More 2019 WSOP Events Announced
The slow leak of the 2019 World Series of Poker schedule continued this week as another 13 events were announced. This follows a release of key dates in late December.
Some of the events listed in this batch are the popular “closed” events, that is, events that have restrictions on entry besides the size of one’s wallet. These include the $500 Casino Employees Event that has historically kicked off the World Series of Poker, the $1,000 Super Seniors Event, and the $1,000 Ladies Event. While the Ladies Event is considered a closed event, it is technically open to all comers because it is against Nevada regulations to restrict a poker tournament based on gender, but to discourage men from invading, men must pay a $10,000 buy-in. Of course, there is always some asshole tool who thinks it’s funny to enter the Ladies Event, but at least he’ll have to pay for it, in more ways than one.
Another favorite returns this year: the giant field, low buy-in Colossus. It has changed, though, as the buy-in has been reduced from $500 to $400, making it the cheapest World Series of Poker event in history. Additionally, instead of starting flight after starting flight after starting flight, ad infinitum, there will be just two, one on June 26th and another on June 27th.
There are a couple tournaments on this new release called Super Turbo Bounty events. These are, to use the WSOP’s words, “the only live way to earn a bracelet in a day at the WSOP.” Blind levels are just 20 minutes – “super turbo,” I’d say – and each player has a price on his head, as the title would imply. In the $1,000 event, the bounties are $300, and in the $1,500 event, the bounties are $500. The speedy blinds and the bounties are sure to have chips flying. Do not play in this event if you play ultra-tight and hope to just make the money… like me!
Perhaps the highlight of this baker’s dozen of events is a new one called the Mini Main Event. The $1,000 buy-in tournament will run for just two days and will take place two days before the $10,000 Main Event, structured to mirror the headliner tournament, except for the fact that it has much shorter levels at just 30 minutes each. The WSOP sees it has a warm-up event of sorts for Main Event players.
In December, the new highlighted event that was announced was the Big 50, so named because this year is the 50th World Series of Poker.* Taking the place of the Colossus at the outset of the 2019 WSOP, the Big 50 is a $500 event with one re-entry permitted in each of the four starting flights. The kicker is that everybody’s initial entry is rake-free. The other big attraction is undoubtedly that the Big 50 has a $5 million guaranteed prize pool and $1 million guaranteed to the winner.
“Things are starting to come together on the rest of the 2019 WSOP playing schedule,” said World Series of Poker Vice President Jack Effel in a press release. “Being this is our 50th running, we are doing everything we can to make this year’s iteration bigger, better and more valuable for players.”
Below is the schedule for the thirteen events that have just been announced, courtesy of WSOP.com. The entire schedule for the 2019 World Series of Poker is expected to be released in this quarter.
| DATE | EVENT | BUY-IN | CHIPS | LEVELS | Re-Entry | TIME |
| May 29 | Casino Employees | $500 | 25,000 | 40 minutes | 1 | 11am |
| June 4 | Super Turbo Bounty | $1,000 | 20,000 | 20 minutes | None | 10am |
| June 9 | Double Stack | $1,000 | 40,000 | 30/40 minutes | 1 | 11am |
| June 10 | Marathon | $2,620 | 26,200 | 100 minutes | None | 12 noon |
| June 17 | Super Seniors 60+ | $1,000 | 20,000 | 60 minutes | 1 | 10am |
| June 20 | Ladies | $10,000/$1,000 | 20,000 | 60 minutes | 1 | 11am |
| June 24 | Super Turbo Bounty | $1,500 | 25,000 | 20 minutes | None | 10am |
| June 24 | Tag Team
2-4 person teams |
$1,000/Team | 20,000 | 60 minutes | None | 12 noon |
| June 26 | Colossus – Flight A | $400 | 40,000 | 40 minutes | 1/flight | 10am |
| June 27 | “ Flight B | “ | “ | “ | “ | 10am |
| July 1 | Mini Main Event | $1,000 | 60,000 | 30 minutes | None | 11am |
| July 6 | Little One for One Drop – Flight A | $1,000+$111 | 40,000 | 60 minutes | Unlimited | 11am |
| July 7 | “ Flight B | “ | “ | “ | “ | 11am |
| July 8 | “ Flight C | “ | “ | “ | “ | 11am |
| July 11 | Double Stack | $1,500 | 50,000 | 30/40 minutes | Unlimited | 11am |
| July 12 | The Closer – Flight A | $1,500 | 25,000 | 30 minutes | Unlimited | 11am |
| July 13 | “ Flight B | “ | “ | “ | “ | 11am |
| July 14 | “ Flight C | “ | “ | “ | “ | 11am |
Source: WSOP.com
*Fun fact: after reading about the Big 50 and the 50th WSOP for the first time, I was reminded that the 50th is the “Golden Anniversary.” Just a few days later, this knowledge helped me get a Jeopardy! question (answer?) right, as it was looking for the anniversary three years after the Golden Anniversary. Work can provide satisfaction in so many ways.
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