The 2019 World Series of Poker is now just one week away, with the 50th Anniversary running of the WSOP set to kick off on May 28 and continue through July 16. Poker’s biggest and richest tournament series is once again taking place at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, which has hosted the WSOP since it was moved from Binion’s Horseshoe in Downtown Las Vegas.
The WSOP rolled out the complete schedule of events over the course of several announcements during the first few months of 2019. The slow drip of information helped build hype for the landmark 50th WSOP, but it also might have made it hard for the casual fan to keep track of all the noteworthy changes for 2019.
With that in mind, check out this list of all the most important things you need to know about the 2019 World Series of Poker:
The 2019 WSOP Will Award The Most Bracelets Ever
For most of the 2019 World Series of Poker Main Event final table, he looked like just that. Ensan entered with a massive lead and only strengthened his grip on things over the course of the first.
A record 89 gold bracelets are set to be awarded at the 2019 WSOP, beating out the previous record of 78 bracelets handed out in 2018. There are a total of 80 live bracelet events taking place at the Rio, and another nine bracelets to be awarded online at WSOP.com.
In order to enter every event on the schedule once, a player would need to put up $493,119.
No-limit hold’em is still by far the most highly represented game on the schedule, with 51 events that exclusively feature the ‘Cadillac of poker.’
A total of 20 events on the schedule feature a buy-in of $10,000 or higher, while 54 feature a buy-in of $1,500 or lower. There are also 17 events with a buy-in of $888 or lower, primarily made up of online tournaments, and half a dozen ‘Deepstack’ events. The highest buy-in bracelet event of the summer is $100,000, while the lowest is just $400.
Short Deck No-Limit Hold’Em And The Other Events Debuting In 2019
For the first time ever the World Series of Poker is set to award a gold bracelet for short deck no-limit hold’em. The $10,000 buy-in short deck event is set to kick off at 6 p.m. on June 2.
For those not familiar with the game, short deck is a format that is quickly growing in popularity in high-stakes cash games and tournaments around the world.
The game is played with a 36-card deck, with the deuces through fives removed and a couple of resulting rule changes. Flushes beat full houses and aces can play both as the highest card and as a five in order to complete a nine-high straight.
The short deck event is one of several new tournaments to be held at this year’s WSOP. Other new highlights include:
- The Big 50: A $500 buy-in, $5 million guaranteed no-limit hold’em event running from May 30 through June 7. The first buy-in for every participant is rake-free in this special re-entry event designed to celebrate the WSOP’s 50th anniversary.
- The $50,000 no-limit hold’em high roller: This event is also a celebration of the 50th anniversary, but with a very different target audience: super high rollers. The event gets underway on May 31 and is slated to crown a champion on June 3.
- The Bracelet Winners Only: The name pretty much says it all. This $1,500 buy-in no-limit hold’em event is only open to the 1,078 gold bracelet winners who have already secured the WSOP’s highest honor, along with the 60 or so players who will have joined their ranks by winning an event this summer before the ‘Bracelet Winners Only’ tournament gets underway on July 10.
- The ‘Mini Main Event’: This new no-limit hold’em tournament features the same starting stack and blind levels as the $10,000 world championship, but costs only $1,000 to enter. The other key difference outside of the price is that the blind levels each last only 30 minutes, as opposed to the 120-minute levels of the actual main event. This event kicks off on July 1.
- The 2019 WSOP will also play host to two events that will raise money for special causes. The Gavin Smith Memorial Poker Tournament is a non-bracelet event that will take place on May 28, beginning at 6 PM. Half of each $200 buy-in will go to the Gavin Smith Trust, which will help provide for the late poker pros family. The Salute To Warriors tournament is a $500 buy-in bracelet event that runs from July 2-5, with a break in the action on July 4 for America’s Independence Day. The WSOP plans to donate $40 from each entry in the event to the USO and other veteran organizations.
- Deepstack Events: Six new bracelet events featuring buy-ins ranging from $600 – $800 either no-limit hold’em, pot-limit Omaha or a mix of those two games combined have been added to the 2019 WSOP schedule. The ‘Deepstack’ events will culminate in a ‘Deepstack Championship’ which kicks off on Tuesday, June 25. The $600 buy-in no-limit hold’em event has a $500,000 guaranteed prize pool, with the winner earning a seat into the main event which will be added by the WSOP.
World Championship Of Online Poker 2019 News
All No-Limit Hold’em Events To Use Big Blind Ante In 2019
Early on in 2019 the World Series of Poker announced that each and every no-limit hold’em event held at this year’s series will utilize the big-blind ante. The press release put out by the WSOP said the following on the subject:
The WSOP introduced Big Blind Ante events into last year’s series on a limited basis, and after careful consideration and study, and broader use, including throughout the 2018 World Series of Poker Europe, the plan moving forward is to use this format in all events where antes exist. It has also been widely adopted elsewhere.
The BB-ante is a fundamental rethinking of what the ante is. The ante in this format is no longer a specified amount that each player pays each hand. It’s now a specified amount that each player pays each round. If a player in the tournament does not have the required amount for both the Big Blind and the Ante, the Big Blind will be paid first, followed by the ante.
The move to big blind antes should help players see more hands per hour, with dealers no longer needing to stop and double check that all the antes have been posted or make change.
Expect To Receive Larger Starting Stacks In Most Events This Year
The 2019 WSOP will also see widespread adjustments to starting stacks, with many events across the series giving players dramatically more chips when they take their seats.
For example, most no-limit hold’em events at the $1,500 price point will feature 25,000 starting stacks this year, up from 7,500 in 2018.
“It is important the modern day World Series of Poker continues to evolve,” said WSOP Vice President Jack Effel in the press release covering the increased starting chips. “People certainly like bigger starting stacks, and we’re happy to oblige while simultaneously adding more value.”
Check out the chart below to learn more about starting stacks for no-limit hold’em and Omaha events:
| BUY-IN AMOUNT | 2019 STARTINGCHIPSTACK | 2018 STARTINGCHIPSTACK | NOTES |
| $400 | 40,000 | N/A | Colossus is only event at this price point |
| $500 | 25,000 | 5,000 | Big 50 gets 50,000 |
| $600 | 30,000 | N/A | New Price Point |
| $800 | 40,000 | N/A | New Price Point |
| $888 | 40,000 | 8,000 | Crazy Eights is only event at this price point |
| $1,000 | 20,000 | 5,000 | Double Stack: 40,000 chips; Mini Main 60,000 chips; Little One: 40,000 chips w/$111 add-on |
| $1,500 | 25,000 | 7,500 | Monster Stack, Double Stack & Bracelet Winners Only: 50,000 chips |
| $2,500 | 15,000 | 12,500 | June 20 event is only NLH event at this price point |
| $2,620 | 26,200 | Same | Marathon is only event at this price point |
| $3,000 | 20,000 | 15,000 | All six events at this price point have same chips |
| $5,000 | 30,000 | 25,000 | Three NLH events at this price point |
| $10,000 | 60,000 | 50,000 | All events at this price point have same chips |
| $25,000 | 150,000 | 125,000 | High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha is only event at this price point |
| $50,000 | 300,000 | 250,000 | 50th Annual High Roller NLH is only NLH event at this price point |
| $100,000 | 600,000 | 500,000 | High Roller No-Limit Hold’em is only event at this price point |
And here is a look at the mixed, limit, and stud starting stacks:
| BUY-IN AMOUNT | 2019 STARTINGCHIPSTACK | 2018 STARTINGCHIPSTACK | NOTES |
| $150 | 10,000 | 10,000 | Daily Deepstack |
| $200 | 15,000 | 15,000 | Daily Deepstack |
| $250 | 20,000 | 20,000 | Daily Deepstack |
| $400 | 25,000 | 25,000 | Daily Deepstack |
| $1,500 | 10,000 | 7,500 | Various |
| $2,500 | 15,000 | 12,500 | Various |
| $3,000 | 20,000 | 15,000 | H.O.R.S.E./Limit Hold’em |
| $10,000 | 60,000 | 50,000 | All $10,000 buy-in events |
| $50,000 | 300,000 | 250,000 | Poker Players Championship |
Where To Watch Or Stream The 2019 WSOP
The 2019 WSOP main event will see start-to-finish coverage from July 3-16 on ESPN and Poker Central. ESPN is set to televise at least 40 hours of live coverage of the event, along with another 90 hours of originally produced episodes. Poker Central’s direct-to-consumer streaming service PokerGO will also have exclusive WSOP main event coverage in addition to what is offered during ESPN’s broadcast windows.
PokerGO’s live streaming coverage of the final tables throughout the 50th annual WSOP will be announced in the coming weeks, but the WSOP said in a press release that viewers can expect ‘near daily coverage’ from May 30 – July 16.
Check out the current broadcast schedule (subject to change) for the WSOP main event on ESPN/ESPN2:
| Date | Time | Network | Event |
| 7/3/19 | 8:30 PM – 2:00 AM ET | ESPN2 | WSOP Main Event Day 1A |
| 7/4/19 | 9:00 PM – 11:00 PM ET | ESPN2 | WSOP Main Event Day 1B |
| 7/5/19 | 8:00 PM – 12:30 AM ET | ESPN2 | WSOP Main Event Day 1C |
| 7/6/19 | 6:00 PM – 10:30 PM ET | ESPN2 | WSOP Main Event Day 2AB |
| 7/7/19 | 2:30 PM – 6:00 PM ET | ESPN | WSOP Main Event Day 2C |
| 7/8/19 | 10:00 PM – 2:00 AM ET | ESPN2 | WSOP Main Event Day 3 |
| 7/9/19 | 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM ET | ESPN | WSOP Main Event Day 4 |
| 7/10/19 | 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM ET | ESPN | WSOP Main Event Day 5 |
| 7/11/19 | 12:30 AM – 2:00 AM ET | ESPN2 | WSOP Main Event Day 6 |
| 7/12/19 | 9:00 PM – 11:00 PM ET | ESPN | WSOP Main Event Day 7 |
| 7/12/19 | 11:00 PM – 2:00 AM ET | ESPN2 | WSOP Main Event Day 7 (Play to Final Table) |
| 7/14/19 | 10:00 PM – TBD ET | ESPN2 | WSOP Main Event Day 8 (Nine to Six Players) |
| 7/15/19 | 10:00 PM – TBD ET | ESPN | WSOP Main Event Day 9 (Six to Three Players) |
| 7/16/19 | 9:00 PM – TBD ET | ESPN | WSOP Main Event Day 10 (Three Players to Winner) |
Complete 2019 World Series of Poker Schedule
| Event | Date | No. of Days | Buy-In |
| $500 No-Limit Hold’em Casino Employees | 5/29/19 | 3 | $500 |
| $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Super Turbo $3,000 Bounty | 5/29/19 | 2 | $10,000 |
| $500 No-Limit Hold’em “Big 50” $5 Million GTD* | 5/30/19 | 9 | $500 |
| $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo 8/OB | 5/30/19 | 4 | $1,500 |
| $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em | 5/31/19 | 4 | $50,000 |
| $2,500 Limit Mixed Triple Draw | 6/1/19 | 3 | $2,500 |
| $400 WSOP.com ONLINE No-Limit Hold’em | 6/2/19 | 1 | $400 |
| $10,000 Short Deck No-Limit Hold’em | 6/2/19 | 4 | $10,000 |
| $600 No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack $500K GTD | 6/3/19 | 2 | $600 |
| $1,500 Dealers Choice | 6/3/19 | 3 | $1,500 |
| $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em | 6/3/19 | 4 | $5,000 |
| $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em Super Turbo $300 Bounty | 6/4/19 | 1 | $1,000 |
| $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw | 6/4/19 | 3 | $1,500 |
| $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. | 6/5/19 | 4 | $1,500 |
| $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Heads-Up (512 max) | 6/5/19 | 4 | $10,000 |
| $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Six Max | 6/5/19 | 3 | $1,500 |
| $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Shootout (2,000 max) | 6/6/19 | 3 | $1,500 |
| $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8/OB | 6/6/19 | 4 | $10,000 |
| $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em “Millionaire Maker” $1 Million 1st Place GTD* | 6/7/19 | 6 | $1,500 |
| $1,500 Seven Card Stud | 6/7/19 | 4 | $1,500 |
| $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw | 6/8/19 | 4 | $10,000 |
| $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em Double Stack | 6/9/19 | 2 | $1,000 |
| $1,500 Eight Game Mix Six Max | 6/9/19 | 3 | $1,500 |
| $600 WSOP.com ONLINE Pot-Limit Omaha Six Max | 6/9/19 | 1 | $600 |
| $600 Pot-Limit Omaha Deepstack | 6/10/19 | 2 | $600 |
| $2,620 No-Limit Hold’em Marathon | 6/10/19 | 6 | $2,620 |
| $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo 8/OB | 6/10/19 | 4 | $1,500 |
| $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em | 6/11/19 | 3 | $1,000 |
| $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. | 6/11/19 | 4 | $10,000 |
| $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha | 6/12/19 | 3 | $1,000 |
| $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em Six Max | 6/12/19 | 4 | $3,000 |
| $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em Seniors | 6/13/19 | 4 | $1,000 |
| $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw | 6/13/19 | 3 | $1,500 |
| $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em Double Stack* | 6/14/19 | 6 | $1,000 |
| $10,000 Dealer’s Choice Six Max | 6/14/19 | 4 | $10,000 |
| $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em Shootout (2,000 max) | 6/15/19 | 3 | $3,000 |
| $800 No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack $750K GTD | 6/16/19 | 3 | $800 |
| $600 WSOP.com ONLINE No-Limit Hold’em $100 Bounty | 6/16/19 | 1 | $600 |
| $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em Super Seniors | 6/17/19 | 3 | $1,000 |
| $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha | 6/17/19 | 3 | $1,500 |
| $10,000 Seven Card Stud | 6/17/19 | 4 | $10,000 |
| $600 No-Limit Hold’em / Pot-Limit Omaha Deepstack Eight Max $500K GTD | 6/18/19 | 2 | $600 |
| $2,500 Mixed Big Bet | 6/18/19 | 3 | $2,500 |
| $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em $500 Bounty | 6/19/19 | 3 | $1,500 |
| $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Eight Max | 6/19/19 | 4 | $25,000 |
| $500 WSOP.com ONLINE No-Limit Hold’em Turbo Deepstack | 6/19/19 | 1 | $500 |
| $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em Ladies | 6/20/19 | 4 | $1,000 |
| $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em | 6/20/19 | 4 | $2,500 |
| $10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw | 6/20/19 | 4 | $10,000 |
| $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Monster Stack* | 6/21/19 | 6 | $1,500 |
| $2,500 Omaha Hi/Lo 8/OB / Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo 8/OB | 6/21/19 | 3 | $2,500 |
| $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Eight Max | 6/22/19 | 4 | $10,000 |
| $800 No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack Eight Max $750K GTD | 6/23/19 | 2 | $800 |
| $1,500 Razz | 6/23/19 | 4 | $1,500 |
| $1,000 WSOP.com ONLINE No-Limit Hold’em Double Stack | 6/23/19 | 1 | $1,000 |
| $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Super Turbo $500 Bounty | 6/24/19 | 1 | $1,500 |
| $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em Tag Team | 6/24/19 | 4 | $1,000 |
| $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 6/24/19 | 5 | $50,000 |
| $600 No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack $500K GTD | 6/25/19 | 3 | $600 |
| $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha 8/OB | 6/25/19 | 3 | $1,500 |
| $400 No-Limit Hold’em Colossus* | 6/26/19 | 4 | $400 |
| $10,000 Razz | 6/26/19 | 4 | $10,000 |
| $1,500 Mixed Omaha | 6/27/19 | 4 | $1,500 |
| $888 No-Limit Hold’em $888,888 1st Place GTD* | 6/28/19 | 6 | $888 |
| $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8/OB | 6/28/19 | 4 | $10,000 |
| $1,500 Limit Hold’em | 6/29/19 | 3 | $1,500 |
| $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8/OB | 6/30/19 | 4 | $10,000 |
| $1,000 WSOP.com ONLINE No-Limit Hold’em | 6/30/19 | 1 | $1,000 |
| $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em | 7/1/19 | 2 | $1,000 |
| $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em Six Max | 7/1/19 | 4 | $5,000 |
| $500 No-Limit Hold’em Salute to Warriors | 7/2/19 | 3 | $500 |
| $10,000 Limit Hold’em | 7/2/19 | 3 | $10,000 |
| $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em* | 7/3/19 | 13 | $10,000 |
| $3,200 WSOP.com ONLINE No-Limit Hold’em | 7/3/19 | 1 | $3,200 |
| $1,111 No-Limit Hold’em Little One for One Drop* | 7/6/19 | 6 | $1,111 |
| $800 WSOP.com ONLINE No-Limit Hold’em Six Max | 7/7/19 | 1 | $800 |
| $3,000 Limit Hold’em Six Max | 7/8/19 | 4 | $3,000 |
| $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha $500 Bounty | 7/9/19 | 3 | $1,500 |
| $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em | 7/9/19 | 4 | $3,000 |
| $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em / Pot-Limit Omaha Eight Max | 7/10/19 | 3 | $1,500 |
| $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Bracelet Winners Only | 7/10/19 | 4 | $1,500 |
| $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Double Stack | 7/11/19 | 2 | $1,500 |
| $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em | 7/11/19 | 3 | $100,000 |
| $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em* | 7/12/19 | 4 | $1,500 |
| $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Six Max | 7/12/19 | 4 | $3,000 |
| $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Six Max | 7/13/19 | 4 | $10,000 |
| $3,000 H.O.R.S.E. | 7/14/19 | 3 | $3,000 |
| $500 WSOP.com ONLINE No-Limit Hold’em | 7/14/19 | 1 | $500 |
| $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em | 7/15/19 | 2 | $5,000 |
Poker is finally live in Pennsylvania. Players long wait finally ended on Nov. 6 when PokerStars PA fully launched.
And poker players didn’t have to wait long for the PA Championship of Online Poker (PACOOP) series.
On Friday, Nov. 15, Fox Bet and PokerStars announced the inaugural PACOOP series, which is set to begin this month with a $1 million guarantee.
Fox Bet President Matt Primeaux said:
“The Championship of Online Poker, or COOP, is one of our most prestigious events, and we’re proud to give Pennsylvania its own. Players in PA have already shown their excitement for PokerStars, so we took things to the next level with a $1 million series guarantee and plenty of ways to get in on the action.”
Details of PACOOP
Welcome to the world of PA online poker. PACOOP will be the Commonwealth’s first 50-tournament online poker championship. Here are the key details:
- The series runs from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6 at PokerStars.bet.
- The contest includes a variety of tournaments and buy-ins ranging from $30 to $750. There will also be satellites from as little as $1.
- It all culminates with the $300 buy-in Main Event on Dec. 15, featuring a $100,000 guaranteed prize pool.
PACOOP special offers
In addition to PACOOP satellites, players will have the chance to win entries through the special offers.
Dec. 15 at 2 PM ET an exclusive main event depositor freeroll will award 25 Main Event tickets worth a total of $7, 500.
A special second chance freeroll for PACOOP players who get knocked out without making money will run daily at 6 PM ET from Dec. 1 – 16 (except on Sundays when they kick off at 3:00 PM ET). Each freeroll will award $1,250 in satellite tickets and entries to PACOOP events, totaling $20,000.
PA online poker is already popular
When PokerStars and PokerStars Casino launched on the FOX Bet app in PA, it made the world’s largest online poker operator the first poker operator to go live in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvanian, PokerStars Ambassador, and accomplished chess player and poker player Jennifer Shahade added:
“I’m thrilled to see PokerStars’ COOP coming to Pennsylvania this December, giving PA players the chance to play in a world-renowned poker series and vie for titles. Having online poker in Pennsylvania has been amazing so far. I felt chills playing my very first Sunday session, and there was such a buzz at the tables. I can’t wait to see everyone battling to be the first PokerStars PA champion.”
PokerStars New Jersey wrapped up its Championship of Online Poker (NJCOOP) at the end of October. It also featured $1 million in total guaranteed prize money and 50 events.
Still, PA likes to flex on Jersey. The number of players in Pennsylvania surpassed New Jersey on the first day of play. In terms of PokerStars Sunday Majors, PA PokerStars’ guarantees are larger than New Jersey’s current guarantees.
World Championship of Online Poker breaks record
The World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) is PokerStars’ most prestigious online series. In September, PokerStars announced it awarded a record-breaking $104.7 million across 20 days of tournament action.
The series surpassed its $75 million guarantee by almost $30 million when more than 1.2 million total entries put the prize pool into the history books. The WCOOP record was held by last year’s series, which had a prize pool of over $99 million.
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