Tao of Poker

2009 WSOP Schedule

By Pauly
New York City

Well, the 2009 WSOP schedule is out and the November Nine makes a triumphant return for the 40th anniversary of the WSOP.

The biggest change? No more rebuy events. I know a lot of established pros preferred rebuy tournaments. The PLO ones were the most fun to watch and cover. So, the real reason the powers to be eliminated rebuys from the 2009 schedule? Last summer, I heard a rumor (my source was a floor person) that someone from the floor staff pocketed rebuy money and shorted the prize pools in different rebuy events. No more rebuys? No more shenanigans.

OK, rumors and speculation aside, there are some positive and negative aspects of the schedule.

The good? A couple of new events like the Triple NL and two Mixed Games (8 different games) events. I also love the snarky and ironic $1,000 donkament for broke dicks. I's like the suits at Harrahs are saying, "OK, we know the economy is in the shitter and the world is going straight to hell. Maybe you lost a third of your savings in the stock market and might have been laid off from your job, but now's the time to turn that bad luck around and play in a special discounted tournament with four thousand other donkeys at the WSOP!"

The bad? 57 bracelets. Two more than last year. The over saturation of events the last couple of years (including WSOPE bracelets) has weakened the brilliance of a winner's bracelet. At this point with the floundering economy, they should be reducing the number of events. A reduction in events would increase the value of a bracelet.

In my poker utopia... there would be no rake, strippers would deal topless, you could smoke weed at the tables, and there would only be 42 events per year or only 420 bracelets awarded over a poker decade. I'll talk more about those suggestions shortly.

But now the schedule is out and it's time to roll up a stake for Vegas. So ask your boss (wife/employer) for permission to play before you book your summer vacation and to fly out to Sin City and attempt to fulfill a poker dream... to be an unknown and come out of nowhere to win a million dollars and a WSOP bracelet while slugging it out knee deep in donkey guts against Scandi's with perfectly messy hair.

Without further ado...

2009 WSOP Schedule:

Aside from the Main Event, all WSOP preliminary events are three-day events unless otherwise noted.

Event #1 May 27 noon: $500 Casino Employees Event NL (2-day event)
Event #2 May 28 noon: $40,000 40th Anniversary NL (4-day event)
Event #3 May 29 noon: $1,500 Omaha 8
Event #4 May 30 noon: $1,000 Broke Dicks NL (4-day event)
Event #5 June 1 noon: $1,500 PLO
Event #6 June 1 @ 5pm: $10,000 World Championship Seven-card Stud
Event #7 June 2 noon : $1,500 NL Donkament
Event #8 June 2 @ 5pm: $2,500 2-7 Draw Lowball
Event #9 June 3 noon: $1,500 Six-handed NL
Event #10 June 3 @ 5pm $2,500 PLO/PLH
Event #11 June 4 noon: $2,000 NL
Event #12 June 4 @ 5pm: $10,000 World Championship Mixed Event (Limit Holdem, Omaha 8, Razz, Stud, Stud 8, NL, PLO, 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball)
Event #13 June 5 noon: $2,500 NL
Event #14 June 5 @ 5pm: $2,500 Six-handed Limit
Event #15 June 6 noon: $5,000 NL
Event #16 June 6 @ 5pm: $1,500 Seven-card Stud
Event #17 June 7 noon: $1,000 Ladies NL World Championship
Event #18 June 7 @ 5pm: $10,000 World Championship Omaha 8
Event #19 June 8 noon: $2,500 Six-handed NL
Event #20 June 9 noon: $1,500 PLH
Event #21 June 9 @ 5pm: $3,000 HORSE
Event #22 June 10 noon: $1,500 NL Shootout
Event #23 June 10 @ 5pm: $10,000 World Championship 2-7 Draw Lowball
Event #24 June 11 noon: $1,500 NL Donkament
Event #25 June 11 @ 5pm: $2,500 Omaha 8/Seven-card Stud 8
Event #26 June 12 noon: $1,500 Limit
Event #27 June 12 @ 5pm: $5,000 PLO 8
Event #28 June 13 noon: $1,500 NL
Event #29 June 13 @ 5pm: $10,000 World Championship Heads Up NL
Event #30 June 14 noon: $2,500 PLO
Event #31 June 14 @ 5 pm: $1,500 HORSE
Event #32 June 15 noon: $2,000 NL
Event #33 June 15 @ 5 pm: $10,000 World Championship Limit
Event #34 June 16 noon: $1,500 NL
Event #35 June 17 noon: $5,000 PLO
Event #36 June 18 noon: $2,000 NL
Event #37 June 18 @ 5pm: $10,000 World Championship Seven-card Stud 8
Event #38 June 19 noon: $2,000 Limit
Event #39 June 20 noon: $1,500 NL
Event #40 June 20 @ 5pm: $10,000 World Championship PLO
Event #41 June 21, noon: $5,000 NL Shootout
Event #42 June 21 @ 5pm: $2,500 Mixed Event (Limit Holdem, Omaha 8, Razz, Stud, Stud 8, NL, PLO, 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball)
Event #43 June 22 noon: $1,000 Seniors World Championship
Event #44 June 22 @ 5 pm: $2,500 Razz
Event #45 June 23 noon: $10,000 World Championship PLH
Event #46 June 23 @ 5 pm: $2,500 Omaha 8
Event #47 June 24 noon: $2,500 Mixed Limit/NL
Event #48 June 25 noon: $1,500 PLO 8
Event #49 June 26 noon: $50,000 HORSE World Championship (5-day event)
Event #50 June 26 @ 5 pm: $1,500 Limit Hold’em Shootout
Event #51 June 27 noon: $1,500 NL Donkament
Event #52 June 28 noon: $3,000 Triple Chance NL
Event #53 June 28 @ 5 pm: $1,500 Seven-card Stud 8
Event #54 June 29 noon: $1,500 NL Donkament
Event #55 June 29 @ 5 pm: $2,500 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball
Event #56 June 30 noon: $5,000 Six-handed NL
--- July 2@ 2pm: $5,000 Ante Up for Africa Charity Event (1-day event)
Event #57 July 3 through July 15: $10,000 NL Main Event Championship

And here's the 2009 Main Event Championship Schedule:
July 3 - Day 1A
July 4 - Day 1B
July 5 - Day 1C
July 6 - Day 1D
July 7 - Day 2A (Day 1A+1B)
July 8 - Day 2B (Day 1C+1D)
July 9 - Day Off/Media Event
July 10 - Day 3
July 11 - Day 4
July 12 - Day 5
July 13 - Day 6
July 14 - Day 7 (Down to 27)
July 15 - Day 8 (Down to 9)
Nov 9 - TBD

See you in Las Vegas. Tao of Poker will be there for a fifth straight year.


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