ShareThe upcoming WSOP Europe in Rozvadov will have vaccination or mandatory testing for players in place after the Czech Republic introduced tighter restrictions this week following an increase in Covid-19 cases. Masks at the table will also be mandatory.
Scheduled to run from November 19th to December 8th at Leon Tsoukernik’s King's Resort cardroom, close to the border with Germany in the west of the country, the WSOPE will feature 15 WSOP gold bracelet events and more than €11 million in guaranteed prize pools.
However, to gain entry to any of the tournaments, players will now have to prove their “Covid status” more accurately than previously expected.
The biggest cardroom outside of Las Vegas shared the news on their Facebook page that: “From November 1st, 2021, you'll need to be vaccinated, or tested (antigen or PCR test), or recovered from covid19 in the past 180 days to enter King's.”
That’s due to an upsurge in infections which has led health minister Adam Vojtěch to insist that Covid checks are in place, with face masks mandatory in public settings from October 25th.
This week more than 6,000 new cases were recorded, with the number of hospitalised people also steadily rising. Only 57% of Czech citizens have been vaccinated so far.
The “vaccine or test” rule will come into force on November 1st, with the following four scenarios available to players:
- Vaccinated with EU-approved vaccine
- Antigen test max. 24 hours old
- PCR test max. 72 hours old
- Recovered from Covid-19 in the past 180 days
Players will have to pay for the tests themselves and what effect, if any, the Rozvadov poker-room’s announcement will have on WSOPE numbers remains to be seen.
The 2021 World Series of Poker currently running in Las Vegas only afforded players one option – a “fully-vaccinated” mandate leading to some players refusing to play, most famously Kristen Bicknell and Alex Foxen.
The full WSOP in Las Vegas has seen numbers drop from 2019, but with a Schengen-area travel ban, amid a pandemic in which Covid-19 numbers are on the rise again, along with the vaccination mandate, it has not at all been doom and gloom regarding field sizes.
For those who do make it to King's casino, there will be events ranging from the €350 opening event, all the way up to a €100,000 Super High Roller with a €2 million guarantee.
The flagship €10,000 buy-in Main Event has a €5 million guarantee, with a Mini Main Event for those with smaller bankrolls. The full schedule can be found here.
