World Series of Poker on a Budget: 18 Live Events to Target for $1,000 or Less
The World Series of Poker began this week with a “shuffle up and deal” from Lisa Vanderpump. The TV star and owner of Parisian-inspired restaurant, Vanderpump à Paris on the Las Vegas Strip, got the action started and then took her seat in the Paris Ballroom for Event 1: Casino Employees Championship.
That $500 entry fee tipped off the WSOP on a budget events. There are 18 other WSOP live bracelet events that feature buy-ins of $1,000 or less at this year’s 53rd annual WSOP.
Poker players looking to cash in with more bang for the buck and experience playing the WSOP on a budget can check out these events at Paris and Bally’s – soon to be the Horseshoe.
Join The Housewarming party for $500
Event #5, $500 The Housewarming is the star of the opening weekend. It should be one of the largest tournaments of the 2022 WSOP.
The Housewarming event features a massive $5 million guarantee and is expected to surpass last year’s opening “Reunion” event. That event had nearly 13,000 entries and a first-place prize of more than $500,000.
With just a $500 buy-in, players will receive 50,000 chips and are allowed one re-entry per flight. Late registration is open through ten 30-minute levels. These increase to 40-minute levels from Day 2 onward in this six-day tournament.
How Big Will The Colossus Be This Year?
Another must-make event when playing the WSOP on a budget is The Colossus. Since the tournament burst onto the WSOP scene in 2015, it’s been one of the biggest tournaments of the year.
Entries have dropped in recent years due to more events being offered at less than $1,000. But the tournament is expected to rebound back above 10,000 entries this year.
- 2015: 22,374
- 2016: 21,613
- 2017: 18,054
- 2018: 13,070
- 2019: 13,109
- 2021: 9,399
The $400 Colossus gets underway on June 24 with the first of two flights. Players are given one re-entry per flight, with 12 levels of late registration and 40,000 starting chips. Each flight plays down to the money, with the levels 40 minutes long throughout the tournament.
Ladies take center stage
The Ladies Championship is a $1,000 entry tournament with supportive women looking to add a bracelet to their collection.
Event 61 starts June 29 and produces lots of excitement and a fun atmosphere. Last year’s event drew 644 entries and paid a first-place prize of $115,000.
Raise money for charity with the Salute to Warriors
Returning to the WSOP 2022 schedule for the third edition is the Salute to Warriors, starting on June 26. The tournament has drawn just over 1,700 entries and paid more than $100,000 to the winner in 2019 and 2021.
The WSOP donates $40 of each entry to the United Service Organizations and other veteran organizations. For a complete look at charity events around Las Vegas this summer, click here.
Senior style
Poker Players age 50 and over can enter the $1,000 Seniors Championship starting June 22-23. The event continues to grow and last year saw more than 5,400 entries generate a prize pool of $4.8 million. The winner took home more than $460,000.
Million-dollar bounty
The $1,000 Million Dollar Bounty is a brand new event on the WSOP schedule. The event starts July 2 with four starting flights including a turbo on July 4.
WSOP organizers expect a huge turnout with players seeing 40,000 starting chips, 30-minute levels, and 40 minutes on Day 2. The tournament has a mystery bounty format starting at $1,000 with the biggest bounty guaranteed to be worth $1 million. Bounties start on Day 2 with standard payouts beginning on Day 1.
2022 WSOP budget tournaments
Event Date Tournament Entry
5A June 2-5 The Housewarming NLHE $500
11 June 6 NLHE Deep Stack $600
18 June 9 Freeze out NLHE $1,000
24 June 12 Flip & Go NLHE $1,000
25 June 12 NLHE Deep Stack $800
30 June 14 Pot Limit Omaha 8-Handed $1,000
41 June 19 Super Turbo Bounty NLHE $1,000
43 June 20 Freezeout NLHE $500
47A-B June 22-23 SENIORS NLHE Championship $1,000
51A-B June 24-25 Colossus NLHE $400
54 June 26 SALUTE to Warriors NLHE $500
59 June 28 SUPER SENIORS NLHE $1,000
61 June 29 LADIES NLHE Championship $1,000
64 June 30 Pot Limit Hold ‘em Deepstack $600
68A July 2-3 Million Dollar Bounty NLHE $1,000
75A-B July 10-12 Lucky 7’s NLHE 7-Handed $777
80 July 13 Mixed NLHE, Pot Limit Hold ‘em Deep $600
82 July 14 8-Handed NLHE Deepstack $800
WSOP 2022 satellites
There will be plenty of live satellites at this year’s WSOP. Players can buy in for less, often $175-325 to qualify for many WSOP tournaments.
There are other satellites for $500 or more, and the opportunity to play satellites to qualify for the $10,000 Main Event. Check out the live satellite offerings in the Paris Ballroom during the Series.