The World Series of Poker returns to Las Vegas this summer and players are already excited about the 10 tournaments that have been detailed. After the stunning 2022 series in Sin City, the WSOP is back in a big way and we’ve got all the dates to hand right now.
Effel Announces Return of World Series
The 2023 World Series of Poker will take place in the same venues as last year, but they’ll have a different name by then. In the summer, it was Bally’s and Paris, but Bally’s will be renamed the Horseshoe Las Vegas by the 2023 WSOP and it’s with that spirit of excitement that the announcement was made.
The official dates for the 2023 World Series of Poker have been released, with the big kick off on May 30th and the final day taking place on July 18th. With all the action on the Strip, there are plenty of ‘weekend warrior’ events that are scheduled around the sort of players who cut short their week of work and travel to the WSOP in a bid to win a bracelet as amateurs.
These include but aren’t limited to the infamous ‘Millionaire Maker’, the Seniors and Super Seniors Championship, as well as the newly released ‘Gladiators of Poker’, which costs $300 and will become the smallest buy-in event in World Series history. Although it has a low entry, it has a massive $3 million guarantee for the tournament.
Popular Events Return from the Kick Off
The big events take place almost from the kick off, with the traditional curtain raiser of the Casino Employees event likely to take place on the opening day of the series. The ‘Mystery Millions’ event starts the very next day, kicking off on May 31st and costing $1,000 to enter, with the buy-in guaranteeing a bumper turnout from the start of the opening week. Bounties range from $10,000 – the cost of the 2023 WSOP Main Event – to a cool $1,000,000 – the top bounty prize Matt Glantz walked away with in 2022.
The Gladiators of Poker event kicks off a week later on June 7th, with the Monster Stack event, which costs $1,500 and begins on June 16th. Five days later, the $1,000-entry Seniors Event takes place, with just two days between the start of that event and the $1,500-entry Millionaire Maker taking place, which guarantees at least $1 million to the winner.
“Poker players and fans can now officially mark their calendars and maybe even book their loved ones or themselves a trip to the WSOP as a holiday gift,” said Ty Stewart, the WSOP Director. “We’re excited to announce our Summer 2023 dates in time for the holidays and glad to be back at Paris Las Vegas and the future Horseshoe Las Vegas for another exciting chapter in the tournament’s history as these two resorts raised the bar in hosting last year’s event.
Every year sees the return of the Ladies Championship hailed by all and this year is no different. Kicking off on June 29th, the event costs $1,000… for female players. Here’s hoping no make players drink enough to believe that they’re doing anything venerable by paying the non-discounted entry price of $10,000 in 2023.
When is the 2023 WSOP Main Event?
The Colossus packed out the Paris Ballroom in 2022 and returns to the Vegas Strip in 2023, with the $400-entry event starting on June 30th. That’s followed a few days later by two of the most popular events on the schedule. The WSOP Main Events start on July 3rd – more on that later, but the Mini Main Event starts a day earlier on July 2nd and costs just 10% of the Main’s buy-in – $1,000.
The Lucky 7’s event begins on 7/7 a.k.a. July 7th and has a buy-in of a similarly appropriate $777. That is followed four days later by the Ultra Stack event, which kicks off on the 11th of the month and costs $600 to play. The tournament schedule is rounded off by a few events, but The Closer is always a popular event and costs $1,500 to play in 2023.
Jason Gregorec, SVP and General Manager of Paris and Horseshoe Las Vegas, is just as excited as Stewart.
“The tournament delivered unforgettable moments during its debut on The Strip,” he said. “We’re excited to welcome back poker’s premier event of the year. We can’t wait to see the first WSOP Main Event champion crowned at the new Horseshoe Las Vegas.”
After 2022 saw the second-largest WSOP Main Event, 2023 could go one step further and outstretch the 2006 Main which was won by Jamie Gold for $12 million. Last year saw 8,663 entries and over $80 million in the prizepool. Once again, there are four starting Day 1s, with action kicking off in ‘the Main on July 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th. Late registration is also available on Day 2ab (Friday, July 7th) and Day 2cd (Saturday, July 8th).
