On Thursday, Caesars Interactive Entertainment revealed the official schedule for the 2013 World Series of Poker. Beginning Wednesday, May 29, at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, the 44th Annual World Series of Poker will feature 62 bracelet events, culminating in the flagship $10,000 Main Event beginning on July 7.
To kick off the opening weekend festivities, a new "Millionaire Maker" (Event #6) will see one person turn a $1,500 buy-in into a cool $1 million. The event begins on Saturday, June 1, featuring a one-day start, two-flight, single re-entry, no-limit hold’em event. The prize pool will be changed from the usual WSOP pay structure into one in which one winner will take home a seven-figure payday.
All the staple WSOP events will return this year, including the $50,000 Poker Players Championship (June 26-29), the Seniors Event (June 14-16) and the Ladies Event (June 28-30). One major change to the Ladies Event this year is a slight twist to the buy-in. Men entering the event will be required to buy in for $10,000, but ladies will enjoy the "discounted" buy-in of $1,000 — the normal buy-in amount every year.
Three events first introduced at the 2012 WSOP will return as bracelet events this year: Mix-Max No-Limit Hold’em, Ante Only No-Limit Hold’em and Four-Handed No-Limit Hold’em. The series will also bring back $25,000 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold’em event, which is sure to bring out the top short-handed specialists in the world.
“Bring your bankroll, whatever it is, and come have the time of your life,” said WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel. “We think this is the most diverse schedule we’ve ever had and we’ll be ready for an all-time turn-out at the 44th annual WSOP.”
In addition, the WSOP is introducing a gold bracelet event with a $1,111 buy-in benefiting the ONE DROP Foundation. Dubbed by ONE DROP founder Guy Laliberté as the “Little One for ONE DROP,” the special event will offer unlimited re-entries over two starting days, giving it the potential to be one of the largest events at the 2013 WSOP. As the WSOP’s charity partner, ONE DROP will receive $111 of each buy-in.
As always, the series will close with the $10,000 Main Event, which will have three starting days beginning on July 7 and running through July 15 when the final table is reached. The final nine players will then take a four-month break before reconvening in Las Vegas on Nov. 4 and 5 to determine the 2013 world champion.
“Dreams are dealt each year at the World Series of Poker,” said Ty Stewart, executive director of the WSOP. “From the opening weekend, where we will make yet another millionaire, to the Main Event, which awards the largest single prize in the world, the WSOP is an annual affirmation about the strength and global appeal of the game.”
Last year, 74,766 participants turned out for the 61 WSOP bracelet events and competed for more than $222 million in prize-pool money — the most in the WSOP’s 43-year history. Tournament organizers anticipate even bigger numbers this year and have expanded the number of poker tables to 500 for tournaments, sit-and-go satellites, and cash games running around the clock.
For a look at the entire 2013 World Series of Poker schedule, visit WSOP.com.
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