WSOP Schedule Hype!

Full disclosure, I haven’t been in a poker room in about 10 months. I haven’t played poker at all in the last six months. Hell, I haven’t played a poker tournament since the World Series of Poker back in 2019!

To be honest, the only things I’ve left my house for during this pandemic have been essential shopping and exercise. And yet, I somehow got excited about the recent announcement that there will be a live WSOP in September of this year. In fact, I’m even excited that it’s still going to take place at The Rio! I don’t understand these feelings, but maybe I can make some sense of them in this column.

I’m really not sure how big my appetite was for a WSOP last year, even if there was no COVID-19 and it went off as regularly scheduled. Tournaments mostly fill me with dread. I would probably have ended up scouring the schedule for a good stretch of pot-limit Omaha tournaments and headed out for them. PLO tournaments can be kind of boring, but at least I feel like there is still some value in them for me. No-limit hold’em is a whole different story. I feel my skill edge over the field is pretty slim these days. I only play NLH when there is no PLO seat available for me, and I’m at the casino anyway.

They didn’t even list all of the events in this press release! It’s just the starting and ending dates and a couple of marquee events with specific dates attached. So far, there has been no mention of PLO or mixed games or anything else I’m interested in. But still, I’m excited to play.

I’ll probably be even more socially awkward than usual since I’ve pretty much only been around my wife and kids for the last year, but most people probably won’t notice since my social awkwardness mostly presents itself in avoiding people and not talking. It will be hard to remember how to navigate crowds of people without getting worried about someone getting too close to me, or how to avoid touching my face after touching the cards. I’m sure I’ll be taking even more advantage of the available hand sanitizer and bringing my own water and snacks just to be sure.

Eventually, I’m certain I’ll be used to being in crowds again, but that might take a while and I can’t really foresee any significant way to find out before the WSOP starts. The biggest gathering I might be at before then would be my local poker room, which has maybe a few hundred people in attendance at one time or, if I’m feeling adventurous and vaccinated, perhaps a Los Angeles Angels game with my family.

In terms of crowd density, I don’t really go anywhere that compares to the WSOP. I haven’t been to a concert in probably 10 years or more. I haven’t been to a club or bar that packs in people in three years. In fact, I remember the last time I went to a super crowded bar so vividly as a bad experience that I have intentionally avoided places like that even before COVID. But still, I’m excited to play.

So, why am I even interested in a WSOP in 2021? I guess because it feels like some return to normalcy. I live in California where all people 16+ will be eligible for vaccination as of April 15. Many other states are on a similar timeline. Even if it takes three to four months for everyone to get the shot, most of the population will be vaccinated before the time frame of the events. This means that it’s possible that the WSOP is going to feel somewhat normal to me if I end up going.

I used to go to the WSOP every year without fail and I used to think it would be crazy to suggest that I would even think about missing the main event. I looked forward to seeing the friends I have in the poker world and doing poker summer camp. This year it’s in the fall, which is probably even better. Not having to walk outside on a break into a heat that feels like an oven will be a blessing. It might even be possible to go for a nice bike ride in the morning before playing poker tournaments without worrying that I might pass out from the heat!

WSOP is that toxic ex who treated you terribly, but then sends a text (announces dates) and you just can't stop thinking about them.

You agree to meet and "catch up", but before you know it, you've bubbled the Main and are stuck $50k w/ 8 BBs left in the Little one for One Drop.

— matt waxman (@Matthew_Waxman) April 5, 2021

Matt’s tweet almost perfectly encapsulates my feelings on the subject. I haven’t thought about playing poker much over the last year, and certainly haven’t thought about playing tournaments. Yet here I am, just a few days after the WSOP teases a hint of a schedule, at a casino I’ve grown to despise, in crowds I can’t imagine being a part of, and in a future that feels uncertain, and I’m ready to jump in. ♠

Gavin Griffin was the first poker player to win the Triple Crown, capturing a World Series of Poker, European Poker Tour, and World Poker Tour title, and has amassed more than $5 million in lifetime tournament winnings. You can follow him on Twitter @NHGG