World Championship of Poker Begins Monday at Rio; Players Begin with 50,000 Starting Chips; Live on ESPN/ESPN2/PokerGO
The 49th running of poker’s ultimate championship, the World Championship of Poker, returns to the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino this Monday, with thousands of players expected to enter the $10,000 buy-in event in hopes of claiming poker’s ultimate prize (Photo credit: Jayne Furman / WSOP).
Officially, Event #65 of 78 events at this year’s World Series of Poker, the Main Event has three starting flights: Monday, July 2, Tuesday, July 3 and Wednesday, July 4, all beginning at 11:00am, with play running until 11:30 pm nightly.
Amateurs, poker pros, celebrities and poker enthusiasts from more than 85 different countries are expected to take to the felt. Notable celebrities and sports stars are expected in the field.
The prize pool is expected to be around $60 million with the winner likely to earn $8,000,000.
The World Series of Poker is the gaming industry’s premier event, each year drawing tens of thousands of poker enthusiasts from around the globe to Las Vegas to compete for millions in prize money and the game’s most coveted trophy – a World Series of Poker Champion’s Bracelet.
WHERE: Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino Convention Center – Brasilia, Pavilion, Miranda & Amazon Ballrooms
WHEN:
- Monday, July 2 at 11am – Flight “A”
- Tuesday, July 3 at 11am – Flight “B”
- Wednesday, July 4 at 11am – Flight “C”
Poker pros, celebrities and Average Joe’s from more than 85 nations are expected. Last year, 7,221 players participated, and the winner, New Jersey’s Scott Blumstein, collected $8,150,000.