ShareIt seems like just yesterday Koray Aldemir took down the 2021 World Series of Poker, however, WSOP has just announced its daily event schedule for this year’s most coveted poker series. With the release of the schedule comes more good news for those who were not fond of the mask mandate; masks will not be required at this year's World Series of Poker.
New Schedule, New Venue
As the new schedule for the 2022 World Series of Poker is rolled out, so too is the new venue. The prestigious poker series will be held at Bally’s – which will eventually become the Horseshoe – and Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. It is a move that calls back to the earliest days of the series, as the first ever World Series of Poker was held at the Horseshoe in 1970."This year is particularly historic for the WSOP with its move to the heart of the Las Vegas Strip and debut in the best facilities we’ve ever had," said WSOP's Executive Director Ty Stewart in a press release. "We’re ready to welcome players from all over the world to our housewarming party at Bally’s, soon-to-be Horseshoe, and Paris. The schedule is jam-packed with first-class events and we expect this to be the biggest and most anticipated WSOP yet.”
“WSOP will again feature the much-anticipated $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em World Championship, also known as the "Main Event", which in 2021 hosted 6,650 entrants from around the world despite taking place during a pandemic,” the release continues. “This year’s Main Event is back to its traditional time frame around the July 4 holiday, beginning on Sunday, July 3. The legendary deep-stack tournament will continue play through the Final Table on Friday, July 15 and Saturday, July 16.”
With the move to Paris Las Vegas and Bally’s, this year’s WSOP will feature the largest venue ever for the tournament series. The two venues combine to form an area of over 200,000 square feet able to hold 600 poker tables.
No Masks Required
One part of the press release comes as good news to some and bad news for others still worried about the threat of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. No masks or vaccines will be required per the statement: “The WSOP will follow local, state and CDC guidelines relating to COVID-19 that are in effect during the event. While there will be no vaccination requirement to play in the tournament, players will be accountable to follow CDC guidelines appropriate to them as individuals. Based on current state guidelines, masks will not be required.”Some WSOP frequenters took to Twitter to express their joy regarding the lifting of mask mandates.
No more vaccine requirement for the WSOP pic.twitter.com/U1meoRrUVA
— Alex Foxen (@WAFoxen) February 23, 2022
Alex Foxen is a professional poker player from Huntington, New York who plays in the series annually. Last year, he avoided the Rio, where mask mandates and vaccine requirements were in place, and instead played numerous online events and live events at other venues such as the Aria and the Wynn.
The lifting of Covid requirements may also have a positive effect on the number of players attending the series. Last year, numbers were down about 25% in comparison to pre-pandemic numbers.
