WSOP GGC Moved Online Due To COVID-19 Pandemic

The upcoming World Series of Poker (WSOP) Global Casino Championship will now take place as an online event on September 13 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Additionally, a new WSOP Circuit “season finale” will also be held online from June 3-14, awarding 12 gold rings.

The WSOP recently announced the major changes as live poker will likely remain shut for the time being as COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the United States. The decision follows the postponement of the 51st edition of the WSOP which was due to take place this summer at The Rio in Las Vegas.

The Global Casino Championship (GCC) was originally scheduled for August at Harrah’s Cherokee, but current circumstances indicate it’s still not safe to hold live poker events, but organizers are finding ways to continue the action and give players the chance to win massive prizes. As WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart has put it, “the show must go on, online“.

Both the GCC and the WSOP Circuit season finale will run at WSOP.com.

GCC Online Exclusive for Nevada, NJ Players

Players who already qualified for the GCC by winning WSOP Circuit Main Events or Casino Championships, as well as those who earned automatic seats after making it to Top 50 on the overall leaderboard, will be sent an invitation, but they should take note that they need to be based in Nevada or New Jersey in order to compete. Those from Delaware cannot take part in the GCC, though they can still take a shot at the WSOP Circuit finale.

The Circuit finale in June will award 13 spots to the GCC, including the 12 gold ring winners, and the WSOP Online Casino Champion. All in all, the GCC will have 143 automatic entrants, which include Jeff Trudaeu Jr and Massoud Eskandari, both of whom respectively took down the Casino Championships at the WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Atlantic City and Bicycle Casino.

WSOP Circuit ring winners who are not automatically qualified, as well as those finishing in the top 100 of the WSOP POY race, will be given the chance to compete in the GCC for a buy-in of $10,000.

Since March, a number of WSOP Circuit events have been cancelled due to the ongoing global pandemic. The WSOP then partnered with GGPoker to hold the first ever WSOP Super Circuit Online Series, offering $100 million in guarantees. The online festival is currently underway and is also offering two seats to the GCC.

The GCC features $1 million in guaranteed prize pool, and is also an official WSOP bracelet event. Schedules are available on the WSOP website.