WSOP Releases Season 12 Circuit Schedule; Global Casino Championship Introduced
The World Series of Poker Circuit, which is entering Season 12, has some major changes in store, including a shift to a global scale. Now, instead of a season-ending National Championship, the event will become the Global Casino Championship. What's more, in addition to those who qualify, all Season 12 WSOP Circuit ring winners will be invited to participate.
The WSOP released the Season 12 schedule on Thursday, and on it are an estimated 25 stops – 19 domestic and six abroad – with buy-ins ranging from $365 to $1,675 (equivalent price range internationally).
“We know not everyone can make it out to Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker, and this is our way of bringing the flavor and feel of the WSOP to regional markets,” said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart. “The WSOP Circuit continues to be a great success, both at getting new players to the game and creating tomorrow’s stars and we’re excited to kick off the twelfth season August 6.”
All of the regular U.S. stops – such as Foxwoods, Choctaw Durant, Palm Beach Kennel Club, etc. – are still on the schedule, while a new stop, Bally’s Las Vegas, has been added to the domestic leg of the tour from February 25 to March 7. Meanwhile, a slew of international events has been included on the schedule and will count in the season-long race to get to the televised Global Casino Championship, which will offer a WSOP gold bracelet and a minimum $1,000,000 prize pool
As in years past, the winner of each $1,675 Main Event will earn a spot finale, as will each "Casino Champion," those players who have earned the most rankings points at a given stop. Approximately 50 players will earn their in via one of those routes, while 50 additional players expected to qualify based on points earned throughout their play on the circuit.
For the first time, any winner of an official “ring event” who doesn’t otherwise qualify for entry due to an automatic invite or standings in the ranking events will be invited to buy-in to the WSOP Global Casino Championship for $10,000.
Each Main Event of Season 12 will be played as reentry, with a morning and evening flight available to players at most of the stops. New this year, players will be afforded the opportunity to reenter once per flight. So, if they are eliminated, they may reenter that flight. This allows as many as four total entries — two entries per flight.
Here's a look at what's in store for Season 12 of the WSOP Circuit:
2015-16 WSOP Circuit Domestic Tour Schedule
| Stop # | Dates | Tournament | Location | Main Event Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 6-17, 2015 | Foxwoods Resort Casino | Connecticut | August 15-17 |
| 2 | August 20-31, 2015 | Horseshoe Baltimore | Maryland | August 28-30 |
| 3 | September 17-28, 2015 | Palm Beach Kennel Club | Florida | September 26-28 |
| 4 | October 1-12, 2015 | Horseshoe Southern Indiana | Indiana | October 9-12 |
| 5 | October 15-26, 2015 | Horseshoe Hammond | Chicago | October 23-26 |
| 6 | October 29 – Nov. 9, 2015 | Harveys Lake Tahoe | Nevada | November 6-9 |
| 7 | November 12-23, 2015 | Planet Hollywood | Las Vegas Strip | November 20-23 |
| 8 | Nov. 26 - December 7, 2015 | Harrah’s Cherokee | North Carolina | December 4-7 |
| 9 | December 3-14, 2015 | The Bicycle Casino | Los Angeles | December 12-14 |
| 10 | January 7-18, 2016 | Choctaw Durant | Dallas/Oklahoma | January 15-18 |
| 11 | January 21 – Feb. 1, 2016 | Horseshoe Tunica | Mississippi | Jan. 29-Feb. 1 |
| 12 | February 4-15, 2016 | Palm Beach Kennel Club | Florida | February 12-15 |
| 13 | February 25 – March 7, 2016 | Bally’s | Las Vegas | March 4-7 |
| 14 | March 15-26, 2016 | Harrah’s Atlantic City | New Jersey | March 24-26 |
| 15 | March 19-30, 2016 | The Bicycle Casino | Los Angeles | March 27-30 |
| 16 | March 24 – April 4, 2016 | Horseshoe Baltimore | Baltimore | April 2-4 |
| 17 | March 31 – April 11, 2016 | Horseshoe Council Bluffs | Omaha/Iowa | April 8-11 |
| 18 | April 14-25, 2016 | Harrah’s Cherokee | North Carolina | April 22-25 |
| 19 | May 12-23, 2016 | Harrah’s New Orleans | Louisiana | May 20-23 |
| Finale | TBD | WSOP Global Casino Championship | TBD |
Like the domestic circuit, the International track will feature two qualifiers per stop for the WSOP Global Casino Championship.
2015-16 WSOP Circuit International Tour Schedule
| Stop # | Dates | Tournament | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 16-30, 2015 | Casino de Campione | Campione, Italy |
| 2 | TBA, 2015 | TBA | TBA |
| 3 | November 1-8, 2015 | King’s Casino | Rozvadov, Czech Republic |
| 4 | TBA, 2016 | Jubilee Casino | Monterrey, Mexico |
| 5 | March, 2016 | TBA | TBA |
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