For the third consecutive year, the World Poker Tour (WPT) will end the poker season with the prestigious WPT World Championship, hosted by Wynn Las Vegas. Each edition of this festival has been historic in its own right, with the WPT refining and innovating the event year after year.
As we gear up for the 2024 festival series from December 3 to 23, let’s have a look at all the changes and additions that players can expect at the 2024 WPT World Championship.
No Guarantee on the Championship Event
The biggest shift from last year is the no set guarantee for the $10,400 buy-in WPT World Championship event. In 2023, the event offered a record-breaking $40 million guarantee, but in the end, it fell just 247 entries short, resulting in a $2.4 million overlay. For 2024, the WPT has opted to take a different approach, emphasizing value in a more direct way through the largest freeroll in poker history—a $5 million giveaway, which we’ll explore shortly.
WPT CEO Adam Pliska addressed this change, saying, “The Championship event has momentum, players make the Championship, and we feel the Championship is in good hands.”
With three starting flights instead of four and a tightened structure, the 2024 Championship aims to offer a better event ecology while still continuing to attract the world’s best players. The tournament kicks off on Saturday, December 14, with the final table set for December 21, where a new champion will be crowned.
For the first time, WPT has also established a more direct way for players to qualify for the event through WPT Global; this is something they’ve said has been missing all these years – a larger number of qualifiers. WPT firmly believes that the World Championship at the Wynn is the ultimate destination for poker players in December. It’s not just about the Championship event but the entire festival, which is expected to attract many new players who might not have attended otherwise.
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The Biggest Freeroll in Poker History
Even with a $2.4 million overlay recorded in last year’s Championship event, WPT showed they are not afraid of giving value to players. WPT has doubled (literally) down on player value this year with an unprecedented $5 million freeroll, the largest in poker history. Taking place from December 14 to 21, this event features a $1,000,000 first-place prize and awards 100 tickets to the $10,400 WPT World Championship.
Around 2,000 players are expected to participate, many of whom would not otherwise be at the Wynn. Entry to the freeroll requires securing a “Golden Passport” through WPT’s new ClubWPT Gold sweepstakes platform or promos like WPT Meme Contest and Giveaways on Twitter.
Golden Passport will be handed out at WPT stops, at Wynn Milestone Satellites to the WPT World Championship event, Jungleman’s Costume Contest, and many more.
Side Championship Tweaks
Popular side events are back this year, headlined by the $1,100 WPT Prime Championship, which runs from December 8 to 14 and is guaranteed $5 million. Also returning are the $1,100 Ladies Championship, which has a $250,000 guarantee, and the $1,100 Seniors Championship, with a $500,000 guarantee.
However, some changes have been made to the mixed-game offerings. Both the HORSE Championship and the Limit Omaha 8 Championship have seen their buy-ins raised from $1,100 to $2,200, with guarantees doubled to $200,000. Unfortunately, the Dealer’s Choice Championship will not be featured this year.
Overall, players will have more than 60 tournaments and satellites to choose from, ensuring that everyone can find a game to suit their style this winter at the Wynn.
An Exciting Player of the Year Race
Unlike last year, when the WPT Player of the Year (POY) race was more or less decided before the Championship even began, this year’s competition is closer than ever. Saying that, since our last update from the end of October, one favorite has emerged.
Yunkyu Song leads the standings with 2,200 points after finishing second in the WPT bestbet Scramble Championship that concluded this week. Hot on his heels is Eric Afriat, with 1,750 points and two final tables this season. Dan Stavila sits in third with 1,450 points, thanks to five cashes totaling $270,906.
With four more players within 1,000 points of the top spot, the race remains wide open. The WPT World Championship could very well decide this year’s Player of The Year Race, adding even more excitement for the season finale.
CBS Broadcast Deal
WPT’s reputation for top-tier poker television production has been unmatched for the last two decades, and the tour is taking this legacy to the next level with a new multi-year deal with CBS Sports Network.
“Since our debut on the Travel Channel back in 2002, our WPT television presence has grown significantly in both production quality and reach,” said Pliska. “We are incredibly grateful to partner with a top-tier network and cannot wait to share a wealth of premium poker programming with the vast CBS Sports audience.”
As the exclusive TV partner for WPT premiere episodes, CBS Sports will broadcast Season XXI and XXII highlights, including the 2024 WPT World Championship and the $5 Million ClubWPT Gold Freeroll.
