Breaking News: 2020 WSOP $10,000 Main Event to Take Place in December
Table Of Contents
There will be a 2020 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion.
To accomplish the feat, this year’s WSOP Main Event will be played as an online-live hybrid both domestically and internationally.
A $10,000 buy-in freezeout will take place on WSOP.com for players in either New Jersey or Nevada. A single Day 1 flight will take place on Sunday, Dec. 13. Day 2 will take place the following Monday and play down to a final table of nine.
Meanwhile, GGPoker will play host to international players over three starting flights – Day 1a on Sunday, Nov. 29; Day 1b on Saturday, Dec. 5; and Day 1c on Sunday, Dec. 6. Each player may only play one flight. The surviving players from each flight will then play down to the final table on Monday, Dec. 7.
Each site will offer a separate tournament with the exact same structure. Players will only be allowed to play in either the domestic or international portion, not both. All player entrant information will be shared between GGPoker and WSOP.com and any player busting a GGPoker flight will be prevented from registering on WSOP.com.
The final tables of each tournament will then play out live. The WSOP.com finalists will play to a winner at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Monday, Dec. 28, while GGPoker finalists will play to a winner at King’s Casino in the Czech Republic on Tuesday, Dec. 15.
The winner of each tournament will then battle it out in a special Heads-Up Finale with the victor taking home an added $1,000,000, a bracelet (the only one to be awarded), and the title of 2020 WSOP Main Event champ. That match will take place at the Rio on Wednesday, Dec. 30.
Both final tables as well as the heads-up finale will be broadcast by ESPN with commentary from Lon McEachern and Norman Chad.
For a full recap of all the action, check out the WSOP 2020 schedule here.
“There must be a World Champion in 2020,” said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart. “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.”
WSOP.com Domestic Main Event
- Day 1 – Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020
- Day 2 – Monday, Dec. 14, 2020, Play down to 9 players
- Final Table – Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Monday, Dec. 28, Play continues to a winner; prize monies paid
GGPoker International Main Event
- Day 1a – Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020
- Day1b – Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020
- Day 1c — Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020
- Day 2, Play down to 9 players, Monday, Dec. 7
- Final Table – *King’s Casino, Tuesday, Dec.15, Play down to a winner
Should travel restrictions or a casino shutdown prevent the live portion from moving forward in December, organizers reserve the right to continue the tournament play online or reschedule to a later date.
All in-person tournaments, domestic and international, will be subject to special COVID rules and procedures, the details of which will be published at a later date and will require players to undergo a required health screening prior to live participation. All participants must agree to abide by all applicable rules.
What Does Daniel Negreanu Think?
PokerNews had the chance to chat with GGPoker Ambassador Daniel Negreanu to get his thoughts on the 2020 WSOP Main Event taking place.
“I’m stoked!" he said. "We had an incredible summer running bracelet events at both WSOP.com and GGPoker.com but the one thing missing was a pure freezeout Main Event to genuinely crown a 2020 WSOP champ."
“I’d much prefer playing on GGPoker but I’m currently involved in a heads-up challenge on WSOP.com so that makes the most sense for me."
Due to his ongoing heads-up challenge against Doug Polk, Negreanu confirmed that he would be playing on WSOP.com from home in Las Vegas.
“I’d much prefer playing on GGPoker but I’m currently involved in a heads-up challenge on WSOP.com so that makes the most sense for me,” he explained. “We both agreed to be flexible with scheduling for the match and I imagine he will want to play the event as well so we probably only need to take 2-3 days off.”
As for any potential Main Event bets, Negreanu hasn’t written it off: “There is always a chance! Haven’t thought up any yet but I imagine there will be action.”
Negreanu did confirm that the bracelet bets he had during the online portion over the summer are still in effect.
Finally, as for some new vlogs to close out the year, it could be in the cards.
“Good idea! I’ve been so dedicated to this HU challenge I hadn’t thought of it but it’s possible,” he concluded.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if future COVID developments/restrictions disrupt plans?
In the WSOP press release, officials included numerous forward-looking statements that give them the ability to alter as necessary, which could include moving locations or even playing things out online if the need arises.
What if the winner of the GGPoker tournament isn’t 21 years old?
Should the international winner be under the age of 21 and thereby ineligible to play in the state of Nevada, the organizers reserve the right to change the date and location of the heads-up match.
How can players get money onto their WSOP.com account?
In order to get a large sum, like the $10,000 buy-in, onto your account, its highly recommended players make an in-person deposit at an applicable Caesars property. Additionally, there is a new option to deposit and cash out in person for players in Northern Nevada at the Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno.
What if a player makes the final table and is unwilling to travel to the live portion?
If a player refuses to travel to the live portion of the event, they will pull themselves out of contention and be awarded ninth-place money.
Will satellites be available?
Yes. A comprehensive list of satellite events allowing qualification for as little $1 will be available on both WSOP.com and GGPoker.com. There will also be weekly freerolls offering $10,000 seat entry for multiple weeks leading up to the tournament.
Will there be hotel rates for players?
Yes. To welcome visiting players, Caesars Entertainment will offer special Main Event room rates at several resorts in Nevada and New Jersey.
A Look at the Structures
When the tournament switches from online to live, officials will round chips to the lowest denomination “live non-value” chip in play and pick up blinds where they leave online. If it’s an odd level (i.e. 170k/340k) they will roll back to the nearest even level (i.e. 150k/300k).
Main Event (Online Structure)
Players will start with 60,000 in chips and play 30-minute levels. Late registration will remain open through the end of Level 11 (six hours).
| Level | Small Blind | Big Blind | Ante |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 | 200 | |
| 2 | 125 | 250 | 25 |
| 3 | 150 | 300 | 30 |
| 4 | 175 | 350 | 35 |
| 5 | 200 | 400 | 40 |
| 6 | 250 | 500 | 50 |
| 7 | 300 | 600 | 60 |
| 8 | 400 | 800 | 80 |
| 9 | 500 | 1,000 | 100 |
| 10 | 600 | 1,200 | 120 |
| 11 | 800 | 1,600 | 160 |
| 12 | 1,000 | 2,000 | 200 |
| 13 | 1,200 | 2,400 | 240 |
| 14 | 1,400 | 2,800 | 280 |
| 15 | 1,700 | 3,400 | 340 |
| 16 | 2,000 | 4,000 | 400 |
| 17 | 2,500 | 5,000 | 500 |
| 18 | 3,000 | 6,000 | 600 |
| 19 | 4,000 | 8,000 | 800 |
| 20 | 5,000 | 10,000 | 1,000 |
| 21 | 6,000 | 12,000 | 1,200 |
| 22 | 8,000 | 16,000 | 1,600 |
| 23 | 10,000 | 20,000 | 2,000 |
| 24 | 12,000 | 24,000 | 2,400 |
| 25 | 14,000 | 28,000 | 2,800 |
| 26 | 17,000 | 34,000 | 3,400 |
| 27 | 20,000 | 40,000 | 4,000 |
| 28 | 25,000 | 50,000 | 5,000 |
| 29 | 30,000 | 60,000 | 6,000 |
| 30 | 40,000 | 80,000 | 8,000 |
| 31 | 50,000 | 100,000 | 10,000 |
| 32 | 60,000 | 120,000 | 12,000 |
| 33 | 80,000 | 160,000 | 16,000 |
| 34 | 100,000 | 200,000 | 20,000 |
| 35 | 120,000 | 240,000 | 24,000 |
| 36 | 140,000 | 280,000 | 28,000 |
| 37 | 170,000 | 340,000 | 34,000 |
| 38 | 200,000 | 400,000 | 40,000 |
| 39 | 250,000 | 500,000 | 50,000 |
| 40 | 300,000 | 600,000 | 60,000 |
| 41 | 400,000 | 800,000 | 80,000 |
| 42 | 500,000 | 1,000,000 | 100,000 |
| 43 | 600,000 | 1,200,000 | 120,000 |
Main Event (Offline Structure)
Levels will switch to 60 minutes.
| Level | Ante | Blinds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 200,000 | 100,000-200,000 |
| 2 | 250,000 | 125,000-250,000 |
| 3 | 300,000 | 150,000-300,000 |
| 4 | 400,000 | 200,000-400,000 |
| 5 | 500,000 | 250,000-500,000 |
| 6 | 600,000 | 300,000-600,000 |
| 7 | 800,000 | 400,000-800,000 |
| 8 | 1,000,000 | 500,000-1,000,000 |
| 9 | 1,200,000 | 600,000-1,200,000 |
| 10 | 1,600,000 | 800,000-1,600,000 |
| 11 | 2,000,000 | 1,000,000-2,000,000 |
| 12 | 2,500,000 | 1,250,000-2,500,000 |
| 13 | 3,000,000 | 1,500,000-3,000,000 |
| 14 | 4,000,000 | 2,000,000-4,000,000 |
| 15 | 5,000,000 | 2,500,000-5,000,000 |
| 16 | 6,000,000 | 3,000,000-6,000,000 |
| 17 | 8,000,000 | 4,000,000-8,000,000 |
| 18 | 10,000,000 | 5,000,000-10,000,000 |
| 19 | 12,000,000 | 6,000,000-12,000,000 |
| 20 | 16,000,000 | 8,000,000-16,000,000 |
| 21 | 20,000,000 | 10,000,000-20,000,000 |
Championship Match Structure
The heads-up finale will offer up a $1,000,000 prize added by WSOP and GGPoker. That match, which will take place at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino on Wednesday, Dec. 30, will start both players with 500,000 in chips and play 20-minute levels.
| Level | Small Blind | Big Blind | BBs per player |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 500 | 1,000 | 500 |
| 2 | 1,000 | 1,500 | 333 |
| 3 | 1,000 | 2,000 | 250 |
| 4 | 1,500 | 3,000 | 167 |
| 5 | 2,000 | 4,000 | 125 |
| 6 | 2,500 | 5,000 | 100 |
| 7 | 3,000 | 6,000 | 83 |
| 8 | 4,000 | 8,000 | 63 |
| 9 | 5,000 | 10,000 | 50 |
| 10 | 6,000 | 12,000 | 42 |
| 11 | 8,000 | 16,000 | 31 |
| 12 | 10,000 | 20,000 | 25 |
| 13 | 15,000 | 30,000 | 17 |
| 14 | 20,000 | 40,000 | 13 |
