International side of 2021 WSOP Online events to award 33 bracelets Aug. 1 through Sept. 12
The return of the live version of the World Series of Poker doesn’t spell the end of extensive opportunities to win bracelets online. Following the announcement of a 33-event WSOP Online series for U.S. players, GGPoker unveiled its own hugely expanded slate of 33 online bracelet events for 2021.
GGPoker’s WSOP Online Series will run Aug. 1 through Sept. 12, accessible in areas of the world where the site legally operates. The international side of the WSOP Online 2021 series puts 33 bracelets up for grabs, matching the 33 championships on the line in the U.S. side of things on WSOP.com.
The dates for the GGPoker WSOP Online 2021 series were announced in a Monday press release that also outlined the schedule for the Super Circuit Online Series. The series runs May 1-30 on GGPoker.
While GGPoker released the full schedule for the Super Circuit Online Series, exact tournaments, guarantees, and other details for the WSOP Online 2021 are still pending. Poker.org will update that information as soon as it’s released, but we can already predict that an unprecedented number of total bracelets will be awarded at the 2021 World Series of Poker.
The live WSOP returns for its traditional seven-week schedule from Sept. 30 through Nov. 23. The last installment of the live WSOP offered 89 total bracelet events, with 80 live tournaments and nine online events.
The number of online events jumps from nine in 2019 to 66 in 2021. That's more than a 600% increase in online events. It's also a sure sign that the pandemic invigorated online poker well beyond the advent of a vaccinated population. Combined with what we can project as around 80 live bracelet events, it appears the 2021 WSOP will award something in the neighborhood of 150 bracelets this year.
Massive WSOP Online 2021 schedule returns for 2021
The COVID-19 circumstances of 2020 prompted the WSOP to conduct a series that provided an online equivalent of the traditional live WSOP. GGPoker and WSOP.com teamed up to run 85 bracelet events last year, followed up by an 86th bracelet awarded in the hybrid live/online 2020 Main Event.
While the live WSOP is back for 2021, the new WSOP Online tradition returns for this year as well.
“The bar has been set with last year’s record-breaking series, but we’re hoping to raise it even higher this year,” said Director of the World Series of Poker Gregory Chochon in the GGPoker press release.
“One of our goals is to provide as many people the chance to become champions as possible. However, we know not everyone can or is comfortable traveling yet, so continuing a robust online bracelet offering in 2021 is a must.”
GGPoker did release the full Super Circuit Online Series schedule, which guarantees $100 million across 18 Circuit Ring Events. That series culminates in a $525 buy-in, $5 Million Guaranteed Main Event, which offers multiple Day 1 flights and plays to a champion on May 30.
Featured image source: Twitter
