Decision on WSOP unlikely to come before May
A decision on whether the World Series of Poker will be held this summer probably won’t be made until May, an official said.
Seth Palansky, vice president of corporate communications for the WSOP, said officials would continue to monitor developments regarding the coronavirus pandemic but were still working as if the WSOP will be held as scheduled May 26 to July 15 at the Rio Convention Center.
“We keep our heads down, keep planning in place,” he said. “… We don’t need to make a decision now.”
The WSOP draws thousands of entrants from around the world each year. Last year, Germany’s Hossein Ensan topped a field of 8,569 to claim the $10 million first-place prize in the WSOP Main Event.
This year’s schedule calls for 87 bracelet events. Contingency plans have been discussed that could include shortening the series, Palansky said.
He also said that some convention cancellations could give the WSOP leeway to alter the dates for the event. The WSOP previously had been locked into its schedule because of a packed convention lineup, Palansky said.
“Things are changing not just daily but hourly now,” he said of the pandemic fallout. “We’ll continue to monitor everything.”
Contact Jim Barnes at jbarnes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0277. Follow @JimBarnesLV on Twitter.