The WSOP Main Event 2020 will take place after all in an innovative online-live hybrid format across two platforms.
The main event of the summer WSOP Online was a $5,000 rebuy that was won by Stoyan Madanzhiev from Bulgaria, but we still have no official champion for the year(more on that tomorrow).
There Will Be a WSOP 2020 Champion After All
Most of us thought that this summer’s WSOP Online was the best we were going to get. What we didn’t reckon on was the motivation and will of the organisers to get the job done. Or maybe this was the plan from start to finish but we’ll never know…
WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart said,
“There must be a World Champion in 2020. Poker’s history is too important. It’s a unique format for the Main Event, but this is a unique year. We want to keep players’ health and safety top of mind and still deliver a great televised showcase for the game we love.”
Innovative WSOP Format
With the COVID-19 pandemic still making international travel extremely difficult the WSOP organisers decided to get things going online, just as in the summer.
Only this time there will be a live action final table for both the US region and the rest of the world.
The winner of each final table will then square off in a heads-up match to decide who is the WSOP Main Event 2020 champion.
Both WSOP.com and GGPoker will again service their respective regions. WSOP.com will hold a single Day 1 starting flight on December 13th with Day 2 following the day after. GGPoker will hold three Day 1 flights on November 29th; December 5th; December 6th. Day 2 will play down to a final table on December 7th.
Before you get any ideas, it is forbidden to play on both platforms. Bust out of one Day 1 and that’s your lot for 2020.
The final tables will take place at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on December 28th for WSOP.com qualifiers,and GGPoker finalists will travel to King’s Casino, Rozvadov, Czech Republic on December 15th.
The two winners of the final tables will then come back on December 30th to decide who will be the 2020 champ with an extra $1,000,000 thrown in to spice things up.
WSOP 2020 Reaction
With such a convoluted format it is understandable that some players aren’t happy. Sam Greenwood voiced his doubts on Twitter.
"There must be a World Champion in 2020,” said Ty Stewart
There is his name is Stoyan Madanzhiev https://t.co/sav5Uyc0Rj
— Sam Greenwood (@SamGreenwoodRIO) November 13, 2020
“Making people play an online tournament where the FT might take place somewhere people aren’t allowed to travel instead of just playing the tourney out online is stupid.”
The “summer” champ Stoyan Madanzhiev was quick to point out that there is likely to be a visa issue if the wrong nationality wins on GGPoker. Not everyone will be able to fly into the USA at such short notice without a visa.
There are still lockdowns around Europe which might prevent travel to the Czech Republic. Fingers crossed that everything starts to get back to normal before the year is out.
Don’t forget to check out the latest poker news to see what’s happening in the poker world and what everyone thinks about Stoyan Madanzhiev’s claim that he is already the WSOP Main Event champion for this year.
