2020 WSOP yet to be canceled
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
We have seen The Masters pushed back in golf, NASCAR, the NBA, the NHL and other events paused or canceled outright, as well as the Indianapolis 500 moved from its traditional Memorial Day weekend spot.
However, one highly-anticipated event, which is set to go off in late May, has yet to be canceled - the 2020 World Series of Poker (WSOP).
The 2020 tournament is expected to kick off with the Daily Deepstack at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Tuesday, May 26. As of now, the WSOP officials have announced that there are no plans to sack the event, at least right now, as they have at least seven weeks before the event is set to take place.The clock is ticking, however, and we all know that the Las Vegas hotels and casinos have been shuttered indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic, with no set date for the opening of hotels, etc.
We'll likely see the WSOP in some form or another sometime this summer, but you'd have to imagine that hotels would have to be thoroughly cleaned, re-opened and operate for at least a few weeks, whether with or without guests, before the tournament is given the green light to go on uninterrupted.
While the crowd isn't a major part of the tournament, the rail birds in attendance, the family and friends of the players, etc., do offer a unique aspect. But, players could play cards and go on without fans. But there are nine players at a table with a dealer, sitting in close quarters. Not exactly social distancing in this COVID times.
It might be a bit ambitious for the WSOP to go on uninterrupted and/or without delay. But there is some growing talk of the National Basketball Association potentially quarantining players in the vacant Las Vegas hotels and casinos and potentially playing basketball games in an attempt to salvage the season.
It's not written in stone, but if the NBA steams ahead and is able to play in Vegas, or at least a date is set for this to potentially take place, that might bode really well for the WSOP. If not, and the WSOP is pushed back, the bracelets will still be there. And, we will have 14 online tournaments played exclusively at WSOP.com.
Could all 101 gold bracelet events for the 51st annual series be moved online? It might be more difficult than it sounds, as players would have to physically be located in the states of Delaware, Nevada or New Jersey to legally play online. So with shelter-in-place or more travel restrictions, it might be easier said than done to get to those three states to play. So that's another hurdle that doesn't necessarily bode well for the WSOP starting on time.
We'll see.
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