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WSOP Partners With OlyBet to Break New Ground in Estonia

WSOP Partners With OlyBet to Break New Ground in Estonia
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Daniel Smyth Pokerlistings Author
  • Fact Checked by: PokerListings
  • Last updated on: August 21, 2024 · 2 minutes to read

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is heading to Northern Europe for its first-ever ten-day festival in Tallinn.

The Estonian capital has long been a home to some of Europe’s biggest tournaments and now, thanks to a partnership with OlyBet, the WSOP will be adding something new to the mix.

WSOP Tallinn will take place in September at Olympic Park Casino and Hilton Hotel. A total of 12 Circuit rings will be up for grabs between September 14 and 24, including one for the €1 million guaranteed main event.

WSOP’s Global Network Continues to Grow

WSOP Vice President, Gregory Chochon, said the decision to host a Circuit series in Estonia was a natural fit. Indeed, with OlyBet’s parent company, Olympic Entertainment Group, having a partnership with GGPoker, there was already a tacit link between the two companies. Now, after discussing formalities, OlyBet and the WSOP will work together to run the first Circuit series in Estonia.

“During this year’s World Series of Poker, we’ve again seen the continuous growth of the sport. This growth is continuing into Northern Europe and we are delighted to partner with OlyBet to bring the excitement and passion of the WSOP Circuit Series to Estonia,” Chochon.

Corey Plummer, CEO of Olympic Entertainment Group, echoed those sentiments and praised his company’s credentials as a tournament operator.

“We already host the largest poker festival in Northern Europe with the Kings of Tallinn, and we expect to go further with the WSOP Circuit,” Plummer said in a press release this week.

There’s no doubt that people’s hunger for WSOP events is stronger than ever. This year’s WSOP in Las Vegas has broken multiple records. The Millionaire Maker attracted over 10,000 entrants, making it the largest $1,500 live event in history.

The WSOP Colossus also set new standards. A total of 15,894 entrants took part in the $400 tournament, generating a prize pool of more than $5.2 million. That meant the eventual winner, Moshe Refaelowitz, turned his $400 entry fee into a $501,120 payday.

WSOP Remains Poker’s Biggest Draw

The Main Event is also expected to be the biggest ever, which is why WSOP executives announced an ambitious new Circuit schedule late last week. There will be 25 WSOP Circuit stops in the US alone over the next 12 months, including events in Florida, California, and Chicago.

Running in tandem with US Circuit events will be a selection of international offerings. WSOP Circuit London is set to take place between July 27 and August 13 at JW Marriott Hotel in London. From there, the international tour will head to Tallinn.

The schedule is still being finalized, but we know there will be at least €1 million in guaranteed prize money. We also know GGPoker and OlyBet will be running satellites for all the major tournaments, including the WSOP Circuit Tallinn main event.

A comprehensive satellite system and previous events in Estonia, such as Kings of Tallinn, suggest the new Circuit series could attract big numbers. Indeed, if events in Las Vegas are anything to go by, we could see guarantees and records broken when the WSOP bandwagon rolls into Estonia for the first time.

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