WSOP Global Casino Championship moves online

The event, which is open only to certain qualifiers, will now be held on WSOP.com in Nevada and New Jersey on Sept. 13. It had been scheduled for Aug. 11-13 in Cherokee, North Carolina, before the coronavirus pandemic.

WSOP.com will hold a Circuit Season Finale tournament series June 3-14 to award the final 13 qualifying spots for the Global Casino Championship.

Players who have already qualified will have to be physically present in Nevada or New Jersey to play in the event.

“We want to do right by our players and see the promised prize money put up for grabs” Ty Stewart, executive director of the WSOP, said in a release. “Hopefully the choice of an East Coast or West Coast destination makes it more viable for qualifying players. … We look forward to returning to Harrah’s Cherokee in 2021 but until then, the show must go on … online.”

No points will be awarded for the Circuit Season Finale, so players qualifying via points have locked in their berths, according to the release. Qualifying players can contact WSOP operations manager Johnny Hernandez at jhernandez1@caesars.com for more information on registration logistics.

Twelve WSOP Circuit stops were postponed completely because of the pandemic, and two others were altered.

The flagship World Series of Poker was supposed to begin Tuesday but has been postponed. Officials have said they hope to hold the event in the fall, but no dates have been set.

Contact Jim Barnes at jbarnes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0277. Follow @JimBarnesLV on Twitter.