There was a time when the World Series of Poker was sacrosanct on the tournament poker schedule. In the 21st century, however, that thought has gone out the window as several entities are looking to get a boost from poker’s longest-running tournament. Count the World Poker Tour into that mix as they will journey to The Venetian in Las Vegas for a major event this summer, the WPT Venetian Las Vegas Championship.
Tournament Returns for First Time Since 2022
The WPT Venetian Las Vegas Championship is returning to action for the first time since 2022. From July 17-22, the $5000 buy-in tournament with a $4 million guaranteed prize pool will be held, with at least two Day One flights running on July 17 and July 18 (the official structure and schedule have not been posted on the WPT website yet). The target that WPT officials have set is to meet the numbers that were brought in by that tournament in 2022.
In 2022, the WPT ran an event like this, which resulted in monstrous success for the players and the WPT. 1178 entrants would come to the tables for that event in building a prize pool of over $5.4 million through three Day One flights. It was a Mizrachi that took down the top prize, but not the one that pops readily to mind for most poker fans; it was Robert Mizrachi taking the top slot, the plaque on the Mike Sexton WPT Champions’ Cup, and an almost $900K payday after beating Mike Vanier in heads up play.
“The Venetian has been home to some incredible WPT moments over the years,” said WPT CEO Adam Pliska. “We are honored to bring the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup back to such a revered venue.”
There have been several improvements to The Venetian poker product since the last time the WPT visited. The Venetian Poker Room now has a dedicated final table streaming room where this year’s finale will be set, and the room itself can lay claim to being one of the largest on the Strip. “The Venetian Poker Room has been completely transformed since the last time WPT was with us in 2022,” Tommy Larosa, Director of Poker Operations at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, said during the tournament’s announcement. “(We try to) provide players with an elevated experience, and adding the WPT Championship event to the DeepStack Championship Poker Series further expands the offering for players this summer.”
WPT Builds on Long History of Las Vegas Tournaments
It is not like this is the first time that the WPT has set foot in Las Vegas (nor was 2022). The WPT built its name on the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas. Over the years, however, the relationship between the two entities has ebbed and flowed.
For many years, Bellagio was THE spot to play poker in Las Vegas and, as such, the WPT utilized its facilities for its broadcasts. The WPT Championship was held at Bellagio for its first eleven seasons, and other major poker tournaments made the schedule from Bellagio. The Five Diamond World Poker Classic, the Festa al Lago, and the Doyle Brunson North American Poker Championship all can lay claim to having Bellagio host their events.
Recently, however, other institutions have bypassed Bellagio for Las Vegas supremacy, at least for the WPT. The Wynn Resort now holds the WPT Championship (at least for the last couple of years), and The Venetian has stepped up for its place on the WPT schedule. As the WPT puts the “World” in its moniker (only three of this year’s eight completed tournaments have taken place on U.S. soil), the days when Las Vegas (and, by extension, the States) dominate the WPT roster seem to be far removed.
The WPT Venetian Las Vegas Championships will present several opportunities for players to get into the tournament through ClubWPT. For more details on that and a structure sheet (soon to come, we are told), visit the World Poker Tour website.
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