One of the most anticipated poker festivals of the year for live tournament players returns in December: the 2024 WPT World Championship. The festival will run from December 3-23 at Wynn in Las Vegas and will feature a whopping 60 events with a combined more than $15M guaranteed in prizes across all of them.
These festival’s schedule is highlighted by a number of marquee events, including:
- WPT Prime Championship: December 8-14. Buy-In: $1,100. Guarantee: $5,000,000
- ClubWPT Gold Invitational Freeroll: December 13-15. Guarantee: $5,000,000
- WPT World Championship: December 14-21. Buy-In: $10,400
- Ladies Championship: December 14-15. Buy-In: $1,100. Guarantee: $250,000
- Seniors Championship: December 18-19. Buy-In: $1,100. Guarantee: $500,000
“We have crafted an incredible schedule for this year’s World Championship, featuring more than 60 tournaments and satellites,” said Ryan Beauregard, Executive Director of Poker Operations at Wynn Las Vegas. “I’m confident that the loyal fanbase of Wynn Las Vegas and WPT, as well as more than 500 qualifiers and satellite winners, will make the 2024 WPT World Championship another rousing success.”
The Largest Freeroll in Poker History: $5 Million Up for Grabs
While the $10K WPT World Championship event remains the festival’s crown jewel, the World Poker Tour’s huge new addition to the 2024 schedule is the ClubWPT Gold Invitational Freeroll, which will carry a guaranteed prize pool of $5 million, of which $1 million will be guaranteed to the event’s winner. In addition, 100 players in the freeroll will win themselves an entry to the $10K WPT World Championship.
“Our return to Wynn Las Vegas this December is equipped with another monumental investment into the development and growth of not only the WPT World Championship, but the poker industry as a whole,” said WPT CEO and President Adam Pliska. “In celebration of the launch of ClubWPT Gold, we’re aiming for another first for the poker world with the largest freeroll ever offered.”
ClubWPT Gold is a new online poker product that will operate on a sweepstakes-based platform, similar to ClubWPT, legally serving most of the U.S. and Canada. ClubWPT Gold will allow members to play poker games against others by utilizing the platform’s Gold Coins, virtual coins with no monetary value. Sweeps Coins can be obtained through various promotional methods, including a free mode of entry, and may be redeemed for cash and prizes.
To be eligible for a seat in the $5 million freeroll, players must first sign up to become a ClubWPT Gold member through ClubWPTGold.com anytime between now and December 13. That will give you the chance to potentially win a “Golden Passport”, 2,000 of which ClubWPT Gold and company ambassadors will be awarding through a variety of online promotions, contests and giveaways that will be announced over the next few weeks.
The 2024 WPT World Championship
The 2024 WPT World Championship will kick off on Saturday, December 14 with three initial starting days and the survivors returning to play on Day 2 on Tuesday, December 17. Players can enter each starting flight a single time. The grand finale will be livestreamed and filmed for television on December 21.
Schedule:
- Day 1A: Saturday, December 14 at 11 AM
- Day 1B: Sunday, December 15 at 11 AM
- Day 1C: Monday, December 16 at 11 AM
- Day 2: Tuesday, December 17 at 12 PM
- Day 3: Wednesday, December 18 at 12 PM
- Day 4: Thursday, December 19 at 12 PM
- Day 5: Friday, December 20 at 12 PM
- Day 6: Saturday, December 21 at 4 PM (TV final table)
Structure:
- Buy-In: $10,400
- Starting Stack: 100,000
- Blind levels: 60 minutes on Day 1 and 90 minutes on Days 2, 3, 4 and 5
- Payouts: 12.5%
Live and Online Satellites to the WPT World Championship
Those looking to play in the WPT World Championship who don’t have a $10K buy-in handy can take advantage of a variety of satellites opportunities both live and online. The online satellites the will be held on WPT Global will feature a Step format with different buy-ins. The satellite with the highest buy-in costs $1,060 and awards its winners packages worth $12,400 that include entry to the 2024 WPT World Championship and $2K for travel expenses. Plus, there are plenty of satellite opportunities available for ClubWPT members, with more to be announced in the coming months as well.
A number of live satellites will be played at the Wynn on these dates, with about 250 total seats guaranteed:
- Friday, December 6 at 3 PM: $1,600 buy-in with 10 guaranteed $15K packages
- Tuesday, December 10 at 7:30 PM: $1,100 Milestone Satellite with 25 guaranteed seats
- Wednesday, December 11 at 9 PM: $1,100 Milestone Satellite with 10 guaranteed seats
- Thursday, December 12 at 3 PM: $1,100 Milestone Satellite with 75 guaranteed seats
- Thursday, December 12 at 9 PM: $1,100 Milestone Satellite with 10 guaranteed seats
- Friday, December 13 at 3 PM: $1,100 Milestone Satellite with 25 guaranteed seats
- Saturday, December 14 at 9 AM: $1,100 Milestone Satellite with 10 guaranteed seats
- Saturday, December 14 at 6 PM: $1,100 Milestone Satellite with 25 guaranteed seats
- Sunday, December 15 at 12 PM: $1,100 Milestone Satellite with 25 guaranteed seats
- Sunday, December 15 at 6 PM: $1,100 Milestone Satellite with 25 guaranteed seats
- Monday, December 16 at 9 AM: $1,100 Milestone Satellite with 10 guaranteed seats
The 2024 WPT World Championship Festival Schedule
The 2024 WPT World Championship Festival will take place over about three weeks, from December 3-23 in the luxurious halls of the Wynn Casino in Las Vegas. A total of 60 events will be played, and in all of them there will be more than $15,000,000 guaranteed in prizes. Tournament buy-ins will range from $600 all the way up to the $25,800 buy-in for the WPT Alpha8 event. The most celebrated tournament formats will be featured, including: No Limit Hold’em, Mystery Bounty, NLH PKO, Pot Limit Omaha, 6-Max, Seniors and Ladies events, among many more.
Mixed Games fans, too, have reason to celebrate, with an unprecedented variety of tournaments to choose from on the WPT World Championship Festival schedule, including: H.O.R.S.E., Big Bet Mix, PLO 8, Limit Omaha 8 / Stud 8, Big O, T.O.R.S.E., 5 Card PLO, Limit Omaha 8 and Mix Triple Draw.
Milestone satellites will be played for seats into the WPT World Championship, WPT Prime Championship, Ladies Championship, Alpha8 and Seniors High Roller events.
| Event | Day | Time | Buy-In | Guaranteed | Chips | Levels |
| Limit Omaha 8 | December 3 | 11 AM | $600 | $50,000 | 25K | 30 |
| No Limit Hold’em | December 3-7 | 11 AM | $800 | $1,000,000 | 30K | 30/40 |
| H.O.R.S.E. | December 4 | 11 AM | $600 | $50,000 | 25K | 30 |
| NLH Turbo | December 6 | 7 PM | $1,100 | $100,000 | 25K | 20 |
| Mystery Bounty | December 7-8 | 11 AM | $1,600 | $500,000 | 30K | 40 |
| WPT Prime Championship | December 8-14 | 11 AM | $1,100 | $5,000,000 | 40K | 40/60 |
| Limit Omaha 8 | December 8-9 | 11 AM | $1,100 | $100,000 | 30K | 40 |
| PLO | December 8 | 1 PM | $3,000 | $250,000 | 30K | 30 |
| NLH Turbo | December 8 | 7.30 PM | $1,100 | $100,000 | 25K | 20 |
| H.O.R.S.E. | December 9-10 | 11 AM | $1,100 | $100,000 | 30K | 40 |
| NLH 6-Max | December 9 | 1 PM | $3,000 | $250,000 | 30K | 30 |
| PLO Turbo | December 9 | 7.30 PM | $1,100 | $100,000 | 25K | 20 |
| Mix Triple Draw | December 10 | 12 PM | $600 | $50,000 | 25K | 30 |
| NLH Turbo | December 10 | 9 PM | $600 | $50,000 | 25K | 20 |
| ClubWPT Freeroll | December 13-15 | 10 AM | – | $5,000,000 | 25K | 30/40 |
| NLH Turbo | December 13 | 7 PM | $600 | $50,000 | 25K | 20 |
| WPT World Championship | December 14-21 | 11 AM | $10,400 | – | 100K | 60/90 |
| Ladies Championship | December 14-15 | 11 AM | $1,100 | $250,000 | 30K | 40 |
| 5 Card PLO | December 14 | 12 PM | $1,100 | $100,000 | 25K | 30 |
| T.O.R.S.E. | December 15 | 11 AM | $600 | $50,000 | 25K | 30 |
| No Limit Hold’em | December 16 | 12 PM | $1,100 | $200,000 | 25K | 30 |
| Big O | December 16 | 12 PM | $1,100 | $100,000 | 25K | 30 |
| NLH Turbo Bounty | December 16 | 7 PM | $1,600 | $100,000 | 30K | 20 |
| PLO | December 17 | 11 AM | $1,100 | $100,000 | 25K | 30 |
| NLH PKO | December 17 | 2 PM | $3,000 | $300,000 | 30K | 30 |
| NLH Turbo Bounty | December 17 | 7 PM | $1,600 | $100,000 | 30K | 20 |
| Seniors Championship | December 18-19 | 11 AM | $1,100 | $500,000 | 30K | 40 |
| No Limit Hold’em | December 18-21 | 12 PM | $3,000 | $3,000,000 | 30K | 40 |
| No Limit Hold’em | December 18 | 12 PM | $600 | $50,000 | 25K | 30 |
| WPT Alpha8 | December 18-19 | 1 PM | $25,800 | – | 200K | 40/60 |
| PLO 8 | December 18 | 1 PM | $1,100 | $100,000 | 25K | 30 |
| No Limit Hold’em | December 19 | 12 PM | $800 | $100,000 | 25K | 30 |
| H.O.R.S.E. Championship | December 19-20 | 1 PM | $2,200 | $200,000 | 40K | 40/60 |
| Mystery Bounty | December 20-22 | 11 AM | $1,600 | $1,000,000 | 30K | 40 |
| Seniors High Roller | December 20-22 | 11 AM | $10,000 | $500,000 | 50K | 60 |
| Big Bet Mix | December 20-21 | 1 PM | $1,100 | $100,000 | 30K | 40 |
| NLH 6-Max | December 20 | 1 PM | $3,000 | $500,000 | 30K | 30 |
| NLH 6-Max Turbo | December 20 | 7 PM | $600 | $50,000 | 25K | 25 |
| No Limit Hold’em | December 21 | 12 PM | $600 | $50,000 | 25K | 30 |
| Limit Omaha 8 | December 21-22 | 1 PM | $2,200 | $200,000 | 40K | 40/60 |
| PLO | December 21 | 1 PM | $10,500 | – | 100K | 30/40 |
| No Limit Hold’em | December 22 | 1 PM | $1,100 | $200,000 | 25K | 30 |
| NLH 8-Max | December 22 | 1 PM | $10,500 | – | 100K | 30/40 |
| Limit Omaha 8 / Stud 8 | December 22 | 1 PM | $600 | $50,000 | 25K | 30 |
| 5 Card PLO | December 22 | 5 PM | $600 | $50,000 | 25K | 30 |
| No Limit Hold’em | December 23 | 12 PM | $600 | $50,000 | 25K | 30 |
You can view the complete schedule with all the tournaments and satellites at this link.
The 2023 WPT World Championship Festival
Last year’s WPT World Championship Festival saw several events doubling their guaranteed prize pool. The most massive such tournament was the WPT Prime Championship, which saw 10,512 $1K entries create the largest WPT Prime event in history. The tournament distributed a huge $10.1 million prize pool among the top 1,310 players with Calvin Anderson emerging as champion and winning the largest prize of his career: $1.3 million.
The WPT World Championship saw a massive 3,835 $10K entries, with the gigantic $40 million guaranteed prize pool awarding a total of 496 players and the six players making the final table all becaming millionaires. The grand champion was Daniel Sepiol, who also achieved the largest live prize of his career: $5.2 million.
READ MORE: Interview with Daniel Sepiol
Daniel Sepiol / Photo credit: Joe Giron
Below is the list of champions in the most notable events of the 2023 WPT World Championship Festival:
| Event | Buy-In | Entries | Prize Pool | Champion | Prize |
| No Limit Hold’em 8-Max | $10,100 | 77 | $770,000 | Ian Bradley | $240,625 |
| Seniors Championship | $1,100 | 805 | $780,850 | David Larson | $141,385 |
| Mystery Bounty 2M GTD | $1,600 | 3,421 | $3,215,740 | George Tomescu | $500,202 |
| Ladies Championship | $1,100 | 457 | $443,290 | Lisa Costello | $85,297 |
| WPT Prime Championship | $1,100 | 10,512 | $10,196,640 | Calvin Anderson | $1,388,280 |
| WPT World Championship | $10,400 | 3,835 | $40,000,000 | Daniel Sepiol | $5,282,954 |
| No Limit Hold’em 3M GTD | $3,000 | 2,196 | $6,039,000 | Dennys Ramos | $1,001,377 |
| High Roller | $25,300 | 194 | $4,850,000 | Bin Weng | $958,279 |
| Big One For One Drop | $1,000,000 | 17 | $15,810,000 | Mikita Bodyakovsky | $7,114,500 |
| No Limit Hold’em 2M GTD | $1,500 | 2,109 | $3,036,960 | Frederic Normand | $417,828 |
| Seniors High Roller | $10,000 | 162 | $1,539,000 | Daniel Lowery | $394,636 |
| WPT Alpha8 | $50,000 | 69 | $3,346,500 | Tony Lin | $1,045,781 |
| No Limit Hold’em 8-Max | $10,100 | 133 | $1,330,000 | Joris Ruijs | $359,099 |
| Pot Limit Omaha | $10,500 | 123 | $1,227,233 | Quan Zhou | $282,513 |
