As we move tonight to the final table of the Main Event and the crowning of the November Nine (and eventually, poker's newest goodwill ambassador), the WSOP's head honchos have unveiled their circuit schedule for the upcoming year.
Not much time is going to elapse between now and the first WSOP Circuit event, which will take place in Bossier City, LA (near Shreveport) beginning September 8 and lasting through September 19. All of the Circuit stops will cover 12 events over a period of 12 days, all with buyins between $300 and $1,600.
Unlike previous years, the championship of each Circuit event will not be a $5,000 or $10,000 buyin event. Perhaps as a sign of the still gloomy economic climate or the recognition of less money to go around, each circuit stop will culminate with a $1,600 "Main Event" Championship with two starting flights - and the ability to re-buy into the second flight if you bust out in the first.
Each of these winners will receive a berth into the WSOP Circuit National Championship event, while another 84 players will receive entry based on points accrued across all the circuit stops and another 100 spots will be available to buy-in directly for $10,000. Sam Barnhart, a 50-year-old software analyst and researcher from Little Rock, Arkansas won the inaugural National Championship this year, winning $300,000 plus a WSOP gold bracelet. He is also trying to make the final table of the WSOP’s Main Event and nab another bracelet, as he is currently 16thof 22 remaining players, and is assured another payout of at least $300,000 - even if he is the next to bust out, he will receive at least $302,005 for his trouble.
The 2010-11 WSOP Circuit Tour featured 15 stops, consisting of 150 gold ring events which attracted a record-total of 49,453 entries – the most ever in the history of the WSOP Circuit.
Below is the full list of WSOP circuit stops for 2011-2012:
- September 8-19, 2011: Horseshoe, Bossier City, LA
- September 29 - October 10, 2011: Horseshoe Southern Indiana, Elizabeth, IN
- October 13-24, 2011: Horseshoe Hammond, Chicago, IL
- October 27 - November 7, 2011: IP Casino Resort, Biloxi, MS
- November 10-21, 2011: Harveys, Lake Tahoe, NV
- December 1-12, 2011: Harrah's, Atlantic City, NJ
- January 12-23, 2012: Choctaw Casinos, Durant, OK
- January 19-30, 2012: Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, NV
- February 2-13, 2012: Harrah's, Tunica, MS
- February 16-27, 2012: Palm Beach Kennel Club, Palm Beach, FL
- March 1-12, 2012: Caesars, Atlantic City, NJ
- March 15-26, 2012: Harrah's Rincon, San Diego, CA
- March 29 - April 9, 2012: Horseshoe, Council Bluffs, IA
- April 12-23, 2012: Harrah's, St. Louis, MO
- April 26 - May 7, 2012: Harrah's Chester, Philadelphia, PA
- May 10-21, 2012: Harrah's, New Orleans, LA
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