As 2019 comes to an end, poker players now have details regarding the 2020 dates for the World Series of Poker. This year, the event saw over $293 million in prize money handed out at the Rio in Las Vegas. For 2020, the Rio will play host again with the tournament series kicking off on May 26th and continuing for 51 days until a Main Event champion is crowned on July 15th.
WSOP 2020 Details
While the dates for the 2020 WSOP have been announced, officials are still trying to figure out the lineup. We do know that the first event will be a casino employee option most likely as this is how the series has begun year after year. The first event of the schedule will take place on the 27th of May.
The Main Event will begin on the 1st of July and the popular $1,000 Seniors No Limit Hold’em Championship will take place on June 18th. The Seniors event is a favorite among players and in 2019, saw almost 6,000 players competing.
Caesars Interactive vice president of communications Seth Palansky commented that it will be difficult to top the attendance from this year, as the number of players increased by 51%. The high number of players was attributed to the series celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Will the Rio Continue to be the WSOP Home?
While the 2020 WSOP will take place at the Rio, it is still unclear as to if next year will be the last time the series is hosted at the venue. The owner of the World Series of Poker, Caesars Entertainment, is currently being sold to Eldorado Resorts. The $17.3 billion merger has yet to conclude, with the transaction announced back in June.
It has been speculated that the WSOP will move in the future. Caesars has closed a sale and leaseback of the Rio, to Dreamscape Companies just last week. Caesars will continue to operate the casino for the next two years, even after the deal with Eldorado Resorts concludes.
The Rio offers 500 poker tables and provides 200,000 square feet of ballroom space in the convention center that is used for gaming. As the WSOP continues to see high numbers in player traffic, a decision may eventually be made to move to a new venue, particularly with the dealings involving the Caesars Entertainment brand.
Officials of the WSOP are currently looking for ways to accommodate the guests of the series, both fans and poker players. The casino poker room is moved to the convention center to be able to allow for satellite events.
It will be tough to find a new home though if the series leaves the Rio. The venue has hosted the WSOP for so long and knows how to accommodate to players needs. Caesars is creating the Caesars Forum, a 550,000 square foot conference center at a price point of $375 million that should open next year, that might possibly become the home of the WSOP in the future, but that is purely speculation.
For now, the WSOP will remain at the Rio and players can look forward to attending the series in just a few months.
