The World Series of Poker is looking to attract more casual players to the tournament tables this summer by offering 34 bracelet events with buy-ins of $1,000 or less. Since we’re all about winning more for less, we thought it would be helpful to examine this summer’s schedule to determine which weeks offer the most value for casual players on a budget.
The following lists include both live and online tournaments, excluding events that aren’t open to all participants such as the seniors and casino employee tournaments. Since structures haven’t been released — they are expected in April — this study looks strictly at dollar buy-ins in determining value.
Early June is PLO Heaven
If you want to play tournament PLO on a budget, we suggest heading to Vegas from Sunday, June 7 to Saturday, June 13 when you’ll have your choice of three PLO tournaments with buy-ins $1,000 or less, and five budget-friendly bracelet events overall.
- June 7 — $1,000 Forty Stack NLHE
- June 7 — $777 WSOP.com PLO 7-Handed
- June 8 — $600 Deepstack PLO 8-Handed
- June 9 — $800 WSOP.com NLHE Freezeout Knockout Deepstack
- June 10 — $1,000 PLO 8-Handed
Late June is Best for Low Rollers
The week spanning from Sunday, June 21 to Saturday, June 27 packs the most punch for those with smaller bankrolls. In all, the week includes six bracelet events at $1,000 and less, and two of those offer multiple flights in case you strike out on your first chance.
- June 21 — $800 Deepstack NLHE 8-Handed
- June 21 — $500 WSOP.com NLHE Freezeout
- June 22 — $1,000 NLHE Tag Team Event
- June 23 — $600 NLHE Deepstack Championship
- June 24-25 — $400 NLHE Colossus Flights A and B
- June 26-27 — $888 Crazy Eights Flights A thru D
Main Event Week is for Online Poker Lovers
The week of Sunday, June 28 to Saturday, July 4 is when the WSOP hits its final stretch. In addition to the Main Event, the week is filled with online events with affordable buy-ins; four in total, and five if we stretch the week to count the $600, 6-handed NLHE event on WSOP.com on Sunday, July 6.
- June 28 — $1,000 WSOP.com NLHE Championship
- June 29 — $1,000 NLHE Mini Main Event
- June 29 — $500 WSOP.com NLHE
- June 30 — $500 NLHE Salute to Warriors
- July 3 — $400 WSOP.com NLHE
- July 4 — $500 WSOP.com Turbo Deepstack
In addition to the bracelet events mentioned here, the WSOP offers thrice-daily, deep-stack tournaments with buy-ins under $200 and around-the-clock, single-table satellites that offer entry into bigger buy-in events on the cheap.
