The World Poker Tour (WPT) is doubling down on a good thing and taking its online series to India with the help of Adda52.
Even before the light goes out on the World Online Championships, the tournament operator announced a $1.8 million series for Adda52 members.
WPT Online India will feature 154 MTTs and run between Nov. 5 and 22. In addition to two Player of the Series leaderboards, there will be a $150 main event with a $340,000 guarantee.
WPT Taking Advantage of Online Poker Surge
The series is a WPT first in India, and the aim is to capitalize on two trends. The first is India’s evolving online poker scene. Although it’s far from reaching its potential, the market matured markedly since the WPT first and Adda52 first linked up.
The two companies forged a brand licensing agreement in 2016. That deal allowed Adda52 to use WPT branding, host official satellites, and distribute TV shows and merchandise in India.
Various tournament collaborations followed, including main events at Goa’s offshore gaming venue, Deltin Royale Casino.
The WPT will now use the partnership to capitalize on the growth of poker in India with its first online series in the country. This is where the second trend comes in. COVID-19 lockdowns have forced all tournament operators to innovate.
The WPT has been more active than most, creating a selection of international and local events. Topping the bill is the WPT World Online Championships and, now, organizers are aiming to parlay its success into something unique for Indian players.
Adda52 to Host WPT Online India
Details are limited at the moment, but we know the main event will begin on Nov. 11. There will be 10 starting flights and the final table will play out on Nov. 22.
The winner of the WPT Online India main event won’t win as much as Phil Mighall, but the champion will get a WPT Passport, valid for any live event, worth $5,000. They’ll also receive a special watch worth more than $10,000 courtesy of the WPT partner, Hublot.
There will also be two leaderboards that cover players at all buy-in levels:
The Mega Player of the Series Leaderboard
- 29 selected MTTs with buy-ins up to $749 will count toward the leaderboard.
- $40,000 will be shared between the top 10 performers, including $13,600 for the winner.
The Mini Player of the Series Leaderboard
- 125 qualifying events (not included in the Mega Leaderboard).
- $14,000 will be shared between the top 10 performers, including $4,100 for the winner.
WPT Online India will also feature a selection of satellites hosted by Adda52.
