The World Poker Tour (WPT) and Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas have finalized the schedule for its December, record-breaking poker festival.
In total, the series, which runs December 1-20, features 23 tournaments and $22 million in guarantees. Although there are a number of major events, including the WPT Ladies Championship and what figures to be another exciting Mystery Bounty event at Wynn, the series is highlighted by the largest guaranteed prize pool poker tournament in history.
World Poker Tour to Break Records at Wynn
The $10,400 buy-in WPT World Championship, the first WPT Main Tour event at Wynn, promises a $15 million minimum prize pool. Action in the historic event at the luxurious Las Vegas Strip casino resort begins December 12 and concludes with the final table on December 20.
“Our goal is to develop the WPT World Championship into one of the most talked about events of the year,” Adam Pliska, CEO of the World Poker Tour said.
There's no doubt the record-breaking event will be one of the main topics of discussion as the tournament approaches. Many of the top pros in the game have already made it known publicly they plan to compete. The tournament should have a solid mix of pros and recreational players, much like the World Series of Poker Main Event, also a $10,000 buy-in tournament in Las Vegas.
Not a One-Trick Pony
The late-year festival at Wynn has more to it than just one big event. Play kicks off December 1 with a $600 buy-in no-limit hold'em tournament featuring a $500,000 guaranteed prize pool. There will be two Day 1 starting flights each day through the 3rd.
For those who enjoy the non-hold'em games, the casino will be spreading an $1,100 HORSE event on December 12 and then an Omaha/8 tournament the following day. Both cost $1,100 to enter and will have at least $100,000 in the pot. On December 8, there will be a $3,000 buy-in 8-Game Mix with $200,000 guaranteed.
The biggest events of the festival beyond the WPT World Championship are the $1,100 Ladies Championship ($200,000 guaranteed December 16-18), $1,100 WPT Prime Championship ($2 million guaranteed December 8-13), and the $1,600 Mystery Bounty ($2 million guaranteed December 16-19) in which players can draw bounty cash prizes up to $100,000. Wynn's poker room has been the catalyst behind the new popular mystery bounty gimmick that has taken over tournament poker the past couple of years.
The final event of the series on December 19 is the $600 Tag Team Bomb Pot, a one-day tournament that runs one day before the WPT World Championship final table.
There will be numerous satellites available with 220 seats handed out across the 23 series events.
Full Wynn WPT World Championship Schedule
| Dates | Tournament | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|
| Dec. 1-4 | $600 No-Limit Hold'em | $500,000 |
| Dec. 4 | $600 No-Limit Hold'em | $500,000 |
| Dec. 5 | $600 HORSE | $50,000 |
| Dec. 5-7 | $600 No-Limit Hold'em | $200,000 |
| Dec. 6 | $600 Limit Omaha 8/B | $50,000 |
| Dec. 7-8 | $1,100 Seniors Championship (50+) | $200,000 |
| Dec. 7 | $600 Five Card PLO | $50,000 |
| Dec. 8-12 | $1,100 WPT Prime Championship NLH | $2,000,000 |
| Dec. 8-9 | $3,000 8-Game Mix | $200,000 |
| Dec. 9 | $600 PLO Turbo | $50,000 |
| Dec. 10 | $600 NLH $1k Bounty Turbo | $50,000 |
| Dec. 12-20 | $10,400 WPT World Championship NLH | $15,000,000 |
| Dec. 12-13 | $1,100 HORSE Championship | $100,000 |
| Dec. 13-14 | $1,100 Limit Omaha 8/B Championship | $100,000 |
| Dec. 14 | $1,600 NLH $500 Bounty Turbo | $100,000 |
| Dec. 15-16 | $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em | $500,000 |
| Dec. 16-19 | $1,600 Mystery Bounty NLH | $2,000,000 |
| Dec. 16-18 | $1,100 WPT Ladies Championship NLH | $200,000 |
| Dec. 16 | $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Max | $250,000 |
| Dec. 17 | $5,200 NLH Progressive Bounty | $250,000 |
| Dec. 18 | $10,500 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller | N/A |
| Dec. 19 | $1,100 No-Limit Hold'em | $200,000 |
| Dec. 19 | $600 Tag Team Bomb Pot | $50,000 |
