WPT Outlines World Championship Schedule With $22 Million Guaranteed; Online Qualifiers Also on Tap
The World Poker Tour recently released the complete schedule for the upcoming WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas in December.
The championship features a record-setting $15 million guarantee. Players will find 23 total events and more than $22 million in guaranteed prize pools.
Along with the complete schedule, the WPT outlined some upcoming online qualifying opportunities for the event. The tour has also launched a new program allowing players round the world to qualify in their home countries.
What to expect with WPT Wynn series 
The full schedule for the WPT World Championship features 16 No Limit Hold’em events as well as HORSE, Omaha Hi/Lo, and eight-game mix. These join the previously-announced WPT Prime Championship and Ladies Championship events.
The tour will televise all three championship events along with the Wynn Mystery Bounty. Tour officials seem to be moving toward making the Wynn series a key stop on the tour.
“Our goal is to develop the WPT World Championship into one of the most talked-about poker events of the year,” WPT CEO Adam Pliska said in a news release. “Partnering with Wynn Las Vegas has allowed us to put the player experience first and the festival schedule reflects that.”
The $1,100 Prime Championship comes with a $2 million guarantee. The Ladies Championship features the same buy-in level and a $200,000 guarantee.
The festival kicks off on Dec. 1 with a $600 NLHE tournament featuring a $500,000 guarantee. Six starting flights run through Dec. 3. Some other highlights include:
- $1,100 HORSE Championship, $100,000 guaranteed – Dec. 12
- $1,100 Omaha Hi/Lo Championship, $100,000 guaranteed – Dec. 13
- $3,000 Eight-Game Mix, $200,000 guaranteed – Dec. 8
- $1,600 Wynn Mystery Bounty, $2 million guaranteed – Dec. 16-19 (multiple starting flights)
- $600 Tag Team Bomb Pot – Dec. 19
There will be numerous live satellites throughout the series for the championships and Mystery Bounty. The property is guaranteeing at least 220 seats across various festival events.
Tour announces online, global casino qualifying opportunities
Along with live satellites, the WPT also plans numerous online qualifiers. Players in the US can win one of 40 available seats on ClubWPT, the tour’s online sweepstakes poker platform.
There’s no purchase necessary to play on the site. A $12,000 World Championship Passport will be up for grabs each Sunday and includes:
- $10,400 buy-in
- three-night stay at Wynn
- $1,000 in travel expenses
- VIP host
- ClubWPT merchandise
- exclusive meet and greet with WPT talent
Players outside of the US can qualify on WPTGlobal for as little as $5. Direct satellites into the World Championship run each week $12,400 championship packages on the line.
The WPT Feeder and Funnel program also offers satellites at casinos and card rooms around the world. Players in South Korea, India, Taiwan, Australia, Cambodia, Japan, and Canada have the opportunity to win their seat into the World Championship and Prime Championship.
“The WPT Feeder and Funnel program is designed to ensure that the WPT World Championship lives up to its name,” WPT live events specialist Danny McDonagh said. “We continue to explore the ways we can offer more options for players in all markets to secure their seat for this event.”
Ambassador Brad Owen hosts online qualifier 
As part of the online qualifying, WPT ambassador and poker vlogger Brad Owen will host a World Championship Bounty on Aug. 28 at ClubWPT. The event awards a $12,000 tournament package to the winner.
The prize pool also includes a $2,500 WPT Prime Championship Passport for the player eliminating Owen. Qualifying satellites run Aug. 26-27 with each sending the top 100 players to the final hosted by Owen.
“I look forward to bringing people together, and hosting my own event on ClubWPT,” Owen said.
The next stop for the tour is the $5,250 Legends of Poker at the Bicycle Casino from Aug. 27 – Sept. 1. That event comes with a $2.5 million guarantee. That’s followed by the $3,500 Seminole Hard Rock Tampa from Sept. 2-7.