by Mario Alfonsi | Published on Jun 2, 2020 | Updated on Jun 2, 2020
Among the latest live events to fall victim to the coronavirus pandemic is the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Global Casino Championship which has been moved online to WSOP.com and will take place on September 13. The event was originally scheduled for August at Harrah’s Cherokee in North Carolina.
When the WSOP broke the news last week, many players were disappointed that the action would now take place at the virtual tables. Harrah’s Cherokee has played host to the GCC for the past five years.
It’s the first time that the annual event will be competed online, since it began almost a decade ago. Players would surely miss the scenic Smoky Mountains of North Carolina this year, but the WSOP said there is no better option right now than holding the event online.
WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart said they wanted to maintain the spirit of the model amid this global pandemic.
For the last eight years, players have been participating in WSOP Circuit events, with the GCC as the official season-ender. The GCC is an exclusive, invitation-only tournament that features at least $1,000,000 in prize money. WSOP Circuit Main Event winners, alongside the Casino champions, each receive a free entry into the event. The top 50 players on the season leaderboard also earn automatic seats.
These automatic qualifiers have all been looking forward to an exciting Championship tournament this August, but unfortunately, COVID-19 got in the way. Right now, it is still not safe to hold huge gatherings, as cases are still on the rise, especially in the US.
However, instead of postponing the event indefinitely, organizers have decided to shift the competition online as a way to still play out the championship and distribute the prize money. Stewart said they didn’t want to see the prize money being locked up in purgatory for a long period.
More Details To Be Announced Soon
Prior to the online GCC, a “Season Finale” Online Circuit Event will also take place from June 3-14, which will give away 13 automatic entries into the Championship tournament.
It is worth noting though that the GCC is only exclusive for New Jersey and Nevada players, meaning those based in Delaware cannot participate. They can only take part in the Season Finale Online Circuit event.
Right now, the WSOP has yet to announce the final schedule and structure of the GCC, but Stewart assured everyone the full details will be released soon.
