The World Series of Poker Europe has signed a multi-year agreement with the Kings Casino, Rozvadov, that will see the most famous brand in poker set up shop in 2017 & 2019.
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is a global brand.
Global.
And that means, events like the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) are vital for the poker playing community.
My first taste of live WSOP action was in Europe, and thanks to the expansion of the World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) more people like me will be able to turn a pipe dream into a seat in the biggest game of their lives.
For seven years, Europeans were able to reduce their travelling costs to get a piece of the action. And then, inexplicably, in 2014 the WSOP ship sailed passed Europe and headed to Australia for the second iteration of the World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific (WSOP-APAC).
Momentum had been lost.
Would it ever be recovered?
European Tournament Poker is Thriving
I know the European Poker Tour (EPT) has its critics, but the numbers don’t lie. PokerStars Live Events have proven that you can host a successful festival almost anywhere in Europe.
The WSOPE spent four years trying to make London their European base. But that’s an expensive city to play poker. Cannes? Even worse. The outskirts of Paris? Don’t make me laugh. Berlin, well, I liked that place.
It can work.
It will work.
The WSOP just needs the right venue and the right partnership.
I think they have found it.
WSOP Sign Multi-Year Deal With Kings Casino, Rozvadov
The WSOP and Kings Casino have entered into a multi-year agreement to bring the WSOPE to the Czech Republic for the first time. The first event takes place in 2017 after Kings completes a refurbishment plan that will take the current number of tables up from 150 to 190, as well as adding a brand new hotel tower offering 218 additional rooms. The second WSOPE event will take place in 2019.
In between WSOPE events, Kings Casino will also host WSOPC events. The first is scheduled to start this week, the second in 2017, two more in 2018, one more in 2019, two more in 2020, and the agreement ends with a final event in 2021.
“We believe we have found a long-term home for WSOPE to replicate the scale we enjoy in Las Vegas.” Said WSOP Exec, Ty Stewart.
The full schedule will come later, but the WSOP has assured us there will be a minimum of 10-WSOP Bracelets up for grabs at each event and $5m in guaranteed prize money.
Last year, over 250,000 people played poker in the Kings Casino, not bad for a country containing only 500.
“I think we can double that number as soon as our plans for expansion are completed,” said the Kings Casino owner, Leon Tsoukernik.
The last WSOPE Festival took place in Berlin, Germany and Kevin MacPhee beat David Lopez in heads-up action to take the €883,000 first prize. The 313 participants made it the lowest WSOPE Main Event Final Table attendance since the event began in 2007.
The WSOP has not returned to Australia since Scott Davies won the Main Event in 2014, beating Jack Salter, in heads-up action to win the $850,136 first prize.
Is There Room For The One Drop?
There was no WSOPE event in 2014 because of the WSOP-APAC event, but it was also the year of the second Big One for One Drop. The WSOPE has also been absent from the 2016 calendar with the One Drop moving to the salubrious surroundings of Monte Carlo.
Does the 2017 & 2019 WSOPE Main Event structure allow the WSOP event staff to put all of their efforts into creating a bigger One Drop event in 2018 & 2020, somewhere in Europe, with Monte Carlo at the front of that pecking order?
The 2016 event, won by Elton Tsang, was the smallest field to date, and this meant fewer people had their lives changed by the One Drop Foundation. It would be great to see this event open to everyone with a spare million bucks in hand, and perhaps the WSOP had this in mind when they sat down to negotiate with Tsoukernik and his team.
