The WSOP announced this week that the 2025 Tournament of Champions (TOC) will play out in LA at the WSOP Circuit stop at The Commerce Casino & Hotel. It’s the same location as last year but it’s running in the middle of the schedule this time, rather than as the curtain closer.
Players weren’t happy with the date and location last year. A trip to LA just before the WSOP starts in Las Vegas isn’t ideal for a lot of players. And they’re not happy that the WSOP has seemingly ignored their complaints and done the same thing again in 2025.
We reached out to four big winners on the Circuit to see what they make of it. Ari Engel is number one on the all-time Circuit ring list with 19. Daniel Lowery is tied for second place with Maurice Hawkins on 18 and won his last two in the past couple of weeks at WSOPC Tulsa. Christina Gollins has two rings and won the last at the 2024 WSOP Circuit stop at The Commerce last May, so she’s got form in LA. Jessica Vierling won the WSOPC Main Event at The Commerce last year to bring her ring total to two.
Christina Gollins: A bit of a shocker
Listen to Gollins' take on the situation in the video below and read on for Engel, Lowery and Vierling.
Ari Engel: Inconvenient and expensive for most people
I was expecting TOC to be at The Commerce. Whether it’s a good thing or not depends on my personal view versus what I think is best for the average person playing. My personal value is maximized by the fact that it's inconvenient and expensive for most people to go to, and so fewer people show up.
However, the fact that it's inconvenient and expensive for most people is a bad thing. Furthermore, playing at The Commerce and in most California venues, there's a 7% withholding on all cashes for non-California residents. That basically lowers the value for almost all of us in that regard.
So it's not an ideal place, but the fact that it's a week or two before the World Series and the fact that most people would have no reason to go to LA does raise my personal value in the tournament.
Looking at the average player, I think having it maybe two days before the WSOP Main Event [in Las Vegas] would make a lot of sense. The other option would be the day before Day 1 of the Mystery Millions, so maybe on the first day of the WSOP, and have it end so you can still play some of the flights in the big field $1K bounty that starts the series. That’s for the average player. For me, my ideal spot would be to have it in northwest Arkansas or something like that at a remote airport and have as few players there as possible.
If they are having it at The Commerce, I think they chose a good date. It goes with what I said about having it right before the Main Event of the actual World Series.
Daniel Lowery: I was hoping they’d come to their senses
I was hoping that they’d come to their senses and put it back in Vegas, where it belongs. Having it around the time of the Main Event makes sense, as it means people get to play something else worthwhile instead of just having to travel there for one tourney.
But I think it should be in Las Vegas as the very first tournament of the WSOP. People will already be coming for the series, plus it gives a boost to the poker economy to kick off the summer. Some of us can’t go to the west coast for 7-10 days, go back east, then immediately turn around and start a summer grind on the west coast again.
I’m on the fence as to whether I go to The Commerce or not. I qualified last year and didn’t go. The TOC is so saturated these days. The $1,000,000 guarantee used to make the seat you won worth around $10,000. The leaderboard was great, and people that wouldn’t normally travel to stops around the country would get out and grind the circuit. It was fun and competitive.
Jessica Vierling: I would love to have it in Vegas
I don't think I had any expectations for the TOC. Since it is in LA, I think it's a good idea to have it around the Main Event because it makes it more efficient for visiting non-local players.
I don't think there is an ideal location for the TOC, but, of course, I would love to have it in Vegas, where I live. I don't love to have it in California due to the state taxes, though. It seems to be one of the worst choices. Besides, LA lodging and food are exceptionally expensive compared to other locations, like some places in the Midwest.
I won't be going. I'll be playing the Circuit here in Vegas and then heading to WPT in Florida.
