbit hunting is prohibited, so after folding, they cannot ask the dealer to show what card would have come.

The chips and cards must always be visible to avoid cheating. One of the reasons for the popularity of the poker tournament is that practically anyone can enter it. The requirement for the players is to attend the competition physically and to be at least 21 years old. To enter the tournament, you must pay an entry fee, which ranges from a few hundred to ten thousand dollars, depending on the category. Though on 888poker, you can read the details.

Ways to Get in

We have already mentioned an option when the players secure a place for the big event through satellite or qualification tournaments. For example, the Road to Vegas promotion. You can look these opportunities up at online poker sites in the UK. 

When players dream of the WSOP they usually think of the Main Event. There are two ways to secure your spot in the Main Event. One, as mentioned, is to win one of the satellite competitions. This is the bank account-friendly version, thanks to which amateur players can sit at the table with poker stars.

The second option is a direct entry, but that costs $10,000. It is worth noting that the Main Event entry fee has remained unchanged for more than 50 years and the organizers intend to maintain this tradition in the future. The prize for the winners is the coveted and famous WSOP bracelet.

The final winner of the tournament can also hold the title of World Poker Champion. The World Championship of Online Poker, WCOOP, is the world’s largest online poker world championship, first organized in 2002 to have an online version of the World Series of Poker.

Click here to try 100% up to $1,000 bonus at 888Poker