ShareWhen the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world earlier this year the poker community groaned collectively in the knowledge that live poker was about to shut down indefinitely.
Not only would the small stakes games at local clubs cease but the major series such as the World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker would almost certainly not be held.
Fortunately, the organisers showed a will to do whatever they could to keep the show on the road.
Online Better than Nothing
While the purists probably groaned at the thought of prestigious events being held online, the majority were happy to play along, knowing that it would likely be a one off.Winning a WSOP gold bracelet is a major achievement in a poker player’s career. Having that moment in the limelight with a presentation on the Rio Convention Centre stage is as important as the money for many people.
Sadly, this is out of the question this year, but we have the next best thing. Virtual ceremonies.
Jack Effel, vice president of the WSOP, has been taking time out to make the winners feel special with an online presentation done on Skype.
Effel said:
“To be able to see it in their eyes, to be able to sense it in the tone of their voice and to kind of feel their emotion, it really makes me happy about getting up every day and working together on what we do,”
The $2,000 value gold bracelets are still personally engraved and inspected for quality as usual, but this year’s will also have Online on them.
It may be virtual chips this year but the achievement is just the same.
The WSOP has also asked the winners to video themselves opening their bracelet package when it arrives.
It’s not all gone to plan though. Some winners have proven to be on the grumpy side with many not answering the call and other just flat out refusing.
