The Ultimate Guide to the 2016 WSOP Schedule

Key details on the 2016 WSOP, the largest poker tournament series in history.
Key details on the 2016 WSOP, the largest poker tournament series in history.

wsop-2016
How much more ambitious can the crown jewel of the poker world get with the 2016 WSOP schedule? Caesars, the organizers of the massive live (and now even online) spectacle, will present their answer starting on June 1. The last few years have brought several fresh ideas and larger WSOP schedules than ever. 2016 promises to continue the trend of bigger, better, and more streamlined.

The 47th WSOP

Beginning in 1970 with humble origins this will be the 47th edition of the World Series of Poker, the annual Mecca of the poker world. It will take place entirely at the Rio in Las Vegas, as it has every year since 2005. WSOP bracelet events, non-bracelet daily tournaments, satellites, and cash games all take place within the Rio’s massive convention center.

8 new events for the 2016 WSOP

Caesars has put an increasing focus on recent years on making the WSOP experience accessible to almost every bankroll by adding numerous sub-$2,000 buy-in events that draw recreational players in massive numbers. WSOP continues this trend with the following 8 new bracelet events:

  • Event 4 (June 5) $1,000 Hybrid Online/Live No-Limit Texas Hold’em
  • Event 12 (June 9) $565 Pot-Limit Omaha
  • Event 23 (June 15) $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em
  • Event 40 (June 23) $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball
  • Event 45 (June 26) $1,500 Mixed No-Limit Hold’em/Pot-Limit Omaha
  • Event 53 (June 30) $1,500 Mixed Pot-Limit Omaha
  • Event 54 (July 1) $888 8-handed No-Limit Hold’em
  • Event 61 (July 7) $1,000 Team No-Limit Hold’em

It would take $410,805 to buy in to every WSOP bracelet event once.

Cheap Hold’em still reigns supreme

While the Hold’em craze of last decade (the Aughts? The 2000’s?) has waned a bit, giving rise to Omaha and mixed bracelet events, low buy-in Hold’em still makes up the majority of the WSOP schedule.

WSOP News and More

For complete background information on the annual mecca of poker tournaments view our dedicated World Series of Poker hub, which traces the history of the WSOP, current news, every winner, and probably a lot more than you wanted to know.

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The 2016 WSOP Schedule

EventDateTimeTournamentBuy-In
Tue, May 3124hCash games open at Rio
1Wed, June 111aCasino Employees No-Limit Hold'em$565
2AThu, June 210aColossus II No-Limit Hold'em (re-entry)$565
2BThu, June 24p
2CFri, June 310a
2DFri, June 34p
2ESat, June 410a
2FSat, June 44p
3Sat, June 43pSeven-Card Stud Championship$10,000
4Sun, June 511aTop-Up Turbo No-Limit Hold'em$1,000
5Sun, June 53pDealer's Choice (6-handed)$1,500
6Mon, June 611aNo-Limit Hold'em$1,500
7Mon, June 63pNo-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball (one re-entry)$1,500
8Tue, June 711aH.O.R.S.E.$1,500
9Tue, June 73pNo-Limit Hold'em Heads-up Championship$10,000
10Wed, June 811aNo-Limit Hold'em (6-handed)$1,500
11Wed, June 83pDealer's Choice 6-handed Championship$10,000
12Thu, June 911aPot-Limit Omaha (re-entry)$565
13Thu, June 93pRazz$1,500
14AFri, June 1010aMillionaire Maker No-Limit Hold'em$1,500
14BSat, June 1110a
15Fri, June 103p8-Game Mix (6-handed)$1,500
16Sat, June 113pNo-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball Championship (one re-entry)$10,000
17Sun, June 1211aNo-Limit Hold'em$1,000
18Sun, June 123pH.O.R.S.E.$3,000
19Mon, June 1311aPot-Limit Omaha$1,000
20Mon, June 133pRazz Championship$10,000
21Tue, June 1411aNo-Limit Hold'em (6-handed)$3,000
22Tue, June 143pLimit Hold'em$1,500
23Wed, June 1511aNo-Limit Hold'em$2,000
24Wed, June 153pH.O.R.S.E. Championship$10,000
25Thu, June 1611aNo-Limit Hold'em$2,500
26Thu, June 163pOmaha Hi-Low 8/b$1,500
27Fri, June 1710aSeniors No-Limit Hold'em (ages 50+)$1,000
28Fri, June 173pLimit Hold'em Championship$10,000
29Sat, June 1811aNo-Limit Hold'em$1,500
30Sat, June 183pPot-Limit Omaha (6-handed)$3,000
31Sun, June 1911aSuper Seniors No-Limit Hold'em (ages 65+)$1,000
32Sun, June 193pOmaha Hi-Low 8/b Championship$10,000
33Mon, June 2011aNo-Limit Hold'em (90-minute levels)$1,500
34Mon, June 203pLimit 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball$1,500
35Tue, June 2111aNo-Limit Hold'em (6-handed)$5,000
36Tue, June 213pMixed Omaha and Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low 8/b$2,500
37Wed, June 2211aPot-Limit Omaha$1,500
38Wed, June 223pLimit Hold'em (6-handed)$3,000
39Thu, June 2311aNo-Limit Hold'em (6-handed ) Championship$10,000
40Thu, June 233pLimit Triple Draw Lowball$2,500
41AFri, June 2410aMonster Stack No-Limit Hold'em (no re-entry)$1,500
41BSat, June 2510a
42Fri, June 243pNo-Limit Hold'em (Shootout)$3,000
43Sat, June 253pSeven-Card Stud Hi-Low 8/b Championship$10,000
44Sun, June 2611aNo-Limit Hold'em$1,000
45Sun, June 263pMixed No-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha$1,500
46Mon, June 2711aNo-Limit Hold'em (Bounty)$1,500
47Mon, June 273pLimit 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball Championship$10,000
48Tue, June 2811aNo-Limit Hold'em (30-minute levels)$5,000
49Tue, June 283pSeven-Card Stud$1,500
50Wed, June 2911aNo-Limit Hold'em (Shootout)$1,500
51Wed, June 293p8-handed Pot-Limit Omaha Championship$10,000
52Thu, June 3011aNo-Limit Hold'em$3,000
53Thu, June 303pMixed Pot-Limit Omaha 8/b and Big O1,500
54AFri, July 110aCrazy Eights No-Limit Hold'em (8-handed, re-entry)$888
54BFri, July 14p
54CSat, July 210a
54DSat, July 24p
55Sat, July 23pPoker Players Championship (6-handed)$50,000
56Sun, July 311aNo-Limit Hold'em$1,500
57Sun, July 33pPot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low 8/b$1,500
58Mon, July 411aNo-Limit Hold'em (30-minute levels)$1,000
59Tue, July 511aNo-Limit Hold'em$5,000
60Tue, July 53pSeven-Card Stud Hi-Low 8/b$1,500
61Wed, July 611aTeam No-Limit Hold'em (2-4 players)$1,000
62Wed, July 63pHigh Roller Pot-Limit Omaha (8-handed)$25,000
63Thu, July 711aNo-Limit Hold'em$1,000
64Thu, July 73pPot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low 8/b$3,000
65Fri, July 811aLadies No-Limit Hold'em Championship$1,000
66Fri, July 81pOnline No-Limit Hold'em (re-entry)$1,000
67Fri, July 81pHigh Roller for One Drop No-Limit Hold'em (one re-entry)$111,111
68ASat, July 911aNo-Limit Hold'em Championship Main Event$10,000
68BSun, July 1011a
68CMon, July 1111a
68Mon, July 18TBAMain Event suspends play after 9 players remain
Sun, Oct 30Main Event final table resumes
Tue, Nov 1Main Event winner crowned
69ATue, July 123pLittle One for One Drop$1,111
69BWed, July 133p
69CThu, July 143p

 

Top 5 original ideas for WSOP 2016

wsop-schedule-2016

  1. Mixed online/offline event. I’m not sure anyone saw this one coming, but it’s a perfect marketing ploy for the WSOP’s own Nevada-only online poker site. Event 4 will actually allow players to top-up their starting chips by playing a special online event first.
  2. Taking sponsorship to a whole new level. Going the route of college football bowl games the WSOP is actually allowing 888 poker to essentially name event 54 – Crazy Eights No-Limit Hold’em for an $888 buy-in. Welcome to the world of domestic beer and libido medication, 888!
  3. Tag-team poker. The WSOP is reviving an idea from the mid-’80s and allowing team play for event 61 on Wednesday, July 6.
  4. Payouts as flat as Phil Hellmuth singing the national anthem.
  5. Ungodly starting times. Almost every WSOP 2016 event will start at either 11 a.m. or 3 p.m., an hour earlier than in previous years. Red Bull may not like it, but I believe this will improve quality of play by shifting things more into the spectrum of the non-sleep-disorder population. But, oh, the horror of those hours! Curse the poker media! Right, Joe McKeehen?

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After a successful showing last year another online-only WSOP bracelet event is a sure thing for 2016.
After a successful showing last year with over 800 players another online-only 2016 WSOP bracelet event will take place on July 8th.

[btf_block title=”Highlights of the 2016 WSOP Schedule” symbol=”2″ bgcolor=”618685″ textcolor=”fff”]

  • Record 69 events
  • About 15% of the field will cash, up 10% in previous years
  • Earlier starting times of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. for most events
  • The Main Event and other $10,000 events will now receive 50,000 starting chips
  • Blind levels will be streamlined to try to get events to end on time
  • 8 new low-buy-in events added

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Spotlight: WSOP Colossus 2016

  • Event #2
  • Starting heats: 6 total. Saturday, June 2, 3, and 4 at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day
  • Buy-in: $565
  • Re-entry: allowed for another entry day if player doesn’t reach the money
  • Game: No-Limit Hold’em

game-1Details: Last year saw the introduction of Colossus, the lowest buy-in of the Series, which proved to be an extremely popular experiment. It only set records for the largest live poker tournament in history and drew over 20,000 players.

The allure of taking part in a real WSOP bracelet event for under $600 simply proved to be too strong for seemingly every recreational poker player able to make it to the Rio. Colossus I also received its share of negative press for the ultimate anticlimax of setting attendance records yet not even guaranteeing $1 million to the winner.

In an event designed to make as many players happy as possible and give a taste of the WSOP experience to everyone the prize structure was spread out so widely and thin that there simply wasn’t enough butter to spread all the way across the toast.

Colossus II

Caesars seems to have learned from that PR faux pas. The WSOP Colossus 2016 will both guarantee a total prize pool of $7 million and a first prize of $1 million. The only complaining pros will likely be able to do at this year’s Colossus will be the throngs of all-in rec donks putting bad beats on them.

Colossus II 2016 will likely break last year’s attendance records as Caesars has been hyping it as a new WSOP centerpiece.

Last year’s Colossus was the largest live poker tournament in history

 

My beloved chips from the last WSOP days at the Horseshoe.
My beloved chips from the last WSOP days at the Horseshoe.

Spotlight: WSOP main event 2016

  • Event #68
  • Starting heats: 3 total. Saturday, July 9, 10, and 11. 11 a.m. each day.
  • Buy-in: $10,000
  • Game: No-Limit Hold’em

signs-1Details: This is it. The Big One. The crown jewel of poker tournaments. The WSOP Main Event.

One of the most expensive buy-ins of the year, thousands of players, millions of dollars for the winner, poker immortality, unreal media coverage, and probably the only poker tournament of the year that even non-poker players will care about and watch.

For as modern of a spectacle as it may seem the Main Event hasn’t really changed at all since its inception over 40 years ago. It’s always been No-Limit Hold’em. It’s always been $10,000. It’s always been in Las Vegas.

The WSOP Main Event in 2016 will be full of compelling stories and only one diamond-bracelet-clad winner who will feel truly satisfied. Every honest poker player will tell you they’ve dreamed of it being them. A few dozen times.

wsop-2016
The WSOP Main Event has been the most important poker tournament of the year for more than four decades.

Thoughts on the final 2016 WSOP schedule

The finalized and complete 2016 WSOP schedule is finally here. We can all take a deep breath, pore over event numbers, and daydream about how many bracelets we’re all going to win.

Jack Effel and crew took their time and incited plenty of caterwauling, but now you can book your flights, rooms, and time off work. The clock is ticking.

Players finishing in the money increased

Starting with the 2016 WSOP the payout structure will get flatter, payout out more players smaller prizes. The standard will be that 15% of the field now cashes.

I have mixed feelings on this one. On one hand, more happy players is always a thing and, as Caesars points out, this means that events will reach the money/payout phase sooner. This has been the trend online for years.

On the other hand, the ones who really suffer in this structure are the top WSOP 2016 finishers. I still like to see that massive payout to the final table and especially the bracelet winner.

It took a while to release, but I couldn't be happier with the final 2016 WSOP schedule
It took a while to release, but I couldn’t be happier with the final 2016 WSOP schedule

Earlier event starting times for WSOP 2016

I feel like they got it half-right here. The 2016 WSOP schedule will finally bump up the starting times for most events by an hour to 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. That will certainly help tournaments end for the day sooner. Great.

However, the WSOP still doesn’t stop play for the “day” until 2 a.m. I feel like something should be done about that at some point. How about midnight? I understand that would lead to events taking more days to complete, but the upside would be in overall quality of play, which, in turn, just makes the World Series of Poker better.

Outside of the growing vampire population no one is playing at their best after midnight. Doesn’t it seem sort of crazy that players would be playing for millions of dollars at 1 and 2 in the morning? This puts seniors at a marked disadvantage.

Streamlined blind structures

This was a good common-sense change that will help trim levels and thus overall time of each tournament. In previous years there may have been a separate level that simply added in an ante and left the blind levels the same (e.g. 1,000/2,000 blinds followed by a 1,000/2,000/250 ante level).

They will now be streamlined into one level for the 2016 WSOP. I’m all for ending the days sooner and taking fewer overall to complete each event.

Caesars listened to feedback and acted on it for 2016: earlier times, flatter payouts, and streamlined levels
Caesars listened to feedback and acted on it for 2016: earlier times, flatter payouts, and streamlined levels

WSOP 2016 Team Event

One big surprise that no one saw coming is that there will a WSOP “team” event, where multiple players will take turns in the same seat managing a single chip stack. Team players can switch at any time as long as they aren’t active in a hand. Caesars knows how to surprise and generate a reaction if nothing else, delving into obscure WSOP history for this one.

The team event will be on the 2016 schedule at #61, beginning on Wednesday, July 6th. Predictably, the game will be No-Limit Texas Hold’em. The buy-in will be $1,000, teams can be up to 4 players, and each member of the winning team gets a WSOP bracelet.

While it may seem like a modern invention by the “poker as a sport” segment 2-player team events actually existed on the WSOP schedule for 4 years from 1980-1983. They mostly served as a fun side event with low Seven-Card Stud buy-ins of under $1,000.

The 2016 WSOP schedule will likely be the largest ever and throw in a few surprises.
Featuring 69 events, several surprises, and more players in the money the 2016 WSOP schedule will likely be the most successful ever.

Innovating the 2016 World Series of Poker

With the 2016 WSOP schedule right around the corner it struck me how much fresher the annual poker spectacle has felt in recent years.

There was a time in the mid-2000s, after the poker explosion brought thousands of new players and moved to the Rio, that I felt like the WSOP got a bit stale.

Don’t get me wrong. Every Series is incredible and filled with great stories and epic events, but there wasn’t much innovation beyond increasing the number of events and offering more small buy-ins.

However, I’ve been impressed with the response by Caesars and WSOP 2016 tournament director Jack Effel over the past 5 years or so to make things feel fresh again. The 2016 WSOP schedule won’t be an exception.

The main objectives seem to be to throw ideas borrowed from online poker against the wall to see what sticks and to make the WSOP experience affordable to every player who makes the poker world’s pilgrimage to Vegas. Those plans work for me.

The schedule so far

Caesars has released some early details about the 2016 WSOP to whet our appetites before the full schedule is released in the coming weeks. As expected, they are making the Colossus a focal point after setting records and igniting controversy with it last year.

[btf_block title=”Early details on the 2016 WSOP” symbol=”2″ bgcolor=”618685″ textcolor=”fff”]

  • The $565 Colossus II will lead off all open events on June 2, 2016 with 2 more entry days following it
  • Players can re-enter on another entry day if they don’t reach the money. Each entry day plays to the money
  • The guaranteed prize pool is increasing to $7 million with first place guaranteed at least $1 million
  • The Main Event will run from July 9 to July 18, 2016
  • The $1,000 Seniors Event for players ages 50+ will be held on June 17, 2016
  • As expected, the Millionaire Maker, Little One for One Drop, and the Monster Stack events will be returning
  • There will be some form of a “team event” where multiple players will take turns playing a single chip stack

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The main way to qualify for a 2016 WSOP schedule even will be through online satellites.
The main way to qualify for a 2016 WSOP schedule event will be through online satellites.

WSOP Satellites 2016

As it has for the past 15 years (wow, is the mainstream popularity of online poker really that old? Am I really that old?) WSOP satellites for 2016 will mainly take place online.

That certainly doesn’t mean that live WSOP satellites are an endangered species. The Rio will host them around the clock starting May 31 and many of your local brick-and-mortar cardrooms will even host 1 or 2 big tourneys to get you a seat.

WSOP satellites are a staple of online poker rooms and, for some, the main reason to even play online. Poker sites are happy to oblige, offering a slew of tournament steps starting at $1 and direct-entry events going up to a buy-in of $1,000. Here are the best options for 2016.

WSOP Satellites at PokerStars

Poker Stars is online poker at this point for everyone outside of the US. Estimates used to have them at sending half of the entire Main Event field.

PokerStars still the best poker room for non-US players with an absurd number of satellites for the 2016 WSOP schedule running around the clock and no shortage of competitors to fill up on-demand tournaments.

888 Poker

888 Poker is now the second-largest funnel for WSOP entrants and second-largest in the world in terms of online players.

They have plenty of satellites and the best promotions online in their $88 no-deposit offer for our players. The poker branch of 888 may not earn the outrageous Fish Rating it used to, but the level of competition is infinitely lower than PokerStars.

Satellites for US Players

WSOP officials don’t allow US-facing poker rooms to to directly buy players in so usually player accounts are just credited with the funds. One of the big US players for next year is likely to be Ignition Poker.

BetOnline is probably the best bet for US players wanting to win their way into the 2016 WSOP. They have strong traffic, excellent credit card success, and a decent amount of WSOP qualifiers. Their first step satellites start at a ridiculous 11-cent buy-in.

You can always qualify for a 2016 WSOP event from a live satellite at the Rio. They run around the clock leading up to and during the Series.
You can always qualify for a 2016 WSOP event from a live satellite at the Rio. They run around the clock leading up to and during the Series.

The Rio hosts numerous satellites and super-satellites every day leading up to and during of the 2016 WSOP. The buy-ins for Main Event satellites usually range from about $200 for multi-table tournaments to $1,000 for just a single table. Of course, for those lower buy-ins you’re trading the higher chance of prevailing thanks to only 2-5% of the field getting a prize.

Satellite FAQs

How do WSOP satellites work?

satelliteAt its simplest WSOP satellites work by awarding a WSOP Main Event seat to the winner(s) of special tournaments with low buy-ins.

As an example, a satellite tournament with a $50 buy in that draws 200 players would award one $10,000 Main Event seat to the winner. 50×200 is $10,000 so that’s the total prize pool.

Another might have a $500 buy-in so 1 out of 20 (5% of the field) would get a prize. Any leftover buy-in money that wasn’t enough to add up to another $10,000 seat was just given as cash to the other top finishers. In the early 2000s this was largely the only way WSOP satellites worked.

Play Now at BetOnline

In the years since online poker sites have crafted countless other creative ways to get smaller players involved in Main Event satellites, usually with minuscule buy-ins or even freerolls that award the very few winners a step up to the next buy-in level.

Typically, it takes 4 or 5 steps to finally make it into the direct-entry satellites that guarantee WSOP seats. Players have to win multiple wild crowded tournaments, but it’s possible to win a Main Event seat for a few dollars or less.

When do WSOP satellites start?

WSOP satellites start in the spring for online poker sites like PokerStars and then at the start of the Series for live satellites at the Rio. You may also be able to find a local cardroom with a one-off tournament awarding a World Series seat all the way through June.

Are there any live WSOP satellites?

Yes. Don’t like to play online, live somewhere where you can’t, or simply prefer to play at a real table? Live WSOP satellites certainly do still exist, mainly at the Rio Pavilion Room running concurrent with the WSOP schedule. Starting May 31, single table satellites and $185 mega satellites will run daily at 9:00 a.m. For every 10 entries, a $1,500 WSOP entry and $100 cash will be awarded.

Aside from the daily mega satellites the Pavilion Room will also host on-demand WSOP satellites. The structure is flexible, with various buy-ins available depending on the demand. Once a table fills up with 10 players the satellite starts, making it akin to a single table Sit and Go with a single winner.

Live WSOP satellite prizes are actually awarded in special $500 chips that are valid for any 2016 WSOP event. Note that they expire after the conclusion of this year’s WSOP so you cannot save them for future years.

Enter directly

Prospective players can enter their chosen 2016 WSOP scheduled event by plunking down the cash directly at the Rio cage usually starting in May.

What will work for the 2016 WSOP schedule

The 2016 WSOP will likely follow the same successful formula of recent years: keep the favorites, refine the experimental from last year, and try a new twist or two to keep things interesting.

2016-wsop-schedule-11
Perennial favorites such as the Main Event, $50,000 Players Championship, and now the outrageous Colossus have a guaranteed place on the 2016 WSOP schedule.

[btf_block title=”Sure things for the 2016 WSOP schedule ” symbol=”2″ bgcolor=”618685″ textcolor=”fff”]

  • Final schedule will be released in early 2016.
  • A record 68 events last year. That number will probably be even higher for 2016.
  • Numerous “online” styles: turbo, deep stack, bounty, 50/50, heads-up.
  • An online-only event. Last year’s was popular enough to earn another appearance.
  • The “Colossus” $565 event. It’s the lowest buy-in ever for the WSOP and set records last year.
  • Flatter controversial payout structure: more cashes, lower top prizes for more events.

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The favorites

One thing that I appreciate about the Caesars team running the WSOP is that they don’t change much simply for change’s sake. They take experiments with varying degrees of success, yes, but they’ve never really stripped anything that players really love.

The favorites will be back on the 2016 WSOP schedule culminating, as always, with the Big One, the Main Event that has carried the prestige of the poker world for 46 years.

Guarantees for 2016

  • The $10,000 Main Event. This is the World Series of Poker. As long as the WSOP exists this crown jewel of the poker world will close the ceremonies.
  • Old favorites. You’ll always find some Stud, Omaha, and some form of lowball.
  • New favorites. The $50,000 players championship, the Big one for One Drop, and now the Colossus, which drew over 20,000 players for its inaugural $500 event. These are recent additions that have become staples.
2016-wsop-schedule-10
There’s always a little bit of joyful chaos and occasional controversy when a new event is introduced as there was last year with the Colossus. Expect tweaks to get things under control for the 2016 schedule.

Refining newer features

As discussed above, last year’s WSOP schedule brought some interesting additions to varying degrees of success. It’s a learning experience to try something new so logistics don’t usually go perfectly when thousands of players are involved. Some fresh ideas deserve a refined return in for WSOP 2016.

Bring these back in 2016 and make them better

  • The online event. This did well enough to warrant a repeat appearance and serves as advertisement for the WSOP online site.
  • The $565 colossus. It had payout controversy with very little weight given to the top prizes, but how can they not bring back the largest live poker event in history?
2016-wsop-schedule-9
What hidden gems will be uncovered for the first time at the 2016 WSOP?

New additions

Jack Effel and the rest of the Caesars WSOP 2016 team are always good for a surprise or two, which helps keep the schedule relevant and adds some extra interest. Last year it was the “Colossus” $500 event, a new bounty event, and a 50/50 tournament that paid out half the field.

To be honest, I’m having a tough time actually thinking of realistic ideas that haven’t been tried at the WSOP yet. I’ll take a stab at it and return once the final schedule is out to laugh at myself.

My 2016 WSOP surprise predictions

  • A rebuy/add-on event. For some reason players seem to love these online. Why not cage them in for their own WSOP tournament?
  • Lottery tournaments. Another popular recent online invention that offers a small randomized chance at an increased prize pool. I’m not sure how this would work for a live tournament.
  • Pros vote on the winner. I had to have one off the wall prediction. Hearken back to the inaugural 1970 World Series and invite a handful of pros to play an extended cash game, then have them vote on the second-best player. How do they prevent something like this from becoming a popularity contest, though?
An incredible image taken at the 1970 WSOP, where participants voted on the second-best player because, of course, they all voted for themselves as the best.
An incredible image taken at the 1970 World Series of Poker, where Benny Binion asked participants to vote on the second-best player to determine a winner because, of course, they all voted for themselves as the best in the first vote.

[btf_block title=”Top WSOP moments from last year” symbol=”2″ bgcolor=”618685″ textcolor=”fff”]

  • Phil Hellmuth extends his record by winning his 14th WSOP bracelet
  • Daniel Negreanu just misses the final table of the  Main Event, finishing in 11th
  • The first online WSOP event draws 905 players
  • The colossus $565 event was the largest in live poker history, drawing over 22,000 players

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57 thoughts on “The Ultimate Guide to the 2016 WSOP Schedule”

  1. Good Afternoon, I have tried to find out the dates and location of the 2016 WSOP November Nine table. Trying to plan and book for that event. Can’t wait. I know it is in November, that is all I know so far. Is there any information that you can share? Thanks, Michele ????

    Reply
    • Hi, Michele. Caesars isn’t great at scheduling far in advance so I was about to say they would probably determine the exact dates for the final table once it got down to 9 players.

      However, I actually just checked and they’ve already scheduled the final table for October 30 through November 1! Good news. I will add it into the main schedule shortly.

      So much for the “November” Nine.

      Reply
      • Thank you very very much. Love this site ???? October 30 to November 1 at Ceasar’s in Las Vegas… Whoohoo. Las Vegas here I come

      • You’re welcome, happy to help and glad you’re enjoying the site. You helped alert me to the final table dates so thanks for the assist!

        All of the WSOP is actually played at the Rio, which is owned by Caesars.

        Just don’t get confused because there is the classic Caesars Palace on the Strip as well.

  2. I’m love Wsop. I’m begin from Poker Satellite Tournament with 888 Poker. But it very hard with 8 level. $12.000 buy-in for World Series Of Poker very high with new player from Viet Nam. I will playing every year satellite tournament to become a winner get 1 entry to WSOP. I’m thank you for good article.

    Reply
  3. Are there satellite tournaments to win entry money at any local casinos in Indiana, Kentucky, Or Ohio that are connected with the WSOP 2016?

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    • Linda, I don’t know of any specifically as there isn’t really a central database of cardrooms that run them aside from the Rio during the Series.

      That being said, I’m sure there’s a good chance one of Caesars’ properties in those states runs them. In Indiana there’s Horseshoe Hammond and Southern Indiana. In Ohio there’s Horseshoe Cincinnati. I would suggest giving any of those a call.

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  4. Do you know how many hours it normally takes to complete a $500 ME mega satellite and a $1000 ME mega satellite? The $1000 starts at 1pm and the $500 starts at 4pm, just wondering what time we can expect to get out of there. I know it depends on how many sign up but was wondering if there was an average end time. Thanks.

    Reply
    • That’s a good question. I also see a $575 mega satellite that starts at 8 p.m. and pretty much runs the length of the Series. They aren’t turbo, which is probably smart since there’s a lot at stake.

      Satellites can take place with as few as 10 players, although there are going to be more for the scheduled daily ones. I’ve never played a live satellite at the Rio so I couldn’t tell you from experience. It’s going to largely depend on how many players enter each event. I would guess at least a few hours and if you last that long you’ll just be happy to get the prize.

      Anyone with experience care to chime in?

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  5. It’s OPEN !!!! WSOP 2016 online registration shows as now being open — May 1st !!!! Yah. Be aware of the added fee for credit card use. I’ll be using cashier check, which still takes time to clear, so be aware of that.

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  6. Do you know if there are any other casinos in Vegas holding mega satellites prior to 5/31? I’ll be out there 5/19-22. Looking for something that weekend Before I go back on June 1.

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    • As a rule, not many Vegas poker rooms are too keen on offering WSOP satellites because it’s encouraging you to go play somewhere else in town. If you do find them it’s going to be a one-off thing.

      I’ve seen them offered at the Flamingo poker room before, but that’s because they’re now owned by Caesars, who also owns the Rio and the WSOP brand.

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    • Sure, it’s event 41 and has two starting days, beginning on Saturday, June 25 at 10 a.m.

      The buy-in is $1,500 and what makes it a “monster stack” event is that players receive 15,000 starting chips, which is 10 times the buy-in whereas most other events only give 5 times the buy-in.

      This theoretically should shift the skill/luck balance more to the skill side as players have more time to make the plays they want to before they have to start worrying about the blinds too much.

      It’s a fun event with very good value. The top prize should once again exceed $1 million.

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      • Actually I show day 1A as Friday the 24th. I am keen on registering for day 1B on the 25th. See my whining about registration or lack thereof below.

      • You’re right actually. Good catch. The Monster Stack (event 41) will start on Friday, June 24th at 10 a.m. with the second heat starting the next morning at the same time.

  7. This is my first time going to the WSOP. Do they have preregistration of events, and when and where do they have this preregistration .

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    • You can pre-register online at the WSOP site at some point, although that doesn’t appear to be active yet.

      You can also register at a Rio cage directly probably in late May.

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      • Isn’t the lack of pre-registration at this late date (04/22) shaping up to be a debacle? Why did they do away with mail in (with cashier checks) registration? Am I the only one freaking out about this? How in the world will they put on the Colossus with out pre-registration? BTW, I called the WSOP number a couple of weeks ago and was told that today was the day online registration would start. No sign of it so far.

      • Yeah, the WSOP has needed a better pre-registration system for years. It isn’t pretty, but the job gets done the day of the tournament and few players actually miss playing in an event they wanted to due to logistics.

        I don’t really expect WSOP 2016 to be much different numbers-wise than last year and they handled it. Colossus might be a bit larger due to the hype for its return appearance this year, but it set records last year already.

        I’m with you, though. I would much rather be prepared and have everything set in stone beforehand.

    • Absolutely. It’s been part of the WSOP as long as I can remember. Players must be 65 years old and the buy-in is $1,000.

      The question is just, “When will it take place?” We aren’t sure yet.

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  8. There is absolutely NO good reason why this complete schedule can’t be released by Jan.-30th !!!

    This tournament happens every year, and these dates can be figured out, if whoever does it would get off their *** and get it done !!! People need to schedule vacation time in advance, and this lame *** delay makes it almost impossible.

    Get it posted already !!!

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  9. Josh,

    Can you provide the contact information for both Caesar and WSOP? I was not able to find either. It is the middle of February and the events begin in less than 4 months. I would think they would have the schedule prepared by the end of 2015 especially if this is an annual thing. It’s not like it’s new. People still have to book their flights and hotels. Not everyone lives in Vegas and has millions to spare for 6 weeks. We still have to plan our flights and hotels. This is some inconsiderate B.S.

    Reply
    • Caesars Interactive Entertainment Inc.
      One Caesars Palace Dr.
      Las Vegas, NV 89109
      [link no longer works] is the best I could find to e-mail them. The phone number and direct e-mail address they list is for issues with their Nevada-online online poker room.

      I understand the frustrations and I honestly don’t know why they wait so long every year, but they do. They like to draw what they call “weekend warriors” for the $565 Colossus or the $1,000-1,500 buy-in events, but how can people request time off of work if they wait so long to put out the dates?

      You can just pretty much expect the WSOP schedule to be released every February. If we get into March and it isn’t out yet I would really start to get the pitchforks out.

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  10. PLEASE DO NOT START SUPER SENIORS WITHIN 2 DAYS OF SENIORS SO US OLD PEOPLE CAN HAVE STRENGTH TO PLAY BOTH EVENTS.
    aLSO MANY OF US SENIORS ARE THE ONES WHO PLAY THE $1500 STUD HI-LO EVENT–WE’VE BEEN PLAYING STUD HI-LO ALL OUR LIVES–PLEASE PLEASE MAKE THIS EVENT WITHIN ONE WEEK OF THE SENIORS EVENT(BEFORE OR AFTER). MOST OF US SPEND TWO WEEKS IN VEGAS AND CAN’T AFFORD TO MAKE TWO TRIPS . THESE ARE THE 2 MOST IMPT EVENTS TO US AND WE WANT TO PLAY THEM BOTH IN THE TWO WEEKS WE COME TO LAS VEGAS. LAST YEAR YOU MADE THIS IMPOSSIBLE. please please please

    Reply
    • You guys might want to direct your complaints directly to Caesars and the WSOP.

      I recently saw a tweet from the official WSOP account responding to a complaint about how slow the schedule was being released basically saying, “We can’t wait, too!” If even their social media people have no clue what’s going on with the 2016 schedule it probably tells you that only Jack Effel and a small committee know any more than we do.

      I appreciate the feedback, but I don’t have any control over the release of the schedule. I just report on it. It really is right around the corner, though.

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  11. On the seniors and super seniors, have them 3 days apart so we can play in both. If you play the last day of seniors that was the day the super seniors started last year. So better to have them 3 days apart.

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  12. I agree that it is ridiculous that they wait so long to announce the full schedule. They act like everyone there has no job to schedule around and will just be able to go the whole 7 weeks. Hello guys why can’t this be scheduled within a few months of the previous series? We are not all professionals and thanks goodness or no one would go. I goes to the point of inconsiderate IMO. Do you jobs so I can do mine please.

    Reply
    • I hear you. There’s nothing I can do to get Caesars to put it out sooner, but I expect it within the next couple of weeks.

      Everyone is getting antsy.

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  13. When will the MONSTER STACK DATE COME OUT I MEAN DANG WE HAVE TO TRAVEL FROM ANITHER STATE AND I KNOW PLAYERS TRAVEL FROM OTHER COUNTRIES THIS YEAR WE ARE HAVING TO WAIT SO LONG!!!!!!!!! ???????????? by the time last year we had our whole trip paid for this year can’t even make reservations due to NO EXACT DATES!!!!!!!!!????????????????????

    Reply
    • The complete schedule is always released from Caesars around this time of year and I will then update this page immediately with every event listing.

      I would guess it would happen within the next couple of weeks, but there simply isn’t ever a set release date.

      Think of it sort of like when the NFL schedules are released. We know about when it happens every year, but the exact date is always a mystery.

      I’m not really a fan of the lack of transparency, but that’s just the way they choose to do it. We’ll know soon.

      Reply
  14. The Ladies event is typically on a Friday, one week after the Senior’s event which is scheduled on June 17. If they stick with a Friday: June 24, July 1, or July 8 are possible dates for the ladies. MANY women have already voiced that around the 4th of July weekend would be difficult to travel so they would not attend. I hope the WSOP considers that women will choose family obligations over poker when selecting our date? June 24th would be best.

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  15. last year I played in the Super Senior event, and would have played in the 50 and older event but they were too close together. Can you space them so an “old dog” can play in both ? 4 days apart! This will be my 3rd year, I look forward to playing again in 2016.

    Reply
    • Joe,

      It’s good to hear from an “old dog” and I wish you the best in this year’s Series.

      That’s an excellent thought and it seems like an oversight that both Senior events are spaced so closely. I hope that Caesars addresses this. It seems like they should be at least a week apart.

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      • 98-99% of players can play both, because last year only about 1.5% of players remained in the Friday-starting Seniors event by the time Sunday’s Super Senior started. Seems to make more sense to have them the same weekend while Seniors are still in town.

      • Good point. It’s a good problem to have if you can’t play in both for that reason.

        I remember reading some wild stories about players running back and forth between tables or entering multiple tourneys at once and just being blinded off until they could return to their seat.

        I guess that’s the old-school way to multi-table.

  16. Why can’t people pre register and go directly to assigned table and show their phone or printout of registration and not wait on those insane lines. Especially events like colossal. Last year after pre registration, I had to wait three hours.

    Reply
    • That definitely would make a lot of sense and be a heck of a lot easier on players.

      However, it would be a huge adjustment of infrastructure to either make dealers responsible for checking in players or have a ton of extra floor people ready to do that.

      I’m not sure Caesars wants to invest in that simply for the sake of player comfort and sanity. Who needs that, right?

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  17. The seniors event is typically on Father’s Day weekend when most fathers and granddads would rather be with family. Why not give that weekend to the “young guns”!

    Reply
    • Matt,

      That’s a good question and the answer is it’s going to be very close.

      Last year, the Super Seniors $1,000 took place on June 21 and the requirement is that players are 65 on the day of the event. It’s going to depend on which day they put it on the schedule this year.

      I will update this page with the full schedule as soon as it is released.

      Keep it mind there’s still the standard Seniors $1,000 event that only requires players to be 50, which I think 50-year-olds may take issue with.

      Reply
  18. Start one or two events early, and break by dinner, say 8 to 8. More people will come so they can dine with family.

    Have the mega satilites where $500 to $ 1000 can win a $10,000 for entry into main event or whatever you want to use it for.

    Reply
    • The scheduling idea is actually an excellent one and one that I may add in to the main page now. As Doyle Brunson has said many times over the years, the current WSOP time schedule is outrageous for seniors or anyone sensitive to loss of sleep.

      If you last until the deep levels of an event, which everyone hopes to do of course, you may be playing until 3 a.m. with play starting the next day at noon.

      How is that fair to jet-lagged travelers, older folks, or any other player who likes to regulate their sleep for optimal mental and physical performance? Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think that poker should be a physical endurance test.

      I think that it would improve the quality of play late in tournaments if everyone was allowed to get more sleep.

      Last year’s WSOP schedule had events starting at noon and 4 p.m. What about testing some events with an earlier start time and a reasonable hard end time like you suggest, Barry? I agree.

      As for the satellites, I’m pretty sure those already exist at the Rio around Series time and, while rare to have the bigger buy-in satellites, they’re still around online as well at busier places like PokerStars for non-US players.

      Reply

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