This year marks the 50th anniversary of the World Series of Poker and organizers are celebrating the milestone with arguably the biggest, most value-packed schedule on record.
The 50th World Series of Poker will run from May 28 to July 16, 2019, with over 80 separate gold bracelet events and millions in guaranteed prize pools.
The 2019 WSOP will take place in its entirety at the Rio All-Suites Hotel in Las Vegas (with the exception of a handful of yet-to-be-announced online events that will take place on www.wsop.com). Buy-ins will range from just $400 all the way up to $100,000.
There will be over $200 million awarded to players over the course of the 2019 WSOP, according to estimates from the WSOP. As usual, the series will feature a number of smaller daily tournaments, cash games and more. If you’re a poker player, there’s simply no other place to be.
The complete WSOP live schedule was recently finalized and we’ve broken the schedule down into new events, lower buy-in events, high rollers and the Main Event.
Table of Contents:
2019 WSOP At a Glance
- 80+ gold bracelet events
- Takes place May 30-July 16, 2019, at the Rio All-Suites Hotel in Las Vegas
- Forty-nine consecutive days of poker action
- Buy-ins range from $400 to $100,000
- Twenty $10,000+ buy-in Championship Events
- $10,000 buy-in Main Event to run July 3-16
Rake-Free Big 50, Short-Deck Among New Additions
The first and arguably most exciting new event on the 2019 WSOP schedule is the Big 50, which is being held in celebration of the WSOP’s 50th year of existence.
The Big 50 is a $500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry event with a $5-million guaranteed prize pool ($1 million set aside for the eventual Sportsbook). The killer feature for the Big 50 is that it’s rake-free (for the first entry). Generally a $500 buy-in event would have a $50 fee so it’s a huge value for players.
The WSOP has experimented with rake-free events in the past but almost exclusively at the highest tiers such as the $1-million buy-in Big One for One Drop or the defunct Tournament of Champions. A rake-free structure should help make the Big 50 one of the best values on the 2019 WSOP schedule. The tournament will kick off on May 30 with four starting days giving everyone a chance to get in on the action.
This year the WSOP will also offer a “Mini” Main Event for the first time ever. The Mini Main Event will take place two days before the actual Main Event and will feature the exact same blind structure but with 30-minute levels instead of 120-minute levels. The buy-in is also reduced from the usual $10,000 to just $1,000.
Meanwhile, high rollers will get an entirely new game to play this year. Short Deck Hold’em, which removes 2, 3, 4, 5 from the deck, has already made waves in Asia but will be making its debut at this year’s WSOP in the form of a $10,000 buy-in championship event.
Here’s a look at some of the most notable first-time additions to the WSOP schedule:
| Date | Time | Event | Buy-in | Chips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 29 | 12am | One-Day Super Turbo Bounty | $10,000 | 60,000 |
| May 30 | 11am | Big 50 No-Limit Hold’em (4 starting days) | $500 | 50,000 |
| May 31 | 3pm | 50th Annual High Roller NLH | $50,000 | 300,000 |
| June 2 | 6pm | Short Deck No-Limit Hold’em | $10,000 | 60,000 |
| June 4 | 10am | Super Turbo Bounty | $1,000 | 20,000 |
| July 1 | 11am | Mini Main Event | $1,000 | 60,000 |
| July 2 | 11am | Salute to Warriors No-Limit Hold’em | $500 | 25,000 |
| July 10 | 3pm | Bracelet Sportsbooks No-Limit Hold’em | $1,500 | 50,000 |
Over Twenty Events Cost $1,000 or Less
The WSOP has made a huge push into the affordable poker tournament market over the last few years and the 50th edition of the series is no exception with an astounding 20 events that carry buy-ins of $1,000 or less.
The cheapest tournament on the 2019 WSOP is the $400 buy-in Colossus. The Colossus was previously a $500 buy-in event but organizers decided to switch it up this year. The Colossus is routinely the biggest tournament at the WSOP and the inaugural edition (back in 2015) attracted a record-setting 22,374 entries.
While No-Limit Hold’em is always the main focus of low-stakes events, this year there will also be a couple of Pot-Limit Omaha events. On July 10 there will be a $600 buy-in PLO Deepstack tournament and then on June 18 there will be a $600 buy-in No-Limit/PLO mixed tournament.
In its final update to this year’s WSOP schedule, Sportsbook announced the addition of six events with buy-ins of $600 to $800 with deepstack structures giving low-stakes players even more to consider.
Here’s a look at all the bargain tournaments of the 2019 WSOP:
| Date | Time | Event | Buy-in | Chips | Starting Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 29 | 11am | Casino Employees | $500 | 25,000 | 1 |
| May 30 | 11am | Big 50 No-Limit Hold’em | $500 | 50,000 | 4 |
| June 3 | 11am | No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack | $600 | 30,000 | 1 |
| June 4 | 10am | Super Turbo Bounty | $1,000 | 20,000 | 1 |
| June 9 | 11am | Double Stack | $1,000 | 40,000 | 1 |
| June 10 | 11am | Pot-Limit Omaha Deepstack | $600 | 30,000 | 1 |
| June 11 | 11am | No-Limit Hold’em | $1,000 | 20,000 | 1 |
| June 12 | 11am | Pot-Limit Omaha | $1,000 | 20,000 | 1 |
| June 13 | 10am | Seniors No-Limit Hold’em (50+) | $1,000 | 20,000 | 1 |
| June 14 | 10am | Double Stack No-Limit Hold’em | $1,000 | 40,000 | 2 |
| June 16 | 11am | No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack | $800 | 40,000 | 1 |
| June 17 | 10am | Super Seniors 60+ | $1,000 | 20,000 | 1 |
| June 18 | 11am | Eight-Handed NL/PLO Mixed Deepstack | $600 | 30,000 | 1 |
| June 20 | 11am | Ladies | $10,000/$1,000 | 20,000 | 1 |
| June 23 | 12pm | Eight-Handed No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack | $800 | 40,000 | 1 |
| June 25 | 11am | Deepstack Championship No-Limit Hold’em | $600 | 30,000 | 1 |
| June 26 | 10am | No-Limit Hold’em Colossus | $400 | 40,000 | 2 |
| June 28 | 10am | Crazy Eight’s No-Limit Hold’em | $888 | 40,000 | 4 |
| July 1 | 11am | Mini Main Event | $1,000 | 60,000 | 1 |
| July 2 | 11am | Salute to Warriors No-Limit Hold’em | $500 | 25,000 | 1 |
| July 6 | 12pm | Little One for One Drop | $1,000+$111 | 40,000 | 2 |
High Rollers Get 20 Championship Events
While the WSOP may focus more than ever on the recreational player, that doesn’t mean that professional poker players won’t have some options.
This year the WSOP is offering 20 championship events with buy-ins that start at $10,000.
The biggest event on tap this year will be a $100,000 buy-in Super High Roller event taking place on July 11.
Perhaps even more interesting than the $100k buy-in event, however, is the addition of a $50,000 buy-in tournament for the 50th anniversary of the WSOP on May 31. The event will run for four days and players will start with 300,000 chips. It will be the first high roller tournament of the 2019 WSOP.
That won’t be the only $50,000 buy-in tournament at the 2019 WSOP as the $50,000 Poker Players’ Championship, which crowns poker’s all-around best player, will return for its 13th year.
Finally, high rollers and poker fans who’ve had enough of No-Limit Hold’em will likely be interested in the $25,000 buy-in Pot-Limit Omaha championship on June 19.
Here’s a look at all the $10,000 and higher WSOP events (not including the Main Event):
| Date | Time | Event | Buy-in | Chips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 29 | 12pm | Super Turbo Bounty | $10,000 | 60,000 |
| May 31 | 3pm | 50th Annual High Roller NLH | $50,000 | 300,000 |
| June 2 | 6pm | Short Deck No-Limit Hold’em | $10,000 | 60,000 |
| June 5 | 3pm | Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em | $10,000 | 60,000 |
| June 6 | 3pm | Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better | $10,000 | 60,000 |
| June 8 | 3pm | No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw | $10,000 | 60,000 |
| June 11 | 3pm | H.O.R.S.E. | $10,000 | 60,000 |
| June 14 | 3pm | Dealer’s Choice 6-Handed | $10,000 | 60,000 |
| June 17 | 3pm | Seven-Card Stud | $10,000 | 60,000 |
| June 19 | 3pm | High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha | $25,000 | 150,000 |
| June 20 | 3pm | Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw | $10,000 | 60,000 |
| June 22 | 3pm | Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed | $10,000 | 60,000 |
| June 24 | 3pm | Poker Players’ Championship | $50,000 | 300,000 |
| June 26 | 3pm | Razz Championship | $10,000 | 60,000 |
| June 28 | 3pm | Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 | $10,000 | 60,000 |
| June 30 | 3pm | Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 | $10,000 | 60,000 |
| July 1 | 3pm | Six-Max No-Limit Hold’em | $5,000 | 30,000 |
| July 2 | 3pm | Limit Hold’em Championship | $10,000 | 60,000 |
| July 11 | 3pm | High Roller No-Limit Hold’em | $100,000 | 600,000 |
| July 13 | 3pm | Six-Max No-Limit Hold’em | $10,000 | 60,000 |
2019 Main Event Offers More Chips, Big Blind Ante
The long-running $10,000 buy-in WSOP Main Event is the richest, most successful tournament in the history of poker but that doesn’t mean organizers are afraid of tweaking it.
This year’s Main Event will give players a slight increase in chips (60,000 instead of 50,000) and will utilize the Big Blind Ante to streamline play.
Players will also have a little more time to get in on the action as registration has been extended to the start of play on Day 2, which is noon. The 14-day tournament will run from July 3-16 with three starting days.
Everything will be the same as the Main Event remains a No-Limit Hold’em tournament with no re-entries allowed. Expect the Sportsbook to walk away with $7+ million.
Here's a look at the three starting days for the 2019 Main Event:
| Date | Time | Event | Buy-in | Chips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 3 | 12pm | Main Event World Championship 1a | $10,000 | 60,000 |
| July 4 | 12pm | Main Event World Championship 1b | $10,000 | 60,000 |
| July 5 | 12pm | Main Event World Championship 1c | $10,000 | 60,000 |
Complete 2019 WSOP Schedule
It pretty much goes without saying that there will be something for everyone at the 2019 WSOP.
Even if players can’t find exactly what they are looking for on the official WSOP schedule, there will still be a number of non-bracelet Daily Deepstack tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $150 to $400. As usual there will also be a large number of cash games available for players looking to play something other than tournaments.
Outside of poker the WSOP also has plans for a number of special 50th-anniversary events including an awards gala and more. Poker players can also get discounted room rates at Sportsbook properties so be sure to do some research while planning your trip.
Here’s a look at the complete 2019 World Series of Poker schedule:
| Date | Time | Event | Buy-in | Chips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 29 | 11am | Casino Employees | $500 | 25,000 |
| 12am | Super Turbo Bounty | $10,000 | 60,000 | |
| May 30 | 11am | Big 50 No-Limit Hold’em 1a | $500 | 50,000 |
| 3pm | Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better | $1,500 | 10,000 | |
| May 31 | 11am | Big 50 No-Limit Hold’em 1b | $500 | 50,000 |
| 3pm | 50th Annual High Roller NLH | $50,000 | 300,000 | |
| June 1 | 10am | Big 50 No-Limit Hold’em 1c | $500 | 50,000 |
| 3pm | Limit Mixed Triple Draw | $2,500 | 15,000 | |
| June 2 | 10am | Big 50 No-Limit Hold’em 1d | $500 | 50,000 |
| 6pm | Short Deck No-Limit Hold’em | $10,000 | 60,000 | |
| June 3 | 11am | No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack | $600 | 30,000 |
| 3pm | Dealer’s Choice | $1,500 | 10,000 | |
| 6pm | No-Limit Hold’em | $5,000 | 30,000 | |
| June 4 | 10am | Super Turbo Bounty | $1,000 | 20,000 |
| 3pm | No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw | $1,500 | 10,000 | |
| June 5 | 11am | H.O.R.S.E. | $1,500 | 10,000 |
| 3pm | Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em | $10,000 | 60,000 | |
| 4pm | Six-Max No-Limit Hold’em | $1,500 | 25,000 | |
| June 6 | 11am | No-Limit Hold’em Shootout | $1,500 | 25,000 |
| 3pm | Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better | $10,000 | 60,000 | |
| June 7 | 10am | Millionaire Maker No-Limit Hold’em 1a | $1,500 | 25,000 |
| 3pm | Seven-Card Stud | $1,500 | 10,000 | |
| June 8 | 10am | Millionaire Maker No-Limit Hold’em 1b | $1,500 | 25,000 |
| 3pm | No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw | $10,000 | 60,000 | |
| June 9 | 11am | Double Stack | $1,000 | 40,000 |
| 12pm | Eight-Game Mix | $1,500 | 10,000 | |
| June 10 | 11am | Pot-Limit Omaha Deepstack | $600 | 30,000 |
| 12pm | Marathon | $2,620 | 26,200 | |
| 3pm | Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo | $1,500 | 10,000 | |
| June 11 | 11am | No-Limit Hold’em | $1,000 | 20,000 |
| 3pm | H.O.R.S.E. | $10,000 | 60,000 | |
| June 12 | 11am | Pot-Limit Omaha | $1,000 | 20,000 |
| 3pm | Six-Max No-Limit Hold’em | $3,000 | 20,000 | |
| June 13 | 10am | Seniors No-Limit Hold’em (50+) | $1,000 | 20,000 |
| 3pm | Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw | $1,500 | 10,000 | |
| June 14 | 10am | Double Stack No-Limit Hold’em 1a | $1,000 | 40,000 |
| 3pm | Dealer’s Choice 6-Handed | $10,000 | 60,000 | |
| June 15 | 10am | Double Stack No-Limit Hold’em 1b | $1,000 | 40,000 |
| 3pm | No-Limit Hold’em Shootout | $3,000 | 20,000 | |
| June 16 | 11am | No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack | $800 | 40,000 |
| June 17 | 10am | Super Seniors 60+ | $1,000 | 20,000 |
| 12pm | Pot-Limit Omaha | $1,500 | 25,000 | |
| 3pm | Seven-Card Stud | $10,000 | 60,000 | |
| June 18 | 11am | Eight-Handed NL/PLO Mixed Deepstack | $600 | 30,000 |
| 3pm | Big-Bet Mix | $2,500 | 15,000 | |
| June 19 | 11am | No-Limit Hold’em Bounty | $1,500 | 60 minutes |
| 3pm | High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha | $25,000 | 150,000 | |
| June 20 | 11am | Ladies | $10,000/$1,000 | 20,000 |
| 12pm | No-Limit Hold’em | $2,500 | 15,000 | |
| 3pm | Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw | $10,000 | 60,000 | |
| June 21 | 10am | Monster Stack No-Limit Hold’em 1a | $1,500 | 50,000 |
| 3pm | Omaha/Stud Hi-Lo Mix | $2,500 | 15,000 | |
| June 22 | 10am | Monster Stack No-Limit Hold’em 1b | $1,500 | 50,000 |
| 3pm | Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed | $10,000 | 60,000 | |
| June 23 | 12pm | Eight-Handed No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack | $800 | 40,000 |
| 3pm | Razz | $1,500 | 10,000 | |
| June 24 | 11am | Super Turbo Bounty | $1,500 | 25,000 |
| 2pm | Tag Team No-Limit Hold’em (2-4 person teams) | $1,000/Team | 20,000 | |
| 3pm | Poker Players’ Championship | $50,000 | 300,000 | |
| June 25 | 11am | Deepstack Championship No-Limit Hold’em | $600 | 30,000 |
| 3pm | Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo | $1,500 | 25,000 | |
| June 26 | 10am | Colossus - Flight A | $400 | 40,000 |
| 3pm | Razz Championship | $10,000 | 60,000 | |
| June 27 | 10am | Colossus - Flight B | $400 | 40,000 |
| 3pm | Omaha Mix | $1,500 | 10,000 | |
| June 28 | 10am | Crazy Eight’s No-Limit Hold’em 1a | $888 | 40,000 |
| 3pm | Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 | $10,000 | 60,000 | |
| 5pm | Crazy Eight’s No-Limit Hold’em 1b | $888 | 40,000 | |
| June 29 | 10am | Crazy Eight’s No-Limit Hold’em 1c | $888 | 40,000 |
| 3pm | No-Limit Hold’em | $1,500 | 25,000 | |
| June 30 | 10am | Crazy Eight's No-Limit Hold’em 1d | $888 | 40,000 |
| 3pm | Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 | $10,000 | 60,000 | |
| July 1 | 11am | Mini Main Event | $1,000 | 60,000 |
| 3pm | Six-Max No-Limit Hold’em | $5,000 | 30,000 | |
| July 2 | 11am | Salute to Warriors No-Limit Hold’em | $500 | 25,000 |
| 3pm | Limit Hold’em Championship | $10,000 | 60,000 | |
| July 3 | 12pm | Main Event World Championship 1a | $10,000 | 60,000 |
| July 4 | 12pm | Main Event World Championship 1b | $10,000 | 60,000 |
| July 5 | 12pm | Main Event World Championship 1c | $10,000 | 60,000 |
| July 6 | 12pm | Little One for One Drop - Flight A | $1,000+$111 | 40,000 |
| July 7 | 12pm | Little One for One Drop - Flight B | $1,000+$111 | 40,000 |
| July 8 | 11am | Little One for One Drop - Flight C | $1,000+$111 | 40,000 |
| 3pm | Six-Handed Limit Hold’em | $3,000 | 20,000 | |
| July 9 | 11am | Pot-Limit Omaha Bounty | $1,500 | 25,000 |
| 3pm | No-Limit Hold’em | $3,000 | 20,000 | |
| July 10 | 11am | No-Limit Hold'em/Pot-Limit Omaha | $1,500 | 25,000 |
| 3pm | Bracelet Sportsbooks No-Limit Hold’em | $1,500 | 50,000 | |
| July 11 | 11am | Double Stack | $1,500 | 50,000 |
| 3pm | High Roller No-Limit Hold’em | $100,000 | 600,000 | |
| July 12 | 11am | The Closer - Flight A | $1,500 | 25,000 |
| 3pm | Six-Max Pot-Limit Omaha | $3,000 | 20,000 | |
| July 13 | 11am | The Closer - Flight B | $1,500 | 25,000 |
| 3pm | Six-Max No-Limit Hold’em | $10,000 | 60,000 | |
| July 14 | 11am | The Closer - Flight C | $1,500 | 25,000 |
| 3pm | H.O.R.S.E. | $3,000 | 20,000 | |
| July 15 | 12pm | No-Limit Hold’em | $5,000 | 30,000 |
Online Bracelets Every Sunday from June 2 to July 14
It used to be that you could only win a gold bracelet in-person at the Rio (or, prior to that, Binion’s) but these days it’s possible to win the fabled piece of poker jewelry from anywhere in Nevada with an Internet connection.
This year Sportsbook will offer nine online gold bracelets on its WSOP.com platform. It’s switching things up by making Sunday the major day for online action with a bracelet event every Sunday from June 2 to July 14.
There will also be a couple Wednesday events (one on June 19 and one on July 3) to mix things up.
In addition there will be a large number of ways to qualify for the actual, real-life WSOP for a fraction of the cost of a direct buy-in.
The WSOP.com software is currently available to players in Nevada and New Jersey (NJ players are still pending approval for the bracelet events this summer, however).
You don’t need to be a resident of Nevada to play on WSOP.com and visitors can play from the comfort of their hotel room.
Here’s a complete look at the online schedule:
| DATE | EVENT | BUY-IN | LEVELS | TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2 | No-Limit Hold'em | $400 | 15 minutes | 3:30pm PT |
| June 9 | 6-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha | $600 | 20 minutes | 3:30pm PT |
| June 16 | Knock-Out Bounty No-Limit Hold'em | $600 | 15 minutes | 3:30pm PT |
| June 19 | Turbo No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack | $500 | 8 minutes | 3:30pm PT |
| June 23 | Double Stack No-Limit Hold'em | $1,000 | 15 minutes | 3:30pm PT |
| June 30 | No-Limit Hold'em Championship | $1,000 | 20 minutes | 3:30pm PT |
| July 3 | High Roller No-Limit Hold'em | $3,200 | 20 minutes | 3:30pm PT |
| July 7 | 6-Handed No-Limit Hold'em | $800 | 15 minutes | 3:30pm PT |
| July 14 | Summer Saver No-Limit Hold'em | $500 | 15 minutes | 3:30pm PT |
Broadcast Schedule for 2019 WSOP
Poker fans will be happy to know that ESPN will be on hand for yet another year of the World Series of Poker.
ESPN will provide coverage of the entire 2019 WSOP Main Event. The worldwide leader in sports has provided coverage of the WSOP since the late ‘80s.
This year ESPN has committed to at least 40 hours of live coverage of the 2019 Main Event as well as 90 hours of originally produced episodes that will likely debut in the fall.
Similar to last year poker streaming service PokerGO will fill in the gaps where ESPN isn’t filming. PokerGO has yet to release a schedule but it will include partial Main Event coverage and a large number of side events.
Here’s a look at the initial live broadcast schedule for the Main Event:
| Date | Time | Network | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/3/19 | 8:30 PM - 2:00 AM ET | ESPN2 | WSOP Main Event Day 1A |
| 7/4/19 | 9:00 PM - 11:00 PM ET | ESPN2 | WSOP Main Event Day 1B |
| 7/5/19 | 8:00 PM - 12:30 AM ET | ESPN2 | WSOP Main Event Day 1C |
| 7/6/19 | 6:00 PM - 10:30 PM ET | ESPN2 | WSOP Main Event Day 2AB |
| 7/7/19 | 2:30 PM - 6:00 PM ET | ESPN | WSOP Main Event Day 2C |
| 7/8/19 | 10:00 PM - 2:00 AM ET | ESPN2 | WSOP Main Event Day 3 |
| 7/9/19 | 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM ET | ESPN | WSOP Main Event Day 4 |
| 7/10/19 | 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM ET | ESPN | WSOP Main Event Day 5 |
| 7/11/19 | 12:30 AM - 2:00 AM ET | ESPN2 | WSOP Main Event Day 6 |
| 7/12/19 | 9:00 PM - 11:00 PM ET | ESPN | WSOP Main Event Day 7 |
| 7/12/19 | 11:00 PM - 2:00 AM ET | ESPN2 | WSOP Main Event Day 7 (Play to Final Table) |
| 7/14/19 | 10:00 PM - TBD ET | ESPN2 | WSOP Main Event Day 8 (Nine to Six Players) |
| 7/15/19 | 10:00 PM - TBD ET | ESPN | WSOP Main Event Day 9 (Six to Three Players) |
| 7/16/19 | 9:00 PM - TBD ET | ESPN | WSOP Main Event Day 10 (Three Players to Sportsbook) |
