Author: Jeffrey McMillan

There has long been a debate within the poker world around one single question. Is poker a sport? On November 16th that question was answered, somewhat.

The International Mind Sports Association (IMSA) declared poker a mind sport after a vote and officially added it to the IMSA list that recognizes mind sports.

Poker joins a list that also includes bridge, chess, mahjong, and Go. Poker is now classified as a mental sport requiring skill, strategy and focus.

This recognition for poker did not come without effort as it took a long campaign by the World Poker Federation (WPF), which includes 5 continents and 49 countries. This was campaign that took much planning and research to get poker included on a list with other mind sports that have a very long history.

The success was celebrated by the WPF.

“We have achieved something today that is both unprecedented and definitive,” said WPF President Igor Trafane, pictured above, right, with IMSA CEO Geoffrey Borg.

“Our mission now is to build the foundation that every major sport already has: standardized regulations, professional pathways, player protections, and international competitions.

“The World Poker Federation was built on the belief that, by joining forces, we can amplify our impact and protect the game we love.”

Why is this important?

One may ask why is it important that poker be considered a mind sport by an official association. It starts with the long battle that poker has with legalization in various parts of the world.

In most countries and jurisdictions, poker is legally considered a game of chance and therefore subject to strict regulation. There is also the mainstream idea that poker is gambling and with that often comes a negative connotation that most people have towards poker. The average citizen will usually think of poker as a gambling game of chance that is subject to the whims of luck, such as slots or the lottery.

But by classifying poker as a mind sport, it can help start to change that perception. If poker is more closely associated with chess, which has a generally positive connotation in the general public, it can increase poker’s prestige.

Hopefully, this designation can help change laws that currently classify poker as a game of chance and potentially push for more legalization, now that it’s officially recognized as a strategy game.

Changing the Perception

Changing the perception of poker will not happen overnight. It will take a concerted effort from poker rooms and online poker sites around the world to promote the idea of poker as a game of strategy.

This may require a little less promotion of money numbers, as that tends to lean more into the idea of it being gambling.

Obviously, the idea of poker, especially poker tournaments, is to win money. While many players only care about the money, but there is still a large subsection of players who love the strategy and the competition even more. That backs up the idea of it being correctly classified as a mind sport.

This designation by the IMSA is a good thing for poker.  This decision should be marketed in an attempt to ultimately move poker into the same conversation as games like chess.

The Women in Poker Hall of Fame (WiPHoF) nominated eight candidates in October for the 2024 class of inductions. The candidates were Liv Boeree, Jamie Kerstetter, Kara Scott, Rebecca McAdam Willetts, Annette Obrestad, Jennifer Shahade, Kristen Foxen, and Jeanne David.

The eight candidates were all strong contenders, with each having a very solid case to be made for induction. In fact, some of the nominees are some of the biggest names in the game of poker.

After a couple of weeks of discussion and voting, the suspense is now over. At the end, two of the eight nominees were selected as the 26th and 27th members of the WiPHoF.

Kristen Foxen

One of the two women inducted is perhaps the most well-known name among women in poker right now: Kristen Foxen. Her resume speaks for itself. She has $8.4 million in career earnings, much of that coming in the last few years as her results continue to accumulate.

Foxen is currently the second-highest ranked woman in career live tournament earnings, and will more than likely overtake the top spot in the coming years with Vanessa Selbst largely retired from poker. She also boasts the most WSOP bracelets for any woman with five, which in itself makes her a slam-dunk inductee.

Having women in the top levels of poker is important for promoting the game and Foxen has been instrumental in recent years in this aspect as well. Her continued presence on poker streams in the top tournaments in the world and high roller cash games has been unbelievably valuable. Foxen has proven that women can compete at the top level of the game.

What was likely one of the key factors to Foxen being inducted this year was her 2024 WSOP Main Event run, which was fresh on the minds of the voters. Her 13th-place finish in the largest Main Event in history was memorable as she made a charge to become the first woman to make the final table in the poker boom era.

Foxen played in the spotlight of the poker world and had many memorable hands at the feature table before ultimately coming up just short of the final table. But it was still the highest finish for any woman at the WSOP Main Event since 2012.

Jeanna David

Perhaps a lesser known name was also inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame with the induction of Jeanna David. She is not as well known as Foxen, but that does not mean she is any less important to women in poker, which can be seen by the decision to put her in as an industry induction.

After working most of her career with PokerStars as the head of responsible gaming, David has been a critical behind-the-scenes figure and has made efforts to get online poker legalized again in the USA, as well as across the whole of Europe. She has been instrumental in getting online poker regulated in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Nevada.

As a player, she is known as a strong mixed games player with most of her career winnings coming in mixed games.

The six nominees who were not chosen for induction this year into the WiPHoF will all still be strong candidates in 2025 when the debate will pick up once again.

The 2024 EPT continued its poker journey for this calendar year with EPT Cyprus in October. Set in the beautiful Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa on the Turkish side of Cyprus, it was the second time the EPT made it to Cyprus, with the first time being last year in 2023.

It was a highly successful series with several big events and winners. The series attracted the normal crowd of players from all parts of Europe. But with its Mediterranean location, it also brought in more players from Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia than usual to make for a diverse mix of poker talent.

After nearly two weeks, it all culminated in the $5,300 buy-in Main Event, which was certainly one to remember.

EPT Cyprus Main Event Results

The $5,300 EPT Cyprus Main Event drew a large field of 1,284 entries which generated a prize pool of $6,227,400 and played out over a few days on the ever popular EPT live stream.

Place	Player	Country	Prize Money
1	Oliver Weis	Germany	$1,030,000
2	Georgios Tsouloftas	Cyprus	$642,300
3	Mikhail Shalamov	Russia	$459,000
4	Andriy Lyubovetskiy	Ukraine	$353,100
5	Bobby James	United Kingdom	$271,400
6	Anton Wigg	Sweden	$208,720
7	Anton Kraous	Bulgaria	$160,500
8	Andrea Dato	Italy	$123,400

Play went down to a final table of eight where eight unique countries were represented. Play would stop on the penultimate day when there were six players left to resume on a final day of six-handed play.

Oliver Weis of Germany held a large chip lead entering the final day with 185 big blinds, which was triple the second largest of Mikhail Shalamov of Russia who had 61 big blinds. Bobby James of the United Kingdom was third with 52 big blinds and then there was a drop off to the three shorter stacks.

The final day did not go exactly by the book. The shortest stack, Cyprus local Georgios Tsouloftas, rose up and outlasted the other players to directly challenge Weis. He did more than challenge as he actually became the favorite to win by taking a large chip lead in heads-up play.

But Weis was able to battle back to regain the advantage and eventually come out on top to confirm his victory and win the $1,030,000 grand prize.

Winner Profile

Oliver Weis is an extremely accomplished player and is a worthy winner of an event such as this. Hailing from Grenzach-Whylen, Germany, he is no stranger to big results.

This can be seen from the fact that the $1,030,000 first place prize is not in fact his largest career score. That honor goes to the $1,050,978 prize he won back in February in EPT Paris when he won a 373 entry high roller event. His third largest career score is also from 2024, which makes this year the German’s best by a considerable margin.

In total, he has over $3 million in career tournament earnings. But all of these accolades are about live poker only, when he may actually be an even more accomplished online player, using the moniker “sk2ll_m0dR”.

Weis’s win is another feather in the cap for German poker, which has a long and illustrious history. However, it has taken a slight dip in the last few years, compared to the Germany’s domination of poker from the mid to late 2010s.

EPT Cyprus Main Event Odds and Ends

• EPT Cyprus is the 4th of 5 scheduled EPT events this year.
• The Cyprus Main Event was the 2nd largest of the 2024 EPT season, larger than EPT Paris or EPT Monte Carlo and only behind EPT Barcelona.
• Eight unique countries were represented at the final table

Live poker is an ever-evolving game that has many intricacies and factors among thousands of players. All of these moving parts require there to be set rules. One of the organizations that keep track of and set these rules is the Tournament Directors Association (TDA), which is a collection of poker tournament directors who work together to set standards in poker.

The TDA has recently released the 2024 TDA rules updates. TDA founder Matt Savage announced the additions and amendments to their rules to address some ongoing debates in live poker. Many of these debates have cropped up in the past year and have only increased in controversy.

Here we take a look at some of the changes that were made in the 2024 TDA rules update and highlight the most prominent of them.

Smart Devices at the Poker Table

One of the most controversial topics in poker in 2024 has become the use of smart devices (phones, tablets, laptops etc.) at the table. This controversy really took off thanks to what transpired in the 2024 WSOP Main Event.

Eventual Main Event champion Jonathan Tamayo made a lot of waves in the poker world when his rail was spotted using a laptop in between hands. The rail included 2015 Main Event champion Joe McKeehen and German high-stakes poker pro Dominick Nitsche. Both of them were openly using a laptop to run sims and solvers on hands to give Tamayo the best live information that they could so he could adjust his play and give him the best chance to win the tournament.

This created a ton of buzz on social media in July as there were raging debates about the enforcement of rules regarding the use of solvers and smart devices at or nearby the poker table.

The WSOP’s stance on the rule was somewhat nebulous and not directly enforced for much of the series.

Rulebook Wording

The 2024 TDA rules made the rule a little bit more clear, with it stating;

5: Electronic Devices and Communication

A: Players may not talk on a phone at the table. Ring tones, music, images, video etc. should be inaudible and non-disturbing to others. These and other devices, tools, photography, videography, and communication must not create a nuisance, delay the game or create competitive advantage and are subject to house and gaming regulations.

B: Phones and other devices may not rest on the table.

C: Players with live hands may not interact with or operate an electronic or communication device. The definition of such devices may include new technologies and shall be as updated by the TD.

D: Betting apps, charts, and other poker strategy tools may not be used at the table. Nor may players receive or use poker strategy data from another person or source.

Point D is the most relevant to this discussion as it strictly prohibits the use of any type of extraneous poker strategy assistance with smart devices. If poker tournament directors enforce this rule consistently it should go a long way to eliminating much of the debate surrounding the use of these tools.

Face Coverings at the Poker Table

One of the other main topics that was addressed with the new 2024 TDA poker rules was the topic of face coverings at the poker table.

Traditionally, face coverings were always banned at the poker table but 2020 and Covid made things more murky with the rules regarding it. Players continued to wear Covid masks in addition to hoodies which in some cases could obscure the player enough to where their identity was not clear.

Rulebook Wording

The new rule states:

4: Player Identity

Players must be clearly identifiable at all times. Tournament staff may request a player to remove any item (sunglasses, hood, or other facial covering) which inhibits their identification or is a distraction to other participants.

This rule should cut down on the amount of players who wear outfits that are intentionally designed to obscure their face to the point of covering up or even hiding their identity. It will be interesting to see how strictly this rule is enforced. Surely each tournament director will have a unique interpretation of it and will have to use their discretion wisely.

While these were the two most prominent rule changes to the 2024 TDA rule update, it also addressed a few smaller bits and bolts that the most detail-oriented players will be sure to take a glance at.

• Big blind first calculation if a player foes not have enough chips for the big blind and big blind ante. Different tours had different rules for this and the TDA made it more uniform.
• Enforcement if smart device rule is broken. Verbal warnings which escalate to round penalties. Disqualification possible in extreme cases.
• Phones and other smart devices may not rest on the table.
• Players with live hands may not interact with devices while hand is in play.

The World Series of Poker Europe is an annual poker event that has been around since 2007 and has taken place in Rozvadov, Czechia, since 2017. It is a popular stop for players all around Europe and even some from other areas of the globe as well.

The 2024 version of the WSOP Europe began a little earlier than usual in mid September as opposed to the usual October/November timeline. Action started on September 18 and has produced many notable results so far as I take a look at a brief summary of the action coming from the King’s Casino.

Controversial Character Wins Another Bracelet

In one of the notable highlights of the series, one of poker’s most enigmatic players took down his third-career bracelet. Martin Kabrhel won his first bracelet in six years and third overall in his home country of Czechia to extend his reputation as the most successful player from that country.

Kabrhel won the €50,000 NLH Diamond High Roller event for €529,000 and the bracelet. The tournament attracted a mere 30 entries, which raised a few eyebrows on social media and sparked some questions regarding the sheer amount of WSOP bracelets given away these days.

But those questions will certainly not bother Kabrhel as he has made his career out of being the controversial center of attention. I have had the chance to cover many events in which Kabrhel has played and he is always extremely easy to find, even amongst a huge field in some cases.

His talkative style of play at the table can be abrasive and annoying. I have seen it get under the skin of many players, from those who were not used to it to even hardened veterans who allowed it to crack their otherwise icey demeanors.

There will definitely be players who are not happy to see Kabrhel win another bracelet. But, one thing is for sure it will keep the poker world talking as much as he does at the table.

First Bracelet For Well-Liked Ambassador

Juxtaposed to the controversial character of Kabrhel was the other standout story of the WSOP Europe so far. Popular Brazilian poker pro Vivian Saliba won her first-career bracelet by winning the €2,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event.

Saliba has been a long time ambassador for 888poker and has many friends in the poker community, both from Brazil and around the globe. Her bracelet win was a long time coming as she had had many close calls before her inevitable victory. After her long-awaited title, she was given many congratulations from those in the poker community.

It was fitting that she ended her career bracelet drought with a win in PLO as she has often regarded that as her preferred game of choice. She was able to defeat the 229 player field in a 17-hour final day to win the top prize of €91,400.

Variety of Flags Hoisting Bracelets

Outside of the two big names winning their respective bracelets, the story at WSOP Europe has been the sheer variety of countries represented in the winner’s circle.

There have been a total of eight different countries represented by the bracelet winning players out of the twelve completed events. Italy leads the way with three bracelet winners.

Let’s take a look at each country that has won a bracelet in Rozvadov.

Czechia

• Martin Kabrhel – Event #12: €50,000 NLH Diamond High Roller
• Michal Schuh – Event #5: €550 NLH Colossus

Romania

• Darius Neagoe – Event #11: €1,100 NLH Turbo Bounty Hunter

France

• Patrick Bueno – Event #10: €2,000 8-Game Mix

Germany

• Amir Mozaffarian – Event #9: €1,100 NLH Mystery Bounty
• Dennis Weiss – Event #6: €5,000 Pot Limit Omaha

Italy

• Alessandri Pichierri – Event #8: €25,000 NLH GGMillion
• Ermano Di Nicola – Event #7: €1,650 NLH 6-Max
• Christopher Campisano – Event #3: €1,350 Mini Main Event

Brazil

• Vivian Saliba – Event #4: €2,000 Pot Limit Omaha

Ukraine

• Volodymyr Kokoulin – Event #2: €550 Pot Limit Omaha 8-Max

Poland

• Przemyslaw Syzmanski – Event #1: €350 NLH Opener

GGPoker hosted the WSOP Online Main Event, which made waves in the poker world in late September 2024 with one of the largest online poker events in history, with over $29 million in the prize pool. The final table was held on September 24th with record prize money up top for an online poker tournament.

If that was not enough to grab the attention of the poker world alone, the final table went viral on social media thanks to one of the craziest bad beats you will ever see, in a hand that ended up having massive money implications.

World-famous poker coach Benjamin Rolle, who finished 8th and is known as bencb, estimated that over $2 million in equity shifted in this hand alone. This hand was played on a live stream with commentators Jeff Gross and Phil Laak.

Setting the Stage

Let’s set the stage for this insane bad beat so you can understand exactly what makes it so brutal.

The final table was down to just four players with a whopping grand prize of $4,021,012 up top for the winner. The four players had already sewn up a nice chunk of change with fourth place dishing out $1,843,337. So while each of the remaining players had done well beyond their dreams to win a huge seven-figure score, there was still a lot more money left to play for.

The blinds were at 2,000/4,000 and the four players left were;

• Chip leader “Evgenii Akimov” with 164 million (41 big blinds)
• “Moritz Dietrich with 98 million (24 big blinds)
• “Isaac Baron” with 79 million (20 big blinds)
• “Rui Ferreira” with 23 million (6 big blinds)

The Hand

Chip leader Evgenii Akimov jammed all in from the button for about 41 big blinds. On the video stream which the hand is replayed on, it is revealed that Akimov jammed with the 6 ♣️ 4 ♠️. That is a fairly light holding to be jamming with but he did so in order to apply ICM pressure on the shorter stacks in the blind with a six big blind stack having folded in the cutoff and a $500,000 pay jump in play.

Also there may have been some table dynamics and history in play as well as Phil Laak said “He didn’t like getting jammed on last time so he jams here.”

With the six big blind stack sitting there, the blinds are going to be folding nearly everything to this jam, making the 64o shove very profitable. It just so happened that the small blind, Isaac Baron, had pocket kings with the K ♣ ️K ️♦️ which is, of course, a call.

The Bad Beat

At this point, the pocket kings of Isaac Baron were of course dominating the six-four off suit of Evnegii Akimov but, nevertheless, it was Baron who was at risk. Before the flop, Baron had an 82% chance to win the hand and get a big double up in a key spot.

“Is there a sweat?” asked Jeff Gross on the commentary as the flop came 7 ♣ ️J ♣ ️K ♠ ️ which answered his question with a “not really”. Baron made top set with the kings as he improved to 97% to win the hand.

But the turn did not want to make things quite that easy as the 5 ♣ ️ came off to give the slightest possibility of a backdoor straight and improve Akimov’s chances to 13%.

As you can probably guess the social media uproar and this entire article would not have happened if the river card was a boring blank card. Therefore in the most dramatic way possible with the GGpoker slow reveal, the river was revealed as the 8 ♦️ . The commentators reacted in astonishment and could not truly believe what they had just witnessed.

The Repercussions

The crazy unlikely bad beat was not only brutal because of six-four beating kings or because of the backdoor nature after kings flopped top set, but also because of the mammoth stakes at play.

The jump from 4th to 3rd place was just under $500,000 which Isaac Baron lost out on. The fact that there was such a short stack in play meant that he almost assuredly would have finished at least in 3rd place.

But beyond that, if the kings had held like they would have 97% of the time after that flop, Baron would have been the chip leader and been in pole position for the over $4 million grand prize.

So you can understand all the reaction to this hand once you realize the virtual river card could have quite literally been worth $2.2 million of real money.

Akimov would later deliver a similar bad beat to Rui Ferreira with, you guessed it, 64o. Ferreira’s AKo would make top two pair on the flop but get beaten by runner-runner spades to give Akimov an unlikely flush and a 6:1 chip lead going into heads-up play against Moritz Dietrich.

However, despite the massive advantage, Dietrich would come from behind to win the Main Event and an online poker record $4,021,012 top prize.

The WSOP Circuit is known for traveling around and hitting many destinations on the calendar each year. It extends from all corners of the United States to even some international stops. But with so much variety and so many destinations, it can be difficult to parse which stops are the best ones.

I have personally been to over 80% of the American circuit stops as well as an international one. Therefore, I have the experience to assess the locations that I have been to. I will break down the top destinations based on a variety of factors.

These factors include the tournaments themselves, the location, the poker room aesthetics and even the food options, which is always an important factor for tournament grinders.

Top WSOP Circuit Stops for Tournaments

Cherokee

This is a stop I am very familiar with. I have been numerous times over the years. Cherokee is held four times a year and is definitely one of the premier stops. Cherokee regulars would argue it is the definitive top WSOP circuit stop.

• Tournaments: 9.5/10 – The busiest stop on the WSOP Circuit calendar by some distance. The schedule is completely full each time with as many as 19 ring events, all drawing huge fields. The Monster Stack event consistently draws over 3,000 entries, to make it one of the juiciest $400 tournaments in the entire poker world. Several events offer a chance to win six-figures and the Main Event is always the largest one on the circuit.
• Location: 7/10 – Nestled in the corner of the North Carolina Smokey Mountains, Cherokee is one of the most picturesque locations on the WSOP Circuit. There are hiking trails not far away from the Harrah’s Casino for some exercise if you wish to get away for an afternoon. The reason Cherokee draws such large crowds is because it is the only big casino in the entire region for large population areas. It is within driving distance from Atlanta, the Carolinas as well as Nashville and much of Tennessee. If there is an issue with the location it is that it can be hard to get to and is quite a drive from the nearest airport in Asheville.
• Poker Tournament Room: 7/10 – A large convention space with plenty of room for the large events. There’s even space for Cherokee to host sit and gos all day long, which are quite popular for players who hang around the tournament floor. The room has a dominating white color all around that can be a bit hard on the eyes after extended periods of time. Unfortunately, the intense security checks every time you leave and re-enter the tournament area can be exhausting and annoying.
• Casino/Resort: 8.5/10 – The Harrah’s Cherokee Casino is a fairly large casino that has bowling for an entertainment option. There is also a stream outside for a nice walking area in the sunlight. It has lots of rooms to stay at if you plan to stay for multiple days.
• Food Options: 7/10 – There are a few sit down options at the casino for food, but due to the crowds it can be pretty challenging to get a seat in a timely manner. There are food trucks that come around when the circuit is in town, offering tasty and convenient options. There are two food courts as well and, if you have access to a car, there are several nearby chain fast food options.

Playground Quebec

One of the circuit stops that I had the opportunity to check out recently in August of 2024 was at Playground Casino in Kahnawake, Quebec on the outskirts of Montreal.

• Tournaments: 9/10 – There are very strong tournament offerings at this international circuit stop. The Main Event surpassed 1,503 entries which challenged Cherokee as the largest main event on the circuit. Outside of that, there were 15 tournaments, which all brought in large numbers.
• Location: 7/10 – About 20 minutes outside of the bustling city of Montreal, it is convenient to get to by driving from a Montreal hotel. There is not much around the venue itself outside of a convenience store and a straight line highway with forests. But Montreal is still close enough to provide entertainment and things to do outside of poker.
• Poker Tournament Room: 9.5/10 – This is one of the strongest draws of this WSOP Circuit stop. The tournaments are played right next to the cash games in an upstairs poker area that is away from the rest of the casino. The focus is poker and when I was there, it was always bustling. Waits for cash games were 1-2 hours at most times of the day, which created a lively atmosphere all around to enhance the tournament experience.
• Casino/Resort: 7/10 – Playground Casino is a pretty typical casino that has a couple of floors of gaming. There is no lodging at the location.
• Food Options: 9/10 – The poker room has a good menu with several options that are brought to the table upon order. You can also go to the convenient bar to place your order. It has snack options as well as full meals. The casino also has a very nice steakhouse and a fantastic Japanese restaurant on the dining floor. There is also a sports bar type food place that serves late night options on the entrance floor.

Top WSOP Circuit Stops for Location

Pompano Beach

I have been to this circuit stop twice and one that I have picked out as one of my favorite destinations on the calendar.

• Tournaments: 9/10 – Pompano Beach is one of the busier stops on the WSOP circuit. Each tournament has a good number of entries and the Main Event often will surpass 1,000. This stop also has good daily turbo ring event tournaments that finish in a single day, even with the large numbers.
• Location: 9/10 – One of the best locations on the circuit. It is close to the nice Pompano Beach pier which is always a great place to walk and enjoy the Florida sunshine and listen to the waves. This is one of the few places in the world where you can go beaching in the morning and then go play WSOP circuit poker in the afternoon.
• Poker Tournament Room: 8/10 – The poker tournament area at Pompano Beach is up some escalators and set aside from the casino which makes for a nice poker area. It is also right next to the busy cash games. There is also an area sectioned off for a single table which is used for either private cash games or the final tables of the biggest events of the circuit stop.
• Casino/Resort: 6/10 – The casino is secluded in a large former dog race track which creates a sense that it is away from everything. It’s also surrounded by a large parking lot. There is a Top Golf location right next door. No hotel rooms at the location.
• Food Options: 4/10 – This is a drawback of this destination on the calendar. Within a few minutes drive there are actually some great restaurants but you need to seek it out on your own and have access to a car. The food at the poker room and casino itself is lacking. There is only one option, a deli that is always extremely busy and very slow. There is not even a convenience store at the property for snacks or drinks.

Grand Victoria Elgin

Another one of my personal favorite destinations and one that I have been to on two different occasions.

• Tournaments: 8/10 – This is another busy stop with large tournaments throughout the circuit whenever it comes to Grand Victoria. Like at most other circuit stops there are also nightly tournaments, but the ones here seem to have a little more juice and excitement to them with larger fields and more enthusiasm surrounding them.
• Location: 9/10 – When you travel around the WSOP Circuit, you will often end up spending a lot of time in poker rooms or casinos. Many of them are relatively the same which is why this location stands out as something unique with a little character. This stop is right in the heart of the small town of Elgin, IL. You can walk down the streets of downtown and get an authentic taste of a small midwest town. It is also within the greater Chicago area and you can go into the big city for a day trip out.
• Poker Tournament Room: 4/10 – This is one of the weaker aspects of this WSOP Circuit destination. The tournaments are held on the riverboat side of the casino and downstairs. It creates a dark environment with low ceilings and outdated looking carpet. I imagine it would not be very fun for people with claustrophobia. I personally felt like I needed fresh air every few hours and would often go back upstairs just to reset.
• Casino/Resort: 7/10 – The casino is on a riverboat and creates a picturesque look on the river overlooking the town of Elgin. There is a nice entrance area that gives it an important feel before you walk into the casino area. There is no hotel on site.
• Food Options: 7/10 – Downtown Elgin is walkable, so there are options for meals outside of the casino. Inside the casino, there is an expensive steakhouse option as well as one snack food type place with Chicago favorites like pizza and Chicago dogs. A little more variety would be ideal.

Top WSOP Circuit Stop for Poker Tournament Room

Tunica

This is a classic destination on the circuit calendar and one that has been around for decades. I was able to go for the first time in April of 2024.

• Tournaments: 5/10 – The tournament traffic at Tunica has waned in recent years, with events getting smaller and smaller. There are still decent tournament offerings when the circuit comes around and while it is not the smallest stop, it is no longer among the busiest ones.
• Location: 3/10 – Difficult to get to and quite a ways from the nearest airport in Memphis. There is nothing around the Tunica stop and nowhere to go without a several minute drive. If you do not have a car there you are basically stuck there. It is right by the Mississippi River and there are some walking areas but ones that you have to find and create on your own.
• Poker Tournament Room: 9/10 – I have not spoken highly of this circuit stop so far but the poker tournament area is why I have included it on this list. There is some nice old school blues artwork around the tables to create a local atmosphere. The tables are on a floor area that is kind of sunk down and people can watch on the rail which overlooks them. It makes it feel like the poker is a spectacle for the audience and gives it the feeling of being big time.
• Casino/Resort: 7/10 – The casino where the circuit stop is held is attached to an adjacent casino which gives you two casino options. The rooms at the hotel are spacious and pretty nice, even if slightly outdated.
• Food Options: 7/10 – There are absolutely no options outside of what you can get at the casino. But the two casinos have enough options to keep you satisfied enough, even if there is not anything that really stands out.

Top WSOP Circuit Stop for Casino

Choctaw

 

One of the most consistent destinations on the WSOP Circuit calendar with three stops every year. I have been to this location on three different occasions.

• Tournaments: 6/10 – Choctaw was once one of the larger stops on the circuit calendar. It even used to rival Cherokee for size. But in recent years the size of the tournaments have greatly decreased and the buy-ins have gone down. Choctaw has a lot of $250 buy-in tournaments for a cheaper shot at rings than the standard $400 buy-in for ordinary circuit events.
• Location: 3/10 – The hardest stop on the circuit to actually get to. I usually have to get a very long Uber from the DFW airport, as long as an hour and then to go back to the airport make sure to book a car pick up service since there will not be Ubers available in the area. There is nothing around the casino other than the small town of Durant which you can only get to with a car.
• Poker Tournament Room: 9/10 – A large auditorium with plenty of space for the tournaments. There is a stage area that creates dramatic effect and a final table area set aside for all final tables at the circuit stop. One of the coolest features of the entire circuit that this tournament room has is the banners of past winners of the Choctaw Main Event. It evokes comparison to what the WSOP does in Las Vegas with the past winners banners and gives the Choctaw Main Event a large sense of prestige.
• Casino/Resort: 9/10 – The casino is arguably the biggest casino in the world and has many options for entertainment outside of poker, even outside of typical casino activities. There is a bowling alley, a movie theater, and a live music venue which gets busy on weekends. There is also a nice outdoor pool for the warmer months. The resort rooms are large and nice.
• Food Options: 7.5/10 – There is a food court with typical fast food fare for quick meals. There is also a variety of restaurants on site for different sit down options. Nothing that stands out but enough to keep you satisfied.

Other WSOP Circuit Stops

Those are the circuit stops that stand out to me based on my travels around to many of them. There are still a few that I have not been to that I hope to get around to visiting such as Lake Tahoe and Turning Stone.

There are also several stops that are solid in each of the listed categories but do not particularly stand out in one area or another, such as Southern Indiana and Hammond. And I have also been to a few now defunct stops such as Foxwoods and Tampa that are not currently on the WSOP circuit schedule.

Overall the WSOP circuit is full of great tournament stops and are great value for the tournament grinder. Hopefully this guide can help give you a better understanding of a few of the regular destinations on the calendar.

The WSOP Circuit is one of the most prestigious poker series both in the United States and internationally. Every poker player knows about the strong World Series of Poker brand and dreams of capturing a WSOP bracelet in Las Vegas every summer.

But outside of the WSOP flagship series, there is the WSOP Circuit, which runs throughout the rest of the year. Instead of bracelets, WSOP Circuit rings are awarded for winning tournaments. Players who play these WSOP ring events consistently strive to win as many of these rings as possible.

Over the years, there has been a hotly-contested battle for who can win the most WSOP Circuit rings. This battle has intensified in recent years with four men emerging as the serious contenders for the overall top spot. Today, we take a look at each of those four WSOP ring contenders as well as a few potential dark horses.

WSOP Circuit Ring Leaders

Ari Engel – 17 Rings

The current leader at the top is Ari Engel with 17 rings. Engel is a self-proclaimed nomad who does not have a permanent residence and spends his time traveling around from poker stop to poker stop. He has an extensive resume outside of the Circuit with three bracelets and $8.7 millions in career live poker tournament earnings.

Engel has only become a part of this WSOP Circuit ring conversation in the last three years as he has surged from seven rings to 17 since 2021, winning ten in the span of three years. His ability to quickly accumulate Circuit rings has added another level to his poker resume.

Future WSOP Circuit Ring Outlook

One of the key factors for Engel that makes him the favorite to stay atop the leaderboard is the WSOP online Circuit component. When the WSOP Circuit decided to count online events as rings the same as live events, it changed the dynamics of this race greatly and nobody has benefitted more than Engel. Half of his 10 rings since 2021 have come from online Circuit events, which shows his versatility on the felt as well as on the screen.

Maurice Hawkins – 16 Rings

In second place on the Circuit ring leaderboard is Maurice Hawkins with 16 rings. The Florida poker pro is a controversial figure on the WSOP Circuit who has made many enemies along the way. Nevertheless, he has been a consistent force on the Circuit since as far back as 2008.

He has $5.7 million in career live tournament earnings and his most recent ring is perhaps the most impressive on his resume. In May 2024, he won the WSOP Cherokee Main Event, which is always the largest Circuit main on the entire WSOP Circuit schedule. He achieved this for the second time in his career and took home over a quarter of a million dollars.

Future WSOP Circuit Ring Outlook

Hawkins continues to play Circuit events around the country, especially the ones in the South. His consistent presence and drive keep him alive as a factor in this race.

He is no doubt one of the most motivated players to be the top dog on this list, as he has made clear several times after winning these rings. He has even been known to talk a little bit of trash to fellow top Circuit ring chasers.

Josh Reichard – 15 Rings

There is a tie for third place on the WSOP Circuit ring list with 15 won and holding one of the spots is Josh Reichard. The Wisconsin grinder has been a longtime force on the WSOP Circuit and has been accumulating rings since 2013.

Reichard long dominated the midwestern part of the Circuit, snapping up a total of 11 rings in just five years from the end of 2013 to the start of 2019. He and Hawkins have a long standing rivalry as they have been neck and neck in rings for many years. His most recent ring came in November of 2023 at the Elgin, IL Circuit stop at Grand Victoria Casino. He had a near miss in September at Council Bluffs, finishing 4th in the Main Event.

Future WSOP Circuit Ring Outlook

While Reichard is still a strong force in tournament poker and is always a threat to bink one at any moment, there is an obstacle to his battle at the top of this Circuit ring leaderboard.

He has diversified where he plays his poker in recent years, openly admitting that he is not as enamored with the WSOP Circuit as he once was. He now often chooses to play MSPT, WPT and even Moneymaker Tour events over WSOP Circuit events.

Daniel Lowery – 15 Rings

The other player tied for third in Circuit rings is Daniel Lowery who has asserted himself into this discussion with repeated good results. First and foremost an owner of an Arkansas sawmill, he nevertheless plays often enough to be a force on the Circuit.

The 51-year old travels all around the Circuit and often plays many events. His rings range from the South in Cherokee to California in Graton to Choctaw and even in the Caribbean in Aruba. He has added a lot of rings to his haul in recent years with six since 2022 and most recently in the Cherokee Monster Stack in February of 2024.

Future WSOP Circuit Ring Outlook

Lowery is a real contender at the top of this leaderboard thanks to his robust Circuit schedule. He primarily plays on the WSOP Circuit and does not delve into other tours as often as his rivals on this list with his only other endeavors being on the RunGood Series. He also is great at getting to the business end of events as he also has a plethora of runner-up finishes on the Circuit.

Other Contenders/Dark Horses

Outside of the top four, there is a bit of a gap but there are some others who could emerge as challengers for that top spot.

The majority of players who are in the 9-13 ring range seem to have their best days behind them, as many of them have not won a ring in a while or play far less than they used to. The players on this reflect current trends of winning.

1. Michael Setera – Amassed a staggering 12 rings from September to December 2023 all from online events, with most being in small field Michigan only events. So while he may move to the top by continuing to win such events, it will likely not be regarded in the same way and held in the same vein of respect.
2. Soheb Porbandarwala – Dangerous player who can win online and live. Has 12 rings total and has won six since May of 2023 with four online and two live.
3. John Holley – Now has 11 rings with five coming in the last two years with two in 2024.
4. Richard Ali – Another player who is racking up a lot of recent online rings with eight total.

WSOP Circuit Ring Chase

The WSOP Circuit ring chase is sure to only heat up in the coming year. In fact, I expect these numbers for these players to change within this 2024-25 WSOP Circuit season, so this is likely just a snapshot of the moment.

It will certainly be interesting to follow this race to see who will end up being the first player to 20 WSOP Circuit rings.