May is set to be a busy month for poker players, despite the coronavirus pandemic getting in the way of the World Series of Poker (WSOP).
The poker industry is often at its most vibrant between May and July thanks to the WSOP. With thousands of players making the trip to Las Vegas in search of a bracelet, activity peaks over the summer.
COVID-19 has forced everyone to change their plans this year, but Partypoker is making sure players have something to do. Alongside the forthcoming digital WPT, the site has announced dates for the inaugural Super High Roller Bowl Online Series.
Super High Roller Bowl to Create More Online Action
The event represents another link-up with Poker Central and is the latest live tournament series go virtual.
In keeping with the Super High Roller Bowl’s standard format, the 28 MTTs will cost between $10,000 and $100,000. Each one will span two days and the action will run from May 23 to June 1, just after the WPT Online Series concludes.
On top of a $20 million guarantee, the top performer over 27 events will be declared the “champion.” That accolade carries with it a free ticket for the $100,000+$2,000 Super High Roller Bowl Online Main Event.
The full schedule is yet to be determined, but a Monday press release confirmed that the Main Event will feature a $3 million guarantee. Blinds will increase every 30 minutes and players will start with 300 big blinds.
For all other Super High Roller Bowl Online events, blinds will increase every 12 or 15 minutes, depending on when the tournament starts. Re-entries will be available in all events (except the Main Event) until the end of level 12.
Turning the Super High Roller Bowl into an online affair is part of the latest trend in poker. Although “trend” suggests operators have a choice, the recent innovations have been successful.
Coronavirus Hurts but Poker Will Survive
The coronavirus pandemic initially threatened to crush major poker events. But by collaborating with online operators, the WSOP, WPT, Poker Central, and others have found ways around the problem.
Live venues and staff may still be reeling from the current crisis, but the industry as a whole is maintaining a degree of strength.
The new wave of online festivals will, most likely, mark the rest of 2020. Unibet Poker’s tournament team said as much in a recent statement. Not wanting to play with uncertainty, Nataly Sopacuaperu said all Unibet live events will now take place online.
This commitment to a 2020 without any offline action could soon be matched by other organizations. Indeed, if the Super High Roller Bowl Online Series is a success, it will serve as another indication that players are happy to try online alternatives.
If the world is changing, poker is changing with it. That’s a positive message for players and a sign that major events can, and will, be staged online during and, potentially, after the coronavirus subsides.
