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WSOP continue to add new locations, with the events gaining popularity and an ever-broader coverage. As a result, Sydney, Australia will now be part of the professional Circuit.

WSOP Adds Sydney to Circuit

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) has added a new Circuit, and which will head for Sydney, Australia, which will dominate the poker world from November 27 through December 17. With 15 distinct competitions already on the schedule, the event promises to be a competition of particular significance to the poker community in the region.

The guaranteed prize pool is $4.5 million, but this sum could easily be dwarfed depending on interest in the event and the total number of entries. The event will be heading for a renowned venue, The Star Sydney, which has already played host to major competitive pow-wows.

Looking at the numbers, players will have an opportunity to win AUS$600,000 from the inaugural event, which will set the entire machinery in motion. In exchange for an AUS$500 buy-in, players can be part of the opening salvo which will run from November 27 through November 30.

The numbers are always a bit of a mystery, but the Sydney Circuit in 2017 had nearly 1,400 people sit down at the inaugural tables in an attempt to secure the first place. If a prize pool of AUS600,000 may appear not as interesting as some more competitive-minded players prefer, then the AUS$1 million in guaranteed prizing would definitely resonate with those players.

The entry fee will not be easy to cover, though, at AUS$5,000. However, it’s likely that 300-odd people will be joining in for the competition, though no reliable official estimate can be posted yet.

As to the other excellent events at the Sydney’s felt, players will have an opportunity to join the AUS$2,200 Main Event, which will come with an ever more significant prize pool at the end. Everyone will be competing for AUS$2,100,000, and the milder entry-level fee will probably lead to bigger money handed out to participants at the end.

The 2016 and 2017 editions of the tournament were a success and on both occasions we saw the prize money swell well beyond the original estimates. At the same time, Australia has taken aim at illegal operators while promoting land-based festivals, such as WSOP.

The event is clearly endorsed by WSOP, and the man at the helm, Gregory Chochon, who has commented that the organization has been hoping to transform WSOP Sydney into one of the world’s most significant international stops for aspiring pros and hardened players.

Mr. Chochon commended the efforts of The Star’s marketing strategy, which has helped raise the awareness for the event as well and noted that the majority of participants and involved parties did appreciate the event in its previous two editions. Nothing suggests that this year will be different, he concluded.

Speaking of the specific buy-ins, we have already noted down a handful. The amounts will vary between $400 and $20,000, with the higher limit applicable tothe High Roller competition, which will reunite the most daring individuals in the field.

In anticipation of the AUS$600,000 inaugural competition, players are already beginning to arrive in Australia. With less than two weeks left, the Sydney Circuit promises to be quite the worthy event.