2023 World Series of Poker Preview: WSOP Rule Changes, Fantasy Drafts, and High Expectations
The World Series of Poker 2023 (WSOP) starts today, which means we’ve got six weeks of non-stop action from Las Vegas.
Following on from last year’s new-look WSOP, the series returns to Paris and Horseshoe on the Las Vegas strip. The dual set-up seemed to work well in 2022 and, this year, there will be 95 WSOP bracelet events spread across the two casinos.
WSOP Rules Changed to Keep the Action Flowing
In a change to this year’s proceedings, the rules regarding registration have been tightened up. With the organizers expecting record numbers throughout the series, players will no longer be allowed to pay their buy-in and delay their entry to a tournament.
As confirmed by Kevin Mathers, aka Kevmath, on Twitter, a player’s stack becomes live as soon as they buy into an active tournament. In previous years, players were able to pay the buy-in and wait to print off their entry slip.
Only once the entry slip was handed over to a tournament official was the player given a stack of chips and seat number. For the 2023 WSOP, a player’s stack will be put into play as soon as they pay the entry fee.
A VERY IMPORTANT WSOP UPDATE
— Kevin Mathers (@Kevmath) May 29, 2023
If you register BEFORE the start of EVERY event, YOUR CHIPS ARE IN PLAY AT THE START!
Registration time is considered when you purchase your seat, NOT when you print your ticket at a FasTrac kiosk.
In addition to changing the way stacks are put into play, WSOP organizers have also imposed a time limit on late arrivals. Anyone who buys into a tournament late has until the start of level four to take their seat. In other words, if someone enters and their stack is live, they’ve got until the end of level three to play before they’re removed from the tournament.
Logistical changes aside, the 2023 WSOP looks set to be one of the most exciting ever. Daniel Negreanu is running another one of his famous WSOP fantasy drafts, as is David Baker. Other pro poker players are giving away WSOP tournament tickets on Twitter, and there are still dozens of Main Event satellites taking place online.
WSOP Main Event Madness Could See Records Broken
As ever, the WSOP’s official partner, GGPoker, is in the midst of a Main Event seat giveaway. Thanks to the efforts of GGPoker and other popular online poker sites, thousands of players will sit down in the $10,000 WSOP Main Event after paying just a fraction of the cost to qualify.
These players have a chance to follow in the footsteps of Chris Moneymaker and become a WSOP World Champion. However, perhaps even more significantly for the poker industry, these players could help make this year’s Main Event a record-breaker.
Here at @WSOP w the man, @JackEffel!! pic.twitter.com/Iq1AlEHFLe
— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) May 30, 2023
It’s been 20 years since Chris Moneymaker won the WSOP Main Event and sparked a revolution. This summer, the organizers have said the WSOP Main Event is almost guaranteed to be the biggest ever. Ty Stewart, the WSOP’s Executive Director, said in an online press conference that “plans” are in place to ensure this year’s $10,000 tournament is bigger than last year's.
For context, the 2022 WSOP Main Event attracted 8,663 players. That left it just 111 players short of breaking the 2006 record of 8,773. Being 1% away from a record set during the peak of the poker boom is commendable, but Stewart wants more. That means more satellites, giveaways, and incentives for people to play this summer.
If the 1% gap is closed, the 2023 WSOP Main Event will go down in history. Not only that, it will show poker is a strong place. After years of rebuilding following the events of Black Friday in 2011, we (as a community) are now living in bountiful times.
Summer Sizzler for Poker Players
The World Series of Poker is a yardstick by which to measure the state of the industry. A summer of broken records will tell us that poker is in a good place. Burgeoning fields are also good news for players who ante up in Vegas.
Overall, it’s an exciting time for poker players right now. The 2023 WSOP gets underway on May 30 with a $500 Casino Employees event and $25,000 Six-Max High Roller. The Main Event will run from July 3 to 17, and the series as a whole will conclude on July 18.
