2024 WSOP Summer Structures Available for Bracelet Events
In mid-February, the World Series of Poker released its 2024 WSOP summer tournament schedule. The 99-event lineup for Las Vegas included all of the bracelet events with the exception of the online poker tournaments and the Tournament of Champions.
That information is forthcoming, likely this month. Other details will follow as well, including the official rules of the WSOP for 2024, online satellites on GGPoker and WSOP.com, and the launch dates for registration.
To go along with the full schedule, the WSOP did release the structure sheets for all of the 99 live bracelet events.
General Structure Info
Structure sheets are important. They provide all of the valuable information for each tournament, such as the starting chip stack, length of the levels, extent of late registration, and daily start and end times. This is vital for all players to know. Recreational players traveling to Las Vegas for one or two tournaments need to plan their trips accordingly, and poker pros need to lay out their schedules that may include overlapping events. In addition, anyone buying or selling action to their tournaments will want to know their potential output and hours dedicated to play.
The schedule page on the WSOP website now displays a link for the structure sheet for each event, just below the tournament title.
For example, Event 1 is the $5K buy-in Champions Reunion NLHE tournament, an 8-handed freezeout (no reentries). The full schedule displays the date, length of the entire event, starting chips, and overview of the levels.
But the structure sheet shows more:
- The 40/60 level note is explained, noting that Day 1 plays 40-minute levels, and Days 2 and 3 play 60-minute levels.
- Late registration will be open for 12 levels, until approximately 9:45pm on Day 1.
- Day 1 will start at noon and play 15 levels, with 15-minute breaks every three levels and a one-hour dinner break after the ninth level at approximately 6:30pm.
- Day 2 will restart at noon and play 10 levels, with the same break and dinner schedule.
- Day 3 will start at a time to be determined and play to a winner with the same break schedule but a to-be-determined dinner break based on that day’s play.
- The levels will start at 100/200 with a 200 big-blind ante and increase to 200/300 with a 300 ante, then 200/400 with a 400 ante, and so on. The chart of levels shows when color-ups will happen, which inevitably offer longer than the standard 15-minute breaks.
These are all important details for most players.
WSOP Main Event Breakdown
The one structure sheet that is the most coveted is for the WSOP Main Event. Since it is the longest tournament – by far – at the summer series and the one with the most on the line, it is a roadmap for everything from trip planning to tournament strategy.
WSOP executives had already revealed that the Main Event will play from Wednesday, July 3 through Wednesday, July 17. The four starting days and general playdown was also available. But now that the structure sheet is online for public consumption, we know everything about how the World Championship will play out.
The four starting days, two Day 2s, and late registration will be:
- Players can choose to start the Main Event on Day 1A (July 3), Day 1B (July 4), Day 1C (July 5), or Day 1D (July 6). Each of those days start at noon and play five levels, with 20-minute breaks after each 120-minute level. The dinner break will be 75 minutes long and happen after Level 3, which will be at approximately 6:40pm.
- Players can also choose late registration, which will be open for two levels into Day 2 play on July 7 and July 8.
- Registration will close after seven levels, which will be four hours into Day 2D on Monday, July 8, or at approximately 4:30pm on that afternoon.
- The official numbers, including the prize pool and playouts, will be announced late on Monday night or on Tuesday, July 9.
- Players who bag chips on any of the four Day 1 flights will play again. Those from Day 1A, Day 1B, and Day 1C will combine to play their Day 2 (Day 2ABC) on Sunday, July 7, alongside any late registrants who enter that day. And players from Day 1D will play alongside the final late registrants on Day 2D on Monday, July 8. Those days will start at noon and play five levels, again with a 20-minute break after every 120-minute level and a 75-minute break after Level 8, or at approximately 6:40pm.
Then, the playdown begins to the final table. Those details are:
- Day 3 (Tuesday, July 9) will start at noon to combine all Day 2 survivors. They will play five levels, again with 20-minute breaks after every 120-minute level and a 75-minute dinner break after Level 13, at approximately 6:40pm.
- Day 4 (Wednesday, July 10) will start at noon and play five levels with the same breaks. WSOP officials expect the money bubble to burst early on this day, possibly around Level 17.
- Day 5 (Thursday, July 11) will start at noon and play five levels with the same breaks.
- Day 6 (Friday, July 12) will start at noon and play five levels with the same breaks.
- Day 7 (Saturday, July 13) will start at noon and play five levels with the same breaks.
- Day 8 (Sunday, July 14) will start at noon and play with the same breaks. However, play will continue into the night until only nine players remain for the final table action.
The final table will play out over two days, as it has in past years. The final nine players will have a day off on Monday, July 15, which is considered to be Day 9 of the Main Event, to take a break and possibly do any media interviews they choose. In 2024, the rest of the Main Event will happen this way:
- Day 10 (Tuesday, July 16) will start at 1:30pm and attempt to play down to just four players. There will be no scheduled breaks, as players and TV filming needs will dictate any breaks.
- Day 11 (Wednesday, July 17) will start at 1:30pm and play to a winner. The players and TV producers will again determine any breaks.
As for the actual tournament structure, it is detailed on the structure sheet. It will start at 100/200 blinds with a 200 big blind ante, with Level 2 bringing 200/300 blinds with a 300 ante.
The first color-up will happen after Level 8 on Day 2 to remove the 100-denomination chips. The next color-ups will happen after Levels 13 (dinner break on Day 3), 18 (dinner break on Day 4), and 28 (dinner break on Day 6).
Obviously, any and all of the structure and timeline can change as needed.
