World Series Of Poker's Lon McEachern And Norman Chad Offer First Look At New Las Vegas Strip VenueSeries Runs From May 31 To July 20 At Bally's And Paris Las Vegas |
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Thousands of poker players are set to descend upon the Las Vegas Strip for the first time in the 53-year history of the World Series of Poker.
After 17 years at the nearby Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, the WSOP has a new home right at the Strip’s “50-yard line,” with Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas splitting the hosting duties. The move comes as Bally’s works to transition the property’s branding to the Horseshoe, which served the series’ original home downtown until 2004.
“This year is particularly historic for the WSOP with its move to the heart of the Las Vegas Strip and debut in the best facilities we’ve ever had,” said Executive Director Ty Stewart. "We’re ready to welcome players from all over the world to our housewarming party at Bally’s, soon-to-be Horseshoe, and Paris. The schedule is jam-packed with first-class events and we expect this to be the biggest and most anticipated WSOP yet.”
While the past WSOP topped out at less than 500 tables, the new 200,000 sq. ft. of combined space will fit closer to 600 tables. There are also four times the number of dining options on site, as well as significantly more restrooms.
Of course, while the new facilities promise to provide a better player experience, there are plenty of logistical hurdles involved with running a massive series at two busy casino resorts.
To help with the inevitable confusion as players adjust to their new setting, the WSOP has provided a video tour featuring broadcast duo Lon McEachern and Norman Chad. The two were on hand Thursday as media toured the venue with Stewart and Vice President Jack Effel.
Here’s a breakdown of what to expect when you’re on site.
Finding The Action
Champagne Ballroom — Located in the Paris Convention Center just steps from the parking garage, the Champagne Ballroom will serve as the WSOP main cage, facilitating player buy-ins and payouts. It’s also where the Player Services office is, as well as the WSOP retail store. The ballroom is across from the Caesars Rewards desk, which players will need to get player cards.
Paris — The Paris Ballrooms in the convention center will be the main location for all day 1 tournament starts with buy-ins under $10,000. The spot will house all deepstack events, satellites, and live cash games. It will also be home to the King’s Lounge, which has 14 high-stakes tables available.
Bally’s — Bally’s is divided into two main rooms. Those who make day 2 of an event will find themselves in the Bally’s Grand Ballroom, which can also handle day 1 overflow. Just nextdoor is the Bally’s Event Center, which is where every poker player wants to end up for final tables. The room is set up for the high-stakes buy-in events, and has five featured tables to go along with the main stage, otherwise known as ‘The Mothership.’
Parking
There will be plenty of headaches concerning road traffic on the Las Vegas Strip during peak travel times, but Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas are equipped to handle the increase in visitors with nearly 8,000 parking spots available. That’s almost double what was at the Rio.
Unfortunately it does come with a price. Parking will be $18 per day, increasing to $23 per day on the weekends. Players can also buy weekly parking passes for $100.
Local players can park for free for the first three hours, and Caesars Rewards Platinum, Diamond, and Seven Stars members can park free all day.
Notable New Events
While the highlight of the series remains the $10,000 main event, which Stewart predicted would be the biggest ever, there are plenty of other new and exciting events on the schedule.
The opening weekend $500 buy-in Housewarming event is expected to draw a massive field with it’s $5 million guarantee and four starting flights.
On July 2, the series will debut a new $1 million Bounty Event, which promises to award one lucky player a seven-figure payout. Players earn mystery bounties for every player they knock out, which can be worth anywhere from $1,000 to $1 million.
There’s also the Tournament of Champions on July 18, which will close out the series for all bracelet and ring winners with a $1 million freeroll.
You can learn more about the 2022 WSOP on our series landing page, sponsored by Global Poker. Check out the schedule, as well as event recaps, news, and player interviews.
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