WSOP 2011: 58 Bracelets, New Tournaments, and Big Changes Ahead

The 42nd World Series of Poker (WSOP) will be held in Rio, Las Vegas, from May 31 to July 19, 2011. This year, WSOP will feature 58 bracelets, one more than the previous year. The official start of WSOP 2011 is on May 31 at 5 PM with the $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship.

The Chip Reece Memorial Tournament, an eight-game event with a $50,000 buy-in, will start on July 2 at 5 PM. The Triple Chance tournaments will be held twice, with buy-ins of $1,500 and $5,000. The Main Event, the World Championship of No-Limit Hold'em with a $10,000 buy-in, will start on July 7 and end on July 10. The final table of the Main Event will be determined on July 19, with the nine finalists returning to Vegas for the championship from November 5-7.

The WSOP 2011 schedule includes new tournaments such as the 10-Game 6-Max for $2,500, PLO 6-Max for $5,000, and the return of the $2,500 Omaha/Stud Hi-Lo. Jack Effel is appointed as the tournament director of WSOP for the sixth consecutive year. The starting stack of chips for each tournament can be calculated by the formula (buy-in) x 3. The number of tables in the Amazon and Pavilion rooms will be at least as many as last year. New restrictions on the duration of game days have been introduced for player comfort. Late registration for each tournament will be open for the first four levels, or until all seats are taken. Hotels in Las Vegas offer special prices for WSOP players, with rates ranging from $35 to $100 per day. Daily tournaments with buy-ins of $235, $185, and $135 will be held at Rio from May 30 to July 16. Satellites for WSOP tournaments will run continuously at Rio from May 30 to July 10.