Everyone is looking forward to the new World Poker Tour season. This year is the 20th time that players on the WPT will be encouraged to ‘Shuffle Up and Deal’ as Vince van Patten and Tony Dunst host events around the world on the biggest global tour yet.
One key change to the schedule which was announced this week saw the pronouncement of a new series of WPT events, as WPT® Prime were brought into the schedule at the expense of WPTDeepstacks, which have been removed for the 20th season after eight years.
Will Deepstacks Be Missed?
“WPT Prime is the embodiment of our goal to provide the best possible poker tournament experience to players everywhere.”
While the World Poker Tour’s Main Events garner huge coverage across the globe, the same can’t be said for the WPTDeepstacks series. A fun way of bringing more recreational players into the game, they were filled with some hugely enjoyable pieces to the camera over the years, as this clip featuring long-time host, Vince van Patten illustrates.
No one enjoys busting out of a tournament. Is there something you “do” when leaving the poker room? #WPTDeepStacks @ChoctawDurant @VinceVanP_WPT @_andreajohnson pic.twitter.com/ScfznexnD5
— World Poker Tour (@WPT) November 6, 2021
Cathy Zhao, Senior Director of Global Tour Management for the World Poker Tour is proud of the development of WPT Prime events.
“Our continued efforts to improve the WPT live tournament experience will benefit more players than ever during Season XX,” she said in a statement. “WPT Prime is the embodiment of our goal to provide the best possible poker tournament experience to players everywhere, and our strong relationships with our global partners will elevate the WPT experience around the world.”
While WPT Prime launches officially in 2022, the WPTDeepStacks brand heads off the schedule this summer after stops in Amsterdam, Sydney and Thunder Valley.
What Can Players Expect on Prime?
The aim of the World Poker Tour in launching WPT Prime is to pair the prestige tournament experience of a WPT Main Tour stop with the kind of great value buy-ins that made the WPTDeepstacks tour so accessible for players of all levels no matter what country it arrived in.
Just like on the main tour, WPT Prime players will have action clocks, prestigious trophies – though none as special as the WPT Mike Sexton Champions Cup – and plenty of coverage to make them feel like a superstar. While the world has lost the majesty of the WPT’s greatest-ever presenter in Mike Sexton, who sadly passed away in 2020, Tony Dunst and Vince van Patten are a superb team and always provide terrific analysis and entertainment in equal measure.
Not only is the coverage great, but the WPT Prime Main Events will also contribute towards the WPT Player of the Year leaderboard. At the end of Season 20, a massive $30,000 in prizes will be awarded to Leaderboard winners, as a year that promises a lot of fun kicks off.
What Else Can WPT Players Expect This Season?
“We are absolutely delighted to be back in Vietnam.”
It’s a big season in many different ways for the World Poker Tour and the team are pulling out all the stops. Legendary DJ Steve Aoki has already been announced as a brand ambassador, while the first major stop of the year took place in January, as Alex Yen won the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open for $975,000. WPT Prime Events kick off with three events in Asia during the start of 2022, with events in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Taiwan, Vice President of Global Tour Management for WPT, Angelica Hael, says that the Asia Pacific region can expect something special.
“In celebration of our 20-year anniversary, we are thrilled to be able to deliver the high-quality WPT Prime experience in the Asia Pacific region,” she said. “As we announce more of our Season XX events around the world after a tumultuous period, we are absolutely delighted to be back in Vietnam (May 19th – 30th), Cambodia (August 11th – 23rd) and Taiwan (November 11th – 21st). Now that international borders are opening up, the incredible hospitality of Crown Poker Club, NagaWorld Integrated Resort and Chinese Texas Hold’em Poker Association will once again be on display for regional and global players.”
The end of the WPTDeepstacks schedule after eight years could have seen the WPT pull back on its poker offerings. Instead, the most widespread global poker tour in the game is going further than ever before to reach players of all levels.
