Prepare Yourself For the WSOP 2018!

The November Nine at the WSOP 2015 Finals table

On December 12 2017, Caesars Interactive Entertainment, the official sponsors for the popular global event World Series of Poker, announced the dates for the much awaited 49th edition of the event which is expected to take place from May 29 – July 17, 2018.

As usual, there’s the premier tournament, which is going to feature 78 official gold bracelet events, and the $10,000 no-limit Texas hold’em main event that will take place from July 2-14.

Once again, all the games are going to be held at the Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas – a brick and mortar casino, no online casino play is allowed remember. All doors globally will officially open May 29th for satellites, live action games and registration, while the first bracelet events will kick off on May 30th.

You can read all the useful information about this upcoming tournament in the guide below!

The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada

The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada

WORLD SERIES OF POKER GUIDE 2018

The World Series of Poker is considered as one of the largest poker events in the world as it brings together hundreds of thousands of poker players and enthusiasts from around the world to Las Vegas once every year to compete for millions of dollars and the coveted champion bracelet. In the WSOP 2017, there were nearly 121,000 participants who raised a total of $231 million in prize money.

Most of these participants are expected to be back this year to participate in the prestigious events that include the $1,500 Millionaire Maker, which is set to take place on June 15th; the $50,000 Poker Players Championship, which will take place on June 15th; and the Crazy Eights which comes with the obvious buy-in of $888, which will take place on June 30th.

Additionally, for the first time since the WSOP 2014 event, we are going to see the $1 Million Buy-In Big One Drop make a return to the world series of poker. It’s considered to be one of the most expensive and prestigious tournament to enter in North America Poker history.

Stakes are certainly going to be high during this pressure jammed, three-day event that’s going to kick off on June 15th, a day after the main event comes to an end!

In the World Series of Poker 2018, expect to see a record of 13 games in total right after the main event kicks off. You can as well expect a number of new additions to the main schedule that include the following:

  • 30th May: $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty No Limit Hold’em Poker
  • June 1st: $100,000 NL Hold’em
  • June 3rd $365 PLO Giant event
  • June 16th: $1,000 Double Stack NL Hold’em
  • June 23rd: $565 WSOP.com Online Pot Limit Omaha 6 Handed
  • June 25th: $1,500 Bounty NL Hold’em
  • June 12th: $1,500 The Closer NL Hold’em
  • June 13th: $50,000 High Roller NL Hold’em

The winner from each of these events shall be awarded a bracelet as well as cash prize, which will be determined by the number of participants and the total buy-in. You can always find the full tournament schedule of the World Series of Poker 2018 event at the official website, where you can also download the information easily in PDF.

Blumstein, Pollak and Ott

Blumstein, Pollak and Ott

How do you qualify for the WSOP 2018 through the 888 Online Satellite?

The past few years have seen 888 grow from an average poker site to the 2nd largest site online, and it, therefore, makes a lot of sense that their World Series qualifier events get bigger and better each year. As you’ll soon discover, the 888 WSOP satellites are filled with armature and recreational online poker players, making it the best venue to qualify as compared to the other poker rooms, which are full of ‘grinders’.

And to this, there’s also the biggest prize package of all, which was valued at approximately $12,500 last year – further solidifying the reason why 888 Poker remains the most preferred destination for players looking to qualify for the WSOP event.

Two popular ways of qualifying for the WSOP 2018 event include the following:

1. Muti-Step Qualifiers
This is the first way to book your ticket to the event. Depending on your bankroll, you can start with the lowest step of $0.01 and gradually work your way up the ladder, hoping to become the next big winner of the WSOP bracelet

2. Direct Buy-In Qualifier
The other way is to enter directly into a qualifier that you wish based on the event that you want to participate in. This is the event that will reward you with the prize of $12,500

How do you pay for a 2018 WSOP event?

If you pre-register for the event, you can opt to pay by wire transfer or send a cashier check. WSOP also accepts credit card payments but for buy-ins less than $1,500. If you are entering the event in person, you can pay through the systems Cash Casino chips credit card up to a maximum of $10,000

What’s the minimum age requirement for the WSOP?

In compliance to the Nevada Gambling Law, all participants for the World Series of Poker 2018 event should be at least 21 years of age by the start of the day of the tournament that they wish to participate in.

This usually creates a fun scenario, especially where a player could be denied the chance to participate in the tournament and still enter it on his 21st birthday the next day. But, there are plenty of tribal and foreign casinos or online poker website that have an age restriction of 18, meaning that you could have gained 3 years of playing experience before being allowed to the legally participate in the WSOP.

What are the rules regarding taxation at the WSOP

If you thought the IRS didn’t have its tentacles in the WSOP event, you are mistaken. For an agency that has a tax code 5 times longer than the bible, you’ll be sure to part away with a share of your winnings one way or another.

To facilitate this, you’ll have to provide a valid government-issued photo ID (if you live outside the US) or a driver’s license if you are a US citizen when collecting your winnings.

The actual tax rules from the WSOP

I’m usually marvelled every time these requirements pop up after the competition. Truly, I would say in all honesty that it’s actually double taxation. Anyway, these are the tax requirements for the 2017 WSOP, and we expect them to be used in this year’s event.

  • If you are a US citizen, you have to provide your social security number
  • If you fail to provide your SSN, you’ll have 28% of your winnings withheld
  • If you are a foreign citizen from the US Tax Treaty country, you have to provide a Tax Identification Number
  • Failure to provide the Tax Identification Number will see 30% of your winnings withheld
  • Other foreign players will see a 30% tax withheld

In general, there are roughly 50 Tax Treaty countries, which include Australia and most of the European countries, some of the African, Asia and the Middle East. You can save yourself from the hassle of finding how much you need to pay by simply visiting the WSOP office and sign up for a TIN if you are visiting from another country.

Where can I find the WSOP office?

It’s located past the Pavilion and right across the Amazon room in the Tropical Room. The office was set up to handle pre-registration, logistical questions, specific forms and cancellations.

What do I need before travelling to the event?

As you plan to spend part of your summer in Las Vegas, I highly suggest that you ask yourself some of the following questions before you decide to buy into any of the available tournaments.

  1. How long do you plan to stay in Las Vegas?
  2. How much money do you have to spare for the trip
  3. Are you going to play at any event? Or are you going to spectate?
  4. Do you have a backup plan in case your stay extends? You might find yourself staying for long if you advance into later stages of the event

Amateurs Are Welcomed

Surprisingly in 2003, the winner of the main event was Chris Moneymaker, an amateur who had never played poker before and only qualified for the main event by playing at an online platform. At the time of playing, he was an accountant, and his historic win sprouted the name ‘The Moneymaker Effect’ which was used to refer to the change that followed up after his victory – amateurs started playing more!

As such, anyone interested in playing poker is certainly welcomed to the event. If you are interested in playing, you have to pay the registration fee or win your way into the tourney by playing in the satellite competitions to try your luck!

About WSOP

The World Series of Poker is perhaps the richest, most prominent and longest running poker event in the world, which is always live streamed on PokerGo and aired exclusively on ESPN Networks. This means at least the better part of the competition will be available to anyone with access to internet connection and not just the few who can make it to Las Vegas.