With the start of the 2016 World Series of Poker Main Event just a few days away, the bulk of the 47th annual WSOP will soon come to a close. But while we wait for the final table to be played out in November, the organization will be keeping poker players busy with the start of the 2016-17 WSOP Circuit.

Now in its 13th season, the Circuit kicks off at Harrah’s Cherokee in North Carolina on August 4, and feature 22 US stops with up to 14 international stops, culminating with the $1 million Global Casino Championship in 2017.

This year, the circuit hits 12 US states, adding stops in Milwaukee in February and at the Tulsa Hard Rock in March. After a year off, the IP stop in Biloxi returns to schedule, with Los Angeles, Las Vegas and West Palm Beach set to host two stops each.

Harrah’s Cherokee has the privilege of hosting three stops, including the opening event in August, another stop in April 2017 and the 2016-17 Global Casino Championship August 2017. International stops in Italy, Germany, Czech Republic, St. Maarten, Paris and Uruguay have been confirmed and will run from September 8 through December 11.

“We are excited to be adding a couple new stops to the domestic tour this year, expanding the international tour and continuing to refine each stop to make them bigger and better,” said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart. “We want to continue to provide the opportunity for everyone to take a shot at becoming a World Series of Poker champion.”

What To Expect

Each Circuit stop consists of 12 WSOP Circuit ring events with buy-ins starting as low as $365. The $1,675 Main Event at each stop has two starting flights and gives players the opportunity to re-enter each one time, for a maximum of four entries. All Circuit tournaments will follow a standardized structure to avoid confusion among players who decide to enter tournaments at multiple stops.

Casino hosts are also encouraged to offer Seniors and Ladies events, which will award a ring, but might not count in the GCC rankings. If entries for either of the events exceeds 100, however, the event winners will have the opportunity to buy into the Global Casino Championship for $10,000.

Last year, six hosts ran high roller events, with buy-ins of $3,250 and up. While nothing has been confirmed for the 2016-17 season, it is expected that multiple venues run these events as part of their WSOP Circuit schedule.

The Global Casino Championship

While Season 13 of the WSOP Circuit begins next month, the 2015-16 edition comes to a close at the same time at the same venue. The Global Casino Championship plays out at Harrah’s Cherokee August 9-11 while the opening events on the 2016-17 season run August 4 – 16. Players who qualified forthe Global Casino Championship will battle for a share of a minimum $1 million prize pool. The winner also wins a WSOP bracelet.

ESPN will capture all the action to include in their annual WSOP coverage.

Next year’s championship, which will also offer a minimum $1 million prize pool, will be available to players who satisfy one of the following criteria:

  • Winner of a Circuit Main Event, either domestic or international
  • Winner of a “Casino Championship” (the player who tops the points leaderboard at the end of any given stop)
  • Be one of the top 50 cumulative points earners throughout the season
  • Win any official ring event

While those who qualify will be entered into the Championship for free, others, like the top 100 ranked players from the 2016 WSOP Player of the Year, can buy their way into the event for $10,000. The entirety of additional buy-ins will be added to the $1 million prize pool.

Complete 2016-17 WSOP Circuit Schedule

  1. Harrah’s Cherokee (Cherokee, NC) – August 4-16, 2016
  2. Foxwoods Resort Casino (Mashantucket, CT) – August 18-29, 2016
  3. Planet Hollywood (Las Vegas, NV) – August 25 – September 5, 2016
  4. IP Casino Resort & Spa (Biloxi, MS) – September 8-19, 2016
  5. Casino Campione (Campione, Italy) – September 8-20
  6. Horseshoe Southern Indiana (Louisville, KY) – September 29 – October 10, 2016
  7. Spielbank Berlin (Berlin, Germany) – September 29 – October 9
  8. Horseshoe Hammond (Hammond, IN) – October 13-24, 2016
  9. Harveys Lake Tahoe (Lake Tahoe, NV) – October 27 – November 7, 2016
  10. King’s Casino (Rozvadov, Czech Republic) – October 27 – November 14
  11. Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino (St. Maarten, Caribbean) – November 3-16
  12. Palm Beach Kennel Club (West Palm Beach, FL) – November 10-21, 2016
  13. Cercle Clicy Montmartre (Paris, France) – November 11-27
  14. Harrah’s Cherokee (Cherokee, NC) – November 24 – December 5, 2016
  15. The Bicycle Casino (Los Angeles, CA) – December 1-12, 2016
  16. Enjoy Conrad Punta del Este (Punta del Este, Uruguay) – December 2-11
  17. Choctaw Durant (Durant, OK) – January 5-16, 2017
  18. Horseshoe Tunica (Tunica, MS) – January 19-30, 2017
  19. Potawatomi (Milwaukee, WI) – February 2-13, 2017
  20. Palm Beach Kennel Club (West Palm Beach, FL) – February 9-20, 2017
  21. Bally’s Las Vegas (Las Vegas, NV) – February 23 – March 6, 2017
  22. The Bicycle Casino (Los Angeles, CA) – March 4-15, 2017
  23. Harrah’s Atlantic City (Atlantic City, NJ) – March 9-20, 2017
  24. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa (Catoosa, OK) – March 16-27, 2017
  25. Horseshoe Council Bluffs (Council Bluffs, IA) – March 30 – April 10, 2017
  26. Harrah’s Cherokee (Cherokee, BC) – April 13-24, 2017
  27. Horseshoe Baltimore (Baltimore, MD) – April 27 – May 8, 2017
  28. Harrah’s New Orleans (New Orleans, LA) – May 11-22, 2017