Some big changes have come to the World Poker Tour as the series launches its 20th anniversary season. That included the company announcing a rebrand of the mid-major WPTDeepStacks (WPTDS) on Tuesday.
With that tour’s demise comes the launch of WPT Prime. The new brand “pairs the premier poker tournament experience of a WPT Main Tour stop with affordable buy-ins accessible to more players around the globe,” the company noted in a news release.
What is WPT Prime?
Like WPTDS, Prime allows the tour to reach players with more modest
bankrolls. However, the tour appears to be offering these players a more ramped-up experience they might see at a Main Tour event. Some of what Prime players can expect include:
- the use of action clocks
- winner trophies
- in-depth event coverage from the WPT digital content team
Prime events also count toward the Player of the Year leaderboard, which awards $30,000 in prizes. Company senior director of global tour management Cathy Zhao oversaw the transition to Prime.
“Our continued efforts to improve the WPT live tournament experience will benefit more players than ever during Season XX,” Zhao said in a news release.
“WPT Prime is the embodiment of our goal to provide the best possible poker tournament experience to players everywhere, and our strong relationships with our global partners will elevate the WPT experience around the world.”
DeepStacks Tour retired, Asian events planned
The DeepStacks Tour launched in 2014 and was acquired by the WPT in 2017. WPTDS as a brand will now be retired in mid-2022 following the conclusion of events in Amsterdam, Sydney, and Thunder Valley.
WPT Prime then debuts with three of events in Asia. Players can look for some of the first events in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Taiwan.
“In celebration of our 20-year anniversary, we are thrilled to be able to deliver the high-quality WPT Prime experience in the Asia-Pacific region,” Vice President of Global Tour Management Angelica Hael said.
“As we announce more of our Season XX events around the world after a tumultuous period, we are absolutely delighted to be back in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Taiwan.”
A look at the stops in Asia
The first stop for the new brand is in Vietnam at the Crown Poker Club in Hanoi from May 19-30. The series is headlined by the VND25,000,000 ($1,100) main event from May 26-30.
Prime Cambodia then runs Aug. 11-23 in partnership with Connaissance Management Group at the NagaWorld Integrated Resort in Phnom Penh. The $1,100 main event runs from Aug. 18-22.
WPT hosted the largest live poker tournament in Cambodia in November 2019. The $727,500 prize pool nearly tripled the $250,000 guarantee.
Taiwan is the next WPT Prime Asian stop and hosted by the Chinese Texas Hold’em Poker Association in Taipei from Nov. 11-21. The TWD30,000 ($1,077 USD) main event then runs Nov. 17-21.
Additionally, all WPT Prime and Main Tour stops will feature a competition for the Player of the Festival. The company willrelease a scoring system soon. Each winner earns a trophy and additional prizes.
The company will announce more WPT Prime events on the Season XX schedule in the coming weeks.
* Dealer photo and logo courtesy WPT