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Players from outside the US looking to have a WSOP Main Event adventure this year received some good news this week, with November 8th seeing several COVID-related travel bans being lifted, with 33 countries now on the welcome list.
Although the 2021 edition of the Vegas biggie has generated plenty of headlines already, for many players from the UK, mainland Europe, Brazil, and beyond, it has been a no-go zone due to COVID restrictions.
That all changes on November 8th, however, as the Biden administration announced a relaxation for fully-vaccinated travellers, and the WSOP organisers have put on two extra Main Event flights to accommodate the new arrivals.
The plan for the $10k buy-in Main event, a bucket list tournament for every poker player and the flagship event of the entire festival, was to have four starting flights, days 1A through 1D from November 4th to 7th.
Now there will be a day 1E on Sunday November 8th, and a day 1F on Monday November 9th, with survivors joining together for day 2, with the final table set for the following Tuesday 16th and Wednesday 17th.
The revised plans now mean there is no free day for those who run very deep, but on the plus side it should mean even more prizemoney in the kitty.
There are 33 countries listed in the new criteria, with the 26 Schengen nations as well as UK, Ireland, Brazil, China, India, Iran, and South Africa.
The WSOP has its own, controversial policy on mandatory vaccination in order to compete, and the travel ban lifting will also only apply to those fully vaccinated.
That means those who have received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved vaccines, or those which have been awarded Emergency Use Listing from the World Health Organization (WHO).
That latter grouping includes the AstraZeneca jab, widely used in the UK, and the Chinese Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines, common in Asia and parts of Europe.
Players do have to have received their final jab 14 days prior to their participation date, which means anyone still not fully vaccinated will need to get it done almost immediately.
With no quarantine regulations for those coming from the 33 countries, players will potentially be able to go straight from their plane into the Rio and sit down for the Main Event.
Players will have to prove a negative COVID-19 test in the preceding 72 hours, and would be well-advised to ensure they have their details available as per the advice given by the WSOP back in August.
