Paradise. You've got to admit, it's got a nice ring to it. Plus, the Bahamas? In early December? Yeah, sign us up.
The World Series of Poker Paradise kicks off this Sunday, December 3 at the Atlantis Paradise Island resort in the Bahamas. The WSOP has partnered with GGPoker to host an eleven-day festival, with a schedule that offers up fifteen gold bracelets.
And, beyond the bracelets, there are massive prize pools to fight for--over $50,000,000 in guaranteed prizes spread across the event schedule, making this a must-play series for many players. Away from the felt, players can relax on pristine beaches, make memories at the water parks, and enjoy all the amenities that the Atlantis has to offer.
Additionally, WSOP and PokerGO will collaborate once again to bring fans live-streamed action directly from the felt. There are also plans to air three television episodes on the CBS Sports Network following the series, with commentary from WSOP legends Norm McEachern and Norman Chad.
Big names hunting winter bracelets
Already, we can confirm several notable names from the poker community will be in attendance.
Daniel Negreanu, one of the leading faces of both the WSOP and GGPoker brands, will resume his bracelet hunt after an unsuccessful series this summer. Additionally, Negreanu plans to release daily vlog episodes while there, giving his fans an unfettered look at his time in Paradise.
Along with Negreanu, the WSOP has confirmed David Williams, Dan 'Jungleman' Cates, Shaun Deeb, Allen Kessler, Rob Yong, the host of all hosts Jeff Platt, WSOP Main Event winner Ryan Reiss, life-long luckbox Matt Glantz, Santhosh Suvarna, superstar poker influencer Wolfgang, Bertrand 'ElkY' Grosspellier, Alexandra Botez, Jamie Gold, Rob 'Boston Rob' Mariano, and many, many more.
They've all punched their tickets to Paradise and are headed in search of glory, gold, and cold hard cash.
And, of course, if there are bracelets up for grabs there's one man that's guaranteed to make an appearance. Phil Hellmuth will head to Paradise in search of bracelet #18--will he strike gold in Atlantis? As always, Hellmuth has plans for a grand entrance on arrival.
This time, he's seemingly taken inspiration from the shining seas, but with a bit of mystery included. We'll all have to wait to see which overlord of the ocean Hellmuth appears as.
Jonathan Little excited to battle in Bahamas
Jonathan Little, founder of PokerCoaching.com, spoke with PokerOrg and shared his excitement about heading to WSOP Paradise.
What are you most looking forward to at Paradise? What convinced you to head to the Bahamas?
Jonathan Little: I have been to the Bahamas many times to play poker and I have always had an amazing time there. There will be lots of satellite and freeroll players in the tournaments that will hopefully make for potentially profitable games.
Are you playing a spread of events? Any of the high rollers?
JL: I will be playing pretty much all of the no-limit hold'em events except the $50k and $100k, and if those look to be especially soft, I will likely hop in them as well.
Are you going to play WPT as well or just Paradise?
JL: I am not going to WPT simply because my schedule is jam-packed in December with family activities (both of my kids and I have December birthdays). Fortunately for me, the WSOP series slotted into my schedule perfectly.
Paradise parlay promotion
Recently, WSOP announced an exciting promotion to further entice players to make the trip to the Bahamas. The surprise promotion offers players a chance to parlay their WSOP summer successes into cash bonuses.
It's a straightforward concept: players that earn ten cashes across both series win a $5,000 bonus; players that reach three total final tables win a $25,000 bonus; and any player that wins two bracelets, one from the summer and one in Paradise, will receive a $100,000 cash bonus.
The sheer value added from the promotion makes a trip to Paradise even more enticing.
The announcement of the Paradise Parlay received universal praise from the community, with many voicing their support on social media. Some were so swayed by the prospect that they felt they had to at the very least consider changing their plans for the winter.
Importantly, the money for these cash bonuses will not come out of existing event prize pools, but rather from marketing funds.
Follow all the action on WSOP+
If you're unable to make the trip to Paradise to take part in the action or sweat your friends, the WSOP+ app has everything you need to follow along with the action.
The application is now available for download for players and fans alike, offering real-time updates on tournament clocks and remaining players. Additionally, the app will send players notifications with updates on tournament registration and sit-ins, allowing their focus to remain solely on the cards.
WSOP Paradise bracelet events
| Event | Date | Length | Buy-in |
| #1 Mystery Millions | Dec 3-5 (Flights A-E) | 3 days | $1,500 |
| #2 Millionaire Maker in Paradise | Dec 4 | 1 day | $1,425 |
| #3 GGMillion$ High Roller Championship | Dec 5-6 (Flights A-B) | 3 days | $25,000 |
| #4 Mini Main Event NLH | Dec 5-7 (Flights A-D) | 3 days | $1,000 |
| #5 High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha | Dec 7 | 2 days | $25,000 |
| #6 NLH 6-Handed | Dec 8 | 2 days | $3,000 |
| #7 Super High Roller NLH | Dec 8 | 2 days | $50,000 |
| #8 Mystery Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha (Online) | Dec 8 | 1 day | $2,000 |
| #9 Ultra High Roller NLH | Dec 9 | 3 days | $100,000 |
| #10 Main Event Championship | Dec 9-12 (Flights A-D) | 4 days | $5,000 |
| #11 Flip & Go | Dec 12 | 2 days | $740 |
| #12 NLH Freezeout (Online) | Dec 13 | 1 day | $1,000 |
| #13 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship | Dec 13 | 2 days | $10,000 |
| #14 The Closer - Turbo Bounty | Dec 13 (Flights A-B) | 2 days | $2,000 |
| #15 High Roller NLH 6-Handed | Dec 14 | 1 day | $10,000 |
