How to Decide Which WSOP Tournament(s) to Play
The 2022 World Series of Poker (WSOP) is less than two months away and poker players, in their tens of thousands, will flock to Bally’s and Paris, Las Vegas to pursue their dreams of WSOP glory.
The world of live poker looks to be near enough back to pre-covid times with the upcoming series returning to its natural summer time-slot for the first time since 2019. It has also been confirmed that there will not be any vaccination or mask requirements at this year’s WSOP.
And with the schedule out, you’ve probably already thought which events you’d like to hop into. This can be a tough choice if you have to consider a bunch of variables like bankroll considerations and how long you can go for etc. Luckily for you, PokerNews has tried to aid that decision process with this guide on how to best choose what WSOP tournament(s) to play.
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Decide What You Are There For
Before you head to Vegas, you need to decide what you are there for. Some people play poker as a fun pastime and are not too bothered whether or not they cash. For others, it’s a window of opportunity to make the bulk of the annual poker income.
Simply put, you need to decide if you are going as a recreational player or a professional.
If you are there for a good time, then you should play events which you find the most enjoyable. If you are going with the sole aim as making as much money as possible then you need to choose tournaments that you believe you’ll have an edge in.
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When Are You Going?
It goes without saying you should only play the events that begin and end when you are in Vegas. On average, a usual bracelet event lasts for at least three days, so you don’t want to be playing an event that culminates on the same date as your departure.
Of course, making a WSOP final table means you’ll be able to absorb the costs of any rearranged flights, but if you are flying back home for work or any family commitments, then that is more tricky to work around.
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How Big is Your Bankroll?
Unless you have unlimited funds to fire into every tournament, then you probably need to consider the affects each entry will have on your bankroll.
To keep things simple, let’s say you have $15,000 that is purely for poker and all your other expenses are already covered. Unless it is your sole dream to play the $10,000 WSOP Main Event, you should probably give it a miss because all it could take is one cooler in the early goings to wipe out two-thirds of your bankroll.
Below is a table of the number of events within a specific buy-in range for you too see what options are at your disposal.
| Buy-in | No. of Events |
|---|---|
| $400-$1,000 | 23 |
| $1,001-$3,000 | 36 |
| $5,000 | 4 |
| $10,000 | 15 |
| $25,000 | 3 |
| $50,000 | 4 |
| $100,000-$250,000 | 3 |
Another aspect you need to consider is whether the event you are playing permits re-entries. A $1,000 buy-in event could soon turn into a $3,000 expense, so just be sure you’re familiar with the structure and format of whichever tournament you decide to play.
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PokerNews’ Pick: Event #68: $1,000 Million Dollar Bounty
One event that is bound to cause a commotion and have a load of eyes on it will be the WSOP’s version of the extremely popular Mystery Bounty tournament, a format which has taken the live poker sphere by storm.
For the uninitiated, a mystery bounty tournament has a special bounty prize pool where players randomly choose an envelope that contains a varying cash prize. Donald Nimneh, a truck driver based in Omaha, Nebraska, changed his life after he picked up the $250,000 bounty envelope at the Wynn Fall Classic.
Not to be outshone, the WSOP’s mystery bounty edition, Event #68: $1,000 Million Dollar Bounty, features a whopping $1 million top bounty prize and that’s why it seals our top pick. One lucky player will walk home with a seven-figure payday regardless if they win the entire event. And for the $1,000 buy-in, the potential value that could be earned is too tempting to miss out on.
The Million Dollar Bounty has four starting flights, the first of which kicks off on Saturday, July 2 at 12 p.m. EST. Day’s 1a-c have 30-minute blinds while levels increase every 15-minutes on Day 1d. One re-entry is available per starting flight and closes after Level 22. The surviving players all return for Day 2 on Tuesday, July 5.
The event will then play for a further 17 levels or until five players remain, whichever comes first. The Million Dollar Bounty will then play out its conclusion the following day.
Event #68: $1,000 Million Dollar Bounty Schedule
| Date | Time (EST) | Day | Level Duration | Late Registration | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2 | 12 p.m. | Day 1a | 30 mins | 12 Levels | Level 22 |
| July 3 | 12 p.m. | Day 1b | 30 mins | 12 Levels | Level 22 |
| July 4 | 12 p.,m. | Day 1c | 30 mins | 12 Levels | Level 22 |
| July 4 | 7 p.m. | Day 1d | 15 mins | 12 Levels | Level 22 |
| July 5 | 1 p.m. | Day 2 | 40 mins | – | 17 levels or final 5 |
| July 6 | TBD | Day 3 | 40 mins | – | Winner |
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2022 WSOP Live Schedule
| Event # | Dates | Buy-In | Tournament |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 31-June 1 | $500 | Casino Employees No-Limit Hold’em |
| 2 | May 31-June 2 | $100,000 | High Roller Bounty NLH ($25k Bounties) |
| 3 | June 1-4 | $2,500 | Freezeout No-Limit Hold’em |
| 4 | June 1-4 | $1,500 | Dealers Choice 6-Handed |
| 5 | June 2-7 | $500 | The Housewarming NLH ($5m Gtd) |
| 6 | June 2-4 | $25,000 | Heads-Up NLH Championship (64-Player Max) |
| 7 | June 3-5 | $1,500 | Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better |
| 8 | June 4-6 | $25,000 | High Roller No-Limit Hold’em 8-Handed |
| 9 | June 4-6 | $1,500 | Seven Card Stud |
| 10 | June 5-7 | $10,000 | Dealers Choice 6-Handed Championship |
| 11 | June 6-7 | $600 | No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack |
| 12 | June 6-8 | $50,000 | High Roller No-Limit Hold’em 8-Handed |
| 13 | June 6-8 | $1,500 | Limit Hold’em |
| 14 | June 7-9 | $1,500 | 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em |
| 15 | June 7-10 | $10,000 | Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship |
| 16 | June 8-11 | $3,000 | No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed |
| 17 | June 8-10 | $2,500 | Limit Mixed Triple Draw Lowball (A-5,2-7,Badugi) |
| 18 | June 9-10 | $1,000 | Freezeout No-Limit Hold’em |
| 19 | June 9-12 | $25,000 | High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha |
| 20 | June 9-11 | $1,500 | Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw |
| 21 | June 10-14 | $1,500 | Monster Stack No-Limit Hold’em |
| 22 | June 10-12 | $10,000 | Seven Card Stud Championship |
| 23 | June 11-13 | $3,000 | 6-Handed Limit Hold’em |
| 24 | June 12-13 | $1,000 | GGPoker Flip & Go No-Limit Hold’em |
| 25 | June 12-13 | $800 | No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack |
| 26 | June 12-14 | $10,000 | Limit Hold’em Championship |
| 27 | June 13-15 | $1,500 | Shootout No-Limit Hold’em |
| 28 | June 13-15 | $50,000 | High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha |
| 29 | June 13-14 | $1,500 | No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw |
| 30 | June 14-16 | $1,000 | Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed |
| 31 | June 14-16 | $10,000 | Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship |
| 32 | June 15-17 | $1,500 | H.O.R.S.E. |
| 33 | June 15-16 | $3,000 | 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em |
| 34 | June 16-18 | $1,500 | Freezeout No-Limit Hold’em |
| 35 | June 16-18 | $2,500 | Mixed Big Bet Event |
| 36 | June 16-18 | $1,500 | Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo |
| 37 | June 17-21 | $1,500 | Millionaire Maker No-Limit Hold’em |
| 38 | June 17-19 | $10,000 | No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship |
| 39 | June 18-21 | $3,000 | 6-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha |
| 40 | June 18-20 | $10,000 | Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo Championship |
| 41 | June 19 | $1,000 | Super Turbo Bounty NLH ($300 Bounties) |
| 42 | June 19-21 | $100,000 | High Roller No-Limit Hold’em |
| 43 | June 20-21 | $500 | Freezeout No-Limit Hold’em |
| 44 | June 20-23 | $10,000 | H.O.R.S.E. Championship |
| 45 | June 21-23 | $1,500 | Pot-Limit Omaha |
| 46 | June 21-24 | $5,000 | 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em |
| 47 | June 22-26 | $1,000 | Seniors No-Limit Hold’em (50+) |
| 48 | June 22-24 | $1,500 | Eight-Game Mix 6-Handed |
| 49 | June 23-25 | $2,000 | No-Limit Hold’em |
| 50 | June 23-25 | $250,000 | Super High Roller No-Limit Hold’em |
| 51 | June 24-27 | $400 | Colossus No-Limit Hold’em* |
| 52 | June 24-26 | $2,500 | Nine-Game Mix 6-Handed |
| 53 | June 25-26 | $5,000 | Mixed NLH/PLO |
| 54 | June 26-28 | $500 | Salute to Warriors USO Charity NLH |
| 55 | June 26-27 | $1,000/Team | Tag Team No-Limit Hold’em |
| 56 | June 26-30 | $50,000 | Poker Players Championship |
| 57 | June 27-30 | $600 | Deepstack Championship No-Limit Hold’em |
| 58 | June 27-29 | $1,500 | Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better |
| 59 | June 28-July 1 | $1,000 | Super Seniors No-Limit Hold’em (60+) |
| 60 | June 28-30 | $10,000 | Short Deck No-Limit Hold’em |
| 61 | June 29-July 2 | $1,000 | Ladies No-Limit Hold’em Championship |
| 62 | June 29 | $1,500 | Super Turbo Bounty No-Limit Hold’em ($500 Bounties) |
| 63 | June 29-July 2 | $10,000 | Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Championship |
| 64 | June 30-July 1 | $600 | Pot-Limit Omaha Deepstack |
| 65 | June 30-July 2 | $3,000 | Freezeout No-Limit Hold’em |
| 66 | July 1-3 | $1,000 | Mini Main Event |
| 67 | July 1-2 | $10,000 | Super Turbo Bounty No-Limit Hold’em ($3k Bounties) |
| 68 | July 2-5 | $1,000 | Million Dollar Bounty NLH (Top Bounty is $1 Million) |
| 69 | July 2-5 | $10,000 | Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed Championship |
| 70 | July 3-16 | $10,000 | Main Event |
| 71 | July 7-11 | $1,111 | One More for One Drop No-Limit Hold’em |
| 72 | July 7-9 | $1,500 | Mixed PLO Hi-Lo/”Big O”/Omaha Hi-Lo |
| 73 | July 8-10 | $1,500 | Razz |
| 74 | July 9-11 | $1,500 | Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed ($500 Bounties) |
| 75 | July 10-14 | $777 | Lucky 7’s NLH 7-Handed ($777,777 Gtd 1st Place) |
| 76 | July 10-11 | $1,979 | Poker Hall of Fame Bounty NLH (HOF’ers are Bounties) |
| 77 | July 11-13 | $1,500 | Mixed No-Limit Hold’em/Pot-Limit Omaha |
| 78 | July 11-13 | $2,500 | No-Limit Hold’em |
| 79 | July 12-14 | $10,000 | Razz Championship |
| 80 | July 13-14 | $600 | Mixed Pot-Limit Omaha/No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack |
| 81 | July 13-15 | $5,000 | Freezeout No-Limit Hold’em 8-Handed |
| 82 | July 14-15 | $800 | 8-Handed No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack |
| 83 | July 14-16 | $50,000 | High Roller No-Limit Hold’em |
| 84 | July 14-16 | $3,000 | H.O.R.S.E. |
| 85 | July 15-17 | $1,500 | The Closer No-Limit Hold’em* |
| 86 | July 15-17 | $10,000 | 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em Championship |
| 87 | July 16-17 | $5,000 | 8-Handed No-Limit Hold’em |
| 88 | July 17 | $1,000 | Super Turbo No-Limit Hold’em |
| July 18-20 | Freeroll | Tournament of Champions (Invite-Only) |
Editor & Live Reporter
Calum has been a part of the PokerNews team since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the game. Calum’s proudest poker achievement is winning the only tournament he has ever played in Las Vegas, the prestigious $60 Flamingo evening event.
