Online High Roller Poker Tournament of WSOP USA Called Off Due to Little Participant Interest
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) has made headlines once again, but this time not for its usual glitz and glamour. The 2024 WSOP Online High Roller event, scheduled for October 15, was unexpectedly cancelled due to low registration numbers.
For the first time, Merit International was set to organise the WSOP event, hosting it at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel in Northern Cyprus. However, the tournament required a minimum of eight players to run, but only four registered. The cancellation occurred because only a handful of players showed up.
The limited geographical availability of the tournament may have contributed to its low registration numbers. The event was only open to WSOP.com players in Michigan, New Jersey, and Nevada. This is in contrast to the global reach of other WSOP Online events.
The tournament was a part of Event #13 of the 2024 WSOP Online and was scheduled to start at 4pm PT on October 15. Despite being a part of the post-pandemic poker boom, the cancellation is still a topic of discussion due to its unexpected nature.
High rollers are accustomed to entering tournaments late, but the WSOP cancelled the tournament before any potential late entrants could register. The organisers deleted the tournament from the lobby, adding to the surprise.
The cancellation has sparked discussions about the issue of "bracelet inflation" in WSOP events. With the expansion of official bracelet events, both live and online, the perceived value of gold bracelets has decreased due to their abundance.
The four registrants were refunded their money, but the cancellation has left a sour taste for many poker enthusiasts. The tournament was not promoted by WSOP's social media accounts before or during the scheduled start time, further fueling speculation about the reasons behind the cancellation.
The low registration number of the tournament (four players) was considered awful, especially given the ongoing poker boom. The limited player base was expected to be smaller than a WSOP Online event on GGPoker, but the turnout was still disappointing.
As the dust settles, the poker community continues to discuss the unexpected cancellation of the 2024 WSOP Online High Roller event. The incident serves as a reminder of the challenges faced in organising such events, even during a time of increased interest in poker.
