Daniel Negreanu proposes a 'WSOP Classic' event for 2027

If an idea from Daniel Negreanu comes to fruition, the 2027 World Series of Poker will be kicking it old-school to start next summer.

In a recent vlog, Negreanu revealed that he’s been considering pitching the idea of a ‘WSOP Classic’ tournament to begin next year’s series.

The tournament would be a true throwback to the way WSOP tournaments used to be back in the day, before the Moneymaker boom and the subsequent additions of bigger starting stacks, unlimited re-entry, more and more late registration, and other changes to tournaments, such as the big blind ante.

For the WSOP Classic, kiss ‘em all goodbye!

Proposed WSOP Classic key details:

Freezeout
No late registration
Equal chips to buy-in amount
Players post individual antes

Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu were there for the WSOP days of no late registration.

Hayley Hochstetler

Negreanu explained that first and foremost, the tournament would be a freezeout with no late registration or re-entry.

“In the old days, when I first started out, if a tournament started at 12 and you were not there in your seat at 12, if you didn’t already buy in, you’re done. You can’t play. If you are bought in, your chips go into play. No late reg at all. Everyone who shows up, that’s the tournament”

Binions Horseshoe in Las Vegas was the orginal home of the WSOP

Not since the days of Binion's have the WSOP seen some of the ideas that Negreanu is proposing.

For s***s and giggles

Those would be the essentials of the tournament, but Negreanu also suggested a couple of other ideas for an even further old-school feel, including equal starting chips to the dollar amount of the buy-in.

“Maybe for s***s and giggles, to make it fun and thematic, we would go like they used to do, let’s say it was a $5K buy-in, you get 5K in chips, and then we’ll make the structure accordingly.”

30,000 in starting chips for the WSOP Classic? Only if the buy-in is $30,000.

A final throwback idea for the event that may not be as popular, especially with the dealers, would be to go back to the days before the big blind ante was introduced.

“And maybe for more s***s and giggles, just for that tournament, so people would know what it was like, everyone antes themselves. So, no big blind ante, like a real old-school tournament.”

SPECIAL OFFERS

It’s a hit with the people!

Negreanu put the idea of the WSOP Classic out to his YouTube comments section to reply with their thoughts, and contrary to many online comment sections, this one was almost unanimously positive.

So, the next test was to bring the idea to the players to get their thoughts. Some who have been there for the good ‘ol days of the World Series of Poker, and some who are too young to have experienced the joy of waiting for a table full of players to put out their antes.

Brad Owen is among the new-school players who'd love to give a WSOP Classic a try.

GPI award-winning vlogger Brad Owen: Yeah, I'm always interested in new formats, and maybe it puts everybody on the same playing field. I like it, I like the idea.

All-time tournament cashes leader Ari Engel: "I like no re-entry. The rest of the stuff I don't care about one way or the other, but I like as many freezeouts as possible."

Poker Hall of Famer Mori Eskandani: "To me, par value always made sense, always. I'm definitely for it. I wish they'd do it."

Poker Hall of Famer Jennifer Harman: "I don't like it. I like to have lots of chips to play with. I don't like to ever feel like I'm short, and I always like to late reg. Sorry, Daniel."

Jump to the 16:20 point of Negreanu's vlog to hear his full WSOP Classic idea.

^{Additional images courtesy of the WSOP.}