WSOP Circuit Heads into Final Stretch With GCC Scheduled for Aug. 6-8
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What once seemed an interminable stretch of hundreds of tournaments has dwindled down to just a few stops as the World Series of Poker Circuit draws near the end of its 2018-19 season.
With the Horseshoe Council Bluffs stop wrapping up on April 8, only three full stops remain before the opportunity to score more points for Circuit grinders comes to a close: WSOPC Harrah's Cherokee (April 10-22), WSOPC Horseshoe Tunica (April 25-May 6) and WSOPC Harrah's New Orleans (May 9-20).
As for exactly what those points are building toward, news dropped earlier this week from the WSOP that the Global Casino Championship — the $1 million guaranteed freeroll for the top performers throughout the season — will once again run at Harrah's Cherokee in August.
“Harrah’s Cherokee has become one of, if not the premiere destination on the WSOP Circuit with three annual stops, plus the Global Casino Championship,” said Regional Vice President and General Manager Brooks Robinson. “To be the home of the Global Casino Championship is an honor for us and we can’t wait for the new season to start and to welcome all the players back to the Smokey Mountains.”
The 2019 GCC
In a Tuesday presser, WSOP officials revealed the 2019 GCC will run Aug. 6-8 at Harrah's Cherokee, coinciding with a Circuit stop for the 2019-20 season. It's the fifth straight year Harrah's Cherokee will play host to the event, which awards a gold bracelet for the winner.
A quick refresher on the parameters of the GCC:
- $1 million guaranteed
- 132 automatic entries
- $10,000 rake-free entry available to 2018 WSOP Player of the Year top 100 and season ring winners
Last year, Warren Sheaves prevailed over a final table that included Keven Stammen and previous champion Loni Harwood, which earned him $282,113.
Points Situation Heading into Final Three Stops
Domestic points chasers — three international stops remain but only qualify two automatic entries apiece — still have time to accrue points for the leaderboard but they'll need to hurry.
The top 50 point earners receive at-large entries into the GCC, which come with three nights stay at Harrah's Cherokee and a $500 travel stipend. Currently, the cut line is at 165 points with Steve Buell the low man in the door. Projecting the final cut is difficult, but most expect the line to be north of 180, an increase over 2018's race. The tiebreaker for points is money won.
Here's a look at everyone within 10 points of the current mark:
| Rank | Player | Point Total (as of April 5) | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | Kevin Eyster | 175 | $105,649 |
| 44 | Christopher Carey | 175 | $72,223 |
| 45 | Eric Bunch | 175 | $70,958 |
| 46 | Mark Liedtke | 175 | $34,140 |
| 47 | Harry Arutyunyan | 172.5 | $72,752 |
| 48 | Wayne Lovell | 167.5 | $58,051 |
| 49 | Aaron Messmer | 165 | $160,595 |
| 50 | Steve Buell | 165 | $41,298 |
| 51 | Ryan Phan | 160 | $200,225 |
| 52 | Austin Reilly | 160 | $85,666 |
| 53 | Brock Wilson | 157.5 | $106,472 |
| 54 | Dan Lowery | 155 | $52,844 |
| 55 | Joe Grew | 155 | $25,025 |
With a small-field $1 million guaranteed at the end of the rainbow, it's sure the points race will heat up heading into the final three stops on the Circuit, providing ample prize pools for everyone in the tournaments and a mighty sweat for those on the bubble.
