WSOP CIRCUIT HEADS BACK TO WEST PALM BEACH

It’s a busy time of year for the World Series of Poker Circuit. While the series at Potawatomi draws toward its closing weekend, another set of events is slated to begin in the friendly winter climate of South Florida. The Palm Beach Kennel Club will host the Circuit for the next two weeks, with 12 gold ring events on the schedule that runs from February 9-20.

Running races since 1932, the Palm Beach Kennel Club is one of the oldest greyhound tracks in the country, and one of 18 still in operation. A poker room was added in 1997, and it immediately became one of the region’s premier places to play.

In 2011, the property made its Circuit debut, and it instantly became a historic partnership. The Kennel Club was the first non-casino venue to host a WSOP-branded event, it boasted the first $1 million guarantee for a Circuit Main, and it was the first time a ring was awarded to a player younger than 21 years old.

John Riordan, a 19-year-old local player, won that inaugural Palm Beach Kennel Club Main Event, collecting more than $200,000 for his first-ever live result. The Circuit has been back every year since — twice a year for the past three — with Florida pros littering the stat sheet. Most recently, Maurice Hawkins joined a small group of three-time Circuit Main Event champions by outlasting a field of 261 entries in the November event.

Here’s the rest of the Main Event history at the property:

There are 12 ring events on the schedule once again, with buy-ins spread across all levels and formats. There’s even a Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo event, a perennial fixture on the calendar at this venue. Other highlights include a pair of Monster Stack events, a four-flight $365 re-entry, an $1,125 warm-up for the Main beginning the day prior.

Here’s the full schedule of ring events:

In addition to those 12, there are two more rings up for grabs. The $135 Ladies Event and the $250 Seniors Event are both one-day events with unlimited re-entry, and both will run on the series’ closing weekend.

The full schedule is available on the Circuit's landing page.

As is the case for all domestic stops on the WSOP Circuit, there are also two seats to the WSOP Global Casino Championship on the line. The Main Event winner will claim one, while the player who accumulates the most overall points earns the other one and the title of Casino Champion. Additionally, all players who cash in official ring events earn points that apply toward the season-long race to claim one of the limited at-large bids. Click here for more information on the points system.

Special room rates are being offered at a number of local hotels, starting as low as $82 per night.