WSOP Heads to the Caribbean in December
As the 2023 WSOP Main Event was wrapping up, a new series was announced. Poker Hall of Famer took to Twitter to announce the inaugural WSOP Paradise. The new series will run from 3rd December through 14th December 2023 at Atlantis Paris Island.
The series will feature 15 World Series of Poker bracelet events and $50 million in guarantees. Buy-ins start at $1,000 and will feature buy-ins of $25k, $50k, and $100k. The WSOP Paradise Main Event will feature a $5,000 buy-in with a $15 million guaranteed prize pool.
Negreanu in his promo video called WSOP Paradise, an “amazing series for high rollers.” The exact schedule for the series still needs to be released, but we can assume the events will focus on NL Hold’em and PL Omaha. At least two PLO events will be on the schedule with seven-figure guarantees.
GG Poker is presenting the series, and according to ads, there will be over 1,000 online qualifiers on the site. Negreanu says, “It’s going to be an absolutely amazing experience, the best of poker at one of the world’s most luxurious resorts!”
Has the WSOP Oversaturated the Market for Bracelets?
Every time the WSOP has expanded in the past, there have been arguments about bracelets not meaning what they once did. This argument started once the bracelet total each year moved above 50. However, in recent years, the count has crept above 100. Now, with the addition of WSOP Paradise, there will be 153 bracelets awarded in 2023.
Don’t believe us? Here is a breakdown of how many bracelets will be awarded in 2023
Live WSOP Las Vegas Bracelets – 95Online WSOP Bracelets for New Jersey / Nevada – 20Online WSOP Bracelets for Michigan / Pennsylvania – 7WSOP Circuit Global Championship – 1WSOP Europe – 15WSOP Paradise – 15
Of the 153 bracelets, 27 of them are only available online. During the WSOP, there were events exclusive to players physically in New Jersey and Nevada. There were seven available only to players in Michigan and Pennsylvania.
All other events are predominately open-field events. The exception is the Global Championship. The WSOP Circuit Global Championship is the championship event for the WSOP Circuit. All other WSOP Circuit events award gold rings.
WSOP Paradise may prove to be popular, mainly since it focuses on high rollers. However, it does add additional bracelets to an already oversaturated market. Of course, it could be worse. The WSOP Asia-Pacific ran in 2013 and 2014 but was soon abandoned. If the WSOP Paradise proves popular, will it become a permanent fixture, or will it replace WSOP Europe?
Poker Players Will Vote With Their Buy-Ins
No matter the opinion of the state of WSOP bracelets, one thing remains. Poker players and fans are turning out in record numbers to support the World Series of Poker. The 2023 WSOP was the largest in history, and WSOP officials are hoping that they can capitalize on the popularity.
WSOP Paradise will likely be successful, but what about WSOP Europe? Will they break records, or will fans save their money for Atlantis? Time will tell. However, if fans continue to shell out their money to chase the ever-growing number of bracelets, WSOP officials will likely continue expanding to meet demand.
