The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic marches on, ruthless, and unabating, with the global number of cases edging towards 170,000, and more than 6,500 pronounced dead.
One casualty you won’t see in those numbers is the live poker scene, and this week, we saw a deluge of events falling through the cellar door, including those affecting high rollers.
The biggest story is the cancellation of the US Poker Open. Scheduled to run March 19-31, most of the high roller fraternity would have planned to travel to Las Vegas post partypoker’s inaugural MILLIONS Super High Roller Series in Sochi, Russia. As it transpires, that’s the last experience of live poker they may have in some time.
Poker Central’s US Poker Open consisted of 12 events culminating in a $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em (NLHE) Main Event. PokerGO would have streamed the whole shebang live, and now the over-the-top (OTT) media service is left with no new programming to show.
The ARIA is an MGM Resorts International Property, and over the weekend the casino giant decided to close all of its Las Vegas properties for two-weeks, beginning Sunday, March 15. The Wynn and Encore are following suit.
Caesars Entertainment Corporation cancelled all live performance throughout March, but there is still no news of casino closures or the anything related to the World Series of Poker (WSOP).
WSOP officials did issue an email declaring World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) cancellations and postponements, and the announcement of an impromptu WSOPC Online Super Circuit Series on WSOP.com, but still no word on the WSOP due to commence at the end of May.
Another event that’s gone the way of an earthworm disco discovered by a hungry hedgehog is the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo. PokerStars have suspended the event due to run April 23 – May 2. EPT Monte Carlo had five €25,000 buy-in events, a €50,000 event and a €100,000 event in the schedule.
The World Poker Tour (WPT) is also putting their show on ice. Adam Pliska and the crew have postponed WPT Venetian March 13-17, and WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown April 16 to May 5. Both events joined WPT Barcelona in a coffin.
We will bring you more news as we receive it.