The WSOP circuit tour, now entering its seventh season, has made a number of changes and the 2010 schedule will include at least 12 tour stops, with a handful of others expected to be announced in the months ahead.
This year’s format includes a cumulative rankings system throughout the season that awards points for each official open event, with four different ways to automatically qualify.
A season-ending national championship tournament for 100 players who automatically qualify via cumulative rankings or performance-based criteria is also new for 2010, and the televised national championship tournament will be played at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas prior to the commencement of the WSOP and feature a $1,000,000 prize pool. A WSOP gold bracelet will also be awarded.
Four regional WSOP circuit championships with a $10,000 buy-in are new to this year’s schedule. They include ttwo-hours of national television coverage per stop.
Standardized structures and pay-outs will be used at all events; with the main event lowered to $1,500, excluding regional championships, This was done to encourage larger fields and more players attending multiple stops on the tour.
“We recognized the WSOP Circuit Events needed a shot in the arm, and we believe we’ve responded with steroids,” said WSOP Vice President Ty Stewart. “The new model is exactly what the WSOP is all about, giving poker players of all bankrolls the chance for compete for the kind of fame, fortune and respect that comes only with a WSOP bracelet and a national television audience.“
The 2010-2011 WSOP Circuit tour begins on August 19, 2010 at Horseshoe Council Bluffs in Iowa and continues through May 22, 2011 at Harrah’s New Orleans.
WORLD SERIES OF POKER 2010-2011 CIRCUIT TOUR SCHEDULE
| TOURNAMENT DATES | TOURNAMENT LOCATION |
| August 19 – August 31, 2010 | Horseshoe Council Bluffs (Iowa) |
| October 2 – October 12, 2010 | Horseshoe Southern Indiana |
| October 15 – October 27, 2010 | Horseshoe Hammond (Chicago area) |
| October 26 – October 31, 2010 | *Emerald Casino (South Africa) |
| October 28 – November 10, 2010 | IP Casino Resort & Spa (Biloxi, MS) |
| November 11 – November 23, 2010 | Harveys Lake Tahoe |
| December 4 – December 22, 2010 | Harrah’s Atlantic City |
| January 27 – February 15, 2011 | Harrah’s Tunica |
| March 2 – March 13, 2011 | Caesars Atlantic City |
| March 11 – March 30, 2011 | Harrah’s Rincon (San Diego area) |
| March 31 – April 13, 2011 | Harrah’s St. Louis |
| April 14 – April 30, 2011 | Caesars Palace |
| May 9 – May 22, 2011 | Harrah’s New Orleans |
