$4 Million WSOP Spring Online Championships to Break US Poker Records

April 1st, 2020 | by Greg Shaun

World Series of Poker (WSOP) executives might be holding off on delaying their summer series but their making sure US players have something to fall back on.

The 2020 WSOP Spring Online Championships Series will carry a record prizepool and provide some MTT action for those that can’t play live. (Image: WSOP)

With the new coronavirus causing disruption around the world, the WSOP has super-sized its Spring Online Championships Series. Adapted to suit the current lockdown climate, the 2020 series will carry a $4 million guarantee.

The action will run from April 5 to May 3 and take place on WSOP.com/888poker. Prior to the main series, four days of warm-up events will take place from April 1.

US-Only Series Will Secure WSOP Another Record

Much like the recent WSOP Online Super Circuit, the spring festival will only be available to players in New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware.

For those in a valid region, the $4 million series guarantee will be the largest in regulated US poker history. What’s more, the guarantee will be $2.7 million more than WSOP put up in 2019.

Players will have their pick of 100 MTTs throughout the series, including a $300,000 guaranteed main event. Supporting the $225 main event will be a selection of freezeouts, turbos, rebuys and deepstack events. Additionally, buy-ins will start at $10 and all MTTs will be either Hold’em or Omaha.

Interestingly, WSOP.com will break its own record with the Spring Online Championships Series. In 2019, its annual selection of WSOP online bracelet events paid out just over $3.5 million.

New Coronavirus Continues to Disrupt Poker

With the WSOP’s Las Vegas event in doubt, the spring festival will offer at least some sort of alternative for US grinders. However, what it won’t do is help players in Europe.

Although there’s been no official word on the 2020 WSOP, coronavirus is hampering all plans. Even if Las Vegas was to reopen in time for a May/June start date, players may not be able to travel.

Almost all of Europe is on lockdown right now and travel into and out of countries is either impossible or difficult. Add to this varying restrictions across the US and, even if the WSOP goes ahead, numbers could be significantly reduced.

While there may be arguments that something is better than nothing, a half full WSOP would massive departure from the highs of recent years. Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, expectations were that the 2020 WSOP would be a record-breaker.

With attendance figures improving year-on-year, many believed this summer’s events would be the biggest on record. That seems unlikely now. However, with online poker unaffected, players in New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware can look forward to some sort of WSOP action in the coming weeks.