Two weeks ago, it was confirmed that there will be no World Series of Poker (WSOP) this summer due to the coronavirus pandemic. While it had been widely anticipated, a lot of players and fans all around the world still had their hopes up that the WSOP would proceed as per plan.
With the WSOP officially dropped from the summer calendar, all eyes will now be on the next huge event to be hosted by the WSOP this year, the WSOP Circuit Global Casino Championship which returns to Harrah’s Cherokee, North Carolina on August 11-13.
The official WSOP bracelet event, formerly known as the National Championship, was launched in 2011 as a season-ender for the WSOP Circuit. There is no indication as of now whether this tournament will be cancelled as there is still a lot of time left.
While we look forward to August, let’s get to know how the tournament came to be, its past winners, and the most memorable seasons.
Inaugural Event in 2011
The first ever WSOPC National Championship took place in 2011 at Caesars Place. The tournament featured $1,000,000 in guaranteed prize pool and was exclusive only to 100 WSOPC qualifiers. Arkansas pro Sam Barnhart won the inaugural event for $300,000.
After his victory, Barnhart scored another deep run after finishing 17th in the WSOP Main Event during the same year for $378,796. He has since relocated to Vegas and still currently plays cash games and online poker, though he admitted he isn’t as active at the live felts as he was before.
Unique Boardwalk Battle
After Jonathan Hilton took down the National Championship in 2013, the following year the final table of the National Championship took place outdoors, on the legendary Atlantic City Boardwalk. Germany’s Dominik Nitsche emerged victorious, besting 125 other players to walk away with $352,800 as top prize. He took part in the tournament by paying $10,000. That victory gave him his second WSOP bracelet.
First Female Winner
The 2015 edition of the National Championship saw Loni Harwood claim her second bracelet after topping a 122-field for $341,599. She became the first female player to win the event after a thrilling heads-up battle with a prominent WSOPC figure, Alex Masek. Daniel Negreanu also reached the final table but he eventually hit the rail in sixth place for $63,647.
Tournament Rebranding
During the 2015-2016 season, the WSOPC expanded worldwide, resulting in the rebranding of the National Championship to Global Casino Championship in 2016. The first player to take down the rebranded event was French player Said El-Yousif who took home $343,256 as first-place prize. He became the first non-US qualifier to win the title.
Sean Yu’s Year
The following year, South Korean Sean Yu won the Global Casino Championship after outclassing a field of 124 players. He qualified for the event after taking down the WSOPC Planet Hollywood Main Event almost a year before.
After his Global Casino Championship victory, where he walked away with a career-best $296,341, Yu went on to win a $1,100 Main Event at commerce the following month. Just a week after, he claimed another WSOPC gold ring at Thunder Valley Casino.
“Medium” Bracelet for Warren Sheaves
In 2018, Warren Sheaves triumphed in the Global Casino Championship after besting a 127-player field. He qualified for the event after making the Top 10 of the points leaderboard. Sheaves won $282,113 alongside his first-ever bracelet, but the American poker pro became controversial after he said it was just a medium bracelet, as only 127 players completed, and that the victory didn’t really fit his ego.
Two-Time Winner Ryan Eriquezzo
Ryan Eriquezzo captured the 2012 WSOPC National Championship at The Rio for $416,051. He would later replicate that victory seven years later.
Eriquezzo took down the 2019 WSOPC Global Casino Championship after competing against 128 other players from all over the globe. He walked away with $279,431 in top prize, alongside his second WSOP bracelet. He is the reigning Global Casino Champion and is currently the only player to win the event twice.
Poker pros are looking forward to the WSOPC Global Casino Championship and expect a shortened edition of the 2020 WSOP in the fall.