2021 WSOP To Benefit As U.S To Allow International Travel From November

The 2021 World Series of Poker (WSOP) is scheduled to start on Sep 30 and run till Nov 23.

The WSOP will once again take place at the Rio in Las Vegas, Nevada. The WSOP attracts players from over 100 different countries each year but it looked like the 2021 WSOP would not have a lot of international representatives due to the COVID-19 situation.

The U.S. had taken a strict stance towards international travellers in light of the pandemic and locked down its borders.

However those restrictions will be taken down based on President Joe Biden’s comments and international travel will resume from November 2021.

The news was welcomed by a number of poker players outside the United States. Since these travel restrictions will be removed in early November, international poker players should be able to play the last two weeks or so at the 2021 WSOP. Players will keep their fingers crossed and hope that the travel restrictions go down by Nov 1 or 2 latest.

This is because the $10,000 WSOP Main Event is set to commence from Nov 4 and just about every poker player in the world who can come up with the $10,000 buy-in wants to have a crack at the Main Event.

Travellers Must Meet Requirements

International poker players are waiting for more information on what criteria they need to meet before they are allowed entry into the United States. The U.S has made it clear that it will only allow vaccinated travellers to enter the country. However, no information has been provided as to what vaccinations will be accepted.

Those who have taken the AstraZeneca jab will not be allowed into the country since the AstraZeneca vaccine is not yet approved in the U.S.

A White House correspondent for COVID-19 related matters said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will release more information as to what vaccines will be permitted and what protocols need to be followed for entering America. Unvaccinated Americans who are coming into the country will have to be tested one day before flying into the country and tested for a second time upon entering the country.

The WSOP has already made it clear that only vaccinated players will be allowed to take part in the tournament and has also specified which vaccines will be accepted.