In an attempt to speed up play and keep things fresh in the 49th running of the World Series of Poker, 2018 will see new formats, new structures, and some new procedures among the tweaks to activity at the Rio this summer.
For many players, nothing ruins the WSOP experience like slow play and unnecessary tanking. Seeing just six or seven hands an hour can be downright painful. Now, WSOP organizers are taking cues from other tournaments in trying to solve such issues.
One of the most noteworthy changes will be the introduction of the “big blind ante” in select tournaments, while other events will rely on a “shot clock” to keep the action moving.
The WSOP will also have a new look and a new avenue for competition, as a giant an esports stage will be set up in the Pavillion Room.
Players will have the chance to enter brand new tournaments, and events with revamped and deeper structures. Meanwhile, the elite who are gunning for WSOP Player of the Year have a new formula to navigate.
Ante Up … No, Not You
Antes are a crucial component of tournament poker, but let’s face it, the endless tiny triviality of it all has a way of making the game more challenging, particularly for those recreational players all of poker seems eager to court.
We’ve all watched as the dealer endlessly struggles to collect an ante from every player before each hand. There’s the guy on his phone who has to be constantly reminded. There’s the guy with headphones on who inadvertently ignores the dealer’s pleas. Inevitably, there will be a dispute about which ante belongs to whom, and who paid up and who didn’t.
These are the problems that spawned the big blind ante format, and true to form, this year the WSOP is taking the concept for a test drive.
Instead of all players posting an ante every hand, the player in the big blind will post a single ante that is equivalent to the big blind.
In addition to two of the Daily Deepstack Tournaments (the 4 pm and 10 pm tournaments), and many of the daily satellites, the new big blind ante format will be used in eight bracelet events.
WSOP Tournaments Using Big Blind Ante
Event #5: $100,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold’em
Event #13: $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em
Event #20: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Event #45: $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Event #54 $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Event #74: $10,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em
Event #77: $50,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold’em
Event #78: $1,000,000 Big One for One Drop
Organizers wanted to introduce the concept in a select few events before deciding if they want to use the big blind ante even more in coming years.
But the big blind ante won’t be the only attempt to increase speed of play. The much ballyhooed shot clock — which has become standard at 30 seconds on the World Poker Tour as well as tournaments for 888Live, Dusk til Dawn, and other international festivals — will be introduced at the WSOP for its three highest stakes events.
WSOP Tournaments Using a Shot Clock
Event #5: $100,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold’em
Event #77: $50,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold’em
Event #78: $1,000,000 Big One for One Drop
New Events, More Chips
The Daily Deep Stack tournaments have become extremely popular with players at all levels, and with an extra 5,000 chips to start with, they’ll have a little more play to them this year. Early birds will also like the fact that two of the daily tournaments — the 2 pm and 5 pm – will start one hour earlier in 2018.
Those with a bigger prize in mind will see a change to the way the WSOP Player of the Year award is calculated. The new formula will better reward bracelet winners and those who consistently make deep runs in tournaments.
And they’ll have more chances than ever to rack up those POY points, as 2018 will see a total of nine new events. Highlights include a $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty, a $100,000 High Roller, a $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Bounty, and a tournament called “The Closer”, which offers a guaranteed $1 million prize pool for a $1,500 buy in.
The WSOP will also host a new, non-bracelet High Roller Series. The Kings Lounge will be the home of a $25,000 buy-in event every weekend from June 1 to July 8.
Poker’s biggest event kicks off in less than two weeks. Event #1, the $565 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold’em tournament, will shuffle up and deal at 3 pm on May 30.
