Top WSOP Circuit Destinations

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.