Back in February, Unibet announced that all of its Unibet Open events in 2021 will be held online. Players and fans of the popular tournament were disappointed at the decision, as many had hoped for live action to return this year.
It also came as a bit of a surprise why the company has decided to stick to an online schedule for its flagship event, when other prominent brands are already starting to bring back their major live tournaments, one such example is the World Poker Tour (WPT) which is currently running a live event in Las Vegas.
Safety First for Unibet
Well, for the Unibet team, it’s better to be safe than sorry. The company is taking into account the fact that COVID-19 still poses a threat to everyone’s safety, that’s despite the easing of restrictions and mass vaccinations already taking place in certain countries.
Unibet’s Head of Events Nataly Sopacuaperu said the world as a whole is still dealing with uncertainty arising from the coronavirus pandemic, and they’re taking no chances when it comes to the welfare and safety of players and staff.
Unibet was the first operator to move its live events online in the wake of the global health crisis in early 2020 and it was a huge success. Now, the company is adopting a similar approach for Unibet Open.
Unibet brand ambassador David Lappin said that while he too is looking forward to returning to the live scene as soon as possible, just like the majority of poker players and fans, he couldn’t be prouder of the company’s decision to put player safety first before anything else.
Unibet Open Online 2021
The first of Unibet Open online events in 2021 will take place in late March, in conjunction with the Unibet Online Series. The €1 million-guaranteed series features a total of 145 tournaments, including the €1,100 buy-in, €250,000 GTD Unibet Open Main Event which kicks off on March 21.
Players may take part in satellites currently running on Unibet’s online platform to earn a seat into the tournament for a more affordable price. Buy-ins for the satellite qualifiers start at only €1.
Other Unibet Open events on the schedule include the Unibet Opener on March 17, Unibet Open Warm-Up taking place on March 20, as well as a two-day Unibet Open rebuy kicking off on March 21.
Unibet Deepstack Open Comes to Malta
Unibet Open is going online for the rest of the year, but that’s not to say that Unibet won’t be holding any live event in 2021. The operator is set to host the Unibet Deepstacks Open at the Portomaso Casino in Malta from March 11-14. Casinos in the Mediterranean island have resumed operations since June 2020, and measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have been effective so far.
WPT Continues to Hold Major Live Events in the US
In late January, the World Poker Tour (WPT) successfully hosted its first major live event in the US in about a year via The Lucky Hearts Poker Open in Hollywood Florida. After that, the tour traveled to Russia for another live event.
Now, the WPT is keeping its live schedule busy with another event in the US, this time at the Venetian Casino in Las Vegas. This marks the first time that the tour is holding a Main Event in the city since December 2019 when the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic took place and was won by Alex Foxen for over $1.6 million.
The WPT Main Event is currently running at the Venetian and is close to declaring a winner. The $5,000 buy-in, $1.5 million-guaranteed event got underway on March 5 and attracted 937 entrants across two starting flights, generating a massive $4.3 million prize pool.
The tournament is now down to the final seven players, with Qing Liu leading the chips. Three-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Joe McKeehen is among the finalists and is currently third in chips.