Welcome to the 2019 WSOP Circuit Sydney $5k Challenge
Greetings poker aficionados, and welcome to the PokerNews live coverage of the 2019 WSOP Circuit Sydney.
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) returns to The Star Sydney for the fourth consecutive outing of the WSOP Sydney Circuit Event, running November 14 to December 9.
With over AU$6 million guaranteed in series’ prize pools over the 14-event, 26-day tournament series - as well as 14 official prized WSOP Gold Rings - anticipation remains high for a bumper tournament turnout with numbers on the up and up over the last few years.
The 2018 edition of the series saw Australia’s Alex Lynskey triumph over a 1,191-strong field to take down the Main Event for an AU$422,796 (US$303,477) top prize, in addition to the coveted WSOP Circuit Ring, with a total of 135 players cashing for a share of the sizable AU$2,382,000 prize pool.
The 2017 instalment saw Michael Kanaan defeat a 1,067-strong field for a career-best high score of AU$394,241 (US$297,241).
The PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be on hand to bring you all the action from the floor starting Thursday, November 28 for the following events:
- $5k Challenge (AU$1m GTD, Nov 28-29)
- AU$2,200 Main Event (AU$2.2m GTD, Nov 30-Dec 9)
- 6 Max PLO (AU$240k GTD, Dec 2-3)
- High Roller (AU$1m GTD, Dec 4-5)
5k Challenge
It is the two-day $5k Challenge with its AU$1,000,000 prize pool guarantee that will be the main focus of today's coverage. It was Newcastle native (the New South Wales version) Matthew Wakeman who took down the 2018 edition 12 months prior, defeating a 216-strong field to take the A$256,496 (US$188,867) top prize, with a total of 24 players cashing for a share of the A$1,026,000 prize pool.
The Day 1 action will kick off at 2:15pm with blinds of 100/200 with a 200 big blind ante, with the plan to play fifteen 45-minute levels, with action concluding at 4,000/8,000 with an 8,000 big blind ante.
5k Challenge Day 1 Structure
| Level | Small Blind | Big Blind | Ante |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 | 200 | 200 |
| 2 | 200 | 300 | 300 |
| 3 | 200 | 400 | 400 |
| 4 | 300 | 600 | 600 |
| 5 | 400 | 800 | 800 |
| 6 | 500 | 1000 | 1000 |
| 7 | 600 | 1200 | 1200 |
| 8 | 800 | 1600 | 1600 |
| 9 | 1000 | 2000 | 2000 |
| 10 | 1200 | 2400 | 2400 |
| 11 | 1500 | 3000 | 3000 |
| 12 | 2000 | 4000 | 4000 |
| 13 | 2500 | 5000 | 5000 |
| 14 | 3000 | 6000 | 6000 |
| 15 | 4000 | 8000 | 8000 |
Players get 25,000 in tournament chips for their AU$5,000 ($4750+$250) entry, with the tournament offering unlimited re-entry and utilizing the big blind ante format, with blind levels coming it at 45-minutes in length. The second and final day will play out on Friday, Nov 29, also with a 2:15pm starting time and will play down to a champion.
Keep your browser locked and the refresh button ready as the PokerNews Live Reporting Team brings you all the tournament thrills and spills from the Star Sydney poker room.