2009 WSOP Schedule Released

The 2009 WSOP schedule was released this week. Fifty-seven bracelet events will take place from May 27th to July 14th. Like last year, the final table of the Main Event will be postponed until November.

There are a few noteworthy changes to this year's schedule. First, rebuy events have been completely removed. Several players had complained that events like the $5,000 buy-in 2-7 Triple Draw with Rebuys event effectively allowed top pros to buy a bracelet. The exclusion of rebuy events means that all players will start each event on even footing relative to well-bankrolled pros.

Secondly, the first open event of the series will be a $40,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em event. This is the 40th year of the WSOP, so organizers wanted to offer a special large buy-in no-limit tournament. While this event is not likely to be a fixture on the schedule, many people speculate it's success could lead to an inclusion of a permanent $50,000 buy-in no-limit event to accompany the $50,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. event.

Lastly, a $1,000 buy-in no-limit event has been added to the early part of the schedule. The smallest buy-in open-field event on last year's schedule was $1,500. Perhaps organizers are using a $1,000 buy-in event to help spark interest in the series amidst the global recession. It's fair to expect this event to draw an enormous field that rivals last year's 3,929-player $1,500 event.

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Complete WSOP Schedule

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