Year-Long WSOP Online Circuit Series to Begin January 14
The World Series of Poker is hosting a WSOP Online Circuit Series for players in New Jersey and Nevada. It will begin next week – January 14 – and run through January 31.
Moreover, WSOP.com will host a monthly online series throughout 2021, alongside monthly freerolls, leaderboards and second-chance events. And it will culminate in a $250K WSOP Online Circuit Championship
New Year Announcement
As 2021 got underway, WSOP.com announced quietly – not publicly – on January 2 that it would offer a monthly WSOPC series online. Some tournaments began to appear on the website.
Just announced by @WSOPcom, monthly Online WSOP Circuit series.
The first series takes place January 14-31, you can see the events under the Special tab in the https://t.co/vfRcFTtCGH client
— Kevin Mathers (@Kevmath) January 1, 2021
On January 6, the WSOP made its official announcement about the series. The WSOP Circuit will move online for 2021 due to the unpredictability of the coronavirus pandemic. The online series at WSOP.com will offer 13 events throughout the year, each with 12 tournaments to award gold rings. Four of the monthly events will offer 18 rings.
In total, the WSOP will award more than 180 WSOP gold rings throughout 2021 from January 14 through December 19.
The season finale will be a $250K WSOP Online Circuit Championship, one that will award a WSOP gold bracelet. The online freeroll tournament should have 256 players, all competing for the $250K.
WSOP announces Online Circuit series for 2021 season on @WSOPcom including the $250,000 Championship and the $25,000 WSOP Circuit Stars monthly freerolls !
More information : https://t.co/zBwZfrrkLf pic.twitter.com/gUTt3zvZ4I— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) January 6, 2021
Full-Year Schedule for Now
Considering the unpredictability of 2020, the WSOP 2021 Circuit schedule is subject to changes.
The schedule appears to be an all-online one, with the names of each month’s offerings varying in name only. For example, there is no indication that the Planet Hollywood Circuit schedule is any different than that of the Silver Legacy Circuit or the Bally’s Online or Rio Online Circuit.
-Winter Online Super Circuit: January 14-31, 18 rings, $25K freeroll on Feb 2
-Planet Hollywood Circuit: February 17-28, 12 rings, $25K freeroll on Mar 2
-Silver Legacy Circuit: March 19-30, 12 rings, $25K freeroll on Apr 1
-Spring Online Super Circuit: April 10-27, 18 rings, $25K freeroll on Apr 29
-Caesars Atlantic City Super Circuit: May 8-25, 12 rings, $25K freeroll on May 27
-Summer Online Super Circuit: June 10-27, 18 rings, $25K freeroll on Jun 29
-Bally’s Online Circuit: July 16-27, 12 rings, $25K freeroll on Jul 29
-Rio Online Circuit: August 20-31, 12 rings, $25K freeroll on Sep 2
-Caesars Las Vegas Online Circuit: September 15-26, 12 rings, $25K freeroll on Sep 28
-Fall Online Super Circuit: October 9-26, 18 rings, $25K freeroll on Oct 28
-Paris Las Vegas Online Circuit: November 10-21, 12 rings, $25K freeroll on Nov 23
-Harrah’s Las Vegas Online Circuit: December 8-19, 12 rings, $25K freeroll on Dec 21
The $250K Year-End Championship Event is scheduled for December 28. Everyone who won a gold ring throughout 2021 will be able to participate in the freeroll, as will the winners of the monthly leaderboard competitions and Second Chance Fast Forward tournaments. Finally, the top 50 finishers on the full-year Cumulative Circuit Leaderboard – those who are not otherwise qualified – will be able to participate, too.
Freerolls and Leaderboards
As mentioned, the WSOP will offer monthly leaderboards. The top 10 finishers on those leaderboards will win “a share of $10K in tournament tickets” with which to play the monthly $25K freerolls. The details of this promotion remain unclear.
The monthly freerolls, on the other hand, seem fairly straightforward. Each month, the WSOP will host a $25K freeroll for all gold ring winners in that month’s series and the top 10 players on the monthly leaderboard.
There is also a monthly Second Chance Fast Forward event. Any player who bought in to at least three or four tournaments but didn’t qualify for the monthly freeroll will be able to play in a different freeroll. Those players will compete at the end of that month for one seat into the WSOP Online Circuit Championship on December 28.
January Schedule
The first 2021 WSOP Circuit Super Series begins next week on Thursday, January 14. Every event offers a guarantee on the prize pool, and buy-ins range from $215 to $2K. Each event is scheduled to finish in one day.
-Event 1 on Jan 14: $500 NLHE 8-Max Big 500 Kick-Off (3x reentry) ($75K GTD)
-Event 2 on Jan 15: $215 LO8 or Better 8-Max (3x reentry) ($40K GTD)
-Event 3 on Jan 16: $320 NLHE Double Stack (2x reentry) ($100K GTD)
-Event 4 on Jan 17: $215 NLHE Monster Stack (2x reentry) ($125K GTD)
-Event 5 on Jan 18: $250 NLHE Freezeout ($50K GTD)
-Event 6 on Jan 19: $1K NLHE High Roller 6-Max (2x reentry) ($100K GTD)
-Event 7 on Jan 20: $500 NLHE PLO Big 500 6-Max (3x reentry) ($50K GTD)
-Event 8 on Jan 21: $320 NLHE (2x reentry) ($75K GTD)
-Event 9 on Jan 22: $300 NLHE Knockout Freezeout ($50K GTD)
-Event 10 on Jan 23: $320 NLHE Double Stack (2x reentry) ($100K GTD)
-Event 11 on Jan 24: $525 NLHE 8-Max Monster Stack (3x reentry) ($150K GTD)
-Event 12 on Jan 25: $215 NLHE Deep Turbo (2x reentry) ($50K GTD)
-Event 13 on Jan 19: $2K NLHE Super High Roller 6-Max (2x reentry) ($100K GTD)
-Event 14 on Jan 27: $215 NLHE (2x reentry) ($75K GTD)
-Event 15 on Jan 28: $320 NLHE 6-Max (2x reentry) ($75K GTD)
-Event 16 on Jan 29: $250 NLHE Turbo (2x reentry) ($50K GTD)
-Event 17 on Jan 30: $320 NLHE Double Stack (2x reentry) ($100K GTD)
-Event 18 on Jan 31: $525 NLHE 8-Max Main Event (3x reentry) ($250K GTD)
Note that Event 13 is out of date order and takes place on the same day as Event 6.
The WSOP has yet to release any other month’s schedule, including the Silvery Legacy Circuit series for February.
No Live Circuit in 2021?
That remains to be seen. The entire year ahead remains uncertain for live poker. A variety of factors, from vaccine distribution to Covid-19 spread, will determine the path forward.
In the meantime, it seems that the online series is now set and will play out through 2021.
“We’ve been thrilled with the big prize pools for WSOP.com events in 2020,” said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart, “and we only expect to see that grow with this new model.”
