The 2016/2017 domestic WSOP Circuit season began at Harrah's Cherokee last August, and that seems like ages ago at this point. Twenty-one stops and more than 250 gold rings later, the traveling tour is heading to the mouth of the mighty Mississippi River for the season's closing series. Harrah's New Orleans is set to host the final 12 ring events from May 11-22, with the season-long points race coming right down to the wire.
The property opened in 1999, and it was renovated about five years later to include a 27-story hotel tower. It has 115,000 square feet of gaming space, and it's Louisiana's only land-based casino with table games on the floor. The poker room is one of the most comfortable places to play in the region, too.
The WSOP Circuit has visited Harrah's New Orleans in each of its 13 years, with the series typically occupying the last slot on the season's calendar. It's one of the perennial favorites among the traveling regulars, too. Part of that has to do with the poker, of course, but a big part of the draw is the myriad of food and nightlife options available — both inside the building and just a few steps outside the front door. The property lies right in the beating heart of the French Quarter and just a couple blocks from all that Bourbon Street has to offer.
David Hubbard, a federal agent from Texas, won the Main Event the last time the Circuit visited the Big Easy. Hubbard outlasted a field of 785 entries and a tough final table to collect the ring and close to a quarter million dollars in cash for his breakthrough victory. Damjan Radanov won the Main the year prior, and Bryan Campanello, Jean Gaspard, and Peter Feldman are also among the former Main Event champions at Harrah's New Orleans.
The series' schedule once again features a full slate of ring events this time around, including a multi-flight re-entry, a PLO8 event, the popular Monster Stack, and a $2,200 High Roller leading into the Main Event.
Here's the full list of ring events:
Thu, May 11 |
11 a.m. |
1 |
$365 |
No-Limit Hold'em (30-minute levels) |
Unlimited |
Thu, May 11 |
4 p.m. |
2 |
$365 |
Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better |
Unlimited |
Fri, May 12 |
11 a.m. |
3 |
$365
|
No-Limit Hold'em (30-minute levels) |
Unlimited |
Fri, May 12 |
4 p.m. |
4A
|
$365
|
No-Limit Hold'em Re-Entry
|
Unlimited
|
Sat, May 13 |
11 a.m. |
4B |
Sat, May 13 |
4 p.m. |
4C |
Sun, May 14 |
4 p.m. |
5 |
$580 |
No-Limit Hold'em |
Single |
Mon, May 15 |
11 a.m. |
6 |
$365 |
No-Limit Hold'em Six-Max |
Unlimited
|
Tue, May 16 |
11 a.m. |
7 |
$365 |
No-Limit Hold'em (30-minute levels)
|
Single |
Wed, May 17 |
11 a.m. |
8 |
$365 |
No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack |
Unlimited |
Thu, May 18 |
1 p.m. |
9 |
$2,200 |
High Roller |
Single |
Fri, May 19 |
11 a.m.
|
10A |
$1,675
|
Main Event
|
Single
Per Day |
Sat, May 20 |
10B |
Sat, May 20 |
4 p.m. |
11 |
$365 |
No-Limit Hold'em Turbo |
Single |
Sun, May 21 |
3 p.m. |
12 |
$365 |
No-Limit Hold'em |
Single |
There are two more rings up for grabs, too; the $250 Seniors Event and the $125 Ladies Event are both one-day events with unlimited re-entry, and they'll run during the series' first and second weekends, respectively.
The full schedule is available on the Circuit's landing page.
As is the case for all stops on the WSOP Circuit, there are also two free seats to the WSOP Global Casino Championship on the line. The Main Event winner will claim one, while the player who accumulates the most overall points earns the other one and the title of Casino Champion.
Additionally, all players who cash in official ring events earn points that apply toward the season-long race to claim one of the limited at-large bids. By the time the lights go out in New Orleans, the full field of qualifiers for the Global Casino Championship will be decided. Click here for more information on the points system.