WSOPE begins Sunday in Prague

Staff Writer, October 11, 2019 10:15 pm

The long wait for this year’s World Series of Poker Europe finally ends this weekend, as the series kicks off on Sunday at the King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic.

This 11th WSOPE has 15 bracelet tournaments on the schedule, a new record for the event. That includes a few first-time tournaments.

New to the WSOPE this year are two Short Deck tournaments. The first Short Deck tournament, event No. 6 on the schedule has a €25,500 buy-in and a €2.5 million guaranteed prize pool. The second Short Deck tournament, event No. 13, is more affordable with a €2,500 buy-in and €250,000 guarantee.

The first tournament on the WSOPE schedule, event No. 1 is also the cheapest buy-in on the schedule, the €350 Opener No-Limit Hold’em tournament. The Opener has two starting flights on Sunday and Monday, with the final table slated to be played on Wednesday. This is also a new event for the WSOPE.

Fans of high roller tournaments will likely be most interested in event No. 12 the €100,000 Diamond High Roller No-Limit Hold’em tournament. The largest buy-in at this year’s WSOPE has a €5 million guarantee and begins on Wednesday, October 23 with the final table slated for October 25. At last year’s WSOPE Martin Kabrhel won this tournament to bag his second career WSOP bracelet and cash €2,624,340.

The main event at this year’s WSOPE has a €10,350 buy-in and a €5 million guarantee. It begins on Friday, October 25 with two starting flights. The main event is scheduled to run a week and conclude on October 31. Last year Britain’s Jack Sinclair outlasted a 534-player field in the main event to cash €1,122,239.

Other news: 2024 WSOP Europe schedule released

The WSOPE will also conclude this year’s WSOP Player of the Year race. Entering the WSOPE Robert Campbell leads the POY standings with 3,418.78 points after he won two bracelets and posted nine cashes at this year’s WSOP in Las Vegas.

Close behind Campbell are poker rivals Shaun Deeb and Daniel Negreanu. Deeb, who was the POY last year, has 3,280.13 points after posting an insane 17 cashes at the WSOP, which included three final tables. Negreanu, a two-time WSOP POY winner, has 3166.24 points after posting 17 cashes and making four final tables at this year’s WSOP.