Organisers of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) have announced that the 2020 edition of the tournament will be postponed due to the global outbreak of novel coronavirus (Covid-19).
The 51st WSOP had been due to begin with an event at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Nevada, in the US on May 26, but will no longer take place as scheduled.
Organisers have said that they hope to begin staging events in the autumn of this year, though the exact dates and events will not be determined until a later date, with several changes expected.
When the series does take place, it will include the $10,000 buy-in Main Event championship, billed as the richest prize pool on the poker calendar each year.
“We are committed to running the World Series of Poker this year but need additional time to proceed on our traditional scale while prioritising guest and staff well-being,” WSOP executive director Ty Stewart said.
“In the interim, official WSOP competitions are expected to be played online this summer, and we will soon announce details of an expanded series of tournaments to be played on WSOP.com and through partnership with international operators, which will allow players to chase WSOP glory from their homes.”
The next event on the WSOP 2020 calendar due to take place is the Global Casino Championship, which is scheduled for August 11-13 at Harrah’s Cherokee in North Carolina. The invitation-only competition is open to players who have qualified.
In addition, WSOP Europe remains on the calendar for the autumn at the King’s Resort in Rozvadov, Czech Republic.