The World Series of Poker has released its 2017 schedule for summer events on WSOP.com. The online lineup includes expanded offerings of three bracelet events and several other qualifiers into live WSOP events to introduce the new Summer Grind Tour.
This is the third year the World Series has incorporated events for its internet players, and anyone within the Nevada state border can play. The past two years, WSOP.com has hosted just one such tournament. This year, the poker site, owned by Caesars Interactive Entertainment, will offer three opportunities for poker players to win a bracelet from the comfort of their own home.
Inaugural Summer Grind Tour
The Summer Grind Tour includes the three online bracelet events as well as satellites into live WSOP tournaments. Players also earn points toward WSOP.com’s online player of the year.
The first online bracelet event takes place June 3. Dubbed “The Little Grind,” WSOP Event #8 is a $333 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament with unlimited re-entries and a $333,333 guaranteed prize pool.
“The Big Grind,” WSOP Event #61, has a $3,333 buy-in, and gets underway July 1. WSOP officials are calling it “the high roller of online bracelets.”
The final online bracelet opportunity takes place July 7. Event #71, is the $1,000 Classic, doesn’t have a guaranteed prize pool, but last year drew more than 1,200 entries and paid the winner more than $210,000.
WSOP.com offers satellites into numerous WSOP tournaments, including the $10,000 Main Event. Starting June 3, each Saturday and Sunday offers a $200 satellite that takes place online, with one seat awarded for every 50 entries.
On July 8, WSOP.com is hosting a 25-seat scramble that costs $250 to enter. The top 25 finishers will win seats into the $10,000 WSOP Main Event. Players can embark on this path to the main event for just $10, in weekly qualifiers that begin June 4.
Online Traffic Surge
Satellites into online bracelet events begin June 1. Players can win a seat into these tournaments for as little as $15. WSOP.com is the only legal online poker site in Nevada. Players do not have to be residents of the Silver State to play but must be within state lines.
Previous summers saw both cash game and tournament traffic on WSOP.com reach peak numbers for the year during the summer World Series.
In addition to bracelet events on the Summer Grind Tour, many other online tournaments are expected to draw large fields this summer at WSOP.com. Online event #17, for example, is a $100 freezeout on June 8 that guarantees at least $10,000 in prize money.
On June 11, online event #25 has a $500 buy-in with rebuys and a $50,000 guarantee. Event #85 on July 1 has the same structure and guarantee. These two tournaments are expected to be the most popular of all non-bracelet events of the 2017 summer.
